Photography by Linden Claire

Friday we went on a trip to the mountains for Mom’s birthday!

Last year we went camping (by camping I mean “glam camping” it’s the best way to camp in my opinion, it’s a tent with a roof over the top and a bathroom and shower built on the back!)  and went on the Virginia Creeper Trail, in Damascus Virginia, we had so much fun so we decided to go again. So we made our reservations and loaded up and we set off. Little did we know that a rainstorm was right in front of us! We get to the camp site and it starts misting so we think no biggie…

We started preparing our meal of Campfire Chicken! 

Whit took over chopping potatoes from me so I could take pictures!

Mama D worked hard to get our meal ready

Mama B. worked hard also  

Doesn’t that look yummy ?!?!

We cooked it over this…. it smelled so so good while it cooked  

Funny story as we are all sitting around the fire in chairs, Cecily was sitting on a log, and she so calmly said “MOUSE!” and I thought I saw it coming for me it looked huge and terrifying so I screamed and ran flapping my arms! That mouse was not going to get me!

So while everyone else was busy preparing dinner I took Matt’s picture

Just a side note that has nothing to do with our trip, Notice all of Matt’s hair? Well yesterday he decided he needed a hair cut…… the lady scalped his head… it is now a half inch long all over his head.. I choked back laughter while it was being cut, because I’m supportive like that! So back to the camping trip

Cecily and Matt had a race, Cecily won!

Dad and Mr.. Donnie (as everyone calls him) enjoyed the campfire and long conversation

Meredith & Matt pretended like they were a couple… ( I think they forgot that Matt & I just had the raddest engagement pictures taken! )

So I jumped in a for a few pictures so you guys would know that I actually was along for the trip! Well I got half way in the picture…

So Meredith took pity and took one of us together I’m so hardcore I didn’t even take my backpack off… (some of you will be pleased to know that I finally invested in a real camera bag!)

We decided to have a jumping party

Their timing was way off…

Hey Matt… your head went away…

Oh you are cool….

   I jumped, because I’m cool! Matt not so much…

hey hey do you see my cool boots?!?! I bought those so when I’m taking pictures the ants can’t get to me, and if they do oh boy I will… I don’t know what I will do!

Jumping is fun!

Me: Hey Cecily

Cecily : What ?

Me : You have bird on your shirt!

Cecily: looking down… looks back at me.. it’s supposed to be there! DUH!

ahahhahah I’m funny huh?!?!

    While we were having fun Sabrina was being Cinderella!

At least she smiles about it!

Cecily was a monkey!

She walked the tight rope!

Everyone else had their pictures taken with Dad last year when we went camping, but Meredith & I didn’t so we fixed that little problem!

Meredith & Dad

Dad & I

We played games!

Scrabble is always a must in our family!

Cecily and Mrs.. Becky played Uno

I fell in love……

With the bokeh…

He fell in love with me <3

The bokeh is to much for me to handle… I have to move…. Hey Back Country Camp Ground get me a tent ready I’m moving in!

We drank lemonade!

Meredith loves me

They are nerdy!

I think I’m going to get a Canvas of this… Wouldn’t it be lovely hanging on my wall?!?!

This last part will be about our bike trip

This is what happens when you go biking in the rain.

The train depot!

It was a cold rainy trek down the mountain

But it was worth it!

Mama D. & Papa M. didn’t brave the conditions with us, they were really glad they didn’t come when it started pouring rain!

The rain made us do silly things like…… This…

Hello there! Can I come visit you up there on the mountain one day?!?! We could take really pretty pictures!!

    Hey hey I think I know them… the people on the trail way back in the distant!

It’s Mama B. & Papa D.!!!

So we get to this lovely field right here….    

and I said Matt “Stop I want a picture” so I stop and as I’m getting off my bike my feet slip and down I start going down…… then Matt comes flying up beside me and almost ran into me, and off the seat I go right down onto the bar, it hurt so so bad my leg has been quite sore. Somehow I’m the only that has crashed both times we have gone……

So I got back on the bike like the big girl I am and laughed it off….

If I had only known all the cold rain and mud puddles that were ahead of us I would have sat down on the path and cried… Yeah I’m tough like that… 

But then I would have missed this little stream that ran through the little town along the way.

So I cuddled up to my soon to be hubby!

and I drowned my sorrows….

In a Coke and hit the trail again, we still had 10 more miles to go in the rain… I so wish I had a picture of us at the end… but my camera was safely tucked away in my backpack under my lovely poncho. I can assure you it wasn’t a pretty sight. Sabrina looked like she had fallen face first into a mud puddle…

That was a long recap of our trip, I hope you enjoyed it!

Leave me some love <3

~Linden