since this week has been a grey and cold one, i'm especially grateful for our monday evening mountain excursion.  with john working late, i loaded the kids up and we headed off in search of COLOR, earth, and the possibility of s'mores.  we drove up a canyon i haven't explored before, windows down, the sound of good music and children's laughter swirling around us.  while we never did find a suitable place for a campfire we did hike down the original mormon pioneer trail until we found a little clearing filled with red leaves and silence.  we munched on cookies and cold marshmallows and sank into the earth below us.  each of the kids took turns with the camera taking pics of what was important to them, i always love seeing the world through their loving eyes. E settled back, took a breath, and said dreamily, "i feel so loved here." me too, baby girl, me too! we all agreed to come back to the mountains more often. we loaded up as ominous clouds began rolling in and by the time we got home the storm had arrived.  it was a quick trip, but worth it on every level.

where is your peaceful place?  wanna join me on the search for COLOR?