Autumn!

After many weeks of the weather being oddly warm here, it turned cold over night! Yes!! I have been waiting for it to feel like autumn since September 1st. The leaves are starting to change and it's absolutely gorgeous. The most beautiful scene in the autumn (both early and late autumn) is the ride to the temple here. I'll have to get pictures and post them later. In early autumn, when the leaves are changing, the temple spires rise up out of a sea of colors. It's breathtaking. In late autumn, you can see more of the temple through the naked trees and it stuns you how big and close it actually is from the road you drive on.

side note: When my brother came to visit us, I made the mistake of telling him I was disappointed with the first view of the temple. WHAT!! I know. But that doesn't mean I didn't think it was beautiful. It just meant that from what everyone told me, I had invisioned something more majestic and less cluttered with overhead metro tracks also in the view. Of course my vision was faulty because with as many trees as there is out hear, they'd have to clear several acres of land for my idea to be possible. So, just in case you are ever here and I say how beautiful the temple view is and then my brother says "you told me you hated the view" , now you know why.

I love autumn because I love the smell of harvest and rotting leaves (let's face it). I like walking on the sidewalks (in safe areas of course) and crunching the leaves. It makes me feel like a kid again. I love pumpkin carving and my brother, Jared, is pretty amazing at it. I love Thanksgiving and the family being together (although I'll be working this Thanksgiving). I love the memories that come with the smell of autumn; The pumpkin or spice candles my mom burns to give our home that warm scent; Sitting by the fireplace; Racing my brothers and sisters to scripture study so we could get a heat vent to warm our toes; Brittany's fist date when we raked leaves and jumped in them, at Liberty park; Wearing my favorite items of clothing (sweaters and jackets). I love being able to drinking hot chocolate without people wondering why. I love cuddling up in a warm blanket with Aaron (or my mom or sisters before Aaron and I met). I love the feeling of hesitation to get out of bed because you don't want to be cold. I love going to corn mazes, that's where Aaron and I went on our first date and my family often goes to one every year. It's fun! I love autumn!