We had so much fun getting together with family and friends. The family picnic was a blast - we realize later maybe we open it up to all Robinson's but this year - our first year we just had my dad and his sisters and our first cousins - and their children. The picnic was out at Kanawha State Forest and it's beautiful - the trees are so amazingly tall - and
green. So a couple of snapshots of the picnic are attached.
Quiet moments with my aunts and uncles and the laughter with my cousins was just what my heart needed. Patrick and Rachel loved their time with family and new friends that they will now have fond memories forever.
West Virginia offers so much - it's hard to believe it's not overwhelmed with tourism - it's not glitzy - or commercialized but it's a beautiful and I'm glad some of the places I've been going all my life are still there so I could share them with my children.
Hawks Nest - my parents started taking me here when I was a child.
New River Gorge Bridge - so beautiful.
Babcock State Park - the children loved- loved climbing on those big rocks!
(** when I was taking this picture - I heard my name and turned around and saw my friend Melissa from FRISCO, TEXAS - exactly! What are the odds!? ) It was a funny moment!
Tygart Lake State Park - my sister Jenny rented a pontoon boat for all of us - Cousin Mark and his lovely wife Faith joined us with their six children! What a day - it was so cold and rainy but we were going to be wet any way... right? Check out my nine year old leaping off that big rock! He is still talking about it!
Oh my! We visited my cousin Max and his wonderful family - the farm was so much fun - my children didn't know what to do but quickly joined in with Max's children and Mark's six that were fortunately 'stuck' there with van issues! So.... ELEVEN children running around the outside the house(make that 10 - Baby Grace is still attached to her momma's hip) - laughing, squealing :) Cousin Anne -was amazing with the cooking for 16 mouths - and it was wonderful - we mostly ate in shifts but there was nary a complaint - everyone just ate and kept running! We are so glad they were able to let us visit in their busy blueberry schedule. I remember visiting this farm when they were 'thinking' about buying it - so it was exciting to see how their hands have transformed it to an amazing home and farm.
The cabin - ah - the cabin is hidden away and belongs to the Kern Family - talk about a cool place - the children swam in the lake, there's a stocked trout stream just feet away from the front door and the trees were - yes - amazing - some days you don't see the sun unless it was just right... and it had to be directly over head! Neither child wanted to leave the cabin.
Let's see - what else? Oh - on the way home we were able to stop and spend some time with Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Fred - the children loved their time there and with Leah. Lucy was being being a social butterfly. When we left there - we stopped by President Lincoln's boyhood home and birth place - it's a national park so we've begun something new to do! National Parks! The children enjoyed that - and are still talking about it too. Then a quick night with Grammy and home again, home again jiggity jig.... :)
The reason of part I and II - is pictures - I'm having trouble loading them up and moving them around -so - easier to just put it in two blogs! :) Hope your summer was as grand as ours!
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