Someone said it's officially fall. Really? Cuz the sweat dripping down my back while I put out a few fall decorations didn't really scream fall to me! But if it means candy corn - I'm all in!
They say southerners talk a little slow... well, I guess we take the same approach to cooler weather. We're always a few months behind. I am beginning to see a few signs though. Football for one. One of the surest things in life... death, taxes and football. And our grass is no longer growing 5 inches in one week. Although those are good visual signs of fall, our temperature gauge tells a different story. And that is just fine with me! For the first time in the 15+ years I have lived in the gulf south, this mountain girl is not longing for true fall crisp air and sweater weather. I have finally embraced my home, welcoming the heat to stay a little while longer.
BUT before we go getting all into fall, I still have some summer updating to do. As usual, we've been busy.
Some of these I talked about in other blogs but never posted pictures... so it Never Really Happened. Right???
There was Paris for the French Open!
Visits from best friends. Sydney must have stayed at the window like this for half an hour waiting on their arrival.
Visits from the Fletcher family.
A reunion with the never-a-dull-moment Fraher family.
And last, but definitely not least, we took a short but satisfying trip to Disney World.
Sydney loved it and regularly asks when we can go back. The look of wonder and awe in her eyes as she saw for the first time and exclaimed "it's Cinderella's castle!!!!!" was priceless. Yes, I might have shed a tear or two in the moment.
She's always been a little scared of characters, and although still a bit shy, she was thrilled to meet the princesses! You've never seen a 3yr old wait so patiently in long lines!
A day of princess meet and greets set us up perfectly for our breakfast the next morning with Mickey and Minnie and the gang. Fear conquered!
The trip also provided us with a great opportunity to catch up with dear friends - and meet a new one too. Every night, we had a sitter for all our combined kids while we went out for adult conversation. The kids had a blast - a mini slumber party complete with incredible people watching and Epcot fireworks from their balcony.
Notice here that Fletcher outlasted all the other "big" kids. We had a rule... we didn't return until all the kids were asleep. This was a late night.
This one brought back memories from our trip here almost 4 years ago (2013 and 2009)...
It truly is a magical place. Fletcher was still maybe a bit young...
but I hope we get back again in the next few years before that pure Disney joy dims.
One of my favorite pics from that trip... we were there to catch up with some of my political colleagues from the Jeb Bush days in Florida. Here we attempted to capture a picture of the next generation (this is only half... and consider, most of these precious babes might not exist if it weren't for the relationships developed during those many long hours on his campaigns and serving in his administration). I certainly know a lot of people who would love an audience with Governor Jeb Bush. Fletcher apparently is not one of them.
The fun never ends! We're doing a combined birthday party for the kids this weekend (Fletcher's first real birthday party ever) so more to come on that!
