Autumn was here but now it's gone

Note: this is published as a draft. I typed this draft long ago, intending to finish and add pictures, but due to the inaccessibility of my pictures right now, and the fact that I will never keep up this blog if I don't just move forward, I am publishing it as is.

The snow falling outside says that we have definitely hit winter. Autumn is over (tear) and I didn't write a thing about it. But, I am determined not to give up on this blog, and I can't just skip my favorite season, so here is part 1 of 2 overly long posts.

We started October with a visit from my parents. It is the first time my parents have had the chance to see Ithaca (even though my mom came when Jack was born, no seeing was done on that visit), so we packed in as much as we could. They picked the perfect time to visit. If it could be autumn in Ithaca all year, I would never want to leave. The leaves were beautiful and the weather was perfect.

After writing the rest of the post about all the things that we did while my parents were here, I realized that I didn't even talk about why I loved their visit so much. It's not because we did lots of fun things (which we did) but because we were together. Maggie has talked about her grandparents almost every day since they left, and is beyond excited to visit in December. Jack even warmed up to them right away, which is really unusual. So, you can read the rest of the post, or don't. The real takeaway is that there is nothing better than visits from family, especially when they have to fly all the way across the country to see you.

We visited Grisamore Farms to pick pumpkins, apples, and fall raspberries (the best!). I love apple picking more than I even love apple eating. Also, I picked the hugest apple that I have ever seen. Like, by far the hugest. It was as big as Maggie's perfect pumpkin which she found at the farthest edge of the pumpkin patch.

We hiked the gorge trail at Watkins Glen. Although it was my third visit, I still found myself in awe and I would hike it again in a heartbeat. 19 waterfalls in 1.5 miles. Yellow leaves littered the banks of the river, and we saw a giant hornet's nest which some brainiac decided to throw rocks at. Luckily his aim was about as good as the processing power in his brain, and we continued our hike in peace.

We also did a tour of all the local church history sites. You can learn about our church here. Even when chasing two kids, there is such a peaceful spirit in the Sacred Grove. I love visiting.

After some time in Palmyra, we headed up to Niagara Falls. This visit to Niagara was a bit more enjoyable (although no more memorable) than the last time Joe and I visited.  I made everyone live my dream with me by riding on the Maid of the Mist; as much as I wanted to ride the boat, I actually expected it to disappoint but it TOTALLY did not. I think Niagara Falls is similar to the Grand Canyon. When viewed from the rim, it feels like a pretty picture. To really appreciate the Grand Canyon you have to hike down in, and to really appreciate Niagara Falls, you have to be right next to it, feeling the turbulence of the water and getting soaked in the waterfall's spray. It was awesome!