A few weeks since...

It's been a few weeks since I've been able to post here.  Our computer went on the fritz unfortunately, but thanks to the generosity of my in-laws who lent us their old one until we can get ours fixed, we are back online.  I've missed being able to document the various details of our life.

September has been both a month of delights and dealing with my depression.  Some of the days this past month have been kind of bleak, to be honest.  One of the negative messages that I struggle with when I am in the midst of a depressive episode is:  You Aren't Doing Enough.   Which is often followed by the message: You Will Fail.  There are a lot of things I would like to learn to do, but my perfectionist tendencies make me afraid to try, for fear of failure.  So, I start to ruminate on that cycle and instead of action--I withdraw from working on things that could give me a sense of accomplishment, were I only brave enough to try them.  It is something that I desperately want to overcome in my life because I think it has held me back from being the person that I want to be.  Or rather from being my true self.

Like I said, September has been a good month in many ways, too.   We planned to do an overnight camping trip with my in-laws, but the weather wasn't too cooperative for sleeping in a tent with a toddler.  However, since the state park is not that far from our house, we were able to drive over and spend some time during the afternoon and early evening with the family. 



Gabriel playing with the bolo balls.



a grove of birch trees



an early sign of autumn



taking a walk with his uncle and a pinwheel

i love the smell of pine



the lake



Last week, I took Gabriel and my little sister to the Children's Garden at our local botanical gardens.  It was our first visit there and I was extremely impressed.  It is an absolute wonderland!  There is so much to see and do...this is only a taste of what we saw and experienced. 

Gabriel loved the little picnic tables!

Clapping in delight to the bells.

A giant box of dirt with buckets and shovels!

He loves climbing on benches!

One of the many garden beds

a fuzzy little friend



This exhibit is called "Stone Soup"  Gabriel had so much fun playing with the rocks and the pots and lids.



Windchimes

Inside the straw house

You can pick up a piece of slate and scribble with some chalk.

A lovely view

This was just awesome

Mama's fairy house

Gabriel making a house for the fairies.

Pumpkins!

Auntie Allison

Some of the vegetables growing in the garden

Hanging Gourd!

Gabriel trying out the just right sized chairs in the little log cabin.

Looking up inside the log cabin

Auntie Allison and Gabriel checking out the log cabin.

 I've done a little thrifting the past week or so.  Some of the treasures I found: a print of a medieval woman, a print of three birds in a gold painted frame, a fair isle sweater for Gabriel, some lovely baskets, and this hat: