Mike and I are all about a good Daycation on the weekend where we explore a city near us for something just different enough to hold our attention for the afternoon before making dinner at home and relaxing. Today we drove the 40ish minutes over to Golden where we ate at D’deli, walked up and down their little main street, and then took some long overdue family pictures along Clear Creek. It was a perfect day, high 70′s and cloud-free with just a hint of crisp fall air. Perfection. Here are a few highlights.

A diaper bag on top of a table served as our makeshift tripod, so the camera rested all crooked and ready to go using the timer setting. I did what I usually do, hit the button and run back and forth a million times. This was one of the first few shots where we were still trying to make Harper’s oversized headband part of the action. I think I took it off right after this. Blurry, crooked, and a baby blinded by her own accessory. Perfection is overrated, it’s the messy things in life that are most interesting.

Here we go. It has been a long time since I’ve loved a photo so much as this one. I had Mike head down to the rocks while I stayed at the spot we were in above to catch this perfect moment of him holding up the baby. It turned out exactly as I had hoped, beautiful and sweet with a quiet feel to it. He’s not just a good dad, but a strong equal parent. He has his own relationship with Harper. Every morning he puts her in the sling and walks with her showing her the day and saying hi to the trees while I sleep before her morning feeding. This picture reminds me of that time they share, just them out in the beautiful world.

Another outtake. Here she had decided to chew on my hair. She makes me laugh. She teaches me about patience and how things can’t be scheduled or perfect but they can still be fun with just as good a turnout as any.

This was one of my favorites of us. Just the feel of her round little cheek against mine makes me happy. She was such a good sport being passed all around on the cusp on nap time, she slept like an angel the whole way home.

I’m clawing onto these last few days of fall, it’s my favorite time of the year. If you haven’t already, get out the camera and get in front of a big yellow tree for some family photos, you won’t find a better backdrop.