Taking After Ma and Pa

I have taken Aiden on several hikes recently, but was extremely surprised that he didn't really need to be carried in the hiking backpack. He prefered to walk and look at every mushroom or mossy rock. The first hike he did about a mile and the second hike he did three miles all on his own on unpaved trails! Way to go mountain boy! Now you just have to carry your own pack and water =)

Berry Boy

Thank goodness we moved to a place where berries grow around every corner, because he could literally eat us out of house and home! What blackberries he left, I turned into jam. Yum!

Great Granny and Great Grandpa Visit

What fun! Great Granny and Great Grandpa came down from Illinois to see what life is like here in the hills. We had a great time visiting with them and driving them around all of the crazy, windy roads!

CSA Veggies

Can't help posting photos of these delicious veggies!

Creepiest NC Caterpillar

Seriously, NC? This caterpillar was over 4 inches long with a giant spike on its end!

More Pool Boys

Splashville

There is a cute new water feature at Pack Place called Splashville. I didn't think that Aiden would go in it, but after a moment's hesitation...it was hard to get him out! What a great idea to cool down the kidlets on these 85+ degree days!

On our Sick Bread

Aiden and I have been feeling under the weather with a stomach bug, so it is a good time bake some bread. Aiden is a great kitchen helper and we were able to make a loaf of onion oatmeal bread to go with our beef barley soup.

Looking Glass Creamery

This past Saturday we were lucky enough to go to a little celebration at a local goat's milk creamery. They have an amazing property tucked away with enough room for a barn, large garden, chickens, and room for the kids to play. Aiden had fun trying to feed the goats clover and watching the dog run around. For the adults, Matthew and I love Looking Glass Creamery's Chevre...so getting to sample on freshly wood-fired pizzas was a real treat!

Our First CSA Box

We just picked up our first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box of the summer. Everything is organic and was picked just hours before we arrived to get it! It looks so amazing and fresh...can't wait to try all of the new and fun things. We recieved strawberries, fresh tomato juice, dinosaur kale, collards, swiss chard, spring onions, yellow squash, cucumbers, stinging nettles (for tea), kohlrabi, spearmint, and a head of lettuce. The farmer told us that the first few boxes would be smaller because the season was just getting started. Can't wait to see what the next boxes have for us!