Impromptu trip to VA

Spouse & I decided to make an impromptu trip to VA yesterday.

Originally Spouse was going to go by himself, leaving in the morning and returning home the same day.  He wanted to see his mom's new space since she moved into a senior living center.

However, late Sun evening we learned that our dear friend George had passed away that day.  He was 87 and had cancer.  Spouse & I both felt like we should go to see George's daughters so we quickly decided that we'd both go to VA and would see his mom on Tues, stay overnight at his sister's, and visit with George's daughters Kerry, Kelly, and Kimberly on Wed.

We brought the dogs with us since they travel so well and Spouse's sister no longer has a dog.  Spouse & I went to lunch with his sister, then the 3 of us went over to the senior living center.  At first we couldn't find Spouse's mom!  We checked her apartment, the dining area, and the common TV area but she was nowhere to be found.  One of the employees suggested she might be out in the back yard with her dog so we finally found her there.  She had gotten her hair done at the on-site salon and then came outside so her dog Romeo (who has now become the 'house dog') could enjoy some time outdoors.  

Spouse's mom and sister

This is not a very good photo of either of them.  Both are usually smiling but in this photo they aren't.  I couldn't see the photo very well after taking it so I didn't realize it wasn't very good.  While sitting outside we also met Spouse's mom's new friend Betty who has an adorable little long-haired Chihuahua named Dusty.

Dusty

Dusty is a tiny little thing; only about 3 or 4 pounds and as sweet as can be.  He let me pick him up and hold him, and after softly stroking his head and neck he leaned up and gave me 'kisses' on my chin!  Once we'd left the senior living center I said to Spouse "I wonder if I can get Betty to leave Dusty to me in her will".  He told me I was terrible. 

We hung out a Spouse's sister's house for a few hours then went back to see his mom again after she'd had her dinner.  Her space is very nice with a good sized bedroom, private bath, den/TV room, and a kitchenette.  She really likes it there which is a relief.  After our 2nd visit we picked up Spouse's sister and her husband and the 4 of us had delicious Thai food.

Today we met up with our dear friends Kerry, Kelly, and Kimberly for a late breakfast.  It was really good to see them and talk about the recent changes in our lives.  We'd not had a chance to tell them about Spouse's mom's move, and they'd not had a chance to share with us the circumstances around George's decision not to receive cancer treatment.  But the general mood and disposition was upbeat and positive.  We laughed a lot and really, really appreciated our friendship.  I don't know who needed the visit more, them or us.  I can't believe I didn't take a photo of the 5 of us.

Once we said our goodbyes we returned to Spouse's sister's house and visited for a little, then grabbed our overnight bag and the dogs and headed back to DE.