Lately, I've been mothering with a little more "no regrets" in mind. I think about the future and how, when I'm 50 or 60 years old and my kids are growing up, I don't want to sit around thinking "I wish I did more ... with my kids!" I won't remember that my house was clean or our drawers were neat and tidy (not that they are anyway), but I will remember if I sat down and did stuff that matters with my kids. And they will remember!

With this mindset, I realized I don't read as much as I would like to my kids. I'm trying to change that! 

Our local library has much to be desired as far as really classic, awesome children's books. But, we can order anything into the library, so that is what I've set about doing. We try to be very intentional about what books we buy and keep in our house. We have to really love them! The kids have to love them, we have to be able to read them a lot and not be annoyed, etc. 

I know we have some blog readers that are book lovers! If you'd be so kind, please add a few of YOUR favourite children's picture books in the comments so I have more to turn to. 

Richard Scarry's Giant Storybook Treasury - by Richard Scarry

Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat - by Dr. Seuss (and many others of his)

Something from Nothing - by Pheobe Gilman

The Hockey Sweater - by Roch Carrier

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel - by Virginia Lee Burton

Love you Forever - by Robert Munsch

The Golden Children's Bible

Catholic Children's Treasure Box Books - by the Maryknoll Sisters 

Truck Stop - by Anne Rockwell

Of course, there are always the Curious George books, the Clifford books, and others that Joseph loves to have read to him. These don't necessarily pass the parent test, a.k.a. I don't always want to read them to him.

I'm treating this as a growing list because I'm really looking for more ideas and to jog my memory from the times we went to the library and my mom read to us for hours as a kids. I'm also trying to keep track so I can get the favourites we don't own (and can't get from the local library) or for gifts we buy others.

What are your favourite picture books for children?

Points to Ponder - Oct. 25

Some deep reflective points to ponder. Maybe even to pray over.


1. Poop -

Boy John Paul has been pooping a lot lately! I almost feel bad that I'm not around most of the time to change his diaper. Good ole Poop John Paul.


2. Synod - 

Speaking of St. John Paul II (in a roundabout way)... actually, in considering the synod this past month, clearly nobody was speaking of St. John Paul II. The greatest mind to ever focus on the needs and theology of the family. Just ignore him hey. Sounds like a pretty good idea. JPII, who are you?

What the synod re-taught me is this life lesson: it doesn't matter how great you are, when you die people will eventually forget you, you will become food for worms, and that is that. So don't waste your time seeking earthly honours.

I mean really. If those in the Church have already, ALREADY, forgotten about St. John Paul's teachings... I'm surprised they remember who Jesus is. Although some of them have forgotten Jesus' teachings on marriage too.


3. - Falling Leaves on the Ground

Becca was telling me a story about how Joseph was at a library group with other little kids and the librarian, after reading a book about fall, informed the kids they were going to sing a song about leaves. Joseph then jumped up and started singing the line "fallen leaves, fallen leaves, fallen leaves on the ground" by the punk band Billy Talent. Stay classy Joseph. Who's his dad anyway?


4. "It's all about Empowerment" -

I was talking with a fellow coworker the other day. She's a very nice lady. We get along wonderfully. But we don't necessarily see eye to eye on everything. At one point in the conversation she reflected that when teaching students "it's all about empowerment."

I went away from that conversation steaming in my head about how much I hate the term empowerment. Don't get me wrong, if considered in the basic and proper Aristotilean manner there is nothing wrong with it. We are in potentia. To possess first actuality is good. To utilize actuality, and thus be in second actuality, is wonderful.

But empowerment takes on a different meaning in the educational world. It reflects our culture. Give the students the power to do what they wish. There is nothing they cannot do! They are just so special. Everyone of them! "You're special. And you're special. And especially you are special. And you have special needs, that's just how special you are!" God who? Empowerment.

I am always quick to squash my student's dreams. For instance, on one writing assignment I received last week a student was explaining that these certain people should search for gold because "if you believe in yourself you can do anything." I responded by asking her if I could play professional basketball, despite being short, if I only believe in myself.

Empowerment.

How about just be yourself. Only a holier version of yourself.


5. Captain for a Night  - 

A beautiful little piece in this week's Saskatoon Star Phoenix. Yes, a trashy paper more or less, but only for those suckers who read stuff besides the sport's section. Anyway, my cousin Cory who plays for the Saskatoon Blades was honoured last Saturday for a special reason. He was... well... you can read it yourself here if you wish.


6. Ahh Look at All the Lonely People - 

Have you ever realized it's a lonely world? Living in town gives us the opportunity to snoop observe the human condition in a more profound manner. Our neighbours to the south have no kids, and we never see them out of the house much. Our neighbour to the north, well, it took us several months to even realize he lived there. Our neighbours across the street also seemingly have no kids (or none come visit, ever) and by and large retreat to themselves. And our neighbour across the street. She's dead.

She lived alone, not counting her prized dog. She didn't get out much. Her cousin came to visit her recently. They were planning on doing some travelling together. But it never happened. She died within a few days of becoming sick. Now he's living in her house for the time being. Alone. Not getting out much.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that many people are lonely. And many people are lonely because of the death of the large family. And there is nothing that can possibly substitute for having a large family. So people are lonely. There was a certain man who may or may not have had perfect hair who once reflected on the eerie blue glow you can see coming from nearly every house you walk by at night time. There is a lonely world. T.V. is such a poor substitute for family, friends, God.

Thankfully, as if to justify my own inactivity, I have a wife who is outgoing and caring enough to reach out to people. Yesterday she took the boys to visit an elderly couple who live two doors down. She also went and talked with the cousin of the lady/neighbour who died earlier this month. She said he had tears in his eyes as they talked. I'm sure he deeply appreciated the chance to at least speak about his recent loss. Good for Becca. As for me, I take living in a house with a little family all too much for granted. It is a gift. A blessing. An awfully difficult blessing at times, but that's only because of how wonderful it is. It is so important for the family to reach out to the rest of the world. Yes, that was a teaching of St. John Paul. To reach out and penetrate the loneliness. I clearly have a long way to go.

And I'm sure I'm not alone in that either...


7. - 

No words. Just this:

Deo Gratias!

Snippets: JPII, quotables, photos

1. Yesterday was the feast of St John Paul II! When trying to come up with a boy name for in-utero John Paul, we were at a complete stalemate. Until Dan suggested John Paul. Of course! With his canonization just a few weeks after the baby's arrival date, it was perfect. Just hangin' out with his patron, celebrating his first saint-day.

2. It must be the 3 year old in him - Joseph comes up with the funniest things to say on a daily basis. 

Joseph: "I need a girl! I need a girl!"

Us: "Why?"

Joseph: "I need a girl to clean up my mess!"

Joseph: "Mom, you broke my heart!"

Really, we have NO idea where this came from. We have never used that phrase with him!

Joseph: "I ate the pealses off the bread."

Us: "What do you want to do today?"

Joseph: "Um, how about have a family hug?"

Must be a Mombourquette. Millettes just aren't that into hugging.

3. On Sunday, we put out a google search to find a new hiking spot nearby. The gorgeous weather we were having earlier this week is simply amazing for late October around here and we had to take advantage of it. Then, we drove out to the Jones Wildlife Preserve just a few minutes outside of town to explore. 

While it wasn't the most exciting hike I've ever been on, there was enough to keep us entertained for a while. Water. Rocks. A few bridges. Little boys just love these things! We'll definitely be going out again because we didn't make it out to the bird watching tower.

4. A couple weekends ago we took a bunch of family pictures, hoping one might be good enough for a Christmas card. Indeed, one was! Then, while ordering some photos with a photo credit and free shipping, I noticed the company also had a promo for 10 free Christmas cards. Awesome! It was 3pm and my boys were waking up from naps, so I quickly chose a card format, added our family picture, and punched in the free card code. I bragged to Dan that not only was I getting these cards (regularly over $3 each) for free, but they were even being shipped for free with my other credit. (There is nothing that gets me more excited than getting good or free deals! I know, pretty shallow.) The next day I got my order and shipping confirmation. I'd only ordered 1 card! "Those zeros, they really get ya, don't they," Dan laughed. "Now, who's the lucky one to get our 1 Christmas card?!


5. Yesterday was Joseph's first preschool library day. (That makes it sound like a big deal, which it's not.) For the most part, Joseph is around adults, so I'm always a little curious to see how he behaves in a group of kids. These kids were 3-5 years old and Joseph was probably the youngest or close to it. 

Despite wobbling back and forth in the morning on whether he wanted to go at all, when we got there he was so excited and ran over to the group in the kids corner, did a couple big jumps, and made his speedy entrance to an empty chair far away from all the other kids. Joseph is just a little shy and a little set apart around kids in a group. When it's one-on-one, he's right in there asking "what's your name?" and "do you want to play?" but when it's a larger group, he's more inclined to sit apart and watch.

When asked to sit "criss-cross applesauce" he had no idea what the librarian was talking about and even when shown, could not for the life of him get his legs to cross (must be those short little legs). True to form, he put his mat a good 3ft away from the rest of the kids, so the librarian had to tell him he wouldn't be able to see the story. 

But as story-time progressed, the little mat got closer and Joseph began answering all kinds of questions about what colour the leaves in the book were or what the animals were. After this gradual lead-in, came his big moment. The librarian was asking something about what the kids would do with the leaves when they raked them up. Joseph jumped up, put on his workerman voice, and announced to the stunned group, with accompanying actions, just what he would do with his front-end loader and those leaves. To be precise: load them up. The four little girls stared, the librarian said "yes" and asked Joseph to sit down again please, and the one other little boy smiled in agreement. 

The hour went out without another incident. The kids sang some songs, jumped up and down (Joseph was trying his hardest to jump highest), and did a craft. Joseph sat on the chair he'd picked out at the very beginning, apart from everyone.

Friday Night Lights

One thing perhaps I've enjoyed the most as a teacher (besides summers off, of course) is being a part of the grass-roots football in this province. I've been able to run flag football at our school for two years now. This year I also am involved in the Saskatchewan Pass, Punt, Kick Challenge with my grade fivers. I've also emphasized the sport throughout my various phys. ed. classes. Little things like this have led to a somewhat of a football frenzy at our school. It's pretty well the only game you see going on at recess. The kids just can't get enough football. But I know it's like this just about everywhere in Saskatchewan.

So tonight was a special night in Tisdale. They brought in the lights! Friday Night Football baby! I just had to take Joseph!

Joseph watched very intensely for the first little while. He'd be yelling "Hutt Hutt!" every time a team lined up for a snap, to the amusement of the people sitting nearby. But soon enough he just had to get down on the grass and run around and play football. Thankfully I remembered to bring along a little football. You will never see a kid run around more! Our little Darian Durant!

Here we are. Joseph's first Friday night football game.

I think he was mad that I made him pause the game for a picture.

Family Life: It's Not Always Meatloaf and Gravy

I was thinking of writing a little bit about life in The Millette Family. This would, coincidentally, make it three blog posts in a row here that we'd have written on our family. All in a short amount of time. Nothing too dramatic I know, but I think subconsciously there is a desire on our part to counter all the nuttiness currently going on in Rome with the, ironically enough, extraordinary Synod on the Family. Not to say life in our family isn't at times dysfunctional too.

It is the role of theologians, after all, to teach about the family. What I can offer comes merely from experience, Master of Theology that I supposedly am. There is a fundamental truth that to me makes the family, thankfully our family, survive, and sometimes occasionally even thrive.

Now some days I come home from work to the perfect situation. The house is clean. The dishes are done. The kids are quiet and happy. And I notice that smell. That unmistakable aroma. Yes! My little wife is just putting the last of her killer homemade meatloaf with gravy on the table! Life in the family is awesome!

Some days I get home to a pig sty with kids having meltdowns right in the middle of a meltdown already in progress (oh it's possible). Supper is not only unprepared, like heck if we even know what we're having! Dishes everywhere. The unmistakable aroma of poop fills the air. Toys scattered to kingdom come. But Thy will be done.

Most times the situation is somewhere in the middle of these extremes. There really is only one constant. One constant in all of family life. And even this constant is an undeserved gift. That is, Christ is present.

To experience true family life is to experience Christ smack heart in the centre of a chaotic mission to love unconditionally, with or without meatloaf. There is no satisfactory way to describe it. He is the heart of it all. I think of how on weekends we have a routine where we all carefully get ready for Mass, fancy clothes and all, say some prayers, and go to worship in the presence of Christ. Sometimes we are the perfect family, complete with sleeping baby and a 3 year old concelebrating from his pew.  Sometimes we barely get the slightest thought towards God in at Mass. Either way, He blesses us immensely. I also think of during the week when life just can't slow down enough, yet there also is Christ. Some weeks we make it through with many laughs, spills, and tears. Christ is there. Other weeks contain too many bitter words, harsh disciplines, and ungrateful hearts. But a calling to repentance, prayer, and true peace can always win the most selfish ways... because Christ is there. His Holy Family too. The family lives by Christ. It dies by disowning Christ.

To come back to the Synod for a minute. Some of the ideas being spun are so absurd to me. How can a family exist without grace? How can grace enter without living the way Christ desires the family to be? It hurts to think about it.

So I won't. Instead I will simply go on in this family as best I can. Unbeknownst to you I've been called away three times since I began writing this post tonight in order to help a crying child. That is life in the family. It's not always meatloaf and gravy. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Just as long as Christ is present.

We can only be this:

By this:

Baby Log

Every once in a while, I want time to stand still so I can just soak in the cuteness that is my kids. Soak in the cuteness, but forget the other parts, like the whining, crying, keeping me up really late parts.

Joseph is part terrible 3 year-old, part adorable 3 year-old. The other day, playing outside all by himself as Dan and I worked in the kitchen, he balanced his little Roughrider football in the grass to practice field goals. Sometimes it would take him many, many tries to get the football to balance upright, but he patiently worked away until it stayed. Then he ran backwards across the entire lawn to get into position for his run. Always, always, he runs with his tongue out. He'd run that whole lawn again and kick the ball as hard as he could. Then over and over again.

Joseph is becoming quite the little Lego builder. Despite the fact that all his sets advise age 5+, he has been playing Lego for about a year now. Often we can hear him from the living room saying, "It's not working," and then a little while later, "I did it!" The other day he proudly brought me a little helicopter he'd made, complete with spinning top blades. 

Joseph has also taken it upon himself to teach John Paul how to pray. I guess he figures with all the things we show and tell him how to do, he'd better find someone smaller to instruct as well. He moves John Paul's hands in an awkward sign of the cross and says the words for him. John Paul just grins.

John Paul is becoming quite the little boy. I mean, you can really tell he's a boy, from all his yelling, growling, and general boy noises. That stuff just doesn't have to be taught.

He's immensely proud of his two little bottom teeth. Although we haven't really been feeding him regularly, whenever we're eating something (like squash, sweet potatoes, pears) that I know he could eat, we let him try out a little bit. Mostly he makes funny faces and rolls the food until most of it comes back out. But generally he wants to try whatever it is. Often, we just sit him in the high chair and give him a baby spoon. So far, it's been hailed as just-as-good as real food and he's (mostly) content.

After hurting his shoulder a few weeks back, it took some time before John Paul was ready to roll and move around again happily. I can't imagine what havoc he'd be wreaking now if he hadn't been slowed down, because he's sure starting to get himself around everywhere. Rolling, back-sliding, whatever, he gets himself where he wants to be. And it's only going to be getting worse. 

He has also accomplished sitting by himself. While we were out raking leaves earlier today, he just sat and ate grass, which we replaced with a wooden Rosary we happened to have in the stroller nearby. He only fell over once!

Despite his very boyish nature, John Paul is a screamer. For some reason I thought that was the art of baby girls, but apparently not. It's all happy screams, but shrieking none-the-less. Unfortunately, he's also a Mama's boy. Loves his dad, loves laughing at his dad, but often just wants to be with mom. Sometimes in the evening, as he's getting tired, if I merely leave the room to go to the bathroom, he gets almost hysterical looking for me and crying. Seriously?! And when I return to pick him up, he smiles and laughs.

John Paul is growing so quickly. He weighed in on the weekend, as good as we could tell, at around 20 lbs. 6 1/2 months, 20 lbs! Heavy! And starting to wear 12 month clothing too. Enormous and enormously cute!

Morning Riser

Joseph is an early riser. Often I play babysitter in the morning until I leave for work in order to give Becca and John Paul a few extra moments of sleep. He sits on my lap while I finish my prayers. We chat about our night. I help him put his socks on. He eats my toast while we watch sports highlights. He plays lego while I shower. Sometimes I even get him dressed (usually when his bed is wet). 

And some days we share something beautiful...

Points to Ponder - Thanksgiving 2014 Edition

Here are some points to ponder...

1) "Don't Ever Buy a House"

That was my motto this past summer. Of course I was joking, somewhat. But one thing I always told Becca while we were still renters was that owning a house is great, but when something goes wrong it's usually a $4000 - $5000 bill.


2) Roof - Real men shingle their own roof.

I climbed up onto the roof to inspect where and how to repair some of the shingles. Our house inspector told us back in June that with some patch work we'd be able to get another couple of years out of the roof. But as I looked more carefully something didn't quite seem right. The shingles were nearly bare in many places.

I got some recommendations on local roofers from the Co-op manager and had one of them stop by. He took one look at the roof and told me that he would guarantee we'd be taking in water with the current roof, and that the whole thing should be replaced. Gulp.

That's a bit of a kick in the butt. Since I don't have time to do it, that meant we'd be paying mega bucks to have someone else do it. You know, a $4000 - $5000 bill. But it's most important to protect the house from the outside going in, and the roof was our last big outdoor project before interior projects could begin. So we had the roof done.

As it turns out, it was the right decision. He pulled out some heavily saturated plywood pieces. There you have it!

3) Christmas in October

In the sports world Christmas comes in October. We have the start of the NHL and NBA. Junior hockey is going strong. The CFL and NFL are on constantly, and the baseball playoffs top everything off. The problem is that a guy needs two or more TVs hooked up. I remember we did that once growing up. I assume my mom was away, but anyway my dad hooked up the smaller TV with the Montreal Canadiens game while the larger TV had the Yankees playing in the World Series. The only problem was switching back and forth with sound. I could have used that last night. Poor me, I was watching a CFL game where Toronto came back and scored two touchdown in the final two minutes to win the game. In the midst of this I was trying to flip over to the MLB playoffs where the Orioles were trying to get out of a tied-game, bases loaded, nobody out, jam.


4) Synod 

One thing that I can't stand is inefficiency. For instance, at work if I can teach an entire outcome of the curriculum in five minutes, I'll do it. To do otherwise would be to waste time and resources.

I'm getting the feel that the current Synod of the Family is an inefficient bureaucratic nightmare. Of course I'm not privy to everything that is going on, but what I do hear sounds rather monotonous. Apparently we need to speak better of the family and it's role in the world. We need to be more loving and open. We need new language... Maybe they should have re-titled the Synod as "Unpacking Saint John Paul II's Teaching on the Family." That would get to the point, spare us from all these nutjobs who are trying to change Church teaching, and bring some real fruit to the Church. Don't reinvent the wheel.


5) Burke

Throughout all the shenanigans in Rome these days, one light really has shone through. That being Cardinal Raymond Burke. He truly has been a visible rock for truth (and love) and is not afraid to stand up against stupidity (I'm looking at you Cardinal Kasper). Of course, as I said previously, he is getting demoted. As one commentator optimistically said though, that only means Burke will have more time to devote to writing and speaking up for the truth.


6 A Few Good Memes

How things seem to be these days.

That's right.

I'd buy 60 if I could afford it.

7) Thanksgiving

Let's face it. There is so much to be thankful for. Lack of gratitude is a sign of pride, a certain Fr. Mariusz once told me. Happy Thanksgiving (and go Riders).

The End of Death

I'm thinking about the other night. It's late and I'm reading a book. Someone in the book, a Catholic, is taken away from his family. Eventually he is executed. His head is smashed in. That's it. The subject of death then enters, or smashes, into my own head. It begins to terrify me. Why?

Thinking about death 10 years ago was easier. Not easy, but easier. Maybe I've grown far too lax in my faith over the past 10 years, and thus I have more fear of punishment. But after a brief prayer I realize what it is that drives my enhanced fear of death. It's those two little boys asleep in the other bedrooms down the hall. It's the thought that if I die, they will not have a father. I lie back and can't help but think that they need me. As prideful or humble as it sounds, they need me.

But do they need me? Ultimately, by the grace of God, they would survive a childhood without their dad. Still though, how sad. How inexplicable. How unfair. Am I really so necessary? How? What, then, is my purpose at the moment?

Then a light is revealed in my mind. I am here to get these children to heaven. Life really is simple when you think about it. Whether I have two more days with them, or 60 more years, the goal is the same. When I have Joseph kneel down to pray at night do I make sure he carefully does the sign of the cross? Do I correct him properly? Do our boys see Becca and I pray reverently? Does our house radiate joy and peace? Is everything we do directed towards a greater end?

If not. Get to work. Make it so.

If yes, death where is thy sting?

NET evangelizes Santa Claus

On a mission from God. Travelling to the North Pole. Evangelizing Santa Claus. 

No, no. Got it wrong. Mission from God... just as north as Yellowknife (!)... to evangelize.

My little brother is all grown up. By all grown up I mean that I come up to about his armpit and hug him around his waist. When this happened, I'm really not sure, but I remember him the size of John Paul and changing his diapers, so I guess some time has passed. 

On Friday night we hosted Ben and his NET team. They were traveling through Saskatchewan on their way up to their post in the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith. 7 of them. Ready to take on the north! 

We hear they're being provided with parkas, boots, and a nice big Dodge 4x4 as wheels when they get there. But they'll probably also get out with some sled dogs and do all kinds of other cool (haha) stuff. They are certainly pumped for the adventure.

Joseph and John Paul were pretty excited to see Ben. And after rolling around on the floor with his two little nephews for a while, I think Ben's convinced he'll be making his way back to flat ol' Saskatchewan sooner rather than later. I told him the offer was open to spend his summer here slaving away on our house. Not sure if he's convinced it'll be the best summer of his life, but we'll see. 

Enjoy the North, O Tall One! We look forward to seeing you on the other side of the adventure.

Eye of the Tiber

I sure do like that Eye of the Tiber website. They're the spoof website that comes up with hilarious (but false) Church news stories.

For instance, some of their most recent headlines have been:

Pope Francis Awaiting Final Approval Of Internet Troll Before Promulgating Encyclical

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Asks To Be Reinstated As Pope

St. Patrick’s Day Drunks And Gluttons Afraid Inclusion Of Gay Group At Parade Will Make Mockery Of Feast Day

Rude, Ungrateful 9-Month-Old Crying All Throughout Mass

Atheists Sue To Remove Letters “G”, “O”, And “D” From Alphabet

They're always good for a laugh. I wonder how they come up with some of their headlines. It's tough. I gave it a quick try just now, but the following is all I could muster:

Cardinal Dolan Backs out of Marshall Duties for St. Patrick's Day "Gay" Parade
Explains he didn't realize he was supposed to walk the entire route.

Ok, that's a tad mean. I'll try again:



Pope Francis Reportedly Taking Latin Lessons from Pope Emeritus
Says he's considering making Latin a part of the Church.



Cardinal Kasper, Head of the Push to Allow Communion for the Divorced and Remarried, Excommunicates Nemesis Cardinal Burke
"Pope Francis appeared to me in a dream and told me this was the will of God."

Typical Kasper. Put words in the Pope's mouth.



LBGTQVWXYZ Group Calls for Expanded Alphabet
Says there are not enough letters available to represent new genders.



Cardinal Kasper Hints that New Synod will Allow Communion ONLY for the Divorced and Remarried



Canadian Catholic Bishops Conference Preparing Winnipeg Statement #2 in Preparation of Synod
New Statement to say that divorced then remarried Catholics can have Communion if their conscience lets them.



Ontario Catholic High School Student Caught Praying in School Chapel
School officials at first unclear as to why he was "kneeling and holding this beaded necklace thingy."



Catholic Judge Quits Job after Meeting with Pope Francis
Explains "who am I to judge?"



Ok, a little harsh on our Holy Father! But I hear he has a good sense of humour.

Anyway, clearly the writing on the wall is something like this:


Teacher Warned Not to Quit His Day Job

And that's no spoof.

Fall Fun, Part 2

Just when I thought I might have a few free minutes, while the boys slept, to post these pictures that have been sitting on here for well over a week now, John Paul decided to wake up. Other business was in order. That over with, he's decided sitting on my lap and drooling on the computer desk is okay, but definitely won't be in just a couple moments. Or, right now.

One of our favourite places to go in Nipawin is the Regional Park. This was our first and only trip this summer. If you want more of the d'tails of the Regional Park, I also talked a bit about it here and here.

So, without further ado, here are some pictures (probably far too many) of what we did with some of our last (so far) beautiful weather this Fall: