Our leaves came yesterday. And by “our leaves,” I mean the ones that come in a big box every October— the ones my cousin gathers up from her back yard and ships down to us.
It’s silly how happy these leaves make me. They remind me how creativity can often grant us the things we want but lack. Dream it? Build it. Want it? Create it. We had a little northern fall–even if it was for a day and contained to a small corner of our back yard. My Florida girls know what it sounds like to crunch their feet in the leaves, what it feels like to jump in them and what it smells like to open a box of dried Maple and Oak and Beech leaves–rich and earthy. Lainey can stumble over the word “deciduous” and tell you what it means. And I can enjoy the best of both worlds…where I am and where I come from.
Our Box of Leaves Tradition: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
Have a wonderful weekend. I’ll return to Friday photo dumps and #enjoyingthesmallthings photos when our travel is over next week!
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A little weekend sponsor shout-out to one of my favorites:
I wear this skirt twice a week. I ordered it a size up and pull it over the belly. It’s yellow and flowy and oh-so-fall. And it’s a perfect representation of all the pretty you’ll find at Shop Ruche, one of my favorite on line stores.
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I’ll be writing from San Diego next week. If you’re in the area, come say “hi” at the book signing Wednesday, October 17th at Mira Mesa Barnes and Noble.
Beautiful fall, and this Floridan loves your “Fall in a box”!
I love this post so much! I read it last year and was walking across a courtyard this week saw these huge acorns & thought of you 🙂 ps. love the skirt
I love that photo of Nella tossing the leaves. You caught the leaves in midair, got Nella’s hands tossed up. Great perspective. You’re inspiring me to really appreciate the leaves, even more than usual, this fall. Enjoy San Diego!
I can’t get past the red overalls- LOVE!!!!! So sweet! Love the leaves, even in Chicago they come and go like you know, pinky-orange are my favorites. The other day I was upset because it was cold and my garage door wouldn’t open so I had to rush to get the kids walking quite aways to get to school. And on the way there was a leaf shower. It was so peaceful!
Kelle, You look beautiful. I been following your blog for awhile now. I think You and I are both due around the same time. Im due Feb 24th. God bless you and your awesome family. 🙂
Words can’t tell you how much I love this. Your cousin is so sweet for doing this for you every year, and your girls are so lucky! I clicked back to the older posts with leaves and it made me smile to see this tradition, and how your girls have grown year to year. Great memories — you’re building them, no doubt.
Your hair is so gorgeous, Kelle! Love the pics. Love that you get a box of leaves for you and the kids. Hope San Diego is wonderful!
Ahhh…. I need to think of something like this my family can send us from Florida. It is great to be able to appreciate both- where you are and where you come from. Beautiful!!
The leaves in Michigan are beautiful! Bright orange and reds. So beautiful.
Love the pic of Nella throwing the leaves in the air. I’d never even considered that other areas don’t have fall leaves!
I love the idea and tradition behind it. So fun. Wonder if my sister would ship leaves from Germany to me here in South Florida? :)I love the picture of all three of you… and how you are all color coordinated!!! 🙂
I find it so cool that your cousin does this for you guys, it really is a great idea, awesome photos. Your bump’s looking really cute too, you’re all such a fabulous little family!
I wonder if I could get my sister to send me a box of Washington fall foliage? Customs might not approve…
Having and making traditions is one of my favorite things about having kids. I love continuing my favorite traditions and making new ones, special to only my little unit.
Love your blog and your beautiful little family.
Your family is absolutely beautiful. What a precious tradition to have!
so fun! we’re in the heart of ohio, and in a neighborhood that is sorta young, so i’ve been scouting out “real” leaves with which to take pics of the kids. i’ve even asked if it’s okay to “steal” leaves from my facebook friends. i know how mesmerizing fall can be!!
i got a salted caramel candle from bath and body works on friday (2 for 20 for the three-wick ones!) and now i can’t get the smell of pancakes out of my head. when i was up last night four times with the baby, i kept craving pancakes. tomorrow, before church, i am totally making a big fat stack of them!! 🙂
happy fall, kelle!
We are lucky enough to live in CT where we enjoy true fall every year. But I grew up in Southern Ca, where we did not have this. In the 11 years I’ve lived here I have never taken it for granted! Every year I am like a kid in the leaves! Love them!
Love the red overalls too! Need those for my sweet baby Stella! But knowing you they are vintage!
Rock ON!
What a wonderful idea! I raked some leaves today, and definitely did not get through my whole yard. Here in Canada, I love experiencing all four seasons (but hate the extended cold!). You should put out a call for people to send you leaves. It would be amazing if you could collect them from all of the different provinces and states (or the northern ones). You’ve had to cap it at 10 leaves per package or something, so your neighbours don’t totally hate you:)
Love this idea! What beautiful photos!!
Can I just say your outfits are so stinkin’ cute!!! OMG! Love it!!!! You gals make my day!
That is an awesome idea. I should send some to my family in Brazil. They don’t really have Fall. I don’t know if I ever left you a comment. I have been following your blog for a few months. A friend of mine sent a share the link of Nella’s birth story on facebook and that’s how I got here. I read it and I fell in love with her and with the way you write. I come here every time you have a new post. I love seeing Nella, and Lainey, and read about your day-to-day stories. I am so thankful to my friend for sharing your blog with me, and thankful to you for sharing your life story with the world. Your story is inspiring. You are a strong woman. Your daughters are as beautiful as you are. I also share the link of Nella’s birth story in my blog. I am so jealous of my friend (the one who introduced your blog to me) because she lives in San Diego and she will be attending your book signing!!! Sorry about my long comment. I just thought I should let you know I am one your fans out here. 🙂
The picture of the girls walking is my favorite picture : ) Love, love, love.
Thank you for reminding me of the word decidious. I will try to use it as much as possible this coming week!
Lovely.
I also have a mustard skirt that i now want to try out with my red and white striped shirt.
(I also love pairing my red skinnies with my grey and white striped shirt!)
This is one of my favorite traditions ever – and it’s not even mine! Weird? Probably. I’m a MI girl too, now living far away. And even though we get beautiful falls here in Idaho, it’s just not the same. I was back in MI a few weeks ago and the trees were just about to burst into color. I promised myself (and my aunts and grandmas!) that the next time I go back it’ll be in October just so I can relive a real Michigan fall.
I’ve been waiting for this post! I too am way too far from home (Oregon born, Louisiana stuck). I love the pictures and I love your perfect belly!
i love your leaves in a box tradition! did you purposefully all wear red to look very autumnal and matchy?
Oh my word, I seriously LOVE that you get leave in a box SO much!
I love your leaves tradition! Such a great way to make sure your littles learn about fall. And that skirt is amazing!
Great tradition! I know how you feel about wanting a little piece of ‘where I’m from’ to be with you ‘where you are’.
I was born and raised in San Diego and in our backyard here in Seattle, our palm tree is growing quite nicely.
That picture of Nella throwing the leaves tugs at my heartstrings. What a beautiful way to bring together the pieces of your life. I am inspired.
Also, thanks for sharing the source of that skirt. Gorgeous!
CJ
love you fall leaves tradition 🙂 X
Gorgeous photos! I can’t imagine not having leaves on the ground so, I’m so glad that you get to enjoy them-even for a short amount of time!
This is so sweet of your cousin, sending these leaves from the homeland!
But basically I find it so funny to see your craving for real Fall manifestations, when on this side of the planet we have too many! Too much cold , rain, too many leaves with a rich earthy scent…We always crave for this little exotic touch, right, the thing we don’t have, the thing that’s so cool, maybe that’s because we don’t have it that we dream of it. For me that would be Florida’s beaches and blue skies 🙂 Maybe the need, the dream and the craving are as essential as what is already acquired or guaranteed. It’s good to be able to keep dreaming of another season, another time, another moment…:)
Love the leaves posts. Such a neat tradition.
So sweet.
Your belly is rocking out, too!
Kelle, I was thinking about the leaves that your family sens you last week and wondering if they were going to do it again this year. You are so right there isn’t anything like the amazing smell of fall leaves. Yummy it is as good as the smell of a fresh baked apple pie. I often think they should bottle that smell and fresh laundry just brought in from the line smell up so when it is snowing we can break it out and bring us back to October fall smell.I also want to say I love the baby bump, so so cute. Show us more!!!!
You have THE best family.
i love the picture of all three of yall sitting together in the leaves. yall are all dressed alike in a way and the colors are perfect..
There is just something youthful about playing a pile of leaves. Beautiful pictures!
A beautiful memory that will live in their hearts forever. And a tradition they will carry on one day… what a magical day! Thank you for the inspiration! I will be sending my girl friend a box full of fall and love for her to share with her little ones.
Happy Fall Ya’ll!!
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Feel free to bring your family to our Wisconsin home anytime! We have sooo many leaves and haven’t been able to burn them because of the drought so they just keep traveling around the yard.
Woot-Woot! Your book signing is on MY BIRTHDAY and just minutes from my home. Guess who will be attending!?! 🙂
Can’t wait!
Your baby bump in that striped shirt is so cute!
I think this is the first photo you’ve shared that it’s completely obvious you’re expecting. I loved when I finally popped enough that random stranger weren’t afraid to congratulate me. (Plus *i* finally felt pregnant instead of just fat! lol.)
That belly is looking fantastic!!!
What a creative idea! I love your resourcefulness, and the fact that this has become a tradition. I’m filing this away in my memory box in case I ever have to move closer to the center of the tropics. =)
The ONLY thing bad about instagram…..I forget to check on my blogs ; ). I did today and was not disappointed. My friends And I were talking this weekend how this is ur favorite season. Although I have the fall dream. ( I live in mn). I completely understand what you mean. What a sweet sweet cousin you have.
You look gorgeous! I am just getting in from a retreat. Delayed flight & lost bag. I’m in line to get my bag delivered to my house. It is 1:36 am and I have 2 hrs to drive from here. Thanks for making me smile…I needed it!
Kelle, I LOVE this tradition between you and your cousin! Waiting for that box of leaves to arrive has got to be so much fun!
When my kids were little, we’d take it a step further with the leaves and press them between wax paper (with the iron set on the lightest setting) and then keep the leaves in a folder to look at all fall and winter long. What a keepsake! (I still have many of their leaf books saved!!!!!)
You and the girls look beautiful all dressed in your fall colors. And, your pregnancy glow is gorgeous!
Your blog continues to warm my heart.
Love the color coordination in the pictures! How great are your cousins? Love fall!!
~Amy
http://www.muststopbinging.blogspot.com
I never comment but I love your blog. Just want to say that seeing a new post of yours in my sidebar makes me smile 🙂
You look so beautiful pregnant!
I see trees in the background…do they not loose their leaves?
not sure how you deal with the cuteness of nella puckering and leaning in to kiss you.
A big box of Michigan Autumn! How wonderful. What a fabulous tradition. My husband is from the UP. Thank you for sharing with us xo
This post brought tears to my eyes. Maybe it’s out of regret that I didn’t spend more precious times like these with my 2 girls. Maybe it’s seeing the purpose on Nella’s face or the sweet smile on Laney’s. Whatever the reason, thank you for the memory of my babies and the smile I got from watching yours. (You are such a beautiful preggo!)
I love your leaf tradition! And they are certainly wonderful leaves, big and colorful! And your bump, oh so cute!! Safe travels!!
I just found your blog through Pinterest. LOVE your blog! new follower!
I think you are being way too harsh on your poor pregnant sack boobs! Loving your stripey maternity top…funnily enough of the 7 items of maternity clothing I have purchased so far, 5 of them are stripey!
Have fun in San Diego. Look forward to hearing all about it.
Yay for Michigan leaves! What a great idea!
Beautiful post, as always. I saw a link to this on another blog, and it reminded me of you. 🙂
http://outoneear.com/two-years-or-six-months-or-two-years/#comment-84
I picked up your book at the library and couldn’t put it down! I loved how you incorporated such beautiful pictures and wrote about your struggles. It is nice to read your blog and see your daughters as they have grown since the book was published. Both of them are truly beautiful and perfect. You are an inspiration for the way we should approach life. Thank you!
I don’t get to visit blogs ever these days but, I popped in on yours briefly and I literally melt whenever I see your baby girl. I don’t know what it is but, she reminds me of my little one for some reason. The pictures of the two of you together just radiate such a beauty of love. She adores her momma…and clearly you adore her. Absolutely priceless!
I love the idea of mailing little things from previous places where one has lived. Maybe I can start that tradition next year with my daughter.
-Karen
http://Www.littlemisscibelle.com
Have you seen this awesome video about this Dad who has a daughter with DS? It’s awesome! http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/espn-airs-the-story-of-a-dad-who-wanted-to-abort-his-down-syndrome-daughter
Love this post! I must take the leaves for granted since I live in Chicago, but this post makes me want to rake a big pile and jump in them.
Also, the red clothes…and the orange skirt…amazing.
I’m writing from Italy. This is the first time for me, even though I discovered your blog about one year ago, after reading an article about you and your story on the website of a popular Italian newspaper (Il Corriere della Sera). Finally I decided to write because today I visited your blog after a long time, and seeing those photos, with that belly, was a great emotion! I and Chiara, my wife, have a daughter aged 6, Letizia, a daughter aged 3, Marta, with Down Syndrome, and a son aged 1, Davide… and our story is so similar to yours! When we first read your post about Nella Cordelia’s birth, well, it was incredibly moving for us. We had the feeling that if we had to find the words to explain what happened in that moment, they should be YOUR words! We deeply love Marta, and seeing Nella Cordelia’s photos, with her smile, with her sweet expression is just like seeing Marta. Two years after Marta’s birth we decided to expand our family… and there came Davide! We don’t want to teach you how to handle your emotions (this is up to you, and – thanks God – no one could never help, with the exception of Kelle and Brett!), we just want to send you a big, strong, breathtaking online hug, embracing you, Brett, Lainey and Nella Cordelia. When we take a look at our children we have the exact perception of how wonderful life is, and your belly just confirms this. Thank you, take care. Matteo, Chiara, Letizia, Marta, Davide
I am so happy we moved to a house here in Ohio with lots of trees and ohhh the leaves! They are gorgeous and just so fall. I would probably request a box if I didn’t have them!
Steph
Oh Kelle…you are so round and radiant! Nothing says love than a round belly!
I love your tradition of creating fall in Florida by receiving leaves in a box! I bet your girls will remember this when they’re older. So simple, but so neat and meaningful.
All right, dude. I’m really sorry to be the one to tell you this… but the over the belly skirts are not working, fashion-wise. Ditch ’em. Don’t hate me. I feel bad telling you. I’m trying to do you a solid here. Not working. Pull ’em down under the belly, at the very least.
I love that you have this tradition! I was in Mackinac over the weekend (where I began and finished your book, actually — I loved it!), and I just love Michigan in the fall. I live in Indiana, so we still have the seasons, but to me, Michigan is just a little more pretty in the fall!
My driveway is covered in leaves and this morning I was thinking what a nuisance it was going to be to pick them up. Reading this post and seeing your lovely delivery makes me look at them in a new light, think I will just admire them instead. 🙂 (thanks).
Kelle, I enjoy reading your blog! I just purchased your book and am excited to start it tonight while enjoying my WI leaves. It’s the little things that I take for granted. Instead of disliking the leaves all over my yard I need to remember some people would love to have them. Thanks for reminding me to take a minute to enjoy!
There they are!!! I look forward to your northern leaves post EVERY year!!!! Fabulosity.
i’m so happy to have found your blog. i just read nella’s birth story. what a woman you are. thank you for sharing your strength and your beautiful family and gifts with all of us. i wanted to say how much i love this tradition, and how much more i love nella’s red overalls 🙂