Seasons, and Other Changes

There is a fiery sugar maple that lives in front of my in-laws' house. (That's the one you see above.) On days when the afternoon sun is just right I swear the leaves are going to burst into flame they glow so brightly. I watched it change from full green summer shade to bright yellows and oranges. Weeks of changing and falling leaves, and still it continues to get more beautiful every day. 

It surprises me how long the autumn season lasts up here. In Tulsa Autumn came and went like a 5 minute intermission between Summer and Winter; there was just enough time to stretch your legs before getting blasted with an ice storm. The leaves barely changed from green to brown, and sometimes didn't even fall off the trees before rain and ice forced us indoors. I knew it was pitifully short, but I didn't realize how much I missed Fall. The rhythm of changing seasons reminds me to slow down. Take a deep breath. Experience the moments. 

I love the crispness in the air, and the crunching leaves underfoot. Pumpkin Spice everything (including this homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte - Yum!). The smell of smokey, mossy earth and trees. It's nice to be in a place that has a real Autumn. 

This has been a long season for us in so many ways. Ever since we packed up and moved first to Michigan, then to Costa Rica, and then back to Michigan, we have been in a constant state of change. From being homeowners and successful in our career endeavors, to vagabond travelers with a baby and backpacks, and now living with the (awesome and amazing) in-laws, and starting over in a new line of work. It is making my head spin, and it is more than a little bit humbling.

It has been good - don't get me wrong. We knew going to Costa Rica would change our lives. We just didn't know how much, or what it was going to look like. And we still don't. We haven't finished this season yet. We are right in the middle of the yellow-gold Autumn and there is still the deeper red-brown falling part to go. Is this analogy working? I don't know. We are not going to end up in a heap on the side of the road, but we may have to shed some baggage, some expectations of how life should be. We may have to let go of the brightly colored dreams we tried to make reality, in order to embrace where we are now. We have to let the seasons change. Life will go on. And it will be beautiful. 

In fact, it will be more beautiful every day. 

So, I'm back to blogging again, but with a different focus, now that we are staying put for a while. I will be writing about life in Michigan, being a parent, food (of course), and whatever else is on my mind. There will not be as many banana recipes, so I apologize for that. I know you're disappointed. But there will be baby pictures! Actually, Cassie is technically a toddler now... have mercy. Oh, and we're not giving up travel. Not at all. We are just giving ourselves a nice long season where we don't have to. And when we do, I'll write about it! 

Thank you for reading, it makes me happy to know that you are out there. And if you feel like leaving a comment I always appreciate it! Have a wonderful week!