Drumroll....

I was right. As usual. We're excited to break the trend in our families of having boys first!

Fall

 No matter how hard I try, I feel like I can never capture the vibrant beauty of fall. Not in words. Not in photographs.

 How do you capture the myriad swathes of color threading the mountainsides?

 How do you capture the thrill of a change in the air? A cold edge to the sunlight? The smell of dried leaves crushed underfoot?

 How do you capture the unique beauty of each changing leaf?

 How do you describe the quiet atmosphere of a fall morning walk?

I'm still trying to find the answers. And I'll keep trying every year. Twenty-five falls have passed in my lifetime and the thrill of it never fades. I never tire of the beauty. I always feel a little sad as the trees finish shedding their bright fall wardrobes. It seems appropriate that a riot of colors precedes the blanket of white that is winter. As if we are getting a chance to store the colors away for those long winter months, like a squirrel his nuts.

Bryce Canyon

 Over Labor Day weekend we went with the Porters down to Bryce Canyon It was a gorgeous getaway.

Utah is an amazing place. So many different things to see, different climates to experience and state and national parks to explore.

Costa Rica Part 2 - Manuel Antonio

After a few days at Arenal Volcano National Park, we made the long drive down to the Pacific coast and stayed near Manuel Antonio National Park. It was so beautiful. We took a catamaran cruise out to see dolphins and sea turtles and even humpback whales. What was funny was that I was the least seasick out of everyone I think...amazing since I felt like throwing up pretty much the rest of the time I was on the trip (being 7 weeks pregnant didn't really agree with me).

This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I love dolphins. In fact when I was in third grade I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I grew up.

The dolphins loved to play along the sides and in front of the boat.

A mother and her baby.

This is about all we saw of the humpback whales but it was amazing nonetheless.

The view from our condo.

Our private lagoon.

One of the days we rode horses to the Nauyaca Waterfalls. It was a kick to see Brian on his horse. They got along ok at first.

brrrr....another chilly dip. Apparently the falls are usually not so high and you can actually swim in the pool and climb up on the fall, but it rained and rained the night before, so it was roaring down the next day.

Brian and Carmelo soon fell out with one another. I love the lady on the right...she wants to get as far away as possible. Smart too. Carmelo was a biter.

There were tons of sloths in Manuel Antonio park and it was fun to watch the ones who would actually move. They are generally so sedentary that moss grows on their fur.

The water was so warm it felt like a bathtub.

This little guy nearly climbed into my lap before I noticed him. He looks so much more innocent than the racoons around here.

The monkeys were hilarious, and quite the jokesters. In fact one thought it would be a real hoot if he peed on me from the tree above. Come to think of it now...it was pretty funny. They also stake out to watch for the people dumb enough to try and picnic at the beach. We were warned beforehand but saw others not so lucky who were barraged with sneaky capuchin monkeys.

There's nothing like reading a good book on the beach.

Funny video, but also a little gross. Ever wonder what monkeys do when they catch lizards? Watch to find out.