Friday with Finn

Today, as the leaves fall furiously off the trees and push us solidly into a new season, I'm mourning the loss of the summer.  This was quite possibly the most jam-packed summer in Hefter History: we spent some quality time in Minnesota for Sarah's graduation hoopla (hooray for Baby Sister!) and a wedding shower for Emily with the aunties and girl cousins; then there was the flurry of activity that surrounded Emily and Jerad's wedding festivities (my first brother-in-law!), and a Fourth of July visit from my cousin and his best girl was spur of the moment and much needed.  Those last few weeks and days waiting for Finn to arrive made for a wonderfully full and exciting summer.

It's cold now and to be honest, fall feels a little bit like a let-down.  The grass doesn't look soft and green anymore, nor does it hold the promise of 7 weeks of "vacation" as it did 3 months ago.  Our deck is empty of plants and outdoor chairs and full of crunchy leaves instead.  I have planted the tulip bulbs, but it'll be months before we see those little green heads poke through the soil (as long as the stinky squirrels don't eat them first).  My rose bush has been cut back to practially nothing and is mulched over...no more looking out the kitchen window and seeing cheerful pink blooms in the yard.  The tree branches wave their bare arms at Finn as he looks at them from the toasty confines of our house.  I have had to turn the heat on a couple of nights already, and then have had to remember to turn it off in the morning amid the chaos that surrounds trying to get 4 people out the door at 3 different times. 

This new season will bring with it it's own set of changes - some of them will without a doubt be exciting.  There are some teeth brewing in Finn's mouth and Abby is going to turn 11.  I think we'll tumble into a moderately mobile, rolly-poly baby this fall and a much more independent tween who wants to stay up later and stay outside with her friends longer.

I never thought I would miss summer.  It's so hot here and the humidity wraps around you like a wet hug every time the door opens.  But already I miss the feel of a little sweaty baby body curled up next to me in the wee small hours of the morning; he's got too many clothes on now and he sleeps through the night.  It gets dark so much earlier and that means Abby's signal to come in (the street lights coming on) happens almost before six o'clock news is over and before Wheel of Fortune has started.

I'm feeling a little glass-half-empty today, thinking more about the things that are past instead of anticipating the moments that are to come, like Finn's first Halloween this weekend and the fact that Abby gets to spend the night with her Aunt Megs tomorrow, which means Uriah and I (and baby boy)  have found ourselves, once again, with an evening to ourselves. 

I promise to be in much better (ghostly) spirits tomorrow...