cabin smiles

I mentioned that we recently spent the weekend in a cabin. It was so relaxing and peaceful. It was all the great parts of camping (hiking, being outdoors all day), without any of the bad parts (sleeping [or not] on the ground, being dirty, trying to cook without a kitchen. And the restroom facilities, of course.). I'm telling you, I might never camp in a tent again.

Our cabin had a little porch that overlooked the bird watching area. We spent some time out there watching the wild turkeys.

One afternoon, my son had a blast making a "book-making machine" out of some fallen branches.

Apparently, I enjoyed sitting among the remnants of an old tree.

My husband enjoyed the people-watching (the bird watching area was very popular) and exploring with my son.

hike

We recently spent the weekend in a cabin. On our first morning there, my son got up early, took the sheets off his bed, and pulled his clothes out of his overnight bag. Although the temperature outside was only about 50 degrees, he was ready for a hike! We were on the trail by 7:45 am and spent a leisurely 3 hours exploring and playing in the stream (and snacking, of course). It was the perfect day. No cell phones, no schedules, no chores to do. Just walking in the sunshine among the trees. I felt so at peace that I said to my husband, "I think this is what I was made for."

At the halfway point of our hike, we stopped at a bench, and my son got to work.

It was such a lovely spot, with views of the mountains across the valley. And a handsome man.

 

He could have stayed there all day, I think.

 

a surprise

When I got home from work the other day, my son was excited to show me something. He told me to follow him into the living room, but not to look in the direction of where my husband was sitting. I closed my eyes and let him lead me into the living room and position me where he wanted. The two things that passed through my mind as possibilities of what the surprise was were: 1. My husband had injured his leg and was sitting on the couch, leg propped up, with a huge bag of ice on it. 2. They had gotten me a huge, beautiful bouquet of flowers.

As it turns out, I was way off. When my son told me to open my eyes and look up, I found my surprise:

Here it is, a little closer:
 

 

Yes, folks, that is fake poop, and it is stuck to the ceiling. Hooray. They both thought it was pretty hilarious. Ahh, the joys of living with boys...

his favorite photos

My son was helping me insert photos into blog posts recently, and he decided he wanted to pick some of his favorites, too. So here they are!

 

 

 

 

swing

My son loves making swings for his stuffed animals. Last weekend, he made one for Paduba, his dog, who has been his BFF since Christmas. I think they both enjoyed their time together in the swing.

details of our lives

I tend to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that I miss some of the small moments. I've been trying to pay more attention to the small details lately. Here are a few that portray the essence of our lives right now.

dinner on mama-and-son night

Here's what the counter looked like while I cooked dinner on Mama-and-Son night last week. My son was so patient while I cooked. He cooked his own food out of Play-Doh. It's so sweet to cook with him - whether the food is real or not.

restaurant

Don't worry... the couch cushions are here! At the restaurant, of course.

These signs are posted on the wall outside the restaurant.

A little closer:

This one says "Do Not Enter."

And, of course, his March Madness bracket.