Autumn in New England

There's nothing better than autumn in New England, and everything that comes with it. I love baking that first apple pie, or simmering that first pot of mulled cider. I love going to the farms and picking out pumpkins, and then enjoying a cider donut or a bit of maple sugar candy. I love watching the trees explode with color and feeling the air change. There is a certain amount of sadness in bringing the boat in for the winter and hauling the docks in, but then there's the anticipation of long, cozy evenings curled up by the fireplace with a cup of something hot and a good book. Yes, I love autumn in New England. Last weekend, we went up to Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH to celebrate my mom's birthday. Check out this amazing cake; we called it the Alice in Wonderland cake. The kids loved it!

My mom rented a five-bedroom home in the mountains that was spectacular, and my two sisters and their families joined us there. Here's a picture of part of the family room (there's a whole other seating area that's not shown):

The cathedral family room had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over a birch forest, and the morning sun through the branches caused it to glow with brilliant orange and yellow. It was fabulous. We took walks in the woods, rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain, ate delicious food, poked through some of the local shops, and generally had a fun, relaxing weekend.

I didn't want the weekend to end. I loved seeing my sisters, and really loved how much all the kids enjoyed each other's company. They only see each other once or twice a year, so this weekend was a real treat for them, as well. Here's my daughter, Caitlin, with my niece, Sophie.


And here are all the kids (Colleen Caitlin, Brenna, Emma, Sophie, & Jack), with Papa sneaking up behind them in true monster style!


Here's a picture of Colleen and Caitlin, who are only a couple of months apart in age. Colleen moved to Florida seven years ago, but she's a New England girl at heart.

Just like me!