The Biltmore

Monday was our trip to the Biltmore.  Mom and I had been before, but Jamie hadn't ever been and when you are in the Asheville area it is something you HAVE to go and see.  The home took 6 years to build, was built on 125, 000 acres and it gi-normous!!  If you have ever seen the movie "Richie Rich", they use that house as Richie's house.  We weren't able to take any photos inside, but we were able to take photos of the grounds and the outside of the house.  Can you imagine living there or growing up there as a child?!

It is really something considering they build this at the end of the 19th century.  George Vanderbuilt built this home before he was even married and had children!  The grounds are just as impressive.  The gardens are beautiful, we were lucky to catch the end of the tulips, the azaleas were in full bloom though.  Here are some photos of the grounds.  

The flowers up above is wisteria, it was all over the place, and sooo pretty!

Once the tulips go by they replace them with some annuals, like pansies.  

Here is a little fountain on a part of the grounds where they hold concerts and such in the summertime.  

Here is Meme enjoying some of the tulips. We had to get a photo of Miles enjoying the tulips as well...

We walked down to check out the green houses, also some very beautiful flowers.

So impressive!

This is called a lollipop plant....

Beautiful orchids, right?!

This is the Inn where you can stay right on the property...

We went to Cedric's for lunch, it is a 'pub', pretty fancy if you ask me, delicious food though!  Cedric was the family's beloved St. Bernard.  There were Vanderbuilt family photos all over the place.

Mies was doing well this whole time, considering he hadn't really slept all day.  In this picture he clearly is not thrilled with whatever story was being told...

After our trip to the Biltmore we went home and relaxed....

Miles played with Meme and Mooma for a while...

Later that night we had a big game to watch....  

Miles loves watching basketball....  We had another great day and were looking forward to our tour of Asheville the next day....

Jenny xxoo

Day Two in NC...

On our third day in NC we realized we were going to need to get Miles a little something more to play with.  He was getting bored with what I was able to pack in my suitcase and was probably a little tired of me singing Old MacDonald...I know I was.  So Jody called one of her neighbors who has young children and asked if they had anything like a exersaucer that they weren't using.  He said he did and he would clean it up and we could come get it....well, check it out.....

Does it look familiar to anyone?  Miles has the same exact one at home!!!!  He was excited to see it, and so was I.  It had been a couple nights since I had eaten dinner without him in my lap.  What a relief it was to have that to turn to when we needed it!

After Miles took a little snooze in the morning was decided to get outside and enjoy the beautiful day, as we hadn't had one to write home about yet.  It was sunny, warm, not a cloud in the sky, just glorious!!!  We went to the North Carolina Arboretum.  We took a nice long walk on a trail up to the arboretum, it was a little tough going with Miles' stroller, (the bob would have been a breeze!), but we took turns and made it, it was all worth it!

At the arboretum there are lots of cool scultptures....

beautiful flowers, though it was still a little early to see it in all of its glory, it was still very beautiful!  There is a little spot where they have a couple of 'waterfalls'.  In the same spot there is a little pond that houses some frogs.  Miles and I decided to get out feet a little wet by one of the waterfalls.

Here are the frogs, they were so loud!  I drop Miles' hat in front of them and one of them took off toward it, I jumped up and screamed... the people across the way laughed at me.  I've just never warmed up to the slimy little creatures....it's silly I know, what was that frog really going to do anyway?

We then walked around one of the exhibits they have every year, the bonsai exhibit.  They were so beautiful!  

I can't imagine the patience it takes to make one of these things!

After that we sat in the grass for a little while.  I will always enjoy seeing a baby experience grass for the first few times.

Miles just sat there for the first few minutes just stroking the grass not sure really what to do with it.   After that we went into one of the buildings where they had another exhibit...

It is a little bit like the ECHO center in Burlington, The Scoop On Poop talks all about... well you can probably figure it out.  We didn't go in because there were other things we wanted to see, I am sure it was a neat exhibit though.

Here is another cool sculpture, this is a skeleton of a bat, a little creepy if you ask me....


One of the last things we check out was the flower quilt, all of the colors you see are pansies, it was very pretty.  They change the pattern once in a while, it was very cool.

After all that we had a tired little boy on our hands,

We went back home and had a nice dinner and rested up for our next adventure.  Here are a couple more cute photos from the day!  Check back again soon for our next outing!

What a blond little boy!!

Oh, Lucky Bear!!!!

Jenny xxoo

Happy Birthday Meme!!!

As I told you all before, Miles, Mooma, Jamie, and I travelled down to North Carolina to visit Meme, Jody, and Dick. I was pretty nervous about the flight, Miles is teething right now, and you just never know how something like a plane ride with a baby is going to go. I knew I didn't want to be that mom with the crying baby on the plane... We left Vermont at 6:00 am, yes 6 am...yes that means I got up at 4:00 and woke my peacefully sleeping baby up at 4:30. He went with it though and didn't seem to mind a bit. We flew into DC (only an hour and 20 minute flight) and then on to Charlotte (another hour and a half). I have to say, Miles did wonderful!!! He slept for a little bit and I must have sang Old McDonald about 10 different times, but we made it! Here is a picture of Miles, can you see Mooma in the background?

That look on his face was basically his mood the entire time...I'm so lucky!

Jody and Dick picked us up at the airport and after hooking up the car seat and shoving all of our luggage and stroller into the car we had about a 2 hour drive from Charlotte to Arden (right outside of Ashville), Miles slept the whole way. When we got there Miles met Meme.

It was so nice out that we had to change him into one of his new summer outfits...what do you think?

Miles went around the outside of the house with Jody and Mooma...

The azaleas are beautiful down there right now, so much color!!!

We went for a nice walk around the neighborhood, Jody and Meme know just about everyone who lives there. It took us a little while to get around once, and we left Mooma behind as she stayed to talk to an older couple who live in the neighborhood.

Miles spent some time with Meme getting his back scratched, I would have liked to trade spots with him, but I think I would have looked a little silly sitting on Meme's lap....

Miles enjoyed it so much, he just sat there looking at her, listening to her voice, he was captivated by Meme.

Meme had a little gift waiting for Miles when we got there. Sorry Papi, you might have a little competition in persuading Miles to a certain basketball team!

The next day was Meme's birthday, 83 years old! We were so excited to be there for her birthday. It had been a long time since any of us had spent her birthday with her. We got her a digital photo frame, my dad loaded about 500 photos on to it, some of the photos go quite a ways back, so far back that my dad has long hair! We enjoyed looking at them, and I hope that Meme has found a good place for the frame and will enjoy looking at the pictures from time to time.

My aunt Leah sent down this beautiful pink sweater, doesn't it look nice on Meme?

We went for a nice walk that day and then relaxed for the better part of the day.

Miles was pretty tuckered out after our walk, he slept so well down there, I couldn't believe it!

We went out to a very nice dinner at an Italian restaurant, I can't remember the name....Pompodoro's (maybe? help Jody) It was very yummy, Miles did great sitting in his highchair, he had only done that one other time until then, he looks so cute sitting up to the table, I love it!

After dinner it was time to head home and relax, we were all full and happy! Miles enjoyed a little more Meme time...

There are our first two days in NC. There will be more to come, I am going to try to spread it out so it is not so overwhelming for anyone, including me! Come back soon for more adventures!!!

Jenny xxoo

Oh yeah, and as a special little surprise for Meme's birthday, Miles figured out how to crawl, yeah you read that right, crawl!!! Check it out! It is only for a couple seconds, but it was his first time ever and now he is going all over the place!!!

A brunch date!

All of you, I'm sure, remember little miss Ella, Miles' sweetheart....

We went down to her house for a brunch with Ann, Bannon, and Ella.  We had a wonderful meal, quiche, potatoes, fruit salad, oh and did I mention the mimosas?  It was so much fun to watch the two little monsters interact.  They are both so incredibly alert and deliberate in their actions.

They were pretty happy to see each other and were very intrigued by one another.  Dylan had a few moments when he got to think about what it would be like to have twins.

There was lots of friendly snuggling...

Followed by a couple of unfriendly touches (of course not intentional)....

Miles whacked Ella in the face (though she didn't even react)  I think it hurt the adults more than Ella!

Ella got Miles back a little later when she kicked him in the face (serves him right for hitting a girl!)  He, however, did react and he wasn't too happy!  He got over it though and they worked it out....

Miles wasn't really sure what to make of Bannon and his bushy beard.  It went much better than last time though, when Miles would cry at the sight of Bannon.

There were a couple of baby pig-piles.  Soo cute!

There was also lots of toy stealing, isn't Miles sooo transfixed on Ella's toy!

Told you they worked it out!  We can't wait until we get together with them again!  I'm not sure I will be able to compete with the deliciousness that is Ann's cooking though!

Wish me luck, Miles, Aunt Jamie, Mooma, and I are off to North Carolina to see Uncle Dick, Aunt Jody, and Meme tomorrow...not sure I could fit anything more into my suitcase right now!  Until next time!  Love to you all!

Jenny xxoo