A Nine Day Adventure...Part Three: All play on Labor Day...

The main reason for this particular trip south was so that we could lend childcare for Deacon (4 1/2) and Owen (2 1/2) while our son and daughter-in-law went for a 4 day pastoral assessment in Greenville, NC, two hours from their home. On Monday, Andy really needed some time alone to do some preparations for it as they would be there from Wednesday through Saturday. So he took off for a local coffee shop, and Ellie and the rest of us went apple picking! Ellie knew of a place closeby called Skytop Orchard, which is literally at the top of a mountain!

Here are some of my favorite photos from that day:

I kid you not...this is the view we could see as we looked out across the apple orchard!

Granpda pulling the kids in the wagon as we head for the trees...

There were plenty apples within easy reach for the kids...this is Deacon...

I think Owen must have eaten three or four of them...

Deacon has no idea I caught him doing THIS!

Deacon snapped this picture of me!

It's so cute the way they were holding onto our loot while being pulled on the bumpy path...

I later turned some of these apples into a delicious pie!

The apple orchard also had a small barnyard for the kids to enjoy...

We caught up with Andy for a late lunch at this cute little place called Hubba Hubba in Flat Rock, NC, and had barbeque outside on a picnic table before returning to the Love Shack to do some relaxing.

In the evening, we all took a 1/2 mile walk around this pretty lake that is on the Bonclarken Conference Center grounds.

Next ~~ We take some time for ourselves before the 24/7 child care begins, and enjoy a visit to Carl Sandburg's home.

(Note: Five Aspects of Woman Series in progress at my other blog,www.mistressofmydomain.blogspot.comScroll back to Aug. 29 and read forward)

A nine day adventure...part one: The Love Shack

We'd been planning a trip to South Carolina to visit our kids and grandkids there...but we had no agenda other than being with them...and we knew we would be watching the two kids and the dog for four of those days as their parents went away to a church-related event. Our son, being a new but very personable pastor, has a lot of connections, and he asked a church member if we could use his little "love shack" in the mountains for the Labor Day weekend. Apparently he loans it out frequently and Andy and Ellie have used it before. Now what are the chances it would be available for the last summer holiday of the year? But it was, and the owner graciously loaned it to us!

The private property we would use is located on the grounds of a conference center that is owned by our son's denomination. It is called "Bonclarken," which, according to Andy, is a "made up" Latin compound word: Bon (good) clar (clear) ken (vision). It is located in Flat Rock, N.C. (Apparently there are two "Flat Rocks" in N.C. -- this one is up in the Blue Ridge Mountains and it took us 10 hours to drive there.) We depended on Dora, our faithful GPS, to get us there, and she did!

We turned onto the road and saw this inviting view...

And then we saw this beautiful sign:

It really was quite a "treasure hunt" as we were told the key to the house would be in an envelope with our name on it, tacked to a bulletin board in a hallway outside the offices of the conference center.

We found it with no problem, and to our surprise, tucked inside was a map of the grounds, and two tickets that our son had provided for us for Sunday morning breakfast at the conference center dining room. There were a couple of retreats going on, and and so there was a buffet available.

We had no idea what to expect, and we were on our own Saturday night as Andy and his family would meet up with us on Sunday afternoon. (It is a two hour drive from their home in Rock Hill, S.C.) We certainly didn't expect to open the door and see such a beautiful, immaculate place that was graciously loaned to us, strangers, for three nights!

I fell in love with this antique bed as soon as I saw it, so this was the bedroom we choose to use. There was also a loft with a queen bed, and a finished basement with bunk beds for the kids.

So after the long drive and getting our things into the house, we drove out to a fast food place to get some supper and got back before it was totally dark. It was all pretty surreal.

Next ~ Sunday morning breakfast & church, Andy's family arrives, and the Hendersonville Apple Festival!

(Note: Five Aspects of Woman Series in progress at my other blog, www.mistressofmydomain.blogspot.com. Scroll back to Aug. 29 and read forward)