Getaway to Gordonsville (where?)

This year has been a really good one for free vacations for us Campbells. Apparently all the timeshare types think we need to come see what they have to offer. We keep saying, "No thanks." and they don't seem to mind, so it works out. The first one of three such trips sent us to tiny Gordonsville, Virginia out in Shenandoah, much to my particular enjoyment! Spring had begun to suggest warmer temperatures to the weather man, and the Huz and I were off to the valley where we explored this gem of a resort.

Our cabin on the lake couldn't have been more charming!

 And of course, when in Shenandoah....

...you take pictures of awkwardly placed tree limbs. Yeah, this actually was the best shot.

So if you're looking for a quiet mountain getaway, on a small property dotted with cabins, yurts, and horses, we highly recommend Shenandoah Crossings Resort.

Winter Wandering and Woodwork

 March brought us more snow almost weekly, but none of us seemed to mind much. Even our little tropical-blooded buddy found his own ways to enjoy the chilliness.

Yes, the cold was never a hindrance to our explorations, especially when Mummzie is ready to get moving after weeks of limitation. These two had missed our hikes just as much as I had!

One brisk morning, we went to the lake to make frozen sand castles. It's actually quite helpful to have the sand so stiff. : )

 Once the weather began to thaw a bit, we all headed to Shenandoah to spend a day with our mountain friends. (Try to ignore how miserable the children are pretending to be, stinkers. They loved it, especially picnic lunching with a view.) 

On days that we couldn't get out, we stayed happily cozy inside.... happily that is, until Mummzie says clean up your room.

In this silly sweet picture of playtime, note the table in the background...

That makeshift situation was because THIS was going on!!

 Magical Joseph (and his sweetheart Sarah) came to help me prep and put together our new tabletop made from barn wood I'd harvested over a year ago from a local demolition. Three weeks of picking splinters from my palms and the house smelling like sealant ... (yes, that's more snow on the ground outside the door. Hence my elfin apparel.)

 ... and this beauty was born! She's made of deliciously scarred and perfectly pockmarked red oak beams taken from an outbuilding on a 75 year old dairy barn that used to stand a mile from our home.

This table makes any food sitting on it look more scrumptious, I swear. Behold, the lowly dandelion! 

C'mon, doesn't that wood grain make you consider, just for a moment, eating my lawn weeds? 

xx

Stepping into the New Year and a Surgical Sandal

Right after Christmas, I had a major foot surgery scheduled, so there was a flurry of busyness as we tossed decorations and gifts alike into heaps in the guestroom and prepared for life after bunions. The day we packed the kiddos off to grandparents, we managed to squeeze in a tradition though: The Gingerbread Bash. : )

The next three days looked like this, only drowsier as (I think) Adam ferried ice and drugs back and forth from the bedroom to the kitchen. It really wasn't too bad, the pain meds just kinda knock ya out. One bunion surgery down, one to go. (In April)

To brighten my days of immobility, we got a little parakeet chick named Blue. And we loved him.

And we finally sifted through those piles of decor and gifts and broke some of them out.

 It was crazy cold and we saw the first of many snowfalls.

A few weeks later, when I was happily able to hobble around, "Taimee" paid us a visit! Seriously, how cute are they??

Eva tried a straighter style for a day, and it looked like she'd grown 3 years!

 Valentines were crafted and sent.

School continued.

I was freed from my surgical sandal and could roam free again! And so of course....

Snow that fell almost every week! Understandably, much tea was needed to combat the chill, even on weeks it didn't snow.

 The biggest snow storm came Valentines week...

It looked to be a whopper, so I called some girlfriends and we organized a crazy snow-in! Nearly a dozen inches of snow and almost as many kids were onsite to make it memorable.

 More school was done. In fact, tho she seems less than thrilled here (she's blinking), Eva likes school, and speedily finished kindergarten this winter! First grade, here we come! (yikes.)

Did I mention I got my "boot" off?? So happy to roam. : )

Especially with this guy.

Playing hard in the snow is exhausting.

 xo

Christmas Week 2013

After a year of waiting, and a month of preparing,

Christmas week came!

All God's precious angels arrived...

 ... and the elves set to work on last minute gifties (thank you Dad and Joe for helping me finish that dollhouse!!)...

 It was time to celebrate! 

(Eva sang in the children's Christmas choir at church dressed as an angel. It was, as you'd expect, pretty magical, more so than Dre's Christmas cheer.)

 Donned we then our most festive apparel! Pup-cousin Waffles sported his yule-tide knit,

...our patriarch displayed an uncomfortable amount of swag with his sleeve tattoo,

... and Uncle Geo put on some weight....I mean Kevlar, he put on some Kevlar. Because he is a really cool cop that is not to be messed with. Seriously, don't.  

And it was Christmas! (this is T's "Chrissmiss yeeah!" face)

Some more happy faces. : )

The occasion was made perfect by everyone's favorite: feasting!

Well, almost everyone's...

xo