The Flying By Month of May

Well, I've been negligent in keeping up over the last few weeks.  The month of May kind of flew by for us.  First there was standardized testing, then a surprise get a way with the dear husband, followed by a last week of school and our homeschooling conference.

6200 ft.  Water Rock Knob

Matt planned months ago for a weekend trip to Balsam, North Carolina where we spent our honeymoon at the Balsam Mountain Inn.  The inn was built in 1908, formerly Balsam Mountain Springs Hotel, originally with 100 rooms.  It is a beautiful old three story inn with first and second floor full length porches with enough painted green rockers for all the guests, natural air conditioning (good old mountain air), and no televisions and telephones.

In the early 90's it went through major renovations with a new owner that pretty much saved it from demolition, adding in bathrooms, creating Balsam Mountain Inn with fifty rooms.  BTW, Mom Yvonnie, if there really was an Elm Creek Quilt Camp like in our books, I imagine it would be something like this old inn.  On our first night, we had a wonderful meal of steak for Matt, fruited pork chop for me, yummy salad greens, carmel brie with apples and crackers as our appetizer, and twice baked potatoes.  We topped off our meal with a shared dessert---- oreo chocolate truffles with ice cream.  I think that might be the best dessert ever!!!   After dinner, we spent a couple of hours enjoying the view and good uninterrupted conversation together from those porch rockers.  The next day, we did some mountain climbing  (okay the climb was technically only .5 miles but was SO steep) and then shopping in downtown Waynesville, especially enjoying a store with primitives and folk art type items.  Also, I found a new favorite NC artist, Teresa Pennington, whose color pencil pieces of birds, trees, fences, and other beautiful natural surroundings are so gorgeous and life like.  I purchased two small bird prints for my guest room (and no I've not finished those curtains yet).   Of course a get-a-way without kids would not be complete without a visit to a quilt shop, but I only bought two yards of fabric total.   After dinner, we returned to the inn and enjoyed hot tea in the red bead board library (love that room), while trying to read some of Dicken's Little Dorrit.  We returned home to happy children and happy grandparents, so all is good.

S laughing over I Love Lucy

E at Darryl's on Thursday after conference

Last weekend was super busy with Muffy's worship dance recital and our NC Homeschool conference.  Due to her rehearsals and recital, we canceled our hotel reservations in Winston Salem, and drove back and forth Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  The girls and I stayed home while Matt and the boys attended on Thursday.  The Muffy girl stayed with Grandma and helped her take care of her little cousins on Friday, while the Cupcake was able to attend the children's conference held on site where we were.  Muffy joined us after her recital for the last of the conference on Saturday.  Matt, the boys, and I were very impressed with John Stonestreet, from Summit Ministries and The Colson Center in his sessions on Christian worldview. ...Muffy smiled beautifully and danced lovely with her class to "Open The Eyes of My Heart".   Grandma did an excellent ballet bun loaded with hair spray.

Muffy sewing a special present

For the most part, I've given the kids the week off.  They've enjoyed many hours of Monopoly (one game that isn't even done yet), time in our above ground pool, family reading time, and maybe even what might be called pure laziness.  Next week though, a summer schedule will be put into place including music practice, reading time, quiet time for a certain six year old, and time to once again establish good habits and chores that have been neglected of late.

Cupcake's new flower garden

Oh, we have a very important house guest just for half of the weekend--- Cupcake is thrilled to have her Gracie Girl visiting while Aunt Courtney and Uncle Caleb are away.  Would you believe I'm even going to give her the guest room with an old blanket covering my bed?  Cupcake asked Muffy, "So do we have seven people now?"  By the way, in case you don't know-- Gracie Girl is a D-O-G.

Happy summer everyone.