Saturday means morning on the river

We're really starting to live out the small town mountain life this summer... which means time at the river on the weekend. A couple of Saturdays ago we went with the Daniel family up to Oconaluftee Islands Park in Cherokee (just outside of the Smokey Mountains National Park), about 25 minutes from Sylva. The river is wide and shallow as it goes through the town, and the city has put in a nice park with sidewalks and bridges and picnic tables scattered around. Best of all is the bamboo 'forest' along one part of the river - a childhood dreamland.

Luke, Blake, Isaac and Erin

Ah, the life of parents with young children - we got to the river first thing in the morning, along with the fishing crowd, but by the time we ate lunch and then left, the park was getting crowded with families bringing in coolers of food, and tubes for going down the river. What a fun place!

Luke and Timo exploring the bamboo

One last dip for Blake before we headed home

More cousin time during the week

We were SO happy to have the cousins around for a week and be able to join in with them (and extended Woody family) on a few morning or afternoon activities. 

One afternoon, after a trip to the library, they came over to our house for a bit. Naturally the boys started in on bikes and balls pretty quickly! 
 

Another morning we took a walk along the Greenway, with adults and kids all running and walking the two mile trail. And Timo on his bicycle of course! Some of the kids (including Timo) didn't wait for the photo on the bridge before they took off, so they are a bit hidden in this photo.

photo cred to Abi Woody Hardy

Afterwards it was time for lunch and tubing and swimming at East LaPorte park. Hawkins fam, remember this is where we had a day last summer? This section of the Tuckaseegee River is perfect for young kids to do some slow tubing, with lots of shallow wading and rock throwing.

Adella helped push Mattias back and forth across a shallow section

Hurray, finally in the water for Timo's first tubing excursion this summer! (photo by Abi)

The week was capped off by an anniversary dinner, celebrating Matt and Hannah's 10th wedding anniversary. Right here in this same town ten years ago! And look at us, we are all out to dinner and got to eat our meals and have conversation without interruption from children! We even stopped in at the chocolate shop afterwards for some treats. (Phil/Pop Woody was looking after M&H kids for the evening, and Gayle/Nana took care of ours.) During dinner there was a huge thunderstorm, and when we got home our power was out (until about 10 AM the next morning), so no game night possible; it was a scramble to find candles and flashlights. Poor Gayle, sitting in the dark waiting for us to return and we didn't even know what had happened.

I think this is a record - celebrating our siblings' anniversary AND our anniversary (six days later) together with our siblings!!

4th of July afternoon celebrations

In the afternoon we were invited to join with all the Woody clan for games and a cook-out dinner. Along with our cousins (Matt & Hannah and kids), and their Woody cousins, there were also some of Gayle's cousins, and several other old family friends. A good crowd! Gayle organized the games and prizes.

The games were underway when we arrived, but we got to watch "nail driving" and then participate in the water balloon toss. Here are all the kids lined up to go.

Timo and Adella were paired up, but didn't quite get the catching aspect of the game.

Adella just turned 4 last month, and is quite expert at blowing balloons now.

Phillip (9 years old next week) is AMAZING on the pogo stick. Earlier in the day he did 1,500 consecutive jumps!
 

Mattias staked out his usual spot, and didn't budge from here much!

For supper we all sat at the tables in the backyard while the kids ate quickly and then ran around some more. Classic summer evening (and the mosquitoes weren't too bad!). 

Gayle painted these boards for goofy photos(or throwing balls through)

4th of July parade at Lake Junaluska

On the morning of Independence Day, we packed a picnic lunch and got out of the house right after breakfast to enjoy the morning at Lake Junaluska. This reservoir is about 25 minutes away, in Waynesville, and surrounding the lake are vacation homes and a large Methodist retreat center and family camp. There is also a nice trail going around the lake. We walked around the lake - and Timo biked!! - and enjoyed the festive atmosphere and all the people out and about. There was a nice breeze blowing across the water, which helped keep us cool. (Oh to be on a boat! Maybe later this summer!) We were very proud of Timo, who didn't complain at all and was very spirited on the three mile loop.

Jim didn't take any photos on our walk... It wasn't until we stopped at the playground that he pulled out the camera; the location turned out to be a great spot to watch the small parade - a few fire trucks and small floats and community groups. 

this is what happens when we say, "Timo, let's get a photo with Mommy"

There's the police car leading the way!

Towards the end of the parade, we walked alongside and followed it, to get back to the parking lot and head home (in time for Mattias's nap). Naturally Timo rode right in the street and I think he thought he was a part of the parade. 
 

Fun morning! We will be back to walk around the lake again, and maybe rent a canoe next time!

A glance into morning playtime

"I'm making this big mechanic shop with cars being worked on" - to show Daddy when he gets home from work. (note the Legos underneath with the cars laid out on top. Can you tell we've had to take the car into the mechanic recently?)

"Choo-choo" ... Mattias has recently learned how to say "train" and "choo choo", mostly thanks to the train table at the library, and he'll shout "train, train!" if another child dares to come near the train that he is playing with. He put the pieces on this wooden train by himself - and laid down to get a good view as he steered it around his bedroom.