Autumn joys

Before we took off for the East Coast, we were told again and again that autumn is the best season. Though Josh argues spring (despite his newfound vicious pollen allergies) is a fierce competitor, I find the fall season breathtaking. The leaves are vibrant and carpet the sidewalks with unbelievable shades of reds and oranges, while the wind is brisk but not too chilly to keep us indoors.

Last week we had the honor of having super friends Maaren and Andy visit us from San Diego. Both of them inspire us with their creativity and love. It was great to have them here.

And did I ever mention potty training? Lofty goal of mine, I know, but I'm ready to be done with diapers and we're making great strides. I figure we'll divide and conquer: we've accomplished potty training at home so he gets to rock his big boy underpants around the house; we're still working on me remembering to take him when we're out of the house; and he still sleeps in diapers. I'm so proud of Micah.

Photos from our Spain trip

Traveling was great. We hadn't been abroad since we traveled to Greece and London in 2004, so I had been itching to go. And we kept hearing from friends about how we need to travel now while we can, because soon Micah is going to be the age where he doesn't sit still. So we packed up and left. It was harder than I had expected - we only packed 1 carry-on each but still with the luggage and Micah, both of us felt like we were hauling around a lot of stuff. But it was also a lot of fun. I even had a chance to go on a couple of runs (I packed my running shoes with hope), which was wonderful, really. And I hadn't been to Spain since I studied there in 2001 so it was great to be there with Josh and show him fun parts of the city I used to live in.

As dreamy as it was, though, we were both ready to be back. Micah didn't seem to mind either way. But Josh and I were ready to be back in our own space. We were there 10 days and Josh was feeling anxious about the applications season, and I had a desire to be in one place longer than a few days (we went from Seville to Cordoba to Madrid). I think that's a sign I'm growing up.