And we enjoyed a fun "almost fall" day up at Rocky Mountain National Park together. We got separated at the park entrance, but eventually all met back up at the shuttle parking lot to ride the shuttle up to the trailhead.
Shuttle selfie
It was a gorgeous hike that Chris planned for us. We had a good climb for the first bit of the hike and there were patches of vibrant fall color everywhere. The mountain views were incredible and there were patches of wildflowers strewn about all over; a small patch here, a small patch there.
The aspens up here are my favorite part of fall. The blazing golden hue of the leaves and the white, knobby tree trunks against the mountains give my heart a secret little thrill.
Do you see what I mean?
I love the creative patterns our Lord has left on each and every aspen trunk.
This scene made my heart soar. A twisted, bumpy column amidst brilliant flaxen leaves. All I could think was this quote I've heard before (Albert Camus): "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
Le sigh.......
And then we reached Bierstadt Lake. 
The quiet stillness of a mountain lake is sacred, beautiful.
I made the travelers take another picture. :)
And then I tried for a quiet, sweet shot of my 5 kids.
It wasn't quiet, but it was sweet.
When we were done snapping those pictures, Kayla wanted to sit on a rock and look at the water. I asked if she would let Kolbe sit and look with her for a minute. She consented and it was the most perfect picture of quiet sweetness. My heart welled up with love. Love for my sweet, innocent, joy-filled kids and love for our God, who is a master Creator. And just as I shot the picture, a duck swam by. It was a beautiful moment to savor.
Kolbe sat watching the duck briefly, but soon wanted to be down and exploring. He would have jumped in if Chris would have let him.
Recently, Sophie is into pockets. She loves to walk around with both hands stuffed in her pockets and it makes her seem so much older, like a teenager in a 2 year old body. It's so sweet, but always chokes me up a little. Stop growing up, my spunky little gal.
She also likes to sing on the trail which is really really cute.
And when the hike was over, we headed back toward home, only stopping for a brief dinner on the way. The restaurant we chose had a magician that performed some magic for kids, young and old.
It was a lovely day and many fun and lasting memories were made, I think. Thanks again for coming out, Mom and Dad! We are excited for the next visit and more memories to be made. I love the smile the kids get when they hear their grandparents are visiting, so thanks for coming out and making their faces light up. We love you both so very much and are so grateful for your love and support in our journey of marriage and parenting.
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