A Week on the Farm

We just returned from a perfect week in the blue ridge mountains of eastern North Carolina, where every summer we spend one of our favorite weeks of the whole year, on my family's farm. Its "family reunion" week, when my mom and her siblings and their children and grandchildren all return to the farm that my Grandfather started back the 1960's when he retired to this beautiful land near Asheville. It's a week of heaven, on dirt roads, swimming in the pond, picking blueberries, farm chores feeding the chickens and cows. Basically my kids never want to leave!

Since we've lived in South Carolina for the past 3 years we've been able to visit the farm for little visits throughout the year. When we were in NYC we drove for two days to come down in the summer, and now we are only a 4 hour drive away! But still, it is only in the summertime family reunion week that the fishing is really good, and we can just strap on a bucket to go picking in the berry patch that is full to bursting with ripe goodness.

Griffin's favorite have always been the cows, I swear I even heard him whispering "cow" in his sleep, he really loves them, especially the two calves.

This year, we figured that the big kids are finally old enough for us to get out the BB gun and teach them to shoot at old cans in the woods. I guess that included me since I had some serious fun shooting the cans too. So much satisfaction in that moment of actually shooting the can off of the tree stump!

The houses on the farm are up on the ridge line, and the views are always changing and inspiring, they never disappoint.

And Frank painted every day during Griffin's nap.

This giant egg, that we found one morning in the chicken coop, had a double yolk. It has to mean good luck I think!

One of the best parts of the week is always watching the little cousins have fun across the ages. This year they were 9, 7, 6, 4, almost 2, and 1.

And there's always the whole group photo, which we've taken in the same spot since I was a baby.

No matter where we are, part of my heart is always at the farm, and family reunion week is a little slice of our heaven.

If you'd like, check out previous years of our reunions on the farm: here, here, here.

The Farm in Spring

We visited my family's farm in Asheville, North Carolina over Easter weekend, it was a visit just drenched in the beauty of springtime, now its already May and I've wanted to do a long-overdue post in pictures of the wonderful time we spent celebrating the holiday there.

The above view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from my aunt's house never gets old, and I love how it changes with the seasons, last time we were there it was Autumn, and this time the understory of the forest almost looks like it has snow on it with those white Dogwood blossoms.

We spent Easter day celebrating with friends and family by the pond, eating yummy food, hunting Easter eggs,

and having good old fashioned egg on the spoon races,

Can't get enough of that spring green!

And I was totally swooning over the spring flowers, everywhere!

Frank did this painting of the view from my Aunt's deck, I love the movement in it!

Whenever we are there so much activity is packed into blissful days spent mostly outside. My aunt takes the kids with her on all of her farm chores, feeding the cows, fish and chickens, along with collecting eggs and whatever else needs doing. Which leaves Frank and I with much appreciated time to hang out together. During this visit we even got to go into downtown Asheville for lunch at a delicious Indian restaurant just the two of us. We usually visit the farm in August, but with baby due this year in August we might try to squeeze a last visit in July, we'll see...but part of my heart is always there.