A NINE DAY ADVENTURE...Part Six: The Grand Finale

We wanted to do something extra special with the grandkids on our last day with them in early September. Their parents wouldn't return until suppertime, and being a Saturday, they didn't have Pre-School. So with a little help from the internet we figured out where to catch the train into the big city, Charlotte, NC. So we hopped on the LYNX Blue Line and enjoyed about a 30 minute ride...

Here we are, waiting for our train...

Destination...

DISCOVERY PLACE!

The kids had been there before, so they knew what to expect and were looking forward to it. We didn't have a clue, but it was beyond all expectations...

After a fun filled day, eventually it was time to go...And Deacon watches for our train...

Here it comes...

It was very state-of-the-art, and a lot of fun to ride...

And this is me at the end of the day...

But I wouldn't trade it for the world...

We had to leave to return to Ohio the next morning. It was one of the most memorable weeks of our lives!

They are all planning to come up for Thanksgiving this year...and GUESS WHAT???

Deacon and Owen are expecting a new brother or sister in March!

A Nine Day Adventure...Part Four: a relaxing day for just the two of us.

Andy and Ellie and the boys left the Love Shack on Tuesday morning after helping to tidy things up. We stayed a little longer to wash and dry the sheets and towels we had used. We had no idea how to thank our benefactors for allowing us the use of their home for three days, so I wrote them a thank you note and left it on the kitchen counter with a bottle of Rodeo Red, our favorite Ohio wine.

So, we said "good-bye" to the Love Shack, but before we drove the two hours to Andy's and Ellie's home in Rock Hill, SC, we spent some time at the home of Carl Sandburg in Flat Rock, NC near Hendersonville, which is a National Historic Site. Among other things Sandburg is known for, he was a Pulitzer prize winning biographer of Abraham Lincoln.

This photo was taken from quite a distance away, as the home is located on 30 acres and while only 1/3 mile up the road, has an elevation of 110 feet. And we walked it. Here are some of the views along the way:

We signed up for a tour, and while we waited we planned to walk around the grounds. That's when I saw THIS sign:

Thankfully, we didn't see any black bears, but we were surprised to see these:

We learned that Mrs. Sandburg, whose name was Lillian, raised champion dairy goats. Descendants of her prized herds live on the farm today. I really never knew there were so many breeds of goats! Some more of my favorite shots are these:

By the time we finished visiting the goats, we were ready for the house tour. I'm not sure what we were expecting, but we were pretty amazed at what we saw! Not only was every room in the house filled with hundreds of books, old typewriters, and magazines, things were on display pretty much as they were when the Sandburg's lived there, and everything was quite unpretentious...

The kitchen actually reminded us of our own childhoods!

The Sandburg's lived in this home from 1945 until 1967 when he died...and he wrote about a third of his works while living here. It was interesting.

After stopping in the gift shop, where I bought (what else?) a couple books, we left the Sandburg home and stopped to eat a late lunch, then headed to our real destination of this whole trip! Andy and Ellie would be leaving that night, and we would be on our own with the two boys for the next four days!

Next ~~ A very special time with two very special grandchildren!

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

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)