Memorial weekend camping

Time for our annual camping trip. This year, no large groups, decided to try something new. We went with our friends to Bears Den, right on the Appalachian trail. We invited our friends, the Michauxs, to join us.

We added a screened canopy to our equipment this year, though we really didn't need it. There was this great pavilion right by our tents. We ended up with all our fires in the fireplace. Made it great for roasting S'mores -no smoke in the face.

Emma & Olivia -best friends.

Here are some of the things we found along the way: a toad, the lodge for the "through hikers", mountain laurel, girls with bandannas, view of the Shenandoah River, the almost half-way point for the Appalachian Trail.

This is what happens to kids in their natural environment.

Emma & Olivia show us some hand jives they learned. Time for some group photos:

When we were walking back to the campground, I found a honeysuckle bush. I called all the kids over to try. I was surprised that Emma actually tried it! And she liked it!

Cute hair

Another garden visitor

Clay called from work and asked for some salad for dinner. I went out to the garden with my bucket to pick lettuce and radishes. As I walked up the robins were making a fuss. Dumb birds. That's what you get for building your nest right above my garden. I'm going to be out here a lot, so you better get used to it. Okay, so they are a little louder than they usually are, and one of them keeps hoping toward me and away. That is a little strange. Well, I need to get some lettuce. I'm just going reach up and undo the clips on the gate and ....

SNAKE!! That's right. My hand was on that little green carabiner clip when I saw him. I did not scream, but I did jump back as far as I could!!! And then I quietly paniced within myself trying to figure out what to do. I had some extra garden stakes nearby so I grabbed the longest one and tried to pull him out by his tail. No luck, the snake is stuck. Actually wrapped in and out of the small netting on top.
I went back inside to call Clay and let him know that there would be no salad tonight. Or EVER if I don't get rid of this snake. Then I called our friend, Martin Nesbitt (an avid wildlife lover), to see if he could help me. He got here in 5 minutes or less! He carefully snipped that snake out of the netting, placed him in a pillowcase, and drove him off to some OTHER wilderness area. YOU'RE MY HERO!!

Gardening and cakes

Here is what our garden is looking like. We've got a lot of things growing right now: strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, marigolds, zucchini, cilantro, mint, rosemary, oregano, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. While I was out taking this picture of the garden I noticed we had a visitor:

There is no way he is going to get in. We've got chicken wire, fencing 6 ft high, and netting on top. But he was looking for a way...

We had an activity tonight for the women at church, I was asked to make 24 cupcakes, decorated in white. I decided I wanted to make a mini-tiered cake too (top layer is just 2 inches). Just for fun to see what I could do. I wanted to cover it in fondant, but my fondant wasn't working, so it's just butter cream with edible pearl decorations.

Happy Mother's Day

Just a few of my favorite things :)

Preschool

Rebekah has enjoyed going to preschool at the high school. The high school kids love playing with all the little kids. Today was a special "mother's day" at preschool. I got to go and spend the time with her. Rebekah wanted me to help her build Rapunzel's tower out of blocks :)