Apple picking

Our friends, the Lansings, invited us to go to Carter Mountain Orchard to pick apples with them. Despite being rainy that day and Michael being in Boston (for a conference), we made the trip over the mountain and were so glad we did.

Henry was really happy to take this picture.

 Cute worms.

 Everyone busy with their own bags of apples. Henry was unfazed by the slippery grass and steep slope--he just kept picking himself back up again.

 That's a good one up there, Mom! Can you reach it for me?

 Checking out the rainbow.

 Ooh, this is a tough one, but I'm going to get it!

Happy kids.

We had fun going out for pizza in downtown Charlottesville afterward, despite busy traffic. It was great being with such wonderful people and having a good time. It's crazier the more kids we have, but I'm glad we don't let our children prevent us from getting together--it just adds to the fun.

Now I need to get moving on using up a ton of granny smith apples!

Fall getaway

Michael's parents (Grandma and Grandpa) came up last week for a visit. It was wonderful to have them, as always. Michael took them up to Pennsylvania for a night to visit Philadelphia, attend the temple, and see some of the places where his dad grew up. They had a great time. (See previous post for more details.)

The day after they returned, Michael and I left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and drove down to the Fort Lewis Lodge, which is about one and a half hours away from Harrisonburg.

The fort from the 1700s no longer exists, but the current owners have made the lodge, barn, cabins, etc. into a bed and breakfast. The wife makes breakfast and dinner for all those staying there (about 50 people?), and it is always delicious.

 We stayed there for a night five years ago (Hyrum babysat Clara at home), and we were looking forward to returning. This time, we stayed in the silo. It was awesome--we were on the third floor, and our room was round (actually it had 12 sides, a dodecagon, I just learned).

 With the great weather, we enjoyed a lot of time outdoors. We went on a hike on Friday morning on Hickory Gap Trail, a view that overlooks the lodge and surrounding property.

 Michael found me a great walking stick, but then had a hard time finding one that worked for him. This one was almost a good fit . . .

In the afternoon, we drove an hour south to Lake Moomaw, a huge lake that was virtually empty. It was really fun to go canoeing--I hadn't done that in a long time. My muscles were sore the next morning. We also met a woman who was a less-active member of the Church there--that was special.

 Gorgeous scenery.

Back at the lodge, we enjoyed the grounds and played some disc golf and ping pong. I am terrible at disc golf but had fun anyway. Michael, who plays any sport better than I do, was encouraging and never made me feel bad but helped me fish my frisbee out of the "shtuff" (the tall weeds and brush into which I apparently loved to throw it).

 Resting on the hammock was awesome--another experience I hadn't had in years. It was so peaceful looking up at the leaves, hearing the birds, feeling the breeze, just talking together and enjoying each other's company. We commented on how a photo just doesn't capture these experiences well--you have to enjoy them with all of your senses.

My handsome hiking companion. I just feel so immeasurably blessed to have such a great friend as my husband. We make a good team and feel renewed when we enjoy time away on our own. It is always reassuring that we still like hanging out together--we know when the kids are gone we'll be just fine.

We sure missed the kids, though, and were happy to head back on Saturday afternoon. Thanks so much again to Grandma and Grandpa for watching the kids--it is not an easy job, that is for sure.

Fun with Grandma and Grandpa

Last week, Michael's parents came up for the week. It was great having them! As part of their visit, Michael took them up to Gettysburg to see Bob's parents, then to Philadelphia for a night to attend the temple, explore the city, and see some spots where his dad grew up outside of the city.

 Michael with his grandparents. They are growing more feeble but are still in good spirits. His grandpa is 91 now.

 They headed over to the new Philadelphia temple that evening, where they performed some temple work for their ancestors which Michael had found in his family history research. Super cool. They also enjoyed dinner (and breakfast) at the Reading Terminal Market and brought home some yummy treats, too.

 The next morning, Michael went running along the Schuylkill River (pronounced "skoo-kul," apparently) and then he and his parents headed over to the Museum of Modern Art to see Rocky.

 And of course, Michael ran up the steps and did some jumps and punches to complete the pilgrimage.

The day after they returned, Michael and I left on a little getaway (see next post). But then when we returned home, we got to spend some more time with Grandma and Grandpa. We headed over to the pumpkin patch to pick a couple of pumpkins for carving.

 Clara wasn't too thrilled with Grandma for some of the time we were gone (because Grandma was following my instructions), but fortunately she forgot her frustrations and had fun, too.

 Different varieties of pumpkins--both living and not.

 What a great-looking couple!

 Robbie sure looks thrilled. These are my favorite people!

 Henry loved being up on Grandpa's shoulders. He also likes to fall backward while his feet are still being held. Fun but scary!

Ready to do some exploring!

Daddy with his boys.

We were grateful to have Grandma and Grandpa on Sunday as well, and look forward to seeing them again at Thanksgiving!