oh, the weather outside

So our apartment is flanked by tall, beautiful trees. However, the development planner must have momentarily lost a marble when he decided planting said trees right next to the buildings was an awesome idea. Because when there is a wind/rain storm (and we're at the base of a canyon, so we catch more wind than we prefer), our apartment (on the top level, right where the branches are) gets beat to pieces. It's as though the trees are bound and determined to dismantle the building by sunrise, and they'll do it by force! Sunday night was one of those storms. It was loud and obnoxious and little sleep was had. (Except Annabelle - she slept through the whole thing? Weird?) (By the way, why do these wind storms occur only during my sleeping hours and not during the hours when I could at least be accomplishing something? I'm just saying.)

However, when we woke up and opened our window to this (the view from our bedroom window):

I couldn't make myself be mad anymore. Because you see, although much of this state starts to cringe and cry when the weather turns cold, I start doing a happy dance. Not only do I love cold weather (including snow, although I'm sure I'll be sick of it by April), but I also love the way the world appears in the cold. It isn't dead and gray to me. It's frozen and quiet and beautiful. If we're being honest, I love every season except summer, which I really believe could be discarded in favor of extending one of the others, and winter is no exception. The nip in the air holds the promise of the upcoming holidays and all the magic and love and good cheer that accompanies those days. Last night, we got some snow that stuck. The temperatures took a serious dip, and we woke up to this:

And so, even though I am currently in the market for a chainsaw (Oh that's weird, the tree outside my window lost all its branches? Don't know what happened...), I'm happy as a clam to see summer fade into this wonderful chilly fall.

P.S. I'm also more than happy to herald the tights season. Oh man do I love a little Midge in tights.

 {She's totally rocking out right here, if anyone was wondering. In heels no less.}

 {Still doesn't like to tip her cup - reclining is just so much easier.}

 {She's trying to "wear" a tiny tiny flip flop eraser.}

 And remember this little little Midge in tights? Oh man.

Happy Tights Season, Ya'll. :)