3 Days with 3 Kids in a Tent

On Friday we went to Peaks of Otter off of the Blue Ridge Pkwy. We were worried about rain in the forecast, but we only had one bad storm Friday night and some showers while we slept. The rest of the weather was cool and beautiful! Here's Sharp Top Mt. I really wanted to climb it, but we'll have to do it next time. We're working our way back into hiking, but we'll have to do it slowly. Sadie's legs and Buxton's old body just can't handle strenous hikes. We did do a little hike down Falling Cascades which was gorgeous! I could have stayed there all day.

The next day we took a hike around Abbots Lake which was beautiful! We found a meadow overlooking Sharp Top and laid in the grass while the kids played. Again...I could have stayed there all day.
Back at camp, the girls thought it was really funny that they were having weiners on sticks for dinner :0).
Elise was again in heaven. She found lots of trees and rocks to climb, but this one at our camp site was her favorite. In this pictures, she's about 10 feet off the ground!!!
Just munchin' on some old fashioned rock candy from the country store.
Here's Sadie helping Daddy collect firewood.
Dying to get wet in the waterfall! Come on mom! There's only a 25 foot drop off the edge!!!

Trash to Treasure!

My latest project was a chair redo for our living room. I've been looking for a chair to add to the room for a while, but didn't want something bulky. A few weeks ago, I found this chair at Goodwill for $15 and knew it had potential. I kind of liked the wood tones, but wanted something bold and with contrast, so I decided to paint it black. The first step was to remove the cushion. When I flipped the chair over to remove the fabric & screws, out popped a dollar in coins! So...really this chair only cost $14 :0).

Once the UGLY stained fabric was off, I took it outside to sand. I also recruited some help!

When the chair was sanded and wiped down, I put two coats of primer on it. This took all afternoon to dry because it was so humid out! I was hoping to finish this project in a day, but it never works out that way!
The next day I spray painted the chair black and upholstered the seat with fabric I found for $15. The upholstery part was SUCH a pain because I had to center the pattern and pull the fabric around the curve of the cushion. Although it took a few days to complete, I think it turned out pretty cool!! Now I'm thinking I need an updated coffee table. We'll see what I find :0).

Family Day Downtown

So yesterday we decided to have a family day and we packed up our bags early to head down to Belle Isle. Belle Isle is a great place to explore and a foot bridge walk from the city. My girls LOVE scrambling over rocks, putting their feet in the water, and exploring the twisted trails around the old quarry. We got there around 10:45 and there was barely anyone there. By the time we left, people were circling the parking lot for spaces, so early is definitely the time to go. Plus, as the day went on, we noticed the visitors change from families and joggers to college kids and their coolers. By 1:00, it just wasn't our scene :0).

We've been to Belle Isle before, but had a jogging stroller with us, so exploring the trails was out. This time, we found some awesome views of the quarry and a great place with huge bounders where the girls could leap & jump to their hearts content. Elise was in heaven!! I do have to admit that although I was enjoying the beautiful day outdoors with my family, I was a little nervous. Here's the picture Danny took of me as I was warning the kids for the 20+ time to be careful! There were 40ft high cliffs, poison ivy galore, snakes, and rapids. I guess I wouldn't be a mom if I weren't nervous with my kids in an environment like that...right? Danny said, "What's happened to you?" Kids happened to me!!!!

A Rainbow!

Earlier in the week it was drizzling and the sun was out, so I ran to the porch out back to look for a rainbow and there it was! It was a beautiful arch that went entirely over the lake behind our house. I tried to get a shot of the whole image, but it was too big! What a beautiful sight!

"God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us-in the dreariest and most dreaded moments-can see a possibility of hope." Maya Angelou

Sadie Turns 4 1/2!!

I know it may seem like a strange post, but it's a big deal to her! For 6 months, Sadie has been asking when she'll turn 4 1/2. Now that she's finally reached it, she's telling everyone! On the day we told her, she said, "But I can't be 4 1/2 because we're not having a party!"

Happy 4 1/2 Birthday Sweetie!!

Saturdays are Soccer Days

Who knew the Dow girls would love soccer so much!!! Danny didn't like it and I never played it, but our girls really enjoy it and...they're pretty good at it!

Here are a few shots of our girls in uniform and Anabelle & Elise with Dad as their coach.

Elise's Art Show

Elise's self portrait was chosen for the county wide art show and we were so excited to go see it on display at a local high school. When we got there, our excited mood quickly changed. As Elise was climbing out of the van, she realized she forgot her shoes! This is coming from the kid who forgot to put shoes on to go see Santa outside in the 30 degree weather!!!! We ended up giving Elise Sadie's shoes and carried Sadie the entire time. I ran into a couple people we knew, but I don't think they noticed that my child was shoeless....thank goodness!

Despite the bump in the road, we were all happy & proud to see Elise's work :0).

Kentucky Derby Party

Last weekend, one of our friends turned 40 & they had a Kentucky Derby Party to celebrate. All of the ladies wore their fancy hats, we ate Derby pie, and even played a game where we bet with fake chips on fake horses! I laughed more that afternoon than I have in a long time. It was fun to be silly and nice to spend time with my hubby. Yes...that's me in the bottom picture on the right during the hat fashion contest strutting down the catwalk...I wonder why I didn't win!