Okay, so I have no photos to go along with this story, as I left my camera at home yesterday, which is fine, as it is always easier to enjoy life in reality, rather than behind a camera lens. But hope to paint a LOVELY picture for you of one of the best days I've had this summer.
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After a crazy-busy week filled with our children's {and my husband's} school open houses, two nights of dinners with friends, purchasing school supplies, baking up peach pies, a bit of Etsy work, and the usual laundry, dishes, mopping, etc., my husband and I both committed to take the day off completely on Friday and spend it together with our kids.
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We awoke to a cool, crisp, and sunshiney day! Perfect, PERFECT Autumn weather. After breakfast, my husband packed a yummy picnic lunch while I filled out my fair form, indicating which items I'd be displaying at this year's County Fair . . . jams, photographs, miniature flower displays, and a silk butterfly hair fascinator.
We then traveled to a neighboring town, looking for a place to eat our lunch. We happened upon a sweet little park, with a wide span of open grass dotted with hundred-year-old trees, {which, to my children's satisfaction, also contained a huge wooden play structure}. We spread out our quilt, and enjoyed our lunch, talking and laughing about the cute little pudgy squirrels burying their acorns, about the ants trying to take over our picnic, and about upcoming Halloween costumes.
After lunch, the kids ran around playing tag in the grass, and then romping through the play structure as my husband and I talked about the politics of public school, enjoying apple cider and picking apples in the Fall, and the mixed emotions of watching our children grow up.
We left the park to visit the local pet shop, where our 12-year-old bought a fish bowl, we sat fascinated, listening to the little finches chirping away, and my husband bought 2 {very agressive} cichlids {fish}, which he named Chuck and Norris. :)
We drove back to my husband's classroom and deposited said fish into the classroom tank, and cleaned out the hamster cage.
Then we headed over to Glei's, the local apple orchard and farmer's market to purchase a peck of peaches, a dozen ears of corn, and other assorted locally-grown veggies, and to meander through their greenhouses.
Upon our return to home, my husband fired up the grill and we enjoyed grilled corn-on-the-cob, venison sausages, pasta salad, grilled zucchini, and peaches with cream.
After dishes, we all settled in underneath blankets to watch a family movie and eat Amish kettle-cooked popcorn and yogurt covered pretzels.
We fell asleep to the sound of returning college students laughing and talking, excited for the upcoming school year.
This may not sound like much of a day, but it was perfect to me. All work was abandoned for the day, and we made time to laugh and play together. I think the best days are the ones where we look back and can't think of a single thing we accomplished. My husband and I did nothing to bring money in yesterday, we neglected our yard, and we didn't solve world hunger. We DID, however, build family bonds, laugh and play together, and taught our children to ALWAYS make time to enjoy life. In my book, I'd say we accomplished a LOT yesterday! :)
Here's to enjoying every day! Carpe diem!
Fondly, Kate
