aspens aglow

photo overload this week but its been particularly beautiful around here with the late afternoon light, falling leaves, rare rainy days, changing colors and garden delights, i just couldn't help myself. paul has been in europe these last seven days with a demanding appointment schedule: amsterdam, rotterdam, paris, bordeaux, la rochelle, ile de ré, back to la rochelle, back to bordeaux, back to amsterdam and home, safely home, sending me quick photos of his destinations i wanted to share and ben too has been keeping in touch with photos on his arrival and settling in amidst the storybook city of prague. 

no doubt autumn is beautiful down here in the valley but what is happening in the mountains is breathtaking. the aspens are at their peak! one morning, spur of the moment, i decided i had to go take a look so i quickly messaged a friend to see if she was game to come with me:

jennifer: what, now? yes, i can ignore everything!

janet: ha! let's go. i'll be over in five.

jennifer: ok!

oh yea! so, i threw together a quick picnic (including this quinoa salad i'd made earlier), grabbed my camera, jacket and a picnic blanket, picked up jennifer and we headed west and up. the golden aspen beauty is all there to see.............we eventually stopped for lunch at brainard lake then hurried home to meet jennifer's kids off the school bus. thanks for the photo of me taking a photo jennifer, my kind and patient friend. (she didn't complain once about me wanting to stop and stop and stop for photo after photo after photo of views, views, views) note: if you're ever in colorado late september, peak to peak highway is a must between nederland and brainard lake. you won't want to miss it.

another treat this week, my twin niece and nephew came over for a sleepover. lila and ryan are a blast! after picking them up, we couldn't decide between two places for dinner so we went to both! lila got her choice for dinner then we got in the car again and went to ryan's choice for dessert. winner. back home, we met up with gabi and mason.

"is that gabi's boyfriend?" lila asked. 

"yep." i said. 

"hehehehe." giggled lila. 

we spent the rest of the evening playing clue, which i lost. i guessed the wrong weapon, grrrrr! then we watched beauty and the beast until we fell asleep and forced ourselves to trundle up to bed. in the morning, lila and ryan were game to go swimming in the pond. brave souls, it was 50° or so outside. i adore these two funsters.