Summer Break

I feel bad for neglecting the blog world this summer. I really thought I would have more time, and more things to write about, but I really haven't. We've been in and out of town and time seems to be literally flying by (is it really almost the middle of August??), but I'm definitely looking forward to starting back to work and getting into more of a routine. And Fall? Yeah, I'm totally ready and excited for it. Pumpkins, tights, boots, sweaters, apples, cool weather, gorgeous leaves - I can thinking of nothing more awesome. 

Our travels started a few weeks ago. We headed up to Jake's parents house in Charlottesville, where we hung out for almost a week. It was lots of fun! We took a day trip up to DC, saw some friends, had some incredible Ethiopian food, and I teared up at almost every monument. They're just so touching.

We came home for 4 days, then headed out on a secret anniversary trip Jake had planned. We started out in Grayson Highlands State Park, which is gorgeous. We took a nice hike and had a picnic up on a mountain, enjoying the views. On our way back down, we picked so many wild blackberries and blueberries and just feasted. So many people were there just for the berries - they brought lots of buckets and recruited all their kids to help them pick the berries. One lady we talked to had 50 pounds already and was planning on making lots of jams and pies. It was so sweet to see these families out together gathering food, I loved it.

After that, we spent the night in a sweet little inn in Damascus, VA - one of my favorite little towns in the mountains. We took the scenic drive back to Asheville, stopping along the way to admire all the beauty in our surroundings. 

It was a wonderful anniversary - I loved every second of it! We were home for a week, while I scrambled to finish a wedding gift for a wedding this past Saturday. I pulled it off the blocking mats Saturday morning - cutting it really close! But I'm really happy with how it turned out, and hopefully it is something the couple will treasure for many years to come.

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The wedding was great - so wonderful to see so many old friends, and spend some time with some really wonderful ones.

And now we're back home. And it feels great. The kitties have taken over my suitcase, showing us that we can't leave ever again.