Independence Day

we celebrated the 4th of July in what is becoming a tradition (or at least what we've done the past 3 years in a row) - hanging at the Woodcroft Pool, with Mimi and Poppi, who are visiting from NY.  Woodcroft throws an excellent birthday party for America complete with face painting, bounce houses and NC barbecue (Ruby had her 1st meat ever - shredded pork that she snatched off daddy's plate). it was a HOT day (what else is new lately?), but we enjoyed relaxing in the (bath)water and then grilling at home and lighting some sparklers before the girls went to bed.

father's day 2012

Kai's choice for a Father's Day activity was a hike by the Eno River.  I took these photos with our point and shoot, and I can really tell the difference in quality from our SLR, but any photos of Kai and the girls are beautiful to me! I've said it many times, but it can always be said again, Kai is a incredible father who truly enjoys spending time with his daughters.  The girls are lucky enough to stay home with him Mondays & Tuesdays this summer.  They have already had some wonderful adventures together and I'm sure there will be many more.

The Geese Go Camping

We hit a huge milestone in the Goose household - we survived 1 night of camping - this is a big deal for us, since we've had a new tent we've been wanting to use for the past 2 years! We went to Kerr Lake, one of me and Kai's favorite spots because the campsite is right at a point that has beautiful views, a breeze, and access to a small beach area and lake that is a wonderful place to play.  Now that we know that we can all sleep in the same tent without too much drama (aside from some fools blasting 90s rap music at 3am), we hope to do a full weekend camping trip sometime soon,

living the linville life

The Helms family (Charlie, Katie & Sweet Arlo) invited us up to Linville for Memorial Day Weekend.  At first, I wasn't sure a trip was a good idea, since traveling with 2 kiddos can sometimes be more trouble than it's worth (especially if said kiddos refuse to sleep!).  Plus, transitioning to my new job has been stressful and I've been craving some relaxation time, which for me typically equates with lounging on the couch and reading. Thankfully, a weekend in the mountains with good friends proved to be the perfect remedy.  The weather was gorgeous and the kids were fantastic (the 3 dogs were good too!).  Luci and Arlo were the best of pals (I even possess some fabulous bath photos which I'll be sure to dredge up to embarrass them when they are older) and Ruby was as sweet as pie.  We enjoyed hanging lakeside, riverside and mountainside! The Helms are such wonderful hosts and incredible friends, we feel very lucky to have them in our lives and look forward to the next trip to Linville.