Fall traditions

Last October our stake put together a celebration
for the 10 year anniversary of the dedication
of the Boston Temple.
We made a whole weekend trip out of it and
stayed in a hotel near the city and took the girls to
Walden Pond as well.
The weekend was such a beautiful experience that we decided
to replicate part of it on a smaller scale this Columbus day.

Our day started with a trip to the Temple grounds.
The day was freakishly hot.
Seriously,
when is it over 80 degrees in October?
But it was perfect weather for walking around the Temple,
letting the girls get out their energy on the grass
and looking at flowers.

The temple was followed by a quick stop to Trader Joe's
(oh, how I wish there was one a little closer to us!)
and a stop for lunch before we headed to the Pond.

With full tummies, we all started our the trip in good spirits.

Lucy quickly faded.
We realized that we had pushed a little too close to nap time.
She ended up passing out on my shoulder about
halfway around Walden Pond,
and I traded her off to Marty to keep up with Dorothy.

Like I said,
it was freakishly hot
and the beach on the pond was swarming with families
making a last swimming trip for the season out of the holiday.
Dorothy kept asking where her swimming suit was.
She had been such a trooper that I stripped her down
and told her to go have fun.
We've been potty training her, but had her in a diaper for the day.
It worked out well,
and she LOVED being in the water.
I think that as much as I try to convince her that fall is the best season,
she will forever be my summer girl.

It was a wonderful (but exhausting) day.
We're hoping to keep this new fall line up of traditions going.