Summer Lovin'. Part III.

Jane and I were able to take a train ride up to New York to see my parents for a week!  I hadn't been back home for a good 2 years so I was excited to get back to the Hudson Valley and see and do some of my favorite things.

I've done this train ride before, traveling from Lynchburg, VA to Rhinecliff, NY.  But I was a fit college student traveling with my sister, not 7 months pregnant traveling with a one year old...  So this was VERY different.  It wasn't the worst experience I've ever had, but it was definitely long and tiring, for both Jane and I.  The good thing about traveling with the cutest little miss is that everyone is really nice to you.  So... BONUS!

^Just hangin' out in her seat.

^She loved looking out the window.  And loved to make a mess of the window.  Gross.

^She fell asleep a few times but she slept for a good two hours after we switched trains at Penn Station in the city.  HALLELUJAH.  She needed it.

We got on the train in Lynchburg around 7:15 in the morning (I think) and got in to Rhinecliff after 8 at night, I believe.  I honestly don't remember.  I was just happy to be off the train and to see my parents!

^This is a snapshot from my mom's Instagram.  Jane was a little loopy from all the traveling and lack of sleep and just started doing the funniest things, one of which was sticking a bowl on her head.  Maybe the King side comes out a lot once you get around Marme and Nono :)

The weather was really nice for a couple of days while we were there.  "Nice" meaning it wasn't so humid that you drown from the moisture in the air when you walk out the door.  One of those days we went to Wilcox Park for a picnic and some swimming!

^This was Jane's fist experience with sand.  She was a little confused at first. haha.  But she ended up loving it!  She would crawl back and forth from the sand, into the water, and back.

^On the way home we stopped at Holy Cow for a milkshake.  Holy Cow is the greatest ice cream shop around.  I don't think that really explains it, though.  When I think about home, Holy Cow Ice Cream is one of the first things that I think about, and I immediately begin craving a chocolate milkshake.  It. Is. Perfection.  Maybe my cravings are just a little extreme because of being pregnant right now, but man, it is one of my favorite places in the world.  And now it's one of Jane's :)

^Her first milkshake.  And let me tell you, she seriously liked it.

^We watched a lot of movies that I haven't seen in a long time, since that's one of our favorite things to do.  In this picture we were watching National Velvet, and Jane was LOVING it.  She really does like horses :)  Even though she loved it, she couldn't keep herself awake and fell asleep with Marme.

^Hangin' out in all the comfy pillows.

^What's a trip home without seeing a million King cats??  This is my cat Demon.  She's not mean or anything, she's just got a little something missing in that brain of hers up there... but then again most of the cats we've had do too.  So nothing new :)

^Here's the rest of the crew.  Mangy felines.  Gotta love 'em.

We had to say bye to my dad a couple days early because he was headed off to a national model airplane meet.  Jane thought he was absolutely the funniest guy around.  I know that she loves her Nono :)

That same day we headed off to Olana, which is a New York State Historic Site, and just a short drive from my parents house.  And I had never been there!  In all the years growing up there, I never got the chance to go.  So we decided to make it happen!  And we went with my Nana and Conk.

It is an absolutely gorgeous house built by American painter Frederic Church in the 1800's.  Check it out here if you're interested.  He was greatly influenced by his travels all over the world, but mostly to the Middle East.  The house is so beautiful and his paintings are just as gorgeous.  

^One view of the Hudson Valley from Olana.  Aaah, home.

^Jane was suffering from an ear infection and ended up having a really bad fever later in the day, but she still stuck through the tour of the house and was an angel.  Poor little miss.

^Marme with some beautiful flowers.

After we got some medicine for Jane and got her feeling better, it was time to get on a train back to Virginia.  I was sad to leave my parents, the cats, and the beautiful Hudson Valley, but I did miss Andrew, and so did Jane :)

^Marme and Jane waiting for the train.

^This girl.  She has quite a personality.

^One of our last moments on the train.  Thank.  GOODNESS.  The trip back to Virginia was less than enjoyable.  I think it was just because we were tired from an eventful week and I was a little emotional about leaving my parents and I was missing Andrew a lot.  So all of that, combined with some not so nice city people getting on and off the train, made me break down into tears a few times.  And I felt bad for Jane because she still wasn't completely herself and had to endure such a long trip cooped up in a train.

Despite all of that we survived, thanks to Andrew's idea that we get off a station early in Charlottesville, which was wonderful because the train was running about an hour late and it made me want to bang my head against the window and stuff my face with as much Nutella as possible.  Both of which would not be very good for my looks or health.  So we were reunited with Andrew and got some food to eat (a nice juicy, burger and fries that made all my troubles disappear) and made our way home.

It was such a fun trip and I'm so thankful my parents could help Jane and I get up there before baby #2 gets here.  I'm glad I got to see Nana and Conk a few times as well, and I wish I had gotten some pictures of them with Jane!  I can't wait to get back up there!