October.

We went to Butler's Orchard last weekend. It's our go-to place for all things seasonal: Christmas trees, summer blueberries, and last weekend, pumpkins. What feels more like autumn than dappled leaves in a sea of orange? And, what feels more like home than being surrounded by your whole family? Courtney and Stephen were in town for the weekend as part of a surprise 30th wedding anniversary party for Mom and Dad (more to come on that!). It was a weekend packed full of seasonal beauty and family activities: birthday celebrations, hot cider, Sunday brunch, airport runs.





 

It was a fast, crazy, wild, wonderful weekend. And, I keep thinking of last weekend because we were all together. We've since flown back to the four corners of the earth, or rather the two coasts of the country. Back to work and school and jobs. Back to e-mails and phone calls and text messages. Back to Thanksgiving countdowns and anticipation and longing. Back to a way of life that I think wasn't always how things were meant to be.



I'm just thinking of those five siblings tonight. They have always been--and I hope always will be--some of my closest friends. I feel so thankful for their friendship--for the years upon years of shared memories. They challenge me. They inspire me. At times they frustrate me. They love me. They forgive me. Wherever they are, and wherever they go, I will always look forward to their homecoming, and to weekends like last week's where we can all come together again.