gathering

We have been spoiled with visitors this month. Tomorrow I take Nathan's brother, Eldon, to the airport after a warm visit, and my brother Devn and his wife Abby were here for most of the week before that with their delicious children, Ellee and Will. Devn is my doctor brother, and the oldest of the Frandsen boys; he started a residency in Arkansas this summer and we scored their first vacation. I loved every second we had with them, and appreciated their help during the 3 days of it Reuben and I had to spend a'hospitaling (chemo). We've been aching for a chance to have Reuben and Will (4 months older) together.
Ellee's every move is part of a theatrical production titled "Meet this darling 3-year-old." She came down the stairs each morning with a head tilt and smile worthy of a seasoned stage actress--Here I Am, World!, filling our house with too-perfectly-adorable-child chatter--what might be scripted for her to develop a perfect small character. I was fascinated with how she filled in the gaps of her still-developing vocabulary with strings of prepositional phrases that clearly expressed her requests and spot-on observations. Her bright-eyed blondeness was so reminiscent of Audrey as a toddler that I was particularly susceptible to her charms, and certainly her willingness to buy into my drama won my continual favor: Ellee was all about the acorn hunting.

Hunt #1: our neighborhoodDevn and Abby are champion people, so of course they hunted, too.

tiny girl and mighty oak!

The babies were, um, less excited. And the autumn sun so bright...luckily Uncle D was even willing to walk backwards to help.Some of those very acorns will be in the giveaway batch. I know, it's almost too good. But you deserve it.