When what's important... isn't really that important.

The fall season is drawing to a close, believe it or not.

Just tonight, my children entered the kitchen in a fevered frenzy, exclaiming that there was "this much" snow on the porch!  What?  I wasn't expecting snow - not yet.  I'm not through with brightly lit trees and not quite ready for freezing temperatures.

As the summer was closing in on us, AJ and I discussed all the things we'd like to have wrapped up before winter: fence stretched, gates set, culvert replaced, bridge completed, pit dug for next years outhouse...
Just a "few" things that shouldn't take "much" time, and as we half-grinned at each other and shook our heads, we came up with a plan.  It was this:
Let's just enjoy our children.

To make the fishing, hunting, hiking, wrestling, reading, and Sunday fall color drives the first priority.
After that, whatever gets done is bonus.  The time is passing too quickly.  We' aren't going to remember The Fall of 2012 as the year we set gates or replaced culvert pipe, but I bet we remember the apple picking trip with Gramsie and Pops.

The implementation of our goal has taken more effort that I would wish, but deliberate planning and action is required for we two who'd happily sit on the porch with coffee and follow that with tractor work and some clothes-sorting.  We had a couple precious days between business travels lately in which to cram in stuff needing to be done, and this is how we spent it...

Yesterday we took the family and went fishing with Clay.  He's been wanting to try a new spot where the fish were less predictable and the scenery fresh.  No fish on the hook, but Zack hooked Clay in the ear.  Apparently there were large trout flirting around the bait, and a beaver and muskrat to be seen in the river.

This morning AJ and the boys went deer hunting up the ridge behind our house.  No deer, but a good 5 hours of tromping in the woods, which some of that party really eat up! :-D  "Lots of sign mom... of elk and deer.... and we saw thee most gigantic Snow Shoe Hare!"

There was even a bit of time this weekend for culverts, and moving rock, and buying a bear-proof garbage containment solution. 

These couple days have felt like Christmas!  Clayton had made some apple pies which we indulged in nibbling throughout the day, and we sipped cider.  Put Whipped cream on top of our coffee, and ate soup.
This evening it's time to lay out the day (and week) ahead, to plan school assignments, and send sibling-elves off to their secret corners in preparation for Carolina's birthday.  Treasures are dug out of drawers and wrapping paper bits fly.

Lots of mercies to revel in these days and nights.
I'm reveling.
Cold temperatures, snow and all :-)