a leaf

I had high hopes of uploading 127 pictures of San Francisco to this blog this morning and writing up something witty about our adventures there.

Instead, I whisked three children and myself to the dentist at and arrived late with no teeth brushed or flossed. We emerged an hour later with one-and-a-half cavities and a deep breath of gratitude that I was able to talk Lu down from a serious full-fledged tantrum because she wanted two prizes from the treasure box instead of one.

Lu and I dropped off the “big” girls at school and got home to what looks like a hurricane hit and voice-mail box full so today I leave here a simple leaf instead of San Fran.

But it is a beautiful one.

Fall hits the desert later than anywhere else but I soak in what we get.

Every once in a while I will just see a leaf that is so beautiful in it’s own way that I cannot leave it alone. So I scoop it up and carry it, carefully home to give it honor for the unique way it caught my attention. I love how this one curls up so perfectly into itself.

It reminds me of what I want to do with my family this Christmas season:
Curl them up into my lap and snuggle them forever.