Mountains, a birthday, and a little crocheted pumpkin

I decided to come home to Salt Lake for my little brother's birthday since my mom is in India. Met with much warmer weather than I expected, my boots were put away in favor of my staple: the flip flop. My dad has been cycling a lot lately and he recently did Emigration Canyon, so this week we tried our hand at the route, via car of course. Michael, Bethany, Dad and I all went for a drive and were met with beautiful early morning rays across glistening golden yellow aspens and breathtaking views. It was a bit dry, but it satisfied my recent hunger for a more colorful autumn.

Since the weather was a bit warmer than nostalgia preferred, I opened my window at night in favor of the crisp October air as I snuggled under 3 quilts. But the most serendipitous surprise was getting to wake to the rooster out back and the geese that I know were talking and laughing about something wonderful.

For Michael, I crocheted him a little orange pumpkin. Homemade pizza was on the birthday menu, and a super chocolatey cake. I would have liked to cook everything from scratch, but we just didn't have time. Instead we went birthday shopping, and dad sent the girls for a massage from a friend they met while in Costa Rica last year. Pure bliss. We fell asleep on the couch after that for two hours. Much needed. It seems that's the thing to do when you come home--something about feeling comfortable and safe without day-to-day stresses.

I got to see an old friend, I made sure the 2 new puppies were being taken care of by a teen mom (Sophie's not even 2 yet), and I relaxed...a seemingly foreign concept right now.

I do love San Diego, but there still is a soft spot in my heart for those Wasatch mountains, especially when they show off in the fall, and are powdered white in the winter. (Actually, it's incredibly green in the summer and equally colorful in the spring). I am so blessed to have what I do, and get to travel so often to what I don't have. This world is a beautiful, dynamic, awe-inspiring place...how can you look at the mountains or the ocean and not believe God loves us that much?