Family in the Hills

June 13, 2010 Sunday

Sunday was the day we reunited with family I had not seen for 20 years or more. We also got to meet their kids, grand-kids and spouses.
They are cousins on my Dad's side. We had cousins galore :) I'm used to my dad being an only child so having this much family in one place was WAY TOO MUCH FUN!

This entry will be mostly pictures. Pictures say a thousand words ;) (more than I can write)

......................Everyone getting acquianted........................

.............................Playing on the hill...........................

.............playing marbles............chillin on the porch.......

.....................Back Porch Jam Session......................

.................Good Times......Good Times...........

Vacation - Arrival

June 12, 2010 Saturday
(dates on photo's are wrong and vacation blogs are a little delayed)

After the long yet fun ride to our destination. We finally arrive. :) "Where are we?" asked Parker. "In the middle of the mountains of NC" Matt responded. As we open the gate to the driveway to our new home (for the week anyway) everyone is anticipating what will it look like.

"WOW! So cool" they exclaim and couldn't get out of the van fast enough to go explore.

Peyton snapping pics of every inch of the place and the boys run down to the lower level to the game room. "SO Cool" you would hear every now and again. Yes, it was a beautiful "Home" for the week. Soon the rest of the family will arrive so lets get unpacked. My poor hubby also needed his sleep. He was very much sleep deprived.

Our cabin "River Raves" sat on a gentle slope leading to the New River. Ah, the sound of the river..... sitting on the porch swing was so relaxing. (who needs Calgon when you have this? :)

Mom, Dad, my sister, and Buttons arrived around 6pm. Stories of getting lost using the GPS named "Gloria" were all to tell. (more about Gloria to come,hahaha)

After a little rest the ladies found the Wal-Mart a couple of towns over. We had to buy supplies for at least the next couple of days. It is a trek to say the least and with NO cell signal on the mountain, better take a list ;)

Well by the time we were done and it being late and no one has eaten since lunch time we got a couple pizzas to bake real quick when we got home. (LOL, Nothing is real quick...just sayin )

After all the groceries were all in. Matt stated..."you only bought enough for tomorrow didn't ya" He laughed and followed that with "yeh, Kathryn shops for 1 and I shop for 30" It is true I usually fall short in the grocery dept. I just haven't shopped for a large family, ever. LOL, needless to say Matt made the grocery runs from then on :)

Vacation Begins

Packing and trying to leave town is always pretty stressful. Xanex please...jk....(lol, thats what I forgot).....fast forwarding to the good stuff =)
Wow! We r just entering SC and the trip is great =) Im co-piloting (sleeping,really) only 1 poty break- while we got gas....imagine that =) Mixologist Matt made me a non-CircleK PCOC =) Rockn out to Big Hair Bands of the 80's (aah....the memories)

kids made tent city in the van (awesome tentmaker Peyton) (if ya look close, you can see each kids in their tent space.)

.......and I dont have to "turn this car around!"
I am blogging from my cell phone =) how cool is that!
Awwww Man! WHO FARTED?? {rolling windows down }

Old/New

So you CAN teach an old dog new tricks :)

So at this ole age of mine

(undisclosed)

I am learning to play the banjo.

Go figure.

Who woulda thunk it :)

Well it all started with my dear sweet Honey (Matt)

No, not the Matt in the photo...his name is Bass Matt

:) Bass Matt is the Bass player in the praise band at church.

Hence Bass Matt

Ok, so my Honey Matt :D is very musical

and has

proceeded to have everyone

in the family

learn to play an instrument.

We have discontinued TV until

everyone

can play 10 songs.

Sounds good, right?

Until I figured out I was part of that equation :)

HA

HA,HA

ME!?

I am so not coordinated, talented, inclined etc etc.

My step son chose the electric guitar (1 song)

My daughter chose keyboard and guitar

(she, the naturally gifted, has already written, played, sang and recorded a song)

My son :) the bowed psaltery (smart kid) (1 song)

I tried to get away with

the spoons or the jaw harp.

To no avail.

AAHH, alas

the

Banjo

(to date NO songs)

:)

Laundry Day.....Ugh Week

Laundry Day :)

Ugh....Week.....:/

..OOHHHH....

IT Never Ends!!!!! :(

Laundry! Laundry! Laundry!

I am up to my e y e b a l l s in laundry !

Sort, pile, wash, dry, lay out (so they dont get wrinkled)

{slump shoulders}

.......awe.....do I hafta....

{whine}

hang, fold and put away

{kicks foot}

Owwha.....ok.....

{Sigh}

:/

It's like magic...

NO

A ....CURSE!

anndd wwee aa

Sort, pile, wash, dry..............

What's all the BUZZ

Ahhh, my sweet bees are what's all the buzz

"How do I know they are my bees?" you ask.

"Well, Who elses would they be :)"

I walk to my van and hear the hummmming, hummmmming :)

So under the canopy of my trees

I stand still

Listen

and

Enjoy

Hundreds of my sweet Bees working

We did have a visitor :) a couple lady bugs, butterflies and dragonflies too.

Memorial Weekend

OK, so now that I am over my tantrum of having to do what is best and keep my emotional mouth shut. Lol, that is hard for me to do now a days.


The good Lord restored my spirit :) and I tell ya ....I am a challenge ;)


So onto moving onto the Holiday Weekend.

My Hubby and I traveled to White Springs to attend the Annual Fl Folk Festival. This is our 2nd year going.

Our first, we were able to take my children along and were surprised they enjoyed it so much. My daughter didnt get past the youth fiddle contest. We sat for a llloooonnngg time listening to kids her age play a mean fiddle. She was ....I believe...inspired to pick up her guitar again. My son, shortly after attending, wanted to learn how to play an instrument....YAY!! The bowed psaltery. I am now the only one that doesn't play an instrument. I asked my Hubby " does a jaw harp count ;/?" Hmmmm, no.

This year we were able to catch some different artists and of course our FAV. The Back Porch Revival. They are friends of ours. And yes, they have jam nights on their back porch.







Billy Dean was at the FFF too. WOW!!! What a show! He brought up attending artist just to jam on stage with him. Very Cool!!



Of course I had to get some Festival Food: Homemade root-beer float, Gingerbeer (non-alcoholic) and of course a delicious overflowing bowl of Black Beans and Rice.





I PASSED ON THE GOAT!!! Thank you anyways :)


Picked up some Mayhaw Jelly, Tupelo Honey, a case for the Bowed Psaltery, and a neat bracelet for my daughter.



On our way home we stopped by a GINORMOUS antique mall. I need to make a trip back up there. I keep missing it cause we are either going to or coming from some where. But this time was different. {Proud Grin} Yep I had 30 whoppin minutes....

Ugh "30min till closing?" I better hunt fast. Scored 2 old coke crates. Yup, 1/2 off too. I'll post pics of those soon.

Sunday was a quiet day. Hubby was gettn some sleep before he went to work for the eve and the children were at their Dad's/Mom's. I....watched westerns {Shock}

Monday: Ahh!!! My babies are back with me. :D BuddyMan got a new Wii game. Chaotic-he's teaching me how to play. Then DD,BuddyMan and I watched Karate Kid II. Gotta catch the kids up to speed before the new one comes out with Jackie Chan.

Off to bed, giggle fest.....my DD can really be hilarious......ok now go to bed.......HAHAHAHA......funkey freaky stare........OMGosh....ROFL......HAHAHA..... Ok really, it's bed time.......HAHAHAHAH (wish I had a pic to post-those moments happen too fast to be captured by the always absent when you need one, camera :)

Quote "It's always a good night when you laugh before going to bed, good night" BuddyMan