All Good Things....

I realize that all good things must come to an end to 1) make room for even better things and 2) ensure that we don't take for granted the good things but if these past 6 days of my mom visiting us taught me anything, it is:

1. I wish now, more than ever, that we could just do away with all the states in the middle (with the exception of maybe Iowa and Colorado) and move Virginia next to Arizona so there wouldn't be almost an entire continent between us.

2. Good things like visits from Parents/Grandparents can't ever be too frequent and won't ever be taken for granted!

Christmas in Arizona cannot come soon enough for me, for Dave, or for Jeffery (though he isn't aware of it).  We missed my dad very much but Dave and I were so thrilled that my mom made the trip out to Virginia in this, the most beautiful time of the year in our adoptive state!  Growing up in Iowa, my mom now sorely misses the fall colors that are mostly absent in the Phoenix valley and I was afraid that her visit would be on the tail end of the glorious fall colors.  But.....Mother Nature knew she was coming and delayed the peak color of the trees until this week of her visit.  The timing could not have been more perfect!

Instead of taking a red eye flight from AZ, mom left at some un-godly hour of the morning and was still able to arrive in VA by 2pm which was great because the day spent traveling west to east is very long and usually ends up being a lost/wasted day of just traveling.  We woke the next morning, bundled up, and went apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchards....an apple orchard outside of Charlottesville and on the same road as Monticello (Jefferson's Home).  Dave and I had taken Jeffery to the orchard just 3 weeks prior but we were excited to go back to show my mom the incredible beauty of the place, have her re-live her Iowa fall experiences with some apple picking, and pick up some of our favorite and now ripened apples - Pink Ladies.  It was an absolutely beautiful day to be on the mountain and we even worked up quite the sweat hiking into the orchards (with stroller).

Apple Picking

Pink Lady Apples

All bundled up in the orchards

It was a picture postcard day in Virginia.  We could not have ordered a more perfect day.  We enjoyed yet another dozen Apple Cider Donughts (oh so incredibly yummy!!!) and bought the most amazing Apple Cider we've ever had to take home.....along with almost 10 lbs of apples that we managed to pick!  :)  With that many apples...what choice do you have but to make an apple pie?  I'm not a fan of pie and don't make them so Dave was overjoyed that my mom offered to make them one...complete with my Grandma Mary's homemade crust recipe.  

The Pedersens enjoying the orchard

We LOVE Grandma Jean visits!!

Grandma Jean took all the opportunities she had to hold Jeffery, to feed him, to talk to him, to try and make him laugh (though frustratingly, he is reserving most giggles for his daddy!)....and to tell him how perfect he is.  :)

Look Grandpa Jeff!  I'm taking the bottle and not fighting Grandma!  :)

Dave and I just discovered Pony Pasture Nature Area and Wetlands along the James River last winter so we decided to take my mom there to enjoy the fall colors along the river and have a nice walk in the "woods".  Again...Mother Nature blessed us with an absolutely brilliant day!!  Dave strapped on the Bjorn and off we went on our walk.

The Pedersen boys enjoying the outdoors

Good thing this isn't "Little Shop of Horrors" or mom might be in trouble!  :)

Mom and me along the James

Happy November from the Pedersens!

Other activities of interest while my mom was here are:
* She babysat while Dave and I went to enjoy a nice dinner (belated birthday dinner for me) which we haven't done in a VERY, VERY long time!  Thanks to mom for babysitting and to mom and dad for making the dinner at Can-Can possible!!!
* She went to Mass with me at St. Benedicts (which happened to be the second Mass of the morning that Jeffery and I had attended) where she was able to reconnect with our friend, Jim (the choir director/organist at the church), who she met in Arizona last fall.
* She sat in on a James River Singers rehearsal (sat next to me even!) and even got to sing on the pieces she knew.  It was great to have her there and such a treat to have her next to me!
* She and I spent the morning of her last day here painting our guest bathroom!  :)  I love it when my mom comes because she has such wonderful ideas for making things more efficient or decorating suggestions!  Our hall bath looks brand new now and it only took about 3 hours of work and a new rug and shower curtain!  :)  Thanks Mom!!!!  I think when you come back, we are going to tackle our bathroom!  :)

AND....we celebrated Jeffery's 4 month birthday!  My mom has been there for his 1 week birthday, his 2 month birthday, and now his 4 month birthday....and we live 2500 miles apart!  And on his 1 month and 3 month birthdays, we at least skyped with her and my dad so they could sing "Happy Birthday" to him.

He is getting so big!

It was so hard to say goodbye to her and send her back to my dad in Arizona.  Dave and I had an amazing time with her and we wish we were closer to our families.  My mantra now is: "just a little over one month".  Just a little over a month and we'll be home in Arizona for Christmas and then California for New Years Eve.  That month cannot pass quickly enough for me!  :)