Aspinwalls Abroad: Mom's visit

OK, so my mom did a great job of keeping up the blog while she was here. She left yesterday to head back across the ocean. I will miss her very much but was so lucky to have this wonderful time with her. Memories that will last a life time. Funny thing about Sweden, every time someone leaves from visiting, the weather turns rainy and sad. Almost like I will it to mimic my mood. No exception this time. I spent yesterday sulking while the weather outside agreed with my mood. Today it feels just like winter in Tucson. Overcast and cold wind.
I know winter is just around the corner here. The sunlight is fading fast and will continue at a loss of just over 5 minutes a day. The air is cooler. And yesterday, we bought snow bibs (overalls) for the kids. Snow bibs..for Arizona children....A big part of me hopes the only time we use them is on a ski trip in Jan. after returning home. The other part of me hopes we get to experience the ice skating and snowman building that Sweden may offer. We will have to wait and see. It could become a snowy winterland as early as late Oct. or it could wait until we are back safely at home rushing to prepare for our desert Christmas.
Here are a few pictures from the past weeks while my mother was here.
These were taken at Birka,the remains of a Viking settlement. The entire landscape was hilly, which turned out to be 2,000 burial mounds! The large cross was in honor of the man that brought Christianity to Birka. I learned that after Chritianity was brought to Birka, the bodies were no longer cremated and belongings were no longer buried with those that had passed.
She looks so tiny!