All the leaves are brown

This past Saturday, we went over to see some friends and roast some marshmallows.  Our friends bought a super cool new fire pit and we gave it it's first test drive that night.  Brian and I brought all the ingredients for s'mores (complete with dark chocolate Hershey's bars yum) and I succeeded in convincing one person that toasting your marshmallow until it's completely black and crispy is the best way to go. 

This was such a fun night.  To me, bonfires signify fall, and it was so much fun sitting around the fire and hanging out.  Then we went inside to watch Thursday the 12th, a gem of a homemade horror movie that Dave and his brothers made in the 90's.  Tessa and I were begging to watch it again because it is now our very favorite movie and we just about die laughing while watching it. Ha! Love them!

Me and Tess were so excited to be wearing our favorite fall boots again.  Also, I want her leggings.

 

 Uh oh, I spy short mailman shorts!  Samantha loves to sit right by you in the morning and stare you down until you give her some food.  She knows that I'm the one who usually gives it to her, so she will follow me around like a little shadow during my morning routine.  I think it's cute and like to drag it our as long as possible.

 I finally got my Utah driver's license and spent a considerable amount of time at the DMV doing so, so I rewarded myself with two Banbury Cross donuts.  They are so much better if you heat them up in the microwave for 5 seconds each, and then drink them with super cold milk.  Melt in your mouth good.

I cropped this picture because for some reason I chose to pose with my legs really wide apart and it looked super weird.

 My friend Sarah planned a really fun night at Wheeler Farm the other week.  We went on a wagon ride, did a corn maze, and did some pumpkin picking!  Fall activities are the best.  We also had two adorable babies in the group who thought that the wagon ride was the coolest thing ever, and it was really cute to watch their excited expressions.  

Right now I'm:
Reading:  Such a good book, "Life After Life," by Kate Atkinson.  It's a novel that is set during WWII and it involves the idea of deja vu and what it would be like to live your life over and over again; would you eventually get it just right? I got so attached to the characters and was really sad to finish it a few days ago.
Anticipating: My parents coming to visit next week!  Starting school in January.  Having a girls night with my friend Jamie while our husbands camp up in the mountains this weekend.  Possibly joining a women's Bible study at my church.  Getting better at the forearm stand that I discovered I can finally do.
Memorizing: "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken." -Psalm 55:22  I've had a couple of days this week and last when I've felt really down, and I have this verse on my phone and look at it several times daily.
Listening to: To Build a Home by The Cinema Orchestra

Elbow Fork in Millcreek Canyon

Brian got home from Texas on Friday night and I was so glad.  The house feels so empty without him and there is no one to watch Portlandia skits right before bed with (last night we were dying laughing over the "Mother's Sun" clip.  Brian goes, "I just love this show so much!" Ha!)  Honestly, this weekend was a rough one for me, emotionally, and I was just really glad that Brian was back to spend time with.  

On Saturday morning, we took a hike up in Milcreek Canyon to see the fall colors.

It kind of turned out to be a fall wonderland up there- Utah, seriously, you are a gorgeous babe! 

We wanted to drive all the way up Millcreek Canyon, but towards the top there were a bunch of cars that were slipping and sliding on the icy road.  We decided to park and walk up instead, but it was actually too slippery to even walk on.  We got back in the car and drove back down the canyon to the Elbow Fork trailhead.

The part of the Elbow Fork trail that we hiked went mainly along the top of one side of the canyon, so we had a great view while walking.  Samantha raced ahead, splashed in puddles, and found some other  dogs to play with along the trail.

The snow was melting along the sunny parts of the trail, but we could see a lot of snow up higher in the mountains.

Snow mixed with fall leaves along the shady banks of the trail

Muddy, stinky dog on the ride home, even with the windows open.  She loves it so much when we take her up into the mountains, though, so we don't really mind.

This week, I will be finishing up the admission steps for the rest of my nursing prerequisites.  I get to sign up for classes at the first of next month.  I finally have resident status now, after going last week to get my Utah drivers license and taking the Utah driving test (aughh) and living in Utah for one year.  As a non Utah resident, classes at the college I will be attending would have been twice as expensive as classes taken as a resident, so we decided to wait a year.  Now that I'm official, I can't wait to get this going.  It feels like I've been in the process of becoming a nurse forever, and I can't wait to finally do this!  I've been able to work with some great nurses while working as a CNA this year.  I have asked them tons of questions about nursing, and they also let me watch everything they do and teach me a little about it.  I already have an idea of what areas of nursing I might like to go into, and I wonder if I will choose one of those after I'm finished with school.

My parents are coming to visit at the end of this month and I can't wait.  Brian and I have so many places to show them!

I was a greeter for both am services at church this week and really loved it.  Actually, one of my favorite parts was getting to hear all of the worship songs three times (practice before church, plus two services).  Our church band is super loud and I love losing myself in the music and singing along.