Leaves, they are a Fallin'

I've always felt a bit sad that my children haven't been able to really enjoy frolicing in fallen leaves around our homes. The only time Ryan had ever really played in a pile of leaves was at my parents' house, several years ago. I have so many great memories of playing in the leaves as a child. And while mom & dad (mostly dad), have fought "The Battle of the Leaves" with vehemence over the years, I still was excited about the prospect of leaves at our new home on a partially wooded lot.
As you can see, the kids are really enjoying this new outdoor pastime. Ryan was a bit camera shy at first, but once he began playing I was able to snap a few fun, natural shots of him too. I particularly like this one, taken from above him as he tossed the leaves up into the air. I know you can't really see his face, but the effect looks really cool to me, and definitely shows the exuberance he is feeling.
It seems odd to be talking about playing in the fallen leaves in the beginning of December, but they've only just started falling around here in the past week. Although after the winds we had a few nights ago, not many are left in the trees. And while I enjoyed the effort involved in raking up a nice pile for the kids to play in, I believe that we are going to need to invest in some type of leaf-blowing device in the near future, because I got this huge pile from the small area on the one side of our driveway--not even touching the back or front yards. For sure we need to get at least another rake!