A week after returning from our trip to the "mountains", we were blessed to have my parents visit. The past 6 months was the longest they've gone without seeing the boys (and vice versa).....normally it is 3-4 months. And we were all itching to see one another. They came for 10 days. 10 days felt like 3 days. 10 days initially seemed like we would have forever to do everything we wanted to do....and then we were to day 8 and wondering where the time had gone!
Thankfully, they're coming back right after Christmas for another 10 days (I LOVE THEIR RETIREMENT!) so we don't have to wait too long to see them again. Jeffery is sad every day at how much he misses them so I think we're going to build a chain calendar to mark the days until their return.
But we had a wonderful time. Here are some highlights:
The mandatory trip to Bottom's Up Pizza for amazing pizza and train watching. We sat upstairs and outside, right next to the tracks and saw four trains during our time there. It was pretty spectacular!
Every night Oma or Papa would read the bedtime stories to both boys. The first time Papa read, I had to pull out his favorite from when I was a kid "The Ernie and Bert Book". It warmed my heart to see him reading it to another generation.
There was time spent outdoors. We played on the deck and in the sandbox. Oma and Papa took the boys over to the Park across the street from us one morning. Oma and Jeffery raked leaves and made a leaf house. And Oma got her fill of playing cars with Jeffery! :)
The boys (sans Jakob because it was too chilly and he was rather under the weather) even watched the NASCAR race outside on the deck. They streamed it using my dad's laptop and had a glorious time!
There was time for indoor play too. Papa helped Jeffery build a train track. Oma and Jeffery played with his sticker book....
....and Oma and Jeffery made Great Grandma Mary Sell's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. Of course, Papa then had to teach Jeffery the art of licking the beaters! :)
Jakob got some special one on one time with Oma and Papa as they kept him at home the 2 Sunday mornings they were here so I could go to Mass with just Jeffery. Everyone was a winner in that scenario!
While Dave was at work, I took everyone to the Maymont Nature Center. Jeffery loves the place as he gets to see lots of turtles and fishes and otters.....and snakes and alligators. Afterwards, we roamed Maymont park for a little bit and enjoyed the unusually warm fall day.
One our wishes....and one of my mom's requests...was to take a trip to Carter Mountain Orchards, right outside of Charlottesville. We took my mom there when she came by herself when Jeffery was 4 months old and we had a wonderful time. We all really wanted to take my dad there as well. So, we loaded into two cars (because we all won't fit into one of our cars anymore)...tested out the walkie-talkies (you should have heard the NASCAR talk going on between my dad and Dave!) and headed west. It was an absolutely beautiful day up on the mountain and we all had a wonderful time roaming the mountain top, having a balance war, picking apples, and relaxing.....complete with Hot Apple Cider and Apple Cider Donughts afterwards. :)
These are all the apples that Jeffery himself picked! What a "useful engine". :)
We came down from the mountain and tried to show my dad the Rotunda at the University of Virginia....a building that Thomas Jefferson himself designed. Unfortunately, it was closed and covered in scaffolding. :( But we did have fun roaming the commons area, looking into the elite "lawn rooms", and watching construction men stop their work, hoist Jeffery up into their backhoe, and letting him play for a little bit!
(I think he looks like a mini Richard Hammond (co-host of BBC's "Top Gear") in this picture. Maybe he's a new host for Top Gear......it is only one of his favorite shows!)
My parents were here for Halloween which was a lot of fun. It was Jeffery's first time really trick-or-treating and we had a blast. We had two families from church join us and Jeffery had so much fun with his friends. He was a train engineer. BIG SURPRISE!!!! :) Jakob was going to be a farmer....but he was really under the weather that night so he stayed home with Oma and Papa who handed out candy so Dave and I could accompany Jeffery.
And then....before we knew it....it was time for them to go home. It was such a beautiful and wonderful visit. Dave beat us all at Dominoes....and then my mother returned the favor. They taught us how to play cribbage (I may need a refresher course). Dad and Papa put on their electrician hats and installed a dimmer on our kitchen lights and 2 new light fixtures in the house. They attended the Fall Concert of the Women's Chorale that Dave directs at the University of Richmond. It was very special to him to have them in the audience. They also came and sat in on a JRS rehearsal. Dad sang right behind me and mom was right next to me. That was BEYOND special to both Dave and me. The laughter between them and the boys was such a magical thing to hear. The love they have for these little boys...for Dave and Me...is beautiful to see and it makes me wish we didn't live so blasted far away.
So....we look forward to another 10 days in just a month and a half. I speak for all of us when I say that it can't come soon enough! :)
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