June Resolutions

Guess who is still doing her New Years Resolution..... ME!!!!! I am so proud of myself that I finally made a New Years goal that I can actually accomplish!

I love love loved my books for this month. Notice I said books...as in plural!! That is the beauty of Summer Vacation! I am getting tons of reading time.

I read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and that was by far my favorite book of the year so far! It was a beautiful story that was so touching. I highly recommend it!

I also read Something Borrowed and that was a fun chick lit book. It is written by my favorite author, Emily Giffin, so I want to read more of her books.

My craft this month was for Blake! He is doing preschool part time and he is coming home with all of these super cute crafts and artwork. So, we needed a place to put these treasures in our home! Now they can be displayed for everyone to see!

Hillridge Farms

Despite Blake having a little runny nose, we went to Hilldridge Farms and had a blast! This has always been one of our favorite places, but they seem to keep adding something new every time! We love it! So much to do! We also invited Granny and Aunt T to come along with us because it's just fun that way!

Corn Kernel Pit:
The corn kernel pit is my favorite thing to do! it is HUGE!!! You can't ever find the bottom. It also feels like your feet have had a nice pedicure when you are done. Aunt T and Blake love to make it "rain" here....

Giant Slide:
They have a GIANT tube slide. The last time we came the slide was really slow... I  mean, you really had to exhort some arm force in order to get to the bottom. However... this time we flew down... surprisingly! Apparently the workers sprayed the tunnel with Pledge. HAHA!

Hay Pit:
Just like the corn pit, but it was filled with hay. Blake liked this because he could pretend to be Buzz Lightyear and jump off the hay piles.

Train Ride:
 And then finally there is the trusty train ride... this is what originally got us to come here. Blake has always been a train fan. This time he wanted us to ride in the caboose.

Extras:
We also did a bunch of other little things. They had a new slide, a giant fort, a bounce pad, and a playground. We had a great time!!! Perfect weather and an awesome day! Until October when we come back for our pumpkins...

Summer Storms

When there are summer storms, it is imperative to quickly build a fort with all of your favorite toys inside, make all of your favorite treats, and watch your favorite movies!!! At least that is what we do around here!!! :)

Mommy Time Out

Every other weekend I get a mommy time out.... and this weekend just happened to be a spectacular one. :) Weekends without Blake are my time to rejuvenate, rest, relax, and plan more awesome things for us to do!

** Please note, I usually wander around aimlessly after a full Saturday without Blake. I am happy that he gets to see his dad every other weekend, but I sure do miss that kiddo when he is gone!!!!!

Grandfather Mountain (Vacation Part 3)

Are we tired yet?!?! This has been one packed weekend, but it has been the best weekend!! Before heading home, we HAD to check out Grandfather Mountain. Grandfather Mountain is known the the mile high swinging bridge and the natural animal habitats.

The mile high swinging bridge is at the very top of the mountain and on Sunday it was very windy. Ok, windy is an understatement... it was like hurricane force winds around 65 miles per hour. HAHA! I think our face reflects that....

However.... the views were still amazing...

Since the wind was miserable, we decided to go back down the mountain a little and check out the animals...and Blake liked doing some mild "hiking".

Blake really liked seeing the bears! We even had to bring one home... a stuffed bear of course!

This has been an amazing vacation! It was so nice to put the world away for a little bit and really just spend every second playing with my little man. He is so amazing to me! There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing Blake exploring new things and seeing that excitement in his eyes. I love this little boy more than words can say! This was the perfect way to kick off our great summer together!

Thomas the Train (Vacation Part 2)

We are loving vacation and we had a fantastic Friday, but TODAY (Saturday) is the biggest day of our vacation. Blake gets to see "the real" Thomas the Train at Tweetsie! This amazing because it means that his little Thomas the Train dreams will come true! So excited!

Excited didn't even begin to describe Blake's mood when he saw Thomas. I think I had the hapiest three year old!! Check out that face...

Blake loved seeing Thomas go by on the train tracks, but he wasn't that thrilled about the whistle noise. He had to cover his ears a lot! HAHA! Thankfully he liked his whistle toy a lot better!

The BEST part was when Blake got a chance to RIDE the real Thomas the Train. We had 10:00 train tickets and he loved riding around the mountain with Thomas!

After the train ride, we got to enjoy some of the other features of Tweetsie! Did you know this place has rides, too!?!? We went on the carousel, the go carts, the Ferris Wheel, and more! The ferris wheel was hilarious because I think I now have a fear of heights. I thought I was going to pass out but I was still trying to look calm and relaxed for Blake. On the inside I was straight panic mode! HAHA!

 

 

Finally...after a long day of fun, we got our picture taken wit Sir Topham Hat and we called it a day! What a great day with Thomas the train!!

Boone (Vacation Part 1)

A couple of years ago Several years ago I went to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. I loved it  up there but I sadly haven't been back since graduating. That is why this trip was super special. I got to take Blake (and my dad) to Boone! Plus, this was the first trip to our amazing summer together. I live for experiencing things with Blake and showing him the world. I couldn't wait to show him the surprises on this trip!

 

Blake is without a doubt a Mountain man! He loved jumping and climbing on the rocks and trails. 

When first arriving in Boone, Friday afternoon, we decided to eat! We went to the Daniel Boone Inn and had the stereotypical Mountain southern food! Blake discovered this bear and for some reason called it "Bonnie". Haha.

Also, since we didn't have any big "outings" for Friday, we decided to just hang at the pool at the hotel. Blake has always been a little "hesitant" anytime he gets near water, but we made huge progress this weekend! He went from not wanting to put his feet in, to jumping in to me from the side of the pool! So proud of him!

This was just our Friday... it is true what they say about vacationing with toddlers isn't really a vacation! HAHA! Stay tuned to part 2 and 3 of our vacation!

It's Summer!

I am SO happy to report that it is mine and Blake's SUMMER BREAK! That's right, we get 9-10 weeks of nothing but Summer fun! I am so grateful that my job is able to let me get this time with my son.

So here is our Summer list...

• Read LOTS
• Go to Tweetsie Railroad and Grandfather Mountain in Boone - our big trip of the summer
• Get Blake used to water...maybe he will like it one day?! Haha. 
• LOTS of mommy and son dates around town
• Lake trip
• Lots of family time
• Blake has preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays 
• Beach or lake trip
• DIY projects
• Going to Pilot Mtn. 

There are so many other things that I don't know where to start! So happy! I look forward to sharing it all with y'all