It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

...and yet, we continue to recap the fall and summer.  A snow day at home yesterday and a sick tot today creates a perfect chance to catch up. So here we go. More fun from the fall...Halloween week was also the week of the epic windstorm of 2017, which saw us losing power for about a week. Halloween was postponed, school shut down for a week, and we ate A LOT of takeout.  We made the most it. 

Let's spend half a second on the week that was no power. There's a little silliness going on by lantern-light, plus some downed trees on the Bates campus.  

Back to more fall fun...a trip to my favorite remote apple orchard.  No frills, simplistic beauty.  We could wander these grounds forever.

The LL Bean pumpkin festival was not to be missed!

Lunches with grammie and grampie, soccer, everyday silliness, Maddy's first movie theater experience (fail!), a cub scout hike at Bradbury Mountain...we kept busy!

Our Maine fall was really an extended summer, lingering and stretching its warmth and blue sky days for many weekends.  We found ourselves at another local orchard, and squeezed in a few beach days both at Ogunquit and Popham.

Early fall saw a terrifying experience for the first time in my 40 years of being in a car. I was in an accident with Madeleine in the car.  Thankfully, no one was hurt except the whole front of my car.  I've never experience the type of fear that I did in that moment, and yet it could have been so so so much worse. 

The start of school...second grade! When did that happen? I'm still asking myself...

August saw trips to Camden, music on the mall in Brunswick, Coffin Pond, the Topsham Fair, North Conway and Santa's Village, and outings to Gelato Fiasco. Harpswell, Land's End, Bowdoin College, and a couple of glorious moons.

Let's just throw in a few random but adorable pictures of Josey.

Ok, I know this isn't really funny, but when Maddy's constipated, she makes the funniest expressions.  And while this was sort of sad and painful to watch, especially since it was at the fair, I couldn't help but capture the moment.  Sorry, Mads. Mama loves you :)

Oh Winston...

Finally, one of our favorite things to do is hang out on the campus of Bowdoin College.  Perfect for bike riding, scootering, walking, blowing bubbles, and photographing.  

And with that smiley face, I think I've caught up the summer and fall. We're less than two weeks away from Christmas. The excitement and anticipation is building. Now more than ever we must find and seek joy in the little things...lights on a tree...frozen icicles on a snow-frosted wreathe...winter sunsets. Find your joy...for me, it's reliving these memories and knowing that someday, these two goofballs will read these missives and while they may not remember the details or the events, they'll know that no matter what, we always found our joy.