Sundays and the crunch-crunch of my favorite season.

We are enjoying some very warm days around here this September. Although mid-80s is a bit high for my liking, I am enjoying the cool evenings. Our one huge backyard tree, a maple, is rapidly losing its leaves due to the dry weather and the cool nights, but this has led to a rather pleasing familiar sound that always reminds us of the cooler days of Fall.

This is Olivia's first experience with the crunch-crunch of the leaves, and since she is now extremely confident in her walking skills (to the point of almost running) we had some fun yesterday playing with her in the backyard. She was tromping around in high-kneed baby style, randomly turning this way and that while exploring all corners of our backyard. The ground is a bit uneven, so she did take a few dives into the leaves, always coming up with a handful that went straight to her mouth. I will be glad when that leaf-eating stage is over!

Yesterday was a pretty fabulous family day. Because of our busy schedules and my husband's work responsibilities, it is rare that we have a weekend that is entirely our own. This weekend was, though, and the weather cooperated nicely.

Sunday was what I believe Sundays were meant to be...a day of rest and spending time with family. We headed out to Church early because Olivia was SOOO tired. We anticipated that she'd fall asleep on the drive and then we'd park by the river and read until it was time for Mass so Olivia could finish her nap in the car.

Our church, and old German parish that was established in what was once a rowdy river town, sits just one block away from the Ohio River.

So we went forward with our plan, and Olivia did sleep in the car for about a half-hour. We still had some time left before Mass was to begin, so we took in the cool morning breeze and the views of the river.




After Church, we went home for lunch and Olivia's nap, and then we headed out to our local state park for a free patriotic concert at their amphitheater. The concert wasn't great, but Olivia enjoyed the outing anyway. She really loves being outdoors.

We capped off the day by grilling out and playing in the crunchy backyard. A perfectly relaxing Sunday. This week, we are expecting a shift to seasonably cooler temperatures. Bring on the jackets! Olivia and I are looking forward to crisp fall days and playing in the yard.