Summer Schedule: Field Trip Fridays

One more aspect of our summer schedule that I came up with last year was Field Trip Fridays.  I don’t want the kids to feel like every day of the summer has to be full of activities galore – most of our time will be spent doing fun things in our neighborhood or getting things done – but there are definitely places I love to take them.  So I settled on one “field trip” every Friday.  We get to put away our responsibilities for the morning and take off to do something exciting.  The kids really look forward to it, and are very satisfied with our day-to-day activities the rest of the week, knowing that “Field Trip Friday” is coming up.

Last Friday we headed to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden for their “Summer of Color” and it was fantastic.  We had an unseasonably cool first week of summer, and the weather was perfect – 70’s and breezy.  If you are a faithful reader, you know that we love the garden.  We have had an annual membership there since we moved into this house five years ago, and my kids are familiar with every twist and turn.  The first stop is always the willow maze.  We were delighted to see these gourds (?) growing up some of the willow branches……

As we were admiring them, a bird flapped out of the willows with a few loud chirps, which lead us to discover this….

…right at the kid’s eye level.  They oohed and ahhed over it.  It was just delightful.

 

After a quick snack, we checked out the vegetable garden.  I love the brightly painted bamboo stakes they have used for plant supports. 

The garden was very just bursting with life, and so vibrant and lush.  June might be my favorite month there.

This picture reminded me of one of my favorite trips to the garden,which I posted about here.

And this picture reminded me off this post.  Boy, those boys were sure cute. 

Carina shrieked to get out of the stroller whenever we came near a fountain, which was quite often, and she always insisted on grabbing a plastic baggie out of the stroller (that had a peach pit in it), and carrying it with her.  I guess a girl has to have her purse with her, huh?

The water features are definitely the favorite part of the garden for all the kids.  The water tunnel is always the highlight – there is a sign that says, “Take a chance! But you may get wet.”  Gabe guarantees that he will get wet.  If the water isn’t on when we get there, he will stand in the middle until it comes on.  I was just pulling my camera out as he stood there on Friday, and I managed to snap there pictures.  They make me smile.

Add in a few lizards sighting, orchids, visiting the finches, “secret” passageways, and lots of laughter….it was the perfect trip.  If you are looking for a soul-refreshing day, I would highly recommend a trip the the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.  It is definitely getting hotter this week, but they are also open every Thursday evening during the summer.  Evenings there are even more soothing. 

Spring at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Bill and Judy at the Garden

We took Chad's parents to the garden last week. It was a cloudy day but we didn't really expect rain.

Chad tempting the water tunnel to come on.

And Gabe jumping right in. He got drenched. It was a cool day and I couldn't believe he wasn't freezing.

Don't be fooled by his smile though. He was Mr. Grumps during the rest of the trip (before and after getting soaked). Sometimes when we have company he gets a little tense. I think Bill and Judy were probably wondering what they got themselves into - over a week more of this?!

Not long after those pictures, it started to rain. Of course we were in the middle of the garden, so we sought shelter. It didn't come down too hard though, and didn't last too long.

The upside of rain at the garden is incredible lighting and incredible color. I didn't enhance the color on these pictures at all. Aww, I love. Don't we live in a gorgeous world?

Holiday Lights at The Garden

For the fourth year in a row, we went to see the Holiday lights at the Daniel Stowe Botantical Garden last week. We waited until a night that wasn't extremely cold, and unfortunately, so did everyone else. It was by far the most crowded I have ever seen the garden.

We went with my mom and nephews Santi, Evan, and Liam. Bobby and Sabina were celebrating their anniversary, so we had their boys for the night. In case you are thinking, " How nice of them," let me tell you that they took our kids for FOUR days in October, during which time Oliver woke up a billion times every night and Bobby threw out his back. So yeah, we pretty much owe them for life!

The garden was beautiful, but it was definitely too crazy being there, in the dark, with all six boys and so many strangers around. I think the boys had a good time though.

Crape Myrtles

Before I lived in North Carolina, I had never heard of a Crape Myrtle. In case you haven't either, it's a tree. I started to notice them all over the area during the summer, when they burst into pink, purple, red, or white blooms, like the one below located in the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. They are everywhere. I don't think you can live in the south without gaining a love for those summery blossoms.

My mom and I have a favorite crape myrtle. It is also in the garden, and it is has gorgeous cinnamon- colored peeling bark, white flowers in the summer, and colorful leaves in the fall. We admire these beauties every time we go.

We are working on our backyard (once again) and I decided I was finally going to get some crape myrtles to plant lined up against my picket fence. There are a hundred varieties, and I knew I would probably just have to settle for what I could find. Home Depot didn't have any. The local nursery across the border had a few varieties for around $80 each. Then WA-LA! I went to Lowe's, where they had nice, healthy looking Crape Myrtles for $18.99 each! The variety, "Natchez," sounded familiar, and they had a couple of white blossoms left on their fall-changing branches. I took the plunge, bought three, and easily hauled them home in my van (I love that collapsible back seat!).

As soon as I got home I searched "Natchez" online and found that they seem to be the exact variety that I have long admired at the garden - peeling cinnamon bark, quite hardy, with white blossoms.

I already planted those puppies this afternoon. I will not let them die, I will not let them die!

Anyone else have a tree that is near and dear to their heart?