a birthday in the desert

this weekend we celebrated cj's birthday in the desert with friends.
we're pretty happy that good friends have moved back to the state;
to a beautiful small town in the middle of our favorite desert.


the desert is incredible in autumn:
golden leaves, red rock, and blue skies {at least they were blue before an awesome storm blew in}.
it was so nice to have a nice home to retire to every night,
where a fire warmed us, and we enjoyed indian cuisine and a chocolate cake made of the best of dreams.


we were happy to take our time with everything:
we woke up when we were ready after a late night of talking talking talking,
breakfast lasted at least a couple of hours as we cooked, talked, and interviewed a midwife {not for ceej & i}.
we finally got out the door and took a little stroll through the desert.
the light was so heavenly...i was glad to be on this earth with such dear people.
it truly was a miracle. a once-in-a-lifetime miracle that will never be repeated.
i love how miraculous this life is. truly amazing.


ceej had a perfect birthday weekend {according to his reports}
and we are enjoying our weekday routines.
so very grateful to have ceej in my life. he makes it magical and real.
happy birthday, ceej.


hope you and yours are enjoying all of your little miracles.


{p.s. i'm starting to teach yoga classes again this week. click here for details}

fact : new shoes make you jump higher

ceej gave me my birthday present to open up in a very pretty spot.

i can't think of anything better than receiving a gift in a beautiful location.

it just makes a heart giddy. for sure.

almost as soon as i had my boots on i had to test out

my life-long theory that new shoes do indeed make you jump higher...

i think it worked. but i ended up with a bit of a headache

after all that jumping...which made me really feel thirty. jumping now equals headache?

despite the headache i was happy to get the boots, 

and have a feeling they'll be getting lots and lots of use. thank you, ceej!

this morning i'm trying to make my own marshmallows {wish me luck!}, 

then having a picnic lunch with good friends,

and finally making my way to the cabin with ceej for the rest of the weekend.

can't wait to soak in more autumn mountains.

{update: first attempt at marshmallows failed...ugh. will be trying again either later today or sometime this weekend}

pumpkin cake : why everyone should have a fall birthday

we broke out the birthday cake a couple of nights ago:

pumpkin cake from my favorite bakery ever. really.

we tried to be adults and we ate our dinner first,

which wasn't actually too difficult since dinner

was simple and delicious: figs, cheese, bread, salsa, chips,

and our fave ginger sodas...perfection.

of course the cake was my favorite part of the evening,

but the twinkle lights and the music was a close second.

i love little nights like this: it's cold outside and we're

cozy on the inside, celebrating together. love, love, love.

...and maybe i couldn't stop dancing to this song

this is the west : no matter how far i travel i will always come back

you might like to listen to this little song while you view our trip to the tetons

i feel as if this was a life-time experience. so happy to have spent my thirtieth here.

if i could perpetually be in one state of heart and mind it would be a state of awe.

i prefer awe to happiness {though who would turn down a moment of happiness?! not i}.

how can you beat witnessing the shimmer of gold leaves with a backdrop

as breathtaking as a sudden and grand mountain range?

and the drive to get there was just as wondrous as the destination. 

fall is everywhere. and it's incredible this year. 

ceej got us a little cabin to stay in to keep us cozy at night.

as much as i love camping it's nice now and then to have

the comforts of running water and a warm bed.

i had my fave veggie burrito for dinner...mmmmm.

we went to bed early so we could wake for the sunrise,

and go for a little hike up the mountains.

can't believe that just a month ago ceej climbed the grand. so awesome.

maybe next year i'll join him. i like him to test out the big stuff first.

{and i forgot to share his photos with you...will have to do that soon}

i left the camera inside of my backpack for the entire second day...

i wanted to say that this was a deliberate decision,

but basically i was too lazy to take it out.

and now, of course, i'm kicking myself for not taking

more photos on the drive or the hike. time travel would be great right now.

but the shots i did get i am happy i did. 

i'm addicted to fall and the mountains more than ever.

ceej and i went for a trail run this morning,

and i had to stop a few times just to take some photos with my phone.

this world is incredibly beautiful, yes? 

i can't get enough.