For Everything, There Is a Season

For the last 2 days, gale force winds have been sweeping across the Midwest.  Despite all of the raking that I did over the weekend, there are leaves EVERYWHERE!  I'm afraid that all of this wind is going to mean the end of the pretty fall leaves here in Central Illinois.  Lots of trees are looking prematurely bare as the wind has helped strip them of their newly changed leaves.

Despite the gusts, the kids really wanted to go outside and play in the leaves after school.

They raked what they could into a big pile, a task made difficult by the 40mph gusts that blew through during their chore.

They all had fun burying Jenna in the leaves, and throwing piles into the air to watch them swirl as the winds swept them away.

But, just as fall must eventually come to an end, so must our camaraderie and good spirits.
Just as the wind is threatening to cause an early departure of our fall leaves, the fact that we only have 1 big rake has threatened to tear our family apart.  Or at least these two sisters.

For everything, there is a season.  And the season of playing in the leaves is now officially over at our house.  It was fun while it lasted.