Now that's the way to spend a long weekend

breaking in the new grill just in time, to enjoy some barbeque chicken and burgers before the sand runs out on summer ... temperate weather that set the stage perfectly for a long weekend of evenings spent excitedly anticipating fall ... kicking off college football with family, although admittedly Mama saw very, very few Nittany Lions plays, as Cayden just isn't old enough to appreciate college football over distractions like steps and brick mantles and swivel chairs and pizza crusts ... hearty, full-flavored craft beer, which, now that sweltering heat doesn't demand ice-cold, watery light beer, can be truly enjoyed ... a stroll to the park for some playtime on the swings and to climb on the jungle gym (for the first time) with Mama and Daddy ... quality, it's-been-way-too-long time spent with good friends, laughing about the past, contemplating the present, dreaming about the future and drinking too much wine ...

watching a little boy idolize a bigger little boy, and smiling with every piece of me to see that bigger little boy preciously share his treasured toys with the little, little boy ... celebrating family and sharing all the joys, fears and challenges of life, from before infancy to old age: pregnancy bloat and whacked out emotions, childbirth, first toddling steps, teaching gradeschoolers, disliking teenage boyfriends, loving pets, moving off to college, finding jobs, keeping jobs, struggling to make ends meet, struggling to find the right answers in caring for loved ones and trying to laugh all along the way ... finally putting the finishing touches on the beach vacation video, so that DVDs of the first year can start burning ... celebrating a birthday with a trip to the zoo and more deck-grilling and catching up ... and falling into bed exhausted, but completely fulfilled from a weekend so full of life, so full of love, we couldn't have crammed much more in if we tried.

Oh, and want to know the best part of temperatures trending down?  Ten chubby piggy-toes peeking out of warm-up pants.  Athletic grey warm-up pants with white stripes that were splurged upon simply because they look exactly like Daddy's, and  this Mama can't wait to get a picture of her boys together, outfitted the same.

I love, love, love me some summer, but I'm ready for mums and apple festivals and football tailgates and homemade pumpkin-orange soup and crunchy leaves.