"Leaves are falling all around . . .

on the housetops on the ground.

Leaves are falling all around,

on my head, my hands and toes."

This fall has made me decide that my favorite time of year is definitely autumn. When I drove up to Michigan in October I drove through the mountains of Virgina and saw the first glimpse of leaves changing. The sight was awe inspiring to say the least - no picture could do it justice. For the past several weeks here the weather has been perfect and the scenery picturesque!

There is something magical about each leave falling to the ground and a colorful array everywhere you look.

Thank you mother nature for a wonderful afternoon of leaf jumping!

Good Help

. . . is not hard to find around here.

I was playing with Tessa when the phone rang, so I ran downstairs to get it - upon my arrival

5 seconds later

I found Bently and Keira with everything under control.

Halloween

An adorable ladybug and a ferocious dinosaur!

Hillridge Farm and BFF's

Bently, Keira, Tessa and I took a little trip to Hillridge Farms to pick some pumpkins and enjoy the fall atmosphere. I told Keira and Bently that they could choose any pumpkin they wanted as long as they could carry it. Bently wanted nothing to do with having to carry something himself. (Poor kid was still a little sick - really couldn't blame him.)

Keira, on the other hand, was delighted to do somthing all by herself. She carried it to the picnic table where we had lunch and then lost interest.

We ended up not coming home with a single pumpkin.

Let me just say that it was all I could do to tote and keep track of 3 children plus their belongings.

Pumpkins were really just unnecessary baggage!

One of the highlights was the train ride ~ always a favorite!

My personal favorite was the corn pit.

Millions of kernels of corn housed in this little octagonal house. It was like a sandbox but with corn. You had to take your shoes off to go inside - once you stepped in . . .

you were swallowed up to your knees in corn. Keira was a bit sceptacle, seeing as how it was a bit difficult to walk in such circumstances.

So she thought it best to just bloom where planted.

Bently, thought it was wonderful! Until . . .

he tried to traverse the pit.

he decided on swimming as the best method of mobility!

And then contentment once again!

But the part of the outing that will melt my heart and make me

smile for the rest of eternity . . .

And as for little Tess . . .

she enjoyed the trip too in her angelic, sleepy sort of way!

Fall Brings Hungry, No, starving Ducks

I need to thank my father-in-law for this beautiful fall day.

While visiting he helped me take the kids to and from our many destinations. I so enjoyed the lovely conversations we shared. One conversation in particular was about giving children real-life experience with the things we teach them. He asked me if I had anywhere where I could take the kids to feed ducks.

One week later we were feeding ducks just like we have many times before.

But it is fall now and the ducks don't get fed as frequently as they wish . . .

they are STARVING!!

How's that for some real life experience?!

Sweet Tessa

I cannot put into words the joy it is to have Tessa as part of our family.

As with all my children, it is a great honor to be near her and to have this opportunity to grow with her.

We love you Tessa Ann!

Two Peas in a Pod

I feel so lucky that I get to "have all the fun," as Dad says - but you know what, he's right.

I do get to have all the fun with you guys! You two are like little peas in a pod.

Always together and loving (almost) every minute of it!

I love you both so much.

I love the way Bently always gets two snacks or two drinks - one for himself and one for Keira.

I love that when I wake Keira up from her nap because it is time to go pick up Benlty from school, she starts giggling and whispers to me that she is "so excited to see Bently."

I love that when we are out people always ask if you two are twins because I know that Heavenly Father meant for you two to be together.

Such a Pretty Face

We should have known that something was amiss.

Things were too calm and much too quite.

Dad went to go check what was going on and broke into laughter . . .

and then sent these two pretty little faces down to show me what they had been doing!

Mascara was everywhere and our toothbrushes had been shoved down the drain. Finally Dakota was able to suck our toothbrushes out of the drain using our shop vac - I never would have thought that thing would come in so handy!

Mom and Dad's bathroom is way too fun!!

These Days

These days Bently is at preschool. Lucky for Keira she has a baby to look after! Most often she can be found whispering to sweet Tessa, reading her a book, or potty training one of her own baby dolls. Keira has such talent at taking the lead in our family and I am in awe and so thankful for her nurturing nature.

Tessa is a wonderful baby. I have had so many wonderful moments with her and Keira and Bently. They love to admire her and use the most soft gentle voice when they speak to her. She has brought a sense of clamness to our home. I love watching my three babies begin to form a strong lifelong relationship. I feel so blessed to have wach of them in our home and to learn from their sweet little hearts.

It's a Girl !!

TESSA ANN DUNNE
Born at 2:31 pm August 26, 2008. 8lbs 1oz, 20.5 inches.
Both mother and Baby are doing super well.

Both Bently and Keira have taken up a nuturing side now that Baby Tessa is around. Keira constantly wants to hold her baby sister, and Bently is always singing to her to calm her down when she is crying. It is a joy to watch them interact.

Charlotte of course is beautiful and radiant in every way. I am so humbled by how much she sacrifices essentially with no complaint. It is amazing to witness not just the miracle of life, but the miracle of absolute perfect love. I have have been blessed to be witness to that experience 3 times now and everytime bring tears of joy. My love for Charlotte grows every day. I love her so much, and hope to be able to support and care for her as she does for our children.

I am a proud Papa, and a very blessed man. I am grateful beyond words...

So Sleepy

They are impossile not to love and kiss and hug when they sleep so peacefully.

Bently and Keira know when it is getting close to bedtime and it is always the best time of day at our home. In general they get along really well to begin with, but when they sense that bedtime is near they get along even better! They wrestle together, giggle, hug and kiss, and are just a lot of fun. Too much fun in fact - and most of the time they get to stay up later than they should because we enjoy such great times together when bedtime is near.

Before Dakota and I go to bed every night we check on our sweet little boy and girl and I can never resist one more kiss for each of them - they are my sweetest dreams each night.