The visit!

Being a transplanted New Yorker living far away from family, one of my favorite things is when my Mom and Dad come down to visit and stay with me in my house.  I had the good fortune to play host to them this past week as they enjoyed their spring break and I took a few days off of work to get in some good quality family time.

Tulips from my Mom's garden in New York. She traveled with them wrapped up in the car all this way and they still look absolutely perfect!

Saturday was jam packed.  Mom decided to walk the 8 mile hoop-walk with the Hooping For Hope girls, and she kicked major butt. It was such a special treat to be able to train with my mom, since she won't be around to see the marathon this year.

Hoop-walking was followed by cooking. Lots of cooking

Fresh Matzoh Balls

And what parent trip isn't complete without some form of home improvement project.  I'm not the best at knowing/remembering what needs to be done for my house, but thank goodness my Dad is the best at that stuff. He came down with all the supplies needed to re-stain my deck.

As you can see, not a pretty color to start. But after sweeping, power washing, and a good scrubbing, the deck was ready to paint.

Before

After

Look how shiny and dark it is! The picture below is a half/half of the staining processes. We finished the stairs on our way out and did some errands for a bit and came back to a lovely dried deck that will look great for the next two years.

Notice the cat peeping.

The best part of the day was cuddling on the couch with my parents. We don't always agree on what to watch on TV, but it doesn't matter. Even Special Agent Dale Cooper got in on the sweet couch loving and snagged a quick cat nap.