Just 'tending

There is a lot of pretending going on over here.

The boys love to pretend that they are...


Camping (behind the office chairs)

Building a Project

Being a doctor...and giving shots

Exercising (K is usually doing the exercise while M checks it off his pretend list)

Cleaning Up

Cooking (every single time the play-doh comes out)

Hiking (complete with backpacks, water and boots)

Making Lists (not sure where they get that from)

Banner Elk

We spent Labor Day weekend with some dear friends in the North Carolina mountain town of Banner Elk.

Despite the fact that we started the 6 hour drive 7 hours after we planned to, the weekend shaped up to be EXACTLY what we needed.  We did some hiking, wading, shopping, apple picking, domino playing and sightseeing but mostly we hung out and relaxed while the kids played in the rain, built lego creations, climbed trees and created varying amounts of mayhem.

The kids loved the jeep and thought it was a jungle gym on wheels..which I guess it kinda was!

Enjoying his apples.

 Sweet sweet boys!

 Hood dwellers

Hiking help

I do it...myself

And he did. Last weekend we went on a short hike with the boys and Matthew hiked with a purpose the whole way, all while carrying his own backpack.

Back.....

Back on in the wagon tent.


After a nearly 4 year camping hiatus we did it, we went camping with our little men, we survived, we had a good time, we ate like kings (thanks Falkners), we got dirty, we peed outside, well, everyone but me peed outside and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

The first "fun" activity, digging in the cold ash.

 The whole fam on our hike to the waterfall.

 Pretty awesome waterfall.

I think my favorite part was being away from home....and the never ending laundry, to do list, and getting to watch my two little boys sleeping snuggled up next to each other.

Willie enjoyed cooking, hiking and spending some much needed time with all of us.

Matthew and Kimber enjoyed getting dirty, playing in the dirt/sand/cold ash, eating marshmallows, hiking, and just getting to be outside.  Matthew was pretty impressed with the tent and the fact that he could drop his drawers anytime and just pee.

Mother's Day Hike 2010

We started a new family tradition this year by going on a family hike on Mother's Day morning. The weather could not have been any more beautiful. We all had a blast and I am still shocked that we escaped a poison ivy infestation. Along the journey, we were reminded once again that our life....and our hiking...is drastically different than it was a few short years ago.

Once upon a time a 3 or 4 mile hike was a leisurely outing. Now it seems to require so much more energy, focus, planning and the like. Our little 1.5-mile outing was pretty tiring simply because we are not only hiking, we were making sure the 2-year old didn't fall off an embankment, carrying the 7 -month old (and 2-year old), dodging redwood sized poison ivy, attempting to keep Muppet out of said poison ivy, throwing rocks in any available water, climbing trees, scaling rocks and so so so much more.

Setting out....

One down.....

And the other one down....