Fall Color

My sister's birthday on Friday was also the official first day of fall.  Now where I live, one would never know it was fall on September 23.  In fact, it doesn't really start feeling like fall, as least to me, until late October in the hot desert.  Sometimes, it feels as if my soul yearns for four seasons.  I don't know why it is, but I feel a deep need to see leaves change color in the fall, skeleton-like branches in the winter and fresh blossoms in the spring.

At the last minute yesterday afternoon, Danny and I decided to rapidly pack up the kids and head up to my parents' mountain cabin.  We needed a getaway, a place to go and just relax without the pressing matters of home life; laundry, cleaning, phone calls, dishes, it all needed to wait.  The minute we arrive up here, the tensions and stresses of a busy life with four little ones, a pressing job, and never-ending chores just melts away.  We sit around and talk while the kids play.  We watch the wind whispering through the trees.  And we even put on sweaters to take away the chill on our desert skin!

Last night we ate out at the local favorite BBQ place.  The kids requested their usual grilled cheese, but Danny and I surprised them with turkey dinners, complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes, buttery vegetables, cranberry sauce, turkey and gravy.  It was quite a feast!  Despite some mild complaining at the beginning of the meal, which resulted in some children losing their dessert privilege, the mealtime with the whole family was pleasant.  The twins no longer require highchairs, so we actually sat in a large booth which had plenty of seating for our family of six to spread out.

We drove home after dinner through the winding mountain roads, keeping our eyes peeled for turkeys and deer in the road.  After a hot bath, the kids wrapped up in blankets, and cozied up on the couch for a movie.  It was absolute bliss.  Little J.D. stretched out on top of me on the couch, watching the movie while enjoying a back scratch from mom.  The kids crashed early, tuckered out from a busy week and a relaxing afternoon in the mountains.  I think seeing the fall colors, the beauty of God's creation changing with the weather, is a good thing for kids and adults alike.  Take some time, if you can, to drive up to see the fall colors this season, you won't be disappointed!