Mountains

The kids had a weird school week, where they had a half-day on Wednesday, then a day off on Thursday, before a full day on Friday. So I thought heck, let's ditch Friday and take a 5-day weekend!

So we headed to our favorite cabin in the mountains. Our trip there last fall was canceled due to all the Hurricane Helene damage, so we used that credit towards this trip. Fortunately, we had great weather this time, and really enjoyed a longer-than-usual break from real life.

As always, we spent a ton of time in the hot tub. It's our favorite vacation activity! And the owners have relocated the hot tub since the last time we were there -- it's on the side of the house now, surrounded by pretty strings of lights, and positioned to maximize the view.

One day MJ and the kids walked down the mountain with Amber to explore the creek, waterfall, and climbing rocks. I joined them there with the car (so we wouldn't have to walk all the way back up the mountain afterwards!) Amber was so excited to see me get out of the car down by the water that she ran over -- and somehow really hurt her leg. She cried and wouldn't put any weight on it at all. She gave us quite a scare, but thankfully within a few minutes she was acting normal again. I wonder if it was a cramp? Or the dog version of twisting her ankle?

There was a rope swing on the other side of the water, and the twins and MJ tried to climb over a network of fallen trees to get to it, but they couldn't figure out a way to safely get down to the seat of the swing. Finally MJ took matters into his own hands, and just walked through the water to get there. The kids got a kick out of it! And Sweet Pea followed suit.

Another day, the kids and I went horseback riding. Little Man surprised me by wanting to join us -- the last few times, he's opted not to ride. MJ stayed back at the cabin for a quiet afternoon with Amber.

The ground was very muddy and slippery, and on one sharp switchback turn, the horses started slipping. The guide reassured us all that the horses were very sure-footed, and to let them find their own way through the mud. Immediately after she said that, Sweet Pea's horse fell hard onto its side, pinning Sweet Pea's leg underneath. I couldn't believe it. Why does Sweet Pea have the worst luck when it comes to horses?! Fortunately she wasn't badly injured, but her calf really hurt for several days. Thank goodness she didn't break a leg! Considering a 1,000-pound creature fell onto her leg, it's a bit of a miracle that she wasn't hurt.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. MJ and I found some local public tennis courts, and enjoyed a few sessions on our own. Tennis has really become a welcome addition to our lives! Each time, on our way back to the cabin, we'd see the girls waiting for us on the deck, waving wildly. It made us laugh every time!

Our final morning, we were blessed by this incredible, eerily beautiful sunrise. The fog nestled in between the hills was such a gorgeous contrast to the brilliant colors in the sky.

You know it's been a relaxing vacation when one of the kids actually naps!