Welcome, Fall.

It's official: Autumn has commenced.  Just like that, summer 2016 is over and done with.   Of course, if you live in Alberta, you're well aware of the fact that summer has already been gone for quite some time. The leaves are falling, the temperatures are dropping, and everything in the vicinity is pumpkin flavoured.  

To celebrate the last day of summer, I took my girls on a spontaneous day trip yesterday. Just east of the city lies Elk Island National Park, a little gem that is beautiful and rarely busy on weekdays.  I always want to go on little road-trips but rarely actually go.  All of my kid-free friends work during the week, and my parent friends typically prefer to plan ahead. It dawned on me that there is absolutely no reason why I'd need another adult to accompany me.  My girls are all the company that I need! 

I'd be lying if I said that we've had a great week. Between a nasty cold and teething, Briley has been a miserable, sad, sleep-refusing baby.  As a result, we were all rather exhausted and maybe a tiny bit grumpy. Perhaps a little bit of fresh air was the remedy that we needed.  

I packed a picnic, and away we went! The weather was perfect.  It was just cool enough outside that I could dress the girls in adorable fall sweaters and justify accessorizing them with unnecessary (yet adorable) infinity scarves and tiny boots.   

There were a few families and a school group, but for the most part the parking lot was empty and we had plenty of room to roam and explore.  Aaralee ran down the paths, crushing every single leaf that stood in her way.  We watched the birds and wandered the boardwalk by the water.  The girls absolutely loved exploring the teepee, running in and out and around in circles.  

My girls even sat miraculously for approximately 3 seconds... long enough for me to snap a photo of them both, looking at the camera, together.  All of you moms of 2 or more can appreciate my sense of accomplishment in that feat.

 

The highlight of the day was when we came across a big pile of leaves.  Despite her usual aversion to anything messy, Aaralee was happy to throw the leaves in the air and roll around listening to them crunch beneath her back.

  She showered Briley with leaves, which left them both laughing hysterically.  

After such a busy few weeks it was so nice to take a little break with my kids to let them just have fun and be kids.  Seeing the world through their eyes is my favourite thing in life. 

After plenty of running around and playing, we had a snack and then packed up the car. There was some serious eye rubbing occurring and I could tell that it was going to be a peaceful car ride home with 2 kids asleep in the backseat. 

We'd had so much fun, and we even spotted a bison on our way out of the park, much to Aaralee's excitement.  As predicted, they slept the entire ride home as I sang along to the radio and snacked on cookies.  

Saying goodbye to summer is never an easy task, but days like these make it better. When you have tiny, fun loving little people in your world it doesn't seem to matter what season it is. Every day is an adventure, and I can't wait for all that autumn has to offer. I feel like we have more day trips in our future, as long as the snow holds off for awhile longer.