Scenes from Summer: Part II

Well friends, summer is coming to a close.  I thought I'd share some scenes from summer that didn't make it into an official blog post.  I hope you enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Scenes from Summer: Part I

Well friends, summer is coming to a close.  I start back to work this week.  I thought I'd share some scenes from summer that didn't make it into an official blog post.  I hope you enjoy!

Enjoy the weekend!

Field Trip: Marietta

All month long I've been posting details of our wedding two years ago.  At the beginning of the week my husband and I took a little trip to a bed and breakfast in Marietta and spent two nights..  We had a great time, and I'm excited to be able to share some of the details with you!

We stayed at the most adorable little bed and breakfast in Marietta, The Ascot House.  We chose this bed and breakfast, because we knew we wanted to go to the The Accomac Inn for dinner and the b & b was nearby.  All of the reviews online were wonderful.  When I read that it was owned by a delightful English lady who served an afternoon tea upon request, I was sold!

When we arrived we were shown to our room up the grand staircase.  We told Wendy, the owner, that we would like to have tea that day. It was no problem for her.  She served us so much food, we really didn't need dinner!

We went to a local pub to sit and relax that evening.  The next morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast.

We went to explore the gardens in the back of the b & b.  Wendy is a very busy lady!  She was hosting a wedding last weekend and was preparing for another wedding this weekend.  She usually has the small weddings in her garden.

We decided to spend the day exploring the area.  First we went to Roots Country Market and Auction.  We walked around, and had a look, but it was so hot.  I bought some fresh local peaches, and then we headed to our next stop.

Next we went to the town of Columbia to check out some antique shops.  We went to The Burning Bridge Antique Shop.  I found quite of few things I liked, but left empty-handed.  Check out some of the treasures I found.

We decided to go see a movie since it was so hot outside.  I won't bore you with that part.  I hated the movie and couldn't wait until it was over!  When we got back to the Ascot House we had just enough time for a little nap before dinner.

Dinner at the Accomac Inn was incredible.  Everyone was so nice, and the view was beautiful, but by far, the best reason to go there is the food.  We started with a cold peach and white wine soup.  Then we went straight to our main course.

I had a white fish on a roasted corn risotto with a mango and raspberry salsa.

For dessert I had strawberry orange and watermelon lime sorbet.  It was the perfect way to end my meal.  Our waitress even brought us a surprise.

When we left the restaurant the sun was setting on the river.  It was a perfect day!

The next day we had another delicious breakfast and we were on our way home.  It really was a wonderful retreat!  I hope you are having some great adventures this summer!

Field Trip: Wesley Forest

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I spent last week at a summer church camp.  I've been going to camp since I was in 4th grade.  I believe that I've only missed two years.  The camp that I've been going to the longest is a music camp.  We bring together a choir of students and a small band to sing and a play a concert of 9-12 songs at the end of the week.  When I was too old to be a camper, I volunteered as a counselor for a few years.  Then I became the choir director, and the last few years I have served as the accompanist.

The camp site that I go to is just a few miles from where I grew up.  It's called Wesley Forest.  Wesley Forest is a really special place.

In addition to learning the music, we spend the week having Bible studies and worshipping around one theme.  This year our theme was "Radically Different."  We kept coming back to the word "radical" all week.    It was a great way for the kids to connect to the theme.

One of the best things about camp is that it's a time when you get to "unplug" and spend some time in nature.  It's quiet.  It's a time to reflect.  

We spent one afternoon cleaning up the teepee area.  We raked out all of the leaves, and made the path nice and clear.  We also built a new fire pit and put in some benches.  We're hoping that many campers throughout the summer will come and enjoy this space.

I love checking out the new things in camp.  There was a nice little area between some of the trees with some saddles on an old tree.  I think the elementary campers will really enjoy this.  There was also a really nice outdoor board game set up.  There are three games to choose from, and the games use stones as game pieces.  

I hope you take some time to "unplug" this summer and enjoy God's creation!

Field Trip: Winterthur

My sister, brother-in-law, husband, and I took a trip to Winterthur this weekend.  It's the estate of one of the DuPont's, a well-known wealthy American family.  The DuPont's also started Longwood Gardens which is nearby.  Winterthur has an extensive garden and a mansion that you can tour.  The gardens are much more casual than Longwood, but still impressive.  Here are a few highlights from the trip.

Winterthur has a children's garden that we had a lot of fun playing in.  Below you'll see my sister, Larissa, peeking her head out of an enormous bird nest.

The fish pond looked beautiful in the sunlight.  We even had a few koi come up to say "hi."  I think they were hoping for some food.

The peonies were in full bloom, and they were gorgeous.  My peonies are young.  I can't wait until they bloom.  Maybe next year.

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After we toured the garden, we went on a tour of the mansion.  Mr. DuPont was a collector of American antiques.  This was one of my favorite rooms.

He had this staircase moved from another house and put into his.

There were many beautiful chandeliers.  This is just one.

This mirror belonged to George Washington.  It's a beautiful piece.

This stein was made by Paul Revere.

After we were finished at Winterthur, we made a quick stop at Terrain just to check it out.  It was very cute, in true Anthropologie style, but it was way too expensive.  It's a nice place to go to get some inspiration.

It was a great day!  I hope you have a chance to check it out sometime!