We have been LOVING Pittsburgh in the fall! Our eyes have been dazzled by the symphony of colors so generously orchestrated by the surrounding trees: fiery reds, goldeny yellows, brilliant oranges, all contrasted by glorious pops of lingering green. Look at me, waxing all poetical! As one of my friends often says "Fall inspires me." It's just that California deprived us of a good solid fall for far too long. It really has been awesome though. The air has turned crisp, Halloween decor is creeping out onto neighborhood porches, and suddenly we are craving cozy homemade soups with corn bread and honey butter! Feel free to pass on your favorite recipe. We'll love you forever :).
So, we still have yet to make it out to a fall festival, pumpkin patch, apple picking type activity. But, don't you worry, we certainly don't plan on missing out on any of those quintessential fall experiences.
HOWEVER, we DID go camping...sans our air mattress...with the ward...and the raccoons...in the rain (in spite of how that sounds, we had a blast!!!).
AND, Bryce and I went on a retreat...without Isaac...at a gorgeous lake house in the Appalachians...could have been romantic...if it weren't for the twenty other people and the beer keg a few of them visited one too many times. The retreat was for Bryce's residency program and we really did have fun even if we did stick to our Sprites and didn't participate in ALL of the shenanigans that were going on there. I enjoyed getting to know the people Bryce works with and some of their wives. Best of all we got to go hiking (I LOVE LOVE LOVE to hike). In the evening we went to a haunted house (upon entering the house of terror I quickly remembered that I don't especially enjoy haunted houses, more particularly people jumping out of dark corners unexpectedly. Someone please remind me the next time I am invited to a haunted house that I'd rather wait outside and drink hot apple cider). As a reward for making it out alive, we got to go down a mountain coaster (similar to the Alpine Slide in Park City). That's more my kind of thrill anyway(I could've done that twenty more times)!
Anyway, this wouldn't be a very good post without some good pictures. Honestly, when I'm blog stalking I usually just look at the pictures.
THE WARD CAMP OUT:
This looks posed but I promise it's not, he's just really this cute.

Our humble abode...and Bryce goofing around with Isaac

Taking down the tent.

Isaac ALL DAY LONG...looked EXACTLY like this...a blur running excitedly from place to place.

THE RETREAT:
Hiking...it made me smile inside.

AND...this made me laugh out loud.
