4th of July 2011

 We went up to Asheville for the our annual 4th of July tradition with Tim's side of the family. We had a wonderful time!! Whenever I get the chance to spend time in North Carolina over the Summer, it always reminds me of the 15 years I went to camp in Cashiers. To think I used to live 5 weeks every Summer among the mountains....!!! Don't get me wrong, the 4 or so days we spend over the holiday weekend are great. But those years spending a month at a time were sure an amazing gift! Below, is a picture of a day trip we took to Lake Lure about 35 minutes away. We rented a boat and toured around the lake. Had a great afternoon!

 Tim's cousins, aunts and uncles, and some of their friends always come over to the house on the afternoon of the 4th. Here's a picture of the guys hanging out on the porch! The ladies were all inside gabbing away, of course.

 The Beech Community, just outside of Weaverville, always hosts a parade for the kids. I didn't get many shots of the parade this year, but I did get this one of the kids racing to see the helicopter touchdown.

 Here's a picture of me and our neighbor, Brooke. She is an adorable little girl with a bubbly personality and constant smile. She rode in the "run about" with me and Tim for the parade.

 Nothing like a small town parade to remind you of what matters: family, friends, and the freedom we have in our amazing country. After the parade, there's always a patriotic speaker who gives a talk in the community center. This year, the guest speaker was a two star general. He made some wonderful points about the heritage of our nation and what it means to be an American. Several of the local kids sang patriotic songs. It's a simple event, but always a special one because it makes you stop and really think about the importance of Independence Day.         

                                     Big Tim escorting the guest speaker down the parade route

In addition to spending time celebrating the holiday, we hung out around the house. Check out these two little rabbits I spotted!! And they even let me snap a picture before running away! The day before we arrived to the house, our neighbor spotted.....let's just say something bigger than a rabbit....A BEAR!!! I would have screamed loud enough for the whole town to hear, had I witnessed that. Supposedly it was just a cub, but that means there's a momma bear somewhere and also that this one will grow. Yikes!!

The flowers looked so pretty around the house this year. Now that Tim's parents have owned the home for 4 years, the landscaping is really growing in and maturing.

 Buttercups in yellow and orange!

 It's always sad to leave! Especially since this year it's hard to know when we'll be able to get back up there, more so than usual.

 Here's another picture showing all the pretty landscaping. And I love how green everything is during the Summer. The Fall colors are beautiful too, so is the snow. But I still think Summertime is my favorite season in the mountains. : )