Beautiful fall hike at Waterrock Knob

Last Saturday (a week ago) was the PERFECT day for a hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Cool in the morning, but mostly clear skies and sunshine to warm us up by lunchtime. We returned to Waterrock Knob, a popular overlook with a short hike and great views. You can't tell from these photos but there was quite a bit of foot traffic along the trail and at the overlook. The Parkway is certainly the place to be in the fall! We couldn't help but saying, "Wow, wow" over and over (and the photos don't do the colors justice).

Timo was absolutely joyful the entire hike. He LOVED it!! It's fun to see him getting older - and even though he is only just shy of 4 years old, he has great stamina and balance. (All week afterward he kept asking to go again.)

Mattias also did great and walked all the way up, without much assistance, even on the steep or rocky parts. Looking ahead to see Timo charging along sure motivated him, too!

the "Knob" overlook

view from the Knob

Timo practically ran most of the way back down, stopping a few times to let us catch up.

And lunch back at the overlook (where we had a rainy picnic supper with Grandpa and Jaja this summer). Look, Mom, I brought my cutting board and knife, and I made a thermos of tea! It was nearly a perfect morning.

Before and after

A much needed haircut (his 2nd) for this guy! But oh, those curls in the back!

[In fact, I cut his hair before our trip to Wheaton. It was quite tricky because he kept moving his head and his hair is so thin and still not very long on top! It felt like a hack job. But now that it has been a couple weeks, it's smoothed out and looks very handsome. As Jim said, "now we can see his face and what he really looks like."]

Autumn week in Wheaton

Hurray, a week's visit to Granddad and Nonna's house in Wheaton! Hard to believe it had been nearly two years (since Christmas 2014, when Mattias was two months old) since we had been able to visit. We had a great, easy flight from Asheville to Chicago (last time for Mattias to be considered "infant in arms", ha!) - and felt a bit of culture shock when we pulled into the neighborhood with its beautiful, green, open yards and homes and long, flat blocks with sidewalks. Not at all like our life now in hilly Sylva. But then the familiarity hit and we felt so happy to be there once again, together with family and able to wander around town and Wheaton's campus.

On our first morning, Jim took the boys for a quick visit to Uncle Dick and Kaye-Kaye, and seeing cousins Susie and Wendy's "Lucy Blue" woolens studio (in Uncle Dick's basement). What a joy to walk to the house next door and spend time hanging out with extended family!!

Then we had lunch with long-time friends Tad and Amber, and all five of their children (who Amber homeschools). Their two girls "practiced" their babysitting skills so we adults could sit and have a good talk. Of course it's always so good for the heart to connect with these friends... and sad, too, to be so brief.

 Thankfully, Jim and I were both able to fit in appointments with Dr Gieser to have a full eye exam!! (Which we hadn't had for 3 years.) We got the all-clear - and a daunting impression of the busy, full lives of ophthalmologists.

Yes, yes, that's cousin David Brink, which means the Brink family is here! They drove up for four days from St Louis so we could all be together. Timo and David are only two months apart, and really did enjoy each other, comparing Matchbox cars and building tunnels and forts in the basement (with the help of Elsie and the younger two, too).

Millie and Mattias in the beloved play house/tree house

Fall would not be complete without a visit to Sonny Acres (so I'm told by the Gieser siblings, whose childhoods are linked with such memories)! The kids really did enjoy it (and were succesfully distracted from realizing that we weren't spending money on any of the mini-amusement park rides).

Notice David and Timo holding hands, and Elsie holding Mattias's arm

The regular scene at the house for the five cousins

Don't they clean up nicely?!

And our casual attempt at a family shot, oh well.

One morning we walked around campus, through the Beamer student center, and to see the mastodon skeleton and geology exhibits. Wow, Wheaton sure is a lovely campus! Ah to be a carefree college student again, burdened by the worries of studies and how to spend one's free time. I guess this is what most of the other grads back for Homecoming were thinking, too... (And, "Wheaton sure is a lot nicer than when we were here!")

Jim and Dad and Noah all went to the football game on Homecoming Saturday, and afterwards Jim and I and Timo went to the Homecoming women's soccer game. Forgot to take any photos except for this one at halftime, when Timo happily ran onto the field and down to the goal to be the keeper for some boys taking shots. Pretty cool that they let kids onto the field like that.

Nonna worked so hard to have the house all ready for us, with our beds and bedrooms and toys, and beautiful fall decorations throughout - not to mention figuring out meals for all of us and all our preferences! Thank you, Mom!

One last hug and kiss from Granddad before bedtime, and our early morning flight the following day.

Look at these photogenic, wonderful parents! We love you!

More Durham pics

What can I say, I LOVE the Museum of Life and Science!! (And it is way cooler and more extensive than when we went there 25-30 years ago on elementary school field trips, although I loved it then, too.) I didn't really get that many photos since we were having so much fun. But, wow, a museum that has dinosaurs, outdoor play areas, butterfly house, farm animals, lemurs, a train through the woods, huge sandbox, indoor play areas and blocks and ramps, a huge space & astronaut exhibit, plus tons of scientific exhibits - ?! Amazing. Even in our two full mornings there was no way that we could see everything.

A parasauralophus at the start of the "dinosaur trail" - Timo has not stopped talking about this since we got back.

On to the mist exhibit - better get the boys in their swimsuits - a place that we so enjoyed with Gemma and Timo (when he was a baby) back in 2013.

Lisa joined us for the morning (boys were at school)

Timo giving instructions for the countdown of the lunar module

The boys both loved getting late afternoon rides with Grandpa on his bicycle.

One morning we took a quick trip over to Duke Gardens, my other favorite spot in Durham, and also a place of great memories there with Gemma. What an incredibly diverse and well-kept garden, and they seem to keep adding new areas and paths every time we go!

Of course, bread-making with Jaja! (Guess who likes to eat dough?)

And another morning, I went back by myself with the boys to the Museum, primarily to go to one of the newest exhibit areas, "Hideaway Woods". It felt like every child's treehouse dream come true. What an incredible design and work of engineering.

I was amazed to see Timo just go for it. He didn't hesitate at all to climb up on his own to the highest treehouse.

Uncle Pete!! With the coolest work truck! What else needs to be said?

On one of our last afternoons,the boys and I rode the Duke campus bus from East campus to West Campus, where we met Grandpa at the chapel and got to hear the 5 o'clock bells ringing. Once again, Timo was SO excited to ride the bus, and I marveled at hearing the real bells and being on such a beautiful campus.