Autumn Leaves Bittons Swimming in Leaves

Photo by Mike Bitton
Aubrey Bitton takes a dive in the leaves in the front yard of her aunt Stacey's house in Vancouver, Wash.

There are millions of trees here in Vancouver, Wash., and they're putting on a lightshow of sorts with all their fall colors. The beauty lingers for weeks, a gorgeous contrast to where we used to live in Lancaster, Calif. The turning of the leaves in Lancaster seemed to last only one an afternoon, then the wicked winds of the Mojave Desert denuded the trees.

Fall also means school for Mike and Ashton, and this year, even Jana! She's gone back to school to earn her master's degree. She's taking two classes at Portland State University, which will lead to her Master's of Public Administration degree. Building on her years of experience with United Way and publicly funded arts prograns, Jana will graduate with an emphasis in non-profit management.