Cousins on the Ranch

While Dave and I were doing the Tour de Pig Bike Ride, Nanny, Jennifer (Dave's Niece), her husband Justin, their two adorable kids (A and B), and Bradley (Dave's Nephew), took Alex and Aubrey to a local farm with a fall festival.   Alex and Aubrey came back from their adventure with many stories to tell.  They had a blast.


B and Alex having fun on a swing. 

A and Aubrey having fun on the swing, too!

 

They even went on a hayride to feed the animals.

  

Bradley hanging out with the kids.

A, Aubrey, Justin, and Bradley doing a little pumpkin chunkin to fill the day.

 

 Everyone had fun in the corn pit.
I heard that Aubrey's shoes were filled with corn when they got back to the car.

 

 

Thank you to Nanny and Bradley for the pictures.  Also thanks to everyone who made this a great day!  Hoping we can do it again next year!

Barbecue Bike Ride

Before we went down to visit Dave's Mom, we looked online and discovered that there was an organized bike ride going on while we would be there.  It was called the Tour De Pig.  Dave and I decided to do the longest option which was 62 miles.  It was just a recreational ride and we had a nice time, but it felt like the other riders were racing instead of just riding along.  So, Dave and I did our best to pick up the speed.  We were tired at the end.  This made us really enjoy the North Carolina Barbecue sandwich that we ate after the ride.

Here are some pictures before the ride.   We certainly did not plan for it to be as cold as it was.  So I piled on all the biking clothes I brought with me.  

  

 

We are extremely thankful to Nanny, Dave's niece Jennifer, her husband Justin, and Dave's nephew Bradley, who watched Alex and Aubrey while we did our bike ride.   Alex and Aubrey had a wonderful time at the Ranch they went to while we were riding our bikes.  THANK YOU!

Pictures of Alex and Aubrey's adventure to follow soon!

Puzzle Time

After the night in Fort Mills, SC, we went back up to Dave's Mom's (Nanny) house.   Aubrey really enjoys doing puzzles and had fun working on one with Nanny.

  

Trip to NC/SC

A couple weekends ago, we went to North Carolina to visit Dave's Mom.   However on the trip down, we decided to take a detour to Fort Mill, South Carolina, which is just south of Charlotte, NC.

It was a long drive down, but we got there.

Stickers Gone Wild

People who know me will wonder what has gotten into me.   I am trying to allow messes every once in a while.  So here is an attempt at letting kids be kids.  The crazy part about this is that I encouraged this.



It entertained Alex and Aubrey for hours. They worked into the night.



The finished product the next day!  It does look very festive and it will be on the window for a couple weeks until Halloween.  I told Dave that we both have to resist the urge to take it off early.

(Please note that, yes, these stickers are easy to remove.  They are reusable and come off very easily.  Although with the hundreds that are there, it may take a while.)

Cycling and a Farm Tour

Some friends told us of a Farm Tour in the Culpeper, VA area, about an hour and a half from our home.  We thought about it and decided to go.   Dave thought he might take his bike along and go for a little spin while we were at a farm.  However, Dave looked around and found an organized bike ride down there too.  So the plan was for him to ride 62 miles in the morning and join us in the afternoon.  Well, mid ride he was feeling good so he decided to do the full century (100 miles).  While Dave was riding, Alex, Aubrey, and I joined up with our friends, had a great time at the farms, and enjoyed lunch together.  We joined up with a very tired Dave late in the afternoon.

Alex, Aubrey, and I wished Dave luck on his bike ride before he left.


Waiting for Dave to take off.

 

After Dave biked down the road, Alex, Aubrey, and I grabbed breakfast and then joined our friends on the farm tour.   Alex and Aubrey really had a lot of fun with their friends.  In fact, just today, they asked if they could go to their house again soon.

They had a pond at one of the farms.  There was supposed to be a fishing pole there, but until the fishing poles arrived, a stick had to do.

Finally, the fishing poles arrived.

And a fish was caught!

 

Camping

Last weekend, we decided to go to a county park and stay overnight in their campground.  Alex and Aubrey had been wanting to go camping all summer.  However, it was just so hot, that we decided to wait for late summer or early fall.  Finally, we picked a night, packed up the car, and off we went.
As soon as we got there, Alex really wanted to help put the tent up.

After we got the tent up, we decided to take a little train ride.

Back at the campsite, we started a campfire.  We got ready to cook our hot dogs.  Along with some other food we brought from home, dinner was ready.  After dinner and as it was getting dark, we made s'mores (we tried to keep this trip as simple as possible and I think we succeeded).

Alex and Aubrey were fascinated with everything around our campsite.

We all had a great time and we can't wait to do it again.

One Long Hill and Then Another

A couple weekends ago, the four of us packed up the minivan with two road bikes and clothes for the four of us to say overnight in the mountains of Skyline Drive. Dave and I were joining some other biking friends for a hilly ride along Skyline Drive. Dave did the ride on Saturday from the entrance at Front Royal to Big Meadows (6,000 feet of climbing). I did the ride back on Sunday (with "just" 3,300 feet of climbing).

On Saturday, while Dave and his friends did the ride, Alex, Aubrey, and I drove along in the car. We stopped along the way at some of the scenic overlooks and picnic areas to wait for Dave and the gang to catch up and replenish their snacks and water. When they caught up to us we would head up the road a bit more and wait. Alex and Aubrey were troopers along the way. They seemed to enjoy the ride and even gave words of encouragement when we would pass Dave and the other riders along the way. This was frequently heard from the back of the car, "Go Daddy Go!", "Way to go Mr. Steve!", "Go Mr. Tom Go".

 

Dave and his friends made it to the "top". We arrived at the Big Meadows Lodge to stay overnight. We opted to stay at the lodge while others in the group decided to go camping. After dinner we joined our camping friends for a campfire and s'mores.

The next morning, we woke up to a very cold sunrise. We ate breakfast and it was my turn to do the ride back. I bundled up in all my clothes I brought with me and headed out on the road.


Dave was the one in the car with Alex and Aubrey. It was a great time and once again Alex and Aubrey did great in the car. Of course, a stuffed teddy bear named, BlackBerry and a new red truck did help keep them entertained. We are ready to do it again next year.

  

 

Lincoln Adventure

About five years ago, my Mom was watching the Martha Stewart show.  Martha was at Abraham  Lincoln's Cottage in Washington DC.   Martha and an Arborist were discussing the trees on the property.   Ever since watching that show, my Mom has been on a mission to see this cottage in person.  On her next trip to the area to visit us; Dave, Mom, and I drove around DC trying to find it.   We felt we were getting close, but the only problem was that it was on the property of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, so no uninvited guests were allowed to go on the property.   So we left DC with our mission incomplete.  (At the time, the National Trust for Historic Preservation was in the process of restoring the cottage to reflect how it probably would have appeared in Lincoln's time. Until they were finished, it was not open to the public.) 

Every time my Mom came to visit, she asked about it.  A couple weeks before her last visit (without the friendly reminder from my Mom to look it up), I looked it up myself and found out that it had finally opened to the public.  I realized you needed to buy tickets.  So right then and there, I bought two tickets for a Monday morning 10am tour of the building.   I tried to keep it a surprise until she arrived, but I couldn't.  I told her before she came.  She was so excited.

On Monday, Sept 17th, we drove into DC and took the tour.  The excitement on my Mom's face was beyond wonderful.  I am so glad that we were finally able to go. So now this mission is finally complete.  It was great to accomplish it with my Mom.

 
 Can you believe that Abraham Lincoln was this tall? This looks more like a large house than a cottage to me.

Apple Picking with Grammie

There is nothing that says the approach of fall more than apple picking.  While my Mom was here, we went to an apple orchard to get some delicious apples.  Of course, every apple orchard needs some Halloween fun to go along with it.

I think Alex ate a total of four apples while we were there. Aubrey ate two (she is normally not our apple eater).  I guess there is something special about picking your own food from the field.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can pick this up!