2021 Lu Crew Adventure Week

Over the last few years, we have done a "Family Adventure Week," wherein I take one week during the summer to venture out into our community with the kids to create adventures and memories, doing things we've never done before. 

This year proved to be an extra special one, as we took our Adventure Week to the mountains! Specifically, we booked our mountain home for a week and created different adventures together, just the six of us, each day. Here's what our Adventure Week looked like this year: 

Day 1. We started the day with a parents-only hike (which happened virtually every morning :) ) and then spent a little time in Downtown Blowing Rock, hitting up the newest location of our favorite homemade ice cream sandwich place - Blue Deer Cookies. Next up, it was straight to the downtown playground to burn off some energy. It was a great way to kick off the wee! 

Day 2. This was such a fun, fun day! We ventured to Banner Elk to ride the outdoor roller coaster...and all six of us loved it! We rode it over and over and over! We then made an impromptu stop on the way back to the house, hitting up a local vineyard a friend had recommended: it was beautiful! The kids played in the adjacent creek while my hub and I tasted some wine. It was so fun, even in the sudden downpour that drenched us! 

Day 3. We kicked off this day with a little singles tennis in Downtown Blowing Rock, while the kids played in the adjacent playground (the same one from Day 1). Then, while my hub knocked out some work, I took the kiddos to the local public pool, and it was awesome! Once my hub was done with his work day, we ventured to the Blowing Rock, taking in the gorgeous scenery, before heading to dinner at a new favorite local spot (Hellbender (ha!) - so.good.). 

Day 4. We had a big time on Day 4 of our Adventure Week, heading to Tweetsie Railroad, the first time ever for all six of us! It's basically a will west-themed amusement park, complete with a train ride through the mountains. We rode rides, gem-mined, fed animals, hit the sights, and had a good ol' time!

Day 5. For our last day of Adventure Week, we rode 20 gorgeous miles down the Blue Ridge Parkway (breathtaking!), making our way to Linville Caverns. Raleigh and I had actually been here before, for our mother-daughter weekend last August, so we were excited to show the rest of our crew the caves that go deep underneath a mountain! First though, we introduced them to our favorite local stop for lunch, Famous Louise's. The day wasn't done, though: we made a spontaneous stop at Grandfather Mountain, making our way across the (freezing! so high!!!) mile-high swinging bridge, visiting the natural habitat zoo, eating homemade fudge, and taking in all the sights to be seen. So cool! We loved it!

It was the little moments, too, that made it a special week for our fam: 

It was such a great week of family time, and we loved all the memories made during our 2021 Adventure Week. <3

2021 BLOMPSH Beach Trip

Thirty people, twenty of them kids, all crammed into one beach house for a week can only mean one thing...2021 BLOMPSH Beach Trip! This year was so special because my sister's new hubby and five new nieces/nephews (his four + the newest baby addition to the fam!) were there, making it extra fun! 

There was grown-up time and kid time, beach time and pool time, golf time and tennis time, turtle time and game time, and a whole lotta laughs along the way! It's as crazy and loud and chaotic as imaginable, and I loved every.single.second. of a trip that went by WAY too fast!!! A photo dump of our awesome week in North Topsail Island, North Carolina, at the beginning of June: 

What.A.Week. Full house, full heart.