Finally Fall

Okay, we made it through our final Back-to-School curriculum night last Thursday, registered the kids for their respective clubs, sports and band and even turned the heat on last week.

It's finally fall.

This is my favorite season. I love summer, it's a close second, but by the end of August I'm eager for some routine and the joy of wearing a sweatshirt and pair of jeans. Too bad fall doesn't last four months like summer does or, dare I say, the five months that winter hangs on. In Chicago, fall is fleeting, about two months of mild, crisp temperatures and colorful trees. So I always feel the urgency to get outside and enjoy it before it's gone.

Today I was able to take a long walk. I did it quickly so I could count it as exercise, though I must admit my plan of losing 30 pounds by walking once a week is inherently flawed. I pray while I walk and find I pray differently when surrounded by God's creation than I do when I'm alone in my living room. Not that He didn't create my living room in a sense, but the trees, ducks, lake and babies in strollers at the park are a little livlier. It was chilly when I left, but the sun (and my heartrate) soon eliminated the need for a jacket.

The sky seems bluer to me in the fall for some reason. Like God changes the backdrop so the canvas becomes part of the color palette.

This was the most relaxing weekend we've had in some time. The football team had an away game this Friday which I was grateful for since it meant Caitlin didn't have marching band and it rained most of the night. Saturday I was able to do some decent cleaning before heading up to a friend's house for a lovely no-occasion party. Sunday after church we got to watch the Bears win and play outside ourselves.

It's always a bonus when I start the week with a day off and the laundry is already done because we weren't running around non-stop all weekend. I had time to linger in God's Word this morning before sorting through the pile of paperwork and getting the grocery shopping in. I even had time to take the kids to the library tonight and sit on the couch and talk to my husband for an hour!

The calendar is quickly filling with plans for fall fun; the pumpkin patch (you're never too old), a drive up to Lake Geneva for Oktoberfest, a trip to Notre Dame to see the parade before the game and cheer on the Irish with Dan's cousins.

As Ferris Bueller says, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it."

And they're already putting up Christmas cards in Target.