A Second Cup of Fall

We spent this weekend drinking in a second big cup of fall. Friday night, we ventured downtown to enjoy some Mexican food at our favorite place, and we were surprised with a little live music in the form of a father/son duet. They played a mix of classic Mexican ballads, pop hits, and a few children's songs. It was great fun to do a little seat dancing and watch the kids' faces light up as they played near our table. Issa loved watching the guitar, especially.

We came home to tuck the kids into a "camp out" in Issa's room. They snuggled right in to sleeping bags, and we heard them giggling and whispering for just a few minutes before exhaustion took over.

Saturday morning, we headed out to Montrose Gardens' open house:
These gardens were featured by Southern Living, and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the fall color right here in our home town.

Poor Evan spent the first bit of the tour in Daddy's arms:

Huge open fields were just meant for running, and he didn't appreciate the carefully created lines with the mower. He was much happier when we got into the gardens and he could do a bit more exploring.

The flowers were beautiful, and Issa loved capturing the blooms:

There were plenty of places to explore:

And even more flowers to sniff:

(Please notice Issa wore her flower barrette for the occasion.) The kids loved exploring all of the hidden paths, and they really were stunning gardens.

When we got home, we spent some time in our own backyard. The swing set got a serious workout:

And Issa perfected her flip:

She's been working on it since she saw Uncle Jeff do one this May.

We also had our first fire of the season in our fire bowl!

There were hot dogs to roast:

And more importantly Smores to be had! Check out these monster pumpkin marshmallows:

They make perfect Smores:

Yesterday, we spent the day doing some yard work. It's time to pack up the summer, which meant deflating the jump-o-line:

Yes...they took turns jumping on it to deflate it. It was the most fun when Daddy jumped and the kids got launched. We also closed up the pond, packed up the pool, and raked some leaves:

The yard looks a bit empty. The kids are loving dancing on the big platform, though, and I have a feeling a tent will soon appear out there.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, too! We made hummus, granola bars, and chicken stock for the week.

It really was a perfect weekend. The air is beyond crisp, and the leaves are starting to turn. Now that it's cooler, we spent extra time snuggling and sipping warm things. My idea of heaven...