And Granddaughters are the best too!!

This year felt more like "normal" as we were able to take the girls for our yearly camping trip!! We visited the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, The campground had a high ropes course which I knew they would love and they did. It was sheltered by a beautiful canopy of trees with obstacles and zip lines!! John even ventured into the tree tops and I "made the sacrifice" and took photos from the ground! 

 

We went to a water park, checked out the Roanoke Star,

and indulged on some fabulous ice cream.

 

Teenagers are some of the most crazy, excited, fun loving, terrifyingly enthusiastic people that I know!! And our granddaughters are no exception!  I just love spending time with them.  I love it when they ask me about their mom and aunts as children.  I love their silly laughter! I love their curiosity!!

 

The BLOOMS came to town!

 What a treat for TJ, Laurie, Emma and Kendall to come for a visit!!  When they travel they bring their supersized motor home and this time we were included in their swing on a visit to the south!

It was fun to show them where we live, visit downtown Greenville, introduce them to SOUTHERN barbecue, Kansas City has nothing on us, and to enjoy a pontoon boat ride on Lake Jocassee!

Grandsons are simply the best!!!

 
We got to go camping again!!  This campground in Hillsville, VA is a great place for kids, complete with a pool, water slides, paddle boats and lots of shaded campsites.  The weather was perfect and we all had a great time!  I say it every time but I love getting the kids out in the woods to play games, and make a campfire and smores and act like kids!!  We are the luckiest of grandparents!!  The boys were so good and I think they really have come to appreciate our time together in the woods!

 

 

 

 

WINTER PANDEMIC BLESSINGS

                                   Amazingly this is our 10th winter in Florida!!

 

We get to live such an incredibly abundant life!!! Inspite of the pandemic we have had a wonderful winter, great weather that has allowed us to keep up with our walking and enough activity to feel engaged and actively involved in life.  God continues to bless us with good health and we were so fortunate to be able to get both Covid vaccine shots here in Solivita.  We live in a beautiful place and this sunset that John caught and grand shot that I got at the Shorehaven pond are perfect proof!

 

 

   We did a bit of redecorating, changed all of the colors in the living spaces and we both just love it!!

                       And then there were the art projects to keep me busy, I had so much fun!!  Stained glass was one of my things this year and I had so much fun, proud of the results!  I tried a bit of acrylic painting and had a blast!!  Fun results!

 

 

                 

We were not able to spend time with so many of the friends that we enjoy seeing during our time in Florida but we did get to see a few special people.

Gary and Ruth Swetnam - We met them at Highlands Hammock State Park for a walk in the woods and picnic

Don and JoAnn Cundy - We me at Selby Gardens in Sarasota, fabulous gardens and wonderful picnic

BJ Johns - We got to see BJ at her new apartment in St. Petersburg. It was soooo great to see her!

Candy and Darryl - Appetizers on our back porch, girls lunch at The Port and Thai dinner on their back porch before we left.

Carol and Mike - Creative get togethers, ice cream with Carol, lunch at The Port with M & C, Japanese on their back porch and catalog orders and zinnia planting with Carol.

Tom and Tris - Lunch at Bostons, so good to see them doing so well.

Burnadette and Brian, Pat - new neighbors that we loved getting to know, more good times to come

That trip of a lifetime

 What an incredible opportunity it was to take a month long trip out west ....during a pandemic.  We knew that risk was a part of this but when one has a travel trailer sometimes you just have to seize the moment!!!  Our trip lasted for 30 days, crossing 16 states, staying in 14 campgrounds.  Our highest elevation was 12,800 feet, traveling 7, 161.5 miles and we visited 8 National Parks.  To say that we had a fabulous time is an understatement!!  Here are just a few pictures of our adventure.

                                                                     Yellowstone

                                                                

                                                                           Glacier

 

 

 

                                                                                Arches

                                                                            Canyonlands

 

 

 Mesa Verde

 

 

One final opportunity to camp with the girls

 This spring,summer, fall have been crazy to say the least.  We had lots of summer plans that were dashed due to COVID but I don't give up easily.  With parental permission we kidnapped the kids and took them to the NC coast for a long weekend in October.  We always choose a destination with lots to do and there is not such safe option right now so off we go with no specif plans in place.  But the weather was perfect, the food was fun and we all had a fabulous time!

                                 When one doesn't want their picture taken this is what it looks like!!

This was a perfect fall day on the coast. The weather was unimaginably perfect, the water a bit too cool to swim but they played in it a bit anyway. We had never played bocce ball on the beach before but it was grand. We played putt putt golf,  even found a drive thru visit to a sea turtle rescue and took a walk on the beach after dark!  Just love spending time with these two!!

Camping during a pandemic and an anniversary

 Time with Jack and Sam can be hard to come by, especially during a pandemic.  But Black Forest Campground is not too far away and the pool is heated and the summer crowds had not yet arrived so off we go. 

We had a terrific time with the kids, the pool was never crowded and they had the deep end all to themselves.  

We just happened to be camping on June 25, 2020, which was our 20th wedding anniversary!!  What better way to celebrate than with your two favorite grandsons and banana splits for lunch!

Sam seemed to enjoy building a campfire all on his own.  No advice from anyone, no help from outside resources and he did a wonderful job.  He was so proud of his accomplishment that he woke his brother up from a nap to show him what he had done.... good job guy!