This Autumn season

We heard Maine fall colors weren't as vibrant as most years. I see how there wasn't as much color all around, but the splashes of color we did see gave some literal jaw-dropping moments. I have still been amazed at the beauty around. God paints beauty all throughout his creation in nature, but I especially love the bright colors of fall.

My parents came to Maine for a week in October. The colors were at their peak for part of my parents' visit. Here's a sneak peak into my parents' visit. I will write another post with stories about our time together. The video below shows the colors around Coleman Pond which our family camp is on. Click on the bottom right icon to enlarge video for a full screen view. 

Mom suggested we canoe farther around a bend to see if there was more color we couldn't see. We rounded the bend and I had one of those jaw dropping moments I mentioned earlier. The colors exploded in my line of vision. A quiet "whoa" escaped my lips at the beauty in front of us.

So much color

 Dad looking cool in the green kayak with the fall leaves as his backdrop.

The picture below shows the trees on our road where we have lived in Monmouth, Maine. Absolutely zero editing was done to the picture. These trees were as brilliant as they look in this picture even on the cloudy day when we took the picture. 

It was beautiful. Astoundingly beautiful. 

Overnight these colors turned brilliant. The first day I saw these trees was another memorable jaw dropping moment. I love those moments in life where something is so unbelievably beautiful you're feet stop moving, your mind stops all other thoughts, you stand in awe. Awe is a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. I was in a real moment of awe filled with wonder. In those moments of awe I'm not only in awe of the beauty, but I'm in awe of God who created this beauty. He knows me and wants me to know him. He cares for me in all circumstances in life. He shows his splendor and magnificence in the colors of his creation. I love these moments of awe in life which point me to the incredible beauty of God. 

A few houses down from ours is a trail which is maintained for snowmobiles. It goes underneath the power lines. When we would drive down our road we noticed there was some bright colors back in the woods off the trail. We decided to walk the trail one afternoon to see the colors up close.

He's always the favorite part of my view ;) 

As I am writing this, I can look out my window and see the trees which left me in my moment of awe. The trees have dropped most of their leaves and as this season of fall colors come to an end it seems almost fitting our season here in Maine is coming to an end. We leave Maine a week from today. These 3 months have gone by fast as they always do, but we got to see so much beauty on the coast of Maine and in the countryside of Maine. It has been great to spend time with family, and now we say our goodbyes in this week ahead. 

We head back to Colorado Springs for a week at home. Then Caleb heads to Barrow, Alaska (In 2016 the town of Barrow officially changed its name back to the traditional name Utqiaġvik). We've been practicing how to say it's traditional name. It's pronounced like this... oot — kay-ahg — vik. 

I will stay in Colorado when Caleb leaves for Barrow. In January I'll make the trek to Barrow, Alaska to see Caleb and get to experience a couple weeks of Arctic living too. Stay tuned to hear more on Caleb's Arctic experiences...