Autumn Beauty!

Autumn beauty has come to our area!  I have taken so many pictures since I posted last week.  I'm going to post some of them here without commentary for your scrolling pleasure.  Then I'll tell a few stories.

I also took some pictures of flowers, here and at Destiny's.  I'm glad I did, because some of them were hit with frost early Sunday morning.  So sad how quickly they turn brown and lifeless.  My marigolds did escape, probably because they are so close to the house. 

We had rain and very cool temps at the beginning of last week.  It seemed like we had had rain the whole week before that. Then finally Wednesday was warm and sunny.  We've had warmer temps ever since, except for the overnight lows this past weekend.  I think everyone in our whole community was mowing their lawn on that first day of sunshine last Wednesday.  When Elizer and I took our walk we had the greatest time watching all the people on their riding mowers and others pushing their mowers.  He never, ever tires of watching them.  And of course if they look our way, he waves at them and they wave back.  It's so cute.

We went down to the playground behind our house and a neighbor was mowing.  Elizer sat on the swing watching him and waving each time he made a round.  Doesn't get much better than that for a two-year-old boy!

But it did get better!  It was almost time for Grandpa to get home from work, so we sat on the porch and waited.

And waited and waited!

As soon as Dick got home he started the tractor mower and took Elizer for a ride around the neighborhood!

There they go!

When Destiny got here after work to pick him up they had so much fun on the floor!  If only these pictures had sound.  His giggle is so contagious!

Later that evening I saw this picture on Jess's Facebook.  How CUTE!!  They were at the Manheim Farm Show parade.   Behind Jess and Charlie you can see Bjorn, our friend Kicki and our daughter Miki in the plaid shirt.  How we would have loved to be there!  That's the kind of stuff we really miss since we moved away from our home area in 2009.  

On Friday Destiny and I really wanted to have a cookout.  We had not counted on the temperature getting down to the low fifties by evening, but that's what a fire is for, right?  We invited Anthony and Lori to join us and also (Pastor) Lynn.  (She is officially no longer our pastor, but it's hard to call her just Lynn without "pastor" in front of it!)  We had so much fun!!!  Hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, and S'mores. And lots and lots of laughter!

Lori gave this costume to Elizer, a hand-me-down from Hunter.  How adorable is he????

I cleaned my house on Saturday, but there are no pictures of that, haha!  Destiny and Elizer stayed here overnight on Saturday.  Of course, Elizer was up bright and early!

Destiny had to work on Sunday.  In the afternoon Dick and I met Alex and his dad halfway to give Elizer to them for the week.  We met at a McDonalds and we were there first, so we got Elizer some fries.  He loves them with ketchup.  

This was the cool dude across the table, lol!

It was sweet to see how happy Alex and Elizer were to see each other.   Destiny came to our place after work and we finished watching Titanic.  Oh my goodness, what a horrific event!!  

On Monday morning I had to go to the lab to get my finger stick, mandatory the day before cataract surgery.  I got a few groceries afterward, and when I arrived home these three were in my house!!  Woohoo!!  Our daughter Miki, her service dog Hope, and our friend Kicki are here from Sweden for the week!  We're having a wonderful time, but that will have to be in the next post!

One more thing - I had another successful cataract surgery on Tuesday!  More on that next time.