The kids and I took one last peaceful journey up to the cabin (while Colleen had to stay home and sew wedding dresses). It’s so quiet (aside from the Harleys on the Blue Ridge Parkway). The kids are getting old enough to explore without me having to hover over them constantly.

Mason is getting more and more vocal and expressive everyday. With “sentences” like, “Elmo! Jammies!” he can get his point across rather clearly. We went to the zoo today and rode a carousel. He did not like it, when I tried to set him down after the ride, he clung to me like I was going to set him free with the alligators. Just for the record, I would not set him free with the alligators.

Violet created a game that had something to do with sitting in a square of rocks and then tossing them down the driveway. Ellen and her did that for a good twenty minutes.

There’s a rock there in the shape of a chair that the kids fit in perfectly.

I wonder how many of this exact picture I have?

We’ve had some really nice visits to the Cabin this year. The kids are getting big enough to enjoy it. This past weekend, the kids and I went up on Saturday so Colleen could sew in the peace and quiet. We went to Mabry Mill, had lunch, then walked around. As it turns out, the one time I didn’t have my camera with me, Mason did something pretty funny. He walked up to the millstone (pictured in the link) and pretends to try to pick it up, complete with grunting noises. That kid’s got some personality.

We all went up for the fourth of July last week. We had a nice visit with my dad’s brother and sister. The kids ran around like crazy, played in the tent, played badminton, kicked the ball around, and just had a grand time. Then we left and got back to Raleigh just in time for the fireworks.