Plenty.

My alarm went off when the morning was still darkly cloaked with night, and for a moment I wondered why it had gone off before I remembered why I had specifically set it last night. I gently nudged the sleeping form beside me, and reminded him that he was to make coffee for the morning.
    "Did your alarm already go off?" He asked groggily.
    "Briefly, it was on vibrate, but it's time."
He gave a deep sigh and then heaved his tired body from the bed before I managed to pull mine from under the warm covers. Regardless of how frequently I wake up before him, I always have a hard time leaving the comfort of the bed when he is still in it.
But this morning had an exciting reason to be awake so early, and we both pulled ourselves from our sleepy reverie.
I pulled on jeans, a tee shirt, my blue flannel button-up, a black puffy vest, and pulled my hair out of my face with a quick sweep of the curls into a messy ponytail. The coffee wafted through the house, and I sighed knowing I couldn't have a cup. I know women do it all the time, but with your first--I hear--you're always more cautious about taking risks.
Jeremy had gotten ready and we met in the kitchen ready to leave.
    "What time is the sun supposed to rise this morning? It's still really dark out there?"
7:42AM was the answer, so we had a little time before we had to leave and I enjoyed a bowl of cereal as Jeremy let his coffee cool. After a few minutes, coffee was poured into a travel mug, my chunky grey scarf was grabbed, and Cael excitedly wagged his tail as informed that he was going to accompany us on a ride.
Vestiges of the autumn sun were already apparent in a glowing grey-gold over the tops of the trees and the surrounding mountains as we pulled out of our driveway. The morning was crisp and silent as we drove west.
We made the northward turn onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, and my heart swelled in my chest as we drove past the autumn-hued birches, maples, and oaks. Burnished golds, vibrant reds, and sweet oranges greeted us in the still grey morning--their colors muted in the non-light but not subdued as we drove toward Mt. Mitchell. The suns presence was ever-growing as we made twists and turns round the mountains, catching glimpses of rich valleys and long-range views of rolling peaks as the colors slowly began to illuminate around us.
We drove past a few of the lower overlooks as 7:42AM crept closer, and the sun crept nearer to the tops of the mountains. We came to a stop at an overlook with a wide vista facing southeast and watched the sea of mountains beyond us slowly and gently receive the morning light upon their slopes and seep into their valleys. I took photo after photo as Jeremy and I both reveled in the beauty of the sunrise and the illuminated colors of autumn in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The glory of God is undoubtedly evident in these things, and my heart can't help but rejoice in it.
It was surprisingly cold that high on the mountain, and we didn't dress as warmly as we should have. With cold hands and full hearts we got back in the car. We had some time before we had to be back, and so we kept driving north through trees now fully ablaze with autumn's morning sun. We passed patches of the woods were fully and completely golden, and as the sun played through the branches both of us were reminded of Tolkien's description of the golden wood of Lothlorien--and we drove through our own version of the Misty Mountains.

We eventually had to turn around and make our way back home, but I always feel like I leave a little piece of myself up there this time of year. Autumn is a season for harvest, a season of plenty--and each autumn I am struck with just how I have been blessed with such plenty, such fullness, such life. Especially this year as I carry a tiny life within me. I will teach this child to love and appreciate the rich fullness of autumn in these mountains, and I look forward to many more autumn sunrise drives with my dear heart, Jeremy.
   

Many-hued, sun burnished mountains.

Our own Golden Wood, Lothlorien.