Camp Yellow Violet

It was the kids Spring Break the end of this week and we decided to take them on our first family backpacking trip. We hiked to a back country campground about a mile and half into South Mountains State Park. There were wild yellow violets all around our campsite. Grace was more excited then I was. We have only seen them one other time. I did not even know violets could be yellow until a hike a few years back here in NC. The kids called named our site Camp Yellow Violet, and their rock climbing club had the same name.

 I was hoping the hike up would have been less steep, but it was such a beautiful day and the kids were so excited, it turned out ok. The last bit up and over this water fall was tough. But everyone was proud to say they had climbed a mountain! Grace kept singing a Kelly Clarkson song to herself and to cheer us on, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..." This time of spring the redbud and dogwood are blooming. You can see some redbud above Jason's head in this picture. It so beautiful to me to have forests that bloom!

High Shoals Falls

Luke and Noah have been learning about rocks and minerals in science the past few weeks. They kept teaching all of us things as we hiked, it was fun. The falls in on Shinny creek, pronounced Shiny, why it is spelled that way is a wonder, anyway, there was a ton of mica in it. The boys kept finding pieces large enough to flake apart with your fingernails and the sand was glittery.

 

 Happy 43rd Birthday to me! Jason snuck some cupcakes in his pack!

 I got some great pictures of my kids. I am not a pro but I am happy with how these turned out.

Grace made herself a trap and tried to catch a fish. No luck. But she had fun!

 Poor Luke. He has 2 teeth so loose they are hard to eat with, but he won't let us pull them. Well, actually I have tried and I honestly can't get either one out.

It's too bad Sophie did not wear this barrette the whole trip. Jason taught the kids to make fire with a flint and steel and she burned off part of an eyebrow and some of her hair! She didn't get burned though and laughed about it. Later Grace caught some of her hair on fire too. Makes Jason and I sound like super lame parents, we were both there close when it happened. No one got hurt though!

Both of these wildflowers I have never seen before. The top one looked like a stiped calla lily and the bottom ones are a deep red trillium. My picture does not do justice to how beautiful they are! I thought trillium were just white. I will have to find out more about these!

Friday night it started to rain so we played Go Fish and Old Maid in the bigger of the 2 tents. By bedtime it was pouring. When we left Thursday there was not supposed to be any rain but we got NC'd. It rained all night long. This is the girls in the morning bored and cold and not at all excited about packing up and hiking out in the rain.

The kids did super well. We were all wet, dirty and cold when we got down to the car and it was kind of a bummer to end the trip that way. Especially for me since that meant coming home to dry stuff out along with cleaning and putting things away. But it was ok. The kids helped a lot and then we dyed Easter eggs. Jason's tent was so dirty he had to rinse it off with the hose! It leaked pretty badly too. Sadly I think it may have reached the end of it's tent life. Sad. So many adventures in that tent, including Jason and I deciding to get married.

I got THE BEST surprise when we came home. Quinn was watching Molly and feeding the other animals. She and her kids totally cleaned our whole house as a bday present and then she left super yummy gelato in the freezer for me! And some hot sauce that she says is really yummy. I was soooooo happy and surprised! Molly had so much fun at Quinn's, and was played with so much, she totally crashed when we got home! I am glad we didn't bring her. Wet dirty dog may have been more then I could handle today.

Women's Conference

We went out the eat with the Cobia's before Women's Conference. Grace and Sophie were super excited to dress up and go the the church to watch together. I love that Jen and her kids are so crazy and fun. We seem so tame when we hang out with them! Around the table are Emiline, Leslie, Mariah, Alena, Jen, Sophie and Grace. 

Traditions

Jason got up at 5:30 this morning to start cooking dutch oven breakfast. It is an awesome conference weekend tradition in my opinion. I sleep in my toasty warm bed while he and the kids make delicious food! Every Conference weekend the kids get super excited about it. I'm not sure if it was their idea or Jason's but it has stuck. We are planning our first family backpacking trip for spring break in a few weeks. Each of the kids have asked me who is going to carry the dutch ovens...they have been spoiled by Jason's cooking when we camp the past few years! I guess they don't remember very well when they were little and our staple camp foods were hot dogs and cheese tortillas.

Conference was good as usual. I always miss my family conference weekend. Staying home and relaxing while being so spiritually fed was wonderful and much needed.

First Green

After so much of this......

We now have this!


The early willow leaves reminded me of this:

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

I just learned this poem is by Robert Frost. I have to admit I learned it reading the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton as a teenager and fell in love with it. Is the first poem I remember memorizing. Every spring when the leaves begin as small golden buds I remember it.  I am more grateful for spring this year then others I can remember. As the our land wakes up I keep finding treasures in my yard I didn't know were there. So far I have discovered 3 beautiful Red Lenten roses, several forsythia and a mature pecan tree!

I had no idea what a Lenten rose was until I moved to the South. They are really not a rose. They are evergreen and bloom first here. I still miss the forsythia being the first flower of the year, is that silly? These boom even before the crocus I think. I will plant some crocus for next year find out.

Mr. Luke

 Luke's front tooth is loose. It has been for a month. He won't let anyone pull it or pull it himself. It makes me laugh because it totally makes him look like a hill billy.

Luke got a special award at school last week from Mrs. Walsh, the principal. His teacher nominated him as a "Terrific Kid" for the month. I am super proud of him and how hard he tries to choose the right and help other's at school. When I got to the award's ceremony Luke came over and sat on my lap. I love that he will still snuggle me and show affection. But he won't hold my hand anymore as we walk places! He still loves to be tickled though! Cracks me up!

I need to get a picture of all of the stuffed animals on his bed. Each of them have a certain place and Luke sleeps in the middle, surrounded. His favorite right now is a Minecraft pig he named Jeffrey.

Luke is smart, funny and an awesome worker. Our family would not be the same without him. I love his sense of humor and how happy he is in the morning when he wakes up.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2014

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We had our traditional green breakfast. Green shamrock shaped pancakes, green eggs, kiwi and green water courtesy of Sophie. School was delayed because of icy weather. I was glad we could all relax and have fun instead of the usual rush to get out the door. Grandma Smith sent the mustaches. I sent this picture to all my family and everyone else sent green mustache pictures too. It made me laugh all day long! Well, the sibs with young kids. Luke wore his all day long at school! Crazy kids. Well, at least until I picked them up at early release. It started sleeting and they canceled school. Big huge sigh... there is now not spring break at all and we are 2 days added in June. 

We celebrated Molly's "birthday" today too. We adopted her 4 years ago the week of St. Patrick's, the kids always remind me to have her party. They make a cake of sorts out of canned dog food and dog treats. I can't believe it has been 4 years that she has been in our family. Molly is sweet and funny and barks way too much at strangers and friends. She keeps me company, I call her my velcro dog, because she is always with me. Except at night when she is on one of the kids beds. She can't sleep on ours and she has figured out that people beds are much better then dog ones I guess. 

Uncle Sam is the Best

Sam arranged a business trip where he needed to come to North and South Carolina and then spent his birthday weekend with us. We had so much fun. Seriously. I can't believe he turned 30! Seems like a long time ago that I was sitting in home ec class in middle school waiting to find out if he had been born yet.

 We went to the Lego movie, out to eat a few times, and just hung out at home. Saturday and Sunday were really nice and warm. It felt good to be outside in spring like weather. Sunday after church Sam put up some swings that Grandpa and Grandma Smith sent us from Jamaica. It will be fun to think of him when the kids play on them. Jason left Saturday to fly to Salt Lake to be there for Craig's Silver Beaver ceremony. Before he left he made sure Sam had a chance to do some tractor work and heavy lifting. I am always glad when someone stronger is here then me with big jobs! Having Sam here for a few days made me miss him more. I a grateful to have family to love though, even if they are far away.