July Camping Trip

 Nathan and Dad set up the camper in record time. 

Mark found a reading spot on the picnic table. 

Mark also found what he liked to call his "roosting spot" and climbed up there often!

Nathan found a fishing spot near our campsite.

This butterfly lived in our campsite and was especially friendly to Mark.

At the start of our 5 mile hike Saturday morning...this was a clearing near the beginning of the trail.  Lots of pretty wildflowers and grasses.

This was what most of the trail looked like...shady, cool, abounding with rhododendrons in bloom.

We crossed a stream several times...lots of rock outcroppings.

The leader of the pack.

Nathan especially loved exploring the river rocks.

Mark was a very persistent fisherman Sunday morning.

Greg enjoyed the water, and was able to paddle solo several times. (I was able to paddle some as well, and saw a beautiful moon rising Saturday evening.)

Nathan paddled on his own Sunday morning....had a funny adventure getting back into the kayak after stopping to fish with Mark!  Ask him to tell you the story sometime.

Random photos

A trip to Sky High

Lots of bouncing around

Mark and his classmate making gingerbread houses...

June and July

Odds and Ends from a Mama's Camera

Life has been very full here this fall.  A few memories from October...

Boys dressed up as Obi Wan and the Emperor for Halloween.  Watching them in battle was especially fun!

Gram and Gramp came to visit and celebrate birthdays.  We went out for pizza at our favorite local place on the night before the party.

 

Aunt Kate and Uncle Dub were able to come for the first time ever!  Mark really liked his art kit.

 

Post-birthday celebration bike ride, after the rain finally stopped!

A trip to Riverbanks Zoo with Aunt Kate on Veteran's Day was a lot of fun.  The animals were glad the rains had stopped, too!

Before all of this fun started, a few weeks ago, I took Mark to the park by himself.  He still loves to climb!

We stopped by the pumpkin patch to choose the family pumpkin on the way home from Meatfest in Cheraw.

Nathan was especially willing to pose for pictures that day.

These are from the October camping trip at Cascade Lake near Brevard, NC.  We were in a lake-side campsite, with its own dock.

This is where I found the boys every time I turned around.  We all loved it. 

Adventures in a Pop-Up...Only the Beginning

We traveled to Table Rock State Park last weekend in the pop-up camper.  It was our first adventure in a pop-up; until now, we've been tent campers.  Of all the times we have camped in our tent, we've had sunny weather every time but one.  

This weekend was a different story -  it was a bit of a "trial by thunderstorm!" 

No sooner had we arrived at the park than the thunder began to roll.  It rumbled as we set things up, and the rain let loose right as we got in.  We ate spaghetti and meatballs for supper and snuggled down to sleep with the sound of heavy rains pounding down.  

 

We woke up to dry skies, and were able to go paddling after our pancake breakfast.  Here's what it looked like all set up.

 

And here are some photos from the kayaking adventure.

 

We went back to the camper for lunch, and then another thunderstorm cropped up.  We played Quirkle and UNO until it passed over. 

 

Once things dried out a little bit, we took a walk around the lake and discovered an old stone boat dock that is no longer in use.  The boys thought it was pretty neat.

 

Sunday's hike was our favorite activity - we saw a lot of waterfalls and hiked right along a beautiful creek.  This was the start of the hike:

 

Boys exploring the rocks

 

And a lovely waterfall to take in...

There were a lot of water crossings along the way.

Here they are at the turn-around point.

We put our feet in at the end.  All in all, it was a good "maiden voyage," albeit a wet and unpredictable one!

Greg's Beach Pictures

Here are some of my favorites from Greg's photo stash.  His focus on the ocean kayaking and crabbing adventures we had with the boys this time.

Catching blue crabs at Huntington Beach State Park

Kayaking in the inlet behind the beach house

Walking on the beach, last night.

Crabbing on the sandbar with their own hooks, bait and nets