We all love our mountain days....very little access to electronics and a whole lotta access to the outdoors! The added bonus is that we get to do the mountains with my parents and it gives us all some good time together making memories.
Exploring the mountains via ATV is a favorite....
there are trails that take you to places that feel so far away and you are one with nature....I am always on high alert looking for bears and mountain lions but so far we haven't seen much more than a squirrel!
The children love this creek....it is about a 45 minute ATV ride from our house and along the way you see waterfalls.
This year we found a little frog statue that Maryn immediately fell in love with and needed a pic!
Chapman loved being right in the middle of the ATV fun. She begged for it to be her turn every time she heard the engines crank.
Horseback riding has also become a mountain favorite so we got our hats out and off to ride we went!
This photo makes is all look so peaceful. Well, for the most part, it was. We even saw a deer all curled up along the way eating its share of greens - no fear at all of us or the horses. But, it would not be fair to say that the entire trip was bliss. In fact, my horse nearly drove me over the edge as it stopped to eat here and stopped to eat there - he even stopped and wouldn't go! They had to call in back-up to push him along!
The girls thoroughly enjoyed their journey down the mountain to feed the fish in the trout pond.
We visited the Biltmore House and Gardens
We are always in awe of the size of this home....we all talked about what a beast it would have been to clean and how easily one would get lost inside! We did figure out that we could live here and every person in our family would have an entire level to themselves!
Chapman was all smiles! This girl melts me a little each day!
The girls enjoyed many outdoor crafts during their trip while the boys toured the mountain via ATV and played corn hole.
Gran took a little rest with the children after a stroll through the Mass General Store for candy, popcorn and soft drinks in old fashion bottles.
Not sure what was being talked about between these two but they sure are cute together!
Gran and the boys!
Uncle Sam said hello!
The boys had an intense chess game going on while the girls paid close attention and learned a few moves of their own!
Chapman loves guacamole! She will eat it by the spoonful!
We spent the 4th of July on the mountain, had a cookout, and then headed down the mountain for fireworks. The weather looked iffy the entire time.....we played corn hole, caught lightening bugs, smoked candy cigarettes.....about the time the fireworks began, the rain began too! It wasn't too bad but MK took the blanket on the ground and pulled it over her for shelter....and in the midst of all of the fireworks, she fell fast asleep!
Maddox Ren
This girl is at a stage where she wants to pose for a pic or she won't even look at the camera!
And this little one....well, thankfully she was all buckled in the passenger side of the mountain buggy and Pop had the keys to drive!
We sure do love our time spent on Hornbuckle Mountain each year.
