Wow. My first Mother’s Day. Me. I’m a mom. And I love it…even if my first was a bit impromptu.

Honestly, Dan and I both sort of forgot. We were in Seattle most of the week and flew home late on Saturday night. We knew we wanted to spend Mother’s Day with Noni P, but the day sort of creeped up on us and we didn’t have plans as of this morning.

Dan took care of Joe and let me sleep in, which was divine. When I did finally get up, we scheduled a time to pick up Noni P for lunch, then made a few phone calls. Luck was on our side and we were able to score a last-minute reservation at The Fort in Morrison for their all-day brunch.

Our reservation was later in the day, so we took a drive to Red Rocks first and had a stroll around there. What a perfect day for the trip! The sky was clear enough to see to the airport and it was a lovely 80 degrees (according to one blinking sign in Lakewood). We didn’t realize that this was Noni P’s first trip to Red Rocks; she just loved it and that made the day even more awesome.

We arrived at The Fort about a half-hour early — starving, but hopeful — and they sat us right away. Their brunch spread was, well, one word: YUM. And the good stuff was surprising: perfect asparagus, divine fresh pineapple, and the sweetest of shrimp. They also had quail, bison sausage, and the typical (but not typical tasting) brunch fare. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Mmmm mmmm. I really wish I had taken my “buffet bag” to sneak home a few extra goodies…

It’s wonderful being close to family for holidays and special occasions. Having Noni P in town for this past few weeks has been an utter delight and now we just can’t wait until Germom gets here too. Anyone else considering a relocation? We’d love to have you nearby!