Millcreek Canyon

We ventured up Millcreek Canyon on Saturday.
I'm kind of partial to this canyon--as it is where Blaine proposed September of 2005. Good times. Anyway, we had a good time and a little bit of an impromptu photo shoot with Jake man.

Oh, Happy Day!

My good friend, Tracy and her husband Jack were sealed for time and all eternity on Friday {exactly one year from their wedding day in '08}. Blaine and I were lucky enough to have been invited.
Needless to say it was a "happy day".
Love you, Tracy!

Don't Quit Your Dye Job

The other day I dyed my hair. This is nothing new. I've been dying it myself {or paying someone else to do it for me} since I was in my very early twenties. I vividly remember one specific time when the stylist asked, "How concerned are you with covering this gray?" And I replied with, "How concerned am I that I am 23 years old??!!?" Scary stuff. Anyway, although this whole dying thing is old news, it hit me {again} that it will be my M.O. for the rest of my natural life. Boo. Premature gray-ness blows big time.

Mr. and Mrs. Carter go to Washington

Well, we are back {having survived the worst plane ride ever}, we've almost caught up on all our missed TV shows, and we are ready to blog about our great trip to the District of Columbia.

Washington Monument.

Lincoln Memorial--from the Washington Monument.

D.C. Capitol from Washington Monument.

I love this guy.

This guy rocks.

Hanging out in Dupont Circle.

Thomas Circle--right across from our hotel.

Logan Circle.

Just walking around with Jakey. I think this is about where I found that Jake was eating gum from a wall. Yup--just like Elf.

The Phillips Collection. This gallery holds Renoir's one and only "Luncheon at the Boating Party". Seriously. Amazing.

Street shots.

The White House.

Jake was pretty excited about seeing the White House.

Inside the WWII Memorial. So cool.

Hanging out with Daddy.

Funny guy.

Lincoln Memorial. There is a really a palpable sense of reverence in this place.

President Lincoln's view of the Washington Memorial.

The three of us. Man, it was hot that day.

This little guy was our pal. He was literally eating out of our hands.

We tried to get him to eat out of Jake's hand, but he wouldn't bite. I think he knew Jake really wanted to grab his fluffy tail.

We're Back, Baby!

We are spending our last night in Washington D.C. right now and are loving it. Jake and I are accompanying Blaine this week while he is attending a training for work. The last time we were here as a family, I was four months pregnant with little Jake man... I thought it only fitting that we come again when I'm pregnant with Baby Carter number two. Don't you?

Ode to Autumn

Well, it's official.
This morning, when I found Jake's toesies freezing, I switched the A/C to heat.
Don't laugh, but this is kind of a big deal.
It smelled like fall; you know that smell--the first time you switch it on--that distinct scent of heat. And after a long summer of blasting refrigerated air through my house, I now get a waft of coziness in the beginning of this beautiful season.

I love the way the mountains look in the fall... I love how they are seemingly on fire with changing leaves. I love how as winter comes, their heads are covered in snow and the rest of them are still alive--green, gold, orange and red spreading out and down to the valley--their peaks high above them shrouded in frozen mist.

So, bring on the cider, hot chocolate, caramel apples, and
pumpkin pie.
October is going to be wonderful.