wordless wednesday

cabin life

we were lucky enough to spend a few days of our spring break at this little, lovely cabin in north caroline and enjoy this beautiful view. it did take me a couple of hours to get used to the view as we were so high. i mean the driveway at this house had its own guardrail. that speaks volumes of it's elevation, right! the little cabin was the perfect size for all 11 of us, as we were with phil's parents and sister's family.

we all wanted to see this little white house one more time before it is torn down. it is super old, full of mold, and covered in asbestos but it also holds many fun, loving memories for phil's family. this little house was built by the girl's grandfather's grandfather. so you can imagine the years of history that fill those walls.  though the girls won't remember it much, phil sure will and i am sure will miss it immensely.

one of the best things about this little house is the land it is on. it is surrounded by lots of big, beautiful trees, scenic views, and even has a little river across the street. it was fun seeing the kids be kids up here... running around barefoot, throwing rocks, walking in the river, jumping over the river, and all that good stuff that mountain life allows kids to do. i never expected to see hadley barefoot and walking into a creek full of mud while holding her dress up to keep it from getting wet. i also never expected the kids to be interested in seeing a decapitated copper head but they surprised me yet again. apparently they do love being one with nature. that is of course unless the wasps and bees were out, then they ran as if zombies were chasing them.

(note the bare feet here)

we are all lucky that my husband is an awesome cook. we had several good meals while here. dinner time was a fun time with all of us sitting around one big table, swapping stories and laughs, and just enjoying our time together.

(a serious game of candy land going on here)

this porch has amazing views. it was a lovely place to sit in the morning, rock, and watch the sun rise. hadley and mafra were enjoying the cool temps while playing on their iPads. who needs a view like that when there are games to be played.

i adore seeing all the kids play together. they are so lucky to have one another. despite little fights that may take place here or there, or sharing that may not want to happen, they love each other and really have fun together. they had a huge bucket of legos to play with and kept them busy for quite a while. another perk to this little cabin was a nice outside play/seating area. the adults were able to sit around the table or fire place, sipping on spritzers (our drink of choice which is fresca and white wine over ice) while the kids could run around, play, and work off some energy. it made for a few perfect evenings.

hadley was kind enough to take this picture right before we left. you can totally see what a beautiful place this is. look at that amazing blue sky! hope we do this trip again.

ten birthdays later

welcome to double digits, caroline.

how did my first baby just turn 10? why does time continue to go by so quickly when it comes to my kids? i have seen her go from crying baby to silly toddler to independent, big kid to what she is now, which is an amazingly smart and thoughtful young lady. i can tell you that i had hopes and dreams for her from the minute she was born and she has surpassed so many of those already. she has created new hopes and dreams of her own and i love having the opportunity to share in those with her. caroline is beyond words. how so much kindness, love, concern, genuine thoughtfulness and intelligence can be wrapped up in to one long-legged, smiling girl is beyond me. i am just so proud of her and enjoy seeing her grow in to the amazing person she already is.

(zehn is german for 10... thanks, grandma, for the shirt!)

Caroline at the age of 10:

• is true to herself, knows what she likes, and goes with it
• is in the 4th grade
• is doing an amazing job at her new school and works hard for the good grades she get
• is a string bean... tall and skinny
• wears a size 4 shoe
• is on a competition gymnastics team
• is learning german and to play the viola
• favorite shows are lab rats, jesse, and girl meets world
• still loves taylor swift
• loves to eat sushi
• is learning to sew from her grandma
• beats the boys at a basketball game called knockout
• is a writer... to include songs and fictional short stories
• is an avid reader
• cleans her own room and is always helpful w chores
• is a big marvel fan, with her favorites being capt america and iron man
• is super stylish
• great at doing her hair
• always has rubber bands around her wrist "just in case"
• sleeps w a retainer in
• plays with ever after high dolls
• makes her own oatmeal 
• drinks hot tea
• still the best big sister ever

we celebrated her birthday with a dinner out with some school friends at a sushi restaurant.

i am so lucky to be her mom.

phil is so lucky to be her dad.

and hadley... well she just has no idea how good she's got it thanks to lb.