Nostalgic fall...

Brian, my mom and I recently took Chase on a hike to capture the peak foliage on our camera and remind ourselves why we call this home. I got so excited scrolling through these pictures that I can't decide which ones to post. They are all too beautiful.

I feel that part of my identity(Krisha talking) is growing up in these beautiful mountains. As a teen, my favorite memories were during fall because it was cross-country season and it was the one sport where it took all of my mental discipline to be able to endure those miles and yet it was so enjoyable and rewarding because you could get lost in nature's beauty. A run along the parkway, though tiresome and painful on my knees, was easily justified in just the first 5 minutes of forgetting my wordly worries and basking in the colors that are only here for a season.
Growing up, I had fond memories of driving on the parkway with my family to the Peaks of Otter (just outside of Roanoke). There are so many colors for the eyes to see that it is overwhelming!
You feel like you are drowning in God's beauty.

There are reds that burn brighter than the sun,
yellows that are pure as gold, and the sea of orange so rich- that you can taste it!

When I think of autumn here in the Roanoke Valley, I think of stepping onto our porch and feeling embraced by the mountains all around us. I picture the fall leaves whirling around as you go down the street; I envision hiking trails that are so covered with leaves that you hear nothing but their crunch under your feet and you feel like you have escaped civilization and entered into a secret wonderland.

I can taste the warm spiced cider and I yearn to roll down the windows, feel the cool breeze, and listen to the Appalachian music (with the dulcimer) and the folksy bluegrass music; they are rooted in the simplicities of life, the love of family, and the faith in Christ that brings meaning to it all. It makes me proud to be a Virginian.