It's Fall!

Fall is in full swing in Madison now and yesterday we fully embraced the season.

We started our Saturday with a trip to the farmer's market. We love walking around, buying coffee and baked goods, sitting on the capital lawn, and judging everyone as they walk past us. (I'm a Green, I can't help it.) We usually don't even buy any vegetables since we have a CSA membership and struggle to eat the veggies we already have, but it's fun to see all of the interesting vendors and crazy veggies.

"Gangster Yooper"

After the farmer's market, we went home to clean out the garage, put our boats away for the winter and rake the lawn. Luckily, we had some adorable distractions for a while when the Creaghs stopped by.

Brooke, Grace and Charlotte hanging out with the little man

Grace LOVED holding Jay and playing with him, Charlotte got to ride her bike around and both girls managed to step in dog poop. Hopefully they will still come back ;) They met Jay 5 months ago and Grace couldn't stop calling him Baby Sean, which was adorable. This time she was confused about him being a boy or girl. Those girls are such adorable kids. Jay (big Jay) is a friend from camp and we assume all of these kids will go to camp and eventually work on staff just like us, so it is fun to imagine them raising hell like their parents in 16-18 years.

After they left, we got back to raking and found the one thing Jay doesn't laugh at... Every time Sean used the rake, Jay would scream in terror. Lucy hates when he cries, so she started going crazy and tried to climb in my lap along with Jay. Although I offered to abstain from the work and just hold Jay, Sean was having none of that. We showed Jay that raking is okay and he ended up having a blast playing while we raked the gajillion leaves from our one (amazing) oak tree.

 The final cherry on top of our perfect fall day was enjoying steaming mugs of cider (spiked with a hefty dose of whiskey, of course) while Jay slept soundly, probably dreaming of playing with the cute Creagh girls at camp in the years to come.

In other news...Jay has started solids! Although he was ready about two months ago and I got the okay from the pediatrician, I was reluctant to introduce solids until 6 months. So far he likes carrots...and gagged on chicken. If I'm being honest, I also gagged when I smelled the chicken. Gross. We will stick to easy foods for a little more before trying chicken again. I think I am going to try making my own baby food. It sounds pretty easy and kind of fun.

Heidi's Getting Married!

I come from a large family. Not only is it large, but a pretty miraculous family. My grandparents had ten children, 31 grandchildren and 30-something great-grandchildren...and counting.

Many years ago...Mom (far right), her parents, and all nine siblings

The miraculous thing is, even though we span the globe physically, we are pretty close. I am not going to lie, social media has a lot to do with my generation relating to each other. My mom and her siblings seem to talk either on the phone or via email on a daily basis. I have been thinking a lot about family as we prepare to head to Denver next week to celebrate my cousin Heidi's wedding to Tim.


Here is Heidi and Tim in their BRAND new house

Heidi is one of my closest cousins. Heidi, Brenna, and I are closest in age to each other and grew up as three compadres at all of the family gatherings. Whether it was playing with our American Girl dolls, making up games or writing letters (pen pal style), we had some pretty great times.

A little over three years ago, I got married. Heidi and Brenna kept saying, "I can't BELIEVE you are getting married?!?" It just didn't seem possible that little Mali could be married to this seemingly random and very hairy man named Sean. I had known Sean very well, so I didn't quite understand their confusion. Now our roles are reversed and I feel the same amazement over "Little Heidi" tying the knot.

Heidi, Sam, Brenna and I on our grandparent's steps (a common play spot)

I love Tim. He is the kind of guy that everyone feels as if they have known for years after one shared beer. Heidi and Tim make a perfect couple and I couldn't have picked her a more perfect mate, but I still see this little girl who loves her Samantha doll and dances in the high school show choir. How could she be getting married?!?!

Heidi, Brenna and I at a Thanksgiving dinner in Brookfield. (I obviously love food)

As I try on clothes (double-checking to make sure my newly-flabbly-post-baby body still fits my clothes that I used to take a perfect-for-me fit for granted) and I pack James' perfectly planned outfits, I have thought about the family I will see this week. Family has always been so important to me. The importance however, had always lain in my immediate family... until I got pregnant with Jay. 

Being shy kept me from feeling comfortable reaching out to extended family. I assumed aunts, uncles and cousins didn't particularly care about me. Not in a bad way, but I didn't want to assume anybody wanted to spend time with me, as everyone had SO MUCH family of their own. Everything changed when I was first admitted to the hospital with my pregnancy at 20 weeks. Prayers were sent, gifts of magazines, cookies and company were brought swiftly to me, and continued. Calls, visits, thoughts and prayers kept coming for five months! The care and love I continued to receive let me open up and feel more confident and comfortable in this wonderful and loving family. I can't wait to share with my family the little boy that caused this shift in our relationship. He has met a lot of family already, but now he is older and so very interactive. 

He loves life oh so much. Just like a Green. 

Anyways, I wish so much happiness for Heidi and Tim. I can't wait to celebrate with you two, and see everyone else! Good luck to the Langs...the Greens know how to party (and talk)..(and eat)