bluebells at bull run

We made our annual visit to see the bluebells in full bloom at Bull Run Park just a few days before Simon was born. And I never got around to posting the pictures. This is one of my favorite spring activities in the area. The hike along the river is gorgeous with bluebells lining both sides of the bank as far as the eye can see. It's an incredible sea of blue. The kids had so much fun running along the trail, collecting walking sticks, climbing in hollow logs, and playing in the river. This was the first time Ben was able to join us. I couldn't have managed Oliver without him.

In my large and uncomfortable pregnant state, I thought we would just hike out to the river and not do the entire loop. But Oliver kept walking and we kept following and enjoying the scenery. Eventually we were sure that we were at least halfway so we figured we would just continue on the loop instead of going back. The whole trail was only 2 or 3 miles but to my pregnant self, it started to feel like an eternity. I was moving at a snail's pace, walking far behind everyone else and didn't think we would ever see the car again. I was starting to wonder if I would give birth among the bluebells. But we finally emerged from the woods. I had a lot of contractions that night and some crazy swollen feet, but Simon held out for another day. 

 

(Notice Amelia in the background crawling into a log. The girls were pretending to be foxes.)

(Examining bugs.)

bluebells.

A few weeks ago I started off Spring Break by taking the kids to see the bluebells at Bull Run Park. This is one of my absolute favorite walks in the area. The path is lined with fields of bluebells that seem to go on forever. The trail follows a river that winds through the woods and each side of the river is covered in bluebells. The loop is about 1 1/2 miles. And took us almost 2 hours to complete. Oliver did not want to be in the backpack so we slowly made our way down the trail at his wandering pace, continually redirecting him. He was determined to slide down the bank and get into that river! And he was really good at finding every bit of water and mud. The girls busied themselves searching for fairy houses. We didn't pass a single person on the whole trail.

The trail looked much different a few months ago on our camping trip.

camping: cabin edition

A few weekends ago we cashed in a groupon for a two-night stay at a nearby park (Bull Run Park...scene of the amazing Bluebells) in one of their rustic cabins. Our last cabin stay was incredibly cold at night so we were grateful for the heater. The cabin was small and cozy and had a mini fridge and a microwave. The only downside was walking down the street late at night by myself to get to the bathrooms. I was pretty good at freaking myself out. Aside from a few RVs parked in the distance, we were the only campers around which made it extra creepy.

There was an awesome playground right behind the cabin. It seemed to be adult size and was a little scary watching Elsa climb up certain parts. Luckily Oliver was too small to even get up anywhere. He just circled the playground searching for a way in.

We had a campfire Friday night and made s'mores. Saturday morning Ben cooked us a delicious pancake breakfast. It was a little chilly but we bundled up and enjoyed a fun hike. We ended up getting a little snow storm in the late afternoon and it was nice to watch the snow come down from inside our cozy cabin. The late night bathroom run that night wasn't as fun.

We spent the rest of our time reading, making Valentines, doing puzzles, playing games, eating, and watching movies.

I've been neglecting my big camera lately in favor of the smaller, more convenient iphone...

S'mores made with Petit Ecolier are dangerously delicious.

The mini snow storm.