Weekend Update: Family Camping 2010

"The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another. It is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness." ~Henry David Thoreau

Each year for the past four, our family has chosen a weekend to camp together.  We've mountain biked all over Tsali Recreation Area. We've ridden horses through Love Valley. Last year, to accommodate 4-month old Fiona,  we combined family camping with Thanksgiving and traded roughing it for a beautiful vacation rental near Boone, NC.   And this year, we met in the middle by spending two days in beautiful Hanging Rock State Park's family cabins.

 

My parents, sisters, and brother-in-law gathered for our annual trip this past weekend. We hiked, fished, sat around the campfire, made s'mores, spent all day outside, and enjoyed every minute.



Hiking to the top of Hanging Rock



Fiona dancing at the Hanging Rock summit

I love everything about this tradition.  Without TV, email, or cell phones, nature's magic takes over.  We enjoy the simplicity of each other's company.  We play in the dirt.  We're reminded that in addition to being family - we're also really good friends.



When Mom's Away....

"A man's worth is measured by how he parents his children. What he gives them, what he keeps away from them, the lessons he teaches and the lessons he allows them to learn on their own." ~Lisa Rogers

This week our family experienced another first:  Mom's first nights away and Dad's first several days of solo parenting.  From the looks of the picture below that Ryan took while I was at three-day conference, Fiona thoroughly enjoyed her special time with Daddy -- although her hairstyling may have suffered!

Dinner with Dada

Weekend Update: Labor Day

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time” - John Lubbock

We rested from our labors this weekend and enjoyed spending time doing our favorite things:

Eating outside 

Being the first customer at Elmo's for breakfast on Sunday (at 6:56 am!)

Eating sticks while playing at Trinity Park

Picnicking at the Farmer's Market

Dressing up in leopard print tutus

You know, the usual stuff.

Interspersed among this wild fun:  a quick (and successful!) fishing trip to Cedar Island for Ryan, a long run for me, several family naps, cheering for the Tar Heels, and an afternoon at the Museum of Life and Science.

The weather, company, activity, and rest couldn't have been better.