springtime activities

I haven't posted in awhile, but we've been doing a lot of fun things lately (including a big road trip, which I'll write about in a separate post).  Spring has arrived here, and I've been following the spring ephemeral wildflowers by going on frequent hikes and wildflower walks with the girls.

Here are some photos I took last month at one of my favorite nature preserves near our house, Swift Creek Bluffs (managed by the Triangle Land Conservancy)...there are some fantastic spring wildflowers here!

Lilly pointing out a trout lily

trout lilies

who lives in here??

spring beauties (the white flowers) nestled against a beech tree

hepatica

Lilly enjoying a snack on the steps with the trout lilies

bloodroot

another bloodroot

This next series of photos is from another Triangle Land Conservancy preserve, Johnston Mill Preserve, up near Chapel Hill...another great place to see spring wildflowers.

spring beauties

windflowers

looking at a little creek

a rare photo with me

across from the old mill

ACORN!!

the girls love to find "horses" in the woods

a really cool bench along the trail

We also took a spontaneous trip to the NC Zoo in Asheboro a couple of weeks ago...it was during spring break for many of the school districts in NC, and it was so crowded!  We rushed through because we didn't get there until after lunch, so I didn't take many pictures, but the girls had fun.

We also went camping / canoeing with some friends of ours a couple of weekends ago.  We went to Merchant's Millpond State Park, which is a neat cypress pond up in the northeast corner of the state, about 2.5 hours away from Raleigh.  It was fun, and I think the kids really enjoyed it.

Lilly and Jacob chasing each other in circles with frisbees on their heads...this was pretty funny and went on for about 5 minutes

dinnertime...venison, corn, green beans, and mac & cheese

Maggie striking a pose by the campfire

venturing out on the pond the next morning

 

the Moormans...Leslie, Chris, and the boys

daddy's going to have to make another paddle!

we paddled right next to a goose sitting on a nest

February events

Well, we're battling another round of illnesses (colds & another ear infection), but here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks.  We had Maggie's 4th birthday party earlier in the month, and we decided to have it at a local park / playground to keep our house from getting destroyed by a bunch of 3 and 4 year old's.  :-) 

I know this doesn't look very appetizing in this picture, but Maggie picked light purple frosting and tons of random sprinkles for her cake...she also was insistent that her cake say "Maggie's Happy Birthday Cake"

Lilly enjoying some marker time

I put together a little nature scavenger hunt for the kids

 

Maggie picked out a butterfly pinata

holding the kids back from the action

after everyone had about 3 turns, Will had to finish the job himself

singing "Happy Birthday", Maggie's least favorite part of every birthday party

Maggie's friend Lily hamming it up for the camera

Maggie got some help opening her presents from her friends

 

We had a little bit of snow last weekend...not really enough to stick for very long, but just enough for the girls to enjoy.

making footprints

Lilly not so sure about making footprints

Maggie loves to eat snow

making a tiny snowman

Lilly the snowman zombie, eating the head off the tiny snowman

gummy candy

As promised, here is the video of Maggie making gummy candies with the kit Uncle Chris gave her for Christmas.

has it already been a month since Christmas?

Time has gotten away from me yet again!  Here are some pics from Christmas, including our road trip to Rome right after Christmas.

the girls have been into Tinkerbell lately, so Santa got them Tinkerbell & Periwinkle (Tinkerbell's sister) dolls for Christmas

a few months ago while watching a cake decorating video on YouTube, we stumbled across these Japanese gummy candy making kits, and Maggie has been obsessed with them ever since...big thanks to my brother for getting some the last time he was in Tokyo!!  Maggie was so excited!!  (I'll post a video of her making her gummy candy later).

hippity hops!

cool playground near Rockmart, GA (where Will's sister lives)

cousin Gage on the zip line

 

 

penguin jammies!

Lilly napping on Aunt Katie

making cookies with Gage

taking a walk at Marshall Forest, near Mimie & Pappy's house

on the way back home, we swung through Helen, GA for a brief visit with Ginger and Big Lloyd (and Will's uncle Lanky, taking the picture)

catching up

I realized I haven't posted in awhile, so here's just a brief update...I'm enjoying my new job, the girls are growing everyday, Lilly's vocabulary is taking off, and we're gearing up for the holidays.  Here are some pictures to catch up.

being silly after preschool

fried turkey leg at Thanksgiving

don't know if it's the angle of this photo or what, but I think Maggie looks like such a big girl here

the girls being silly

Lilly loves to "tackle" Maggie and roll on top of her

our Christmas tree

my lights outside