The first time we ever took the kids to a cabin in Boone, we told them we were going camping. They were excited, to say the least. With my ridiculous fear of bugs and pitch black darkness, there was no way I was going into any wilderness and spending the night in a tent. So instead, we rented a cabin. With the kids being so young (all four were ages 5 and under at the time), we didn’t think they would know the difference. We got there and my oldest said “This isn’t camping. This is cabining.” And with the left side of my lip curled up in disbelief, I was like, “whaaaaat?” I was schooled by my five year old. Since then we decided we would start a family tradition by heading out to the mountains every once in a while to go cabining. This time, we rented a different cabin. It had a glorious view and the scenic drive up to it was spectacular. We enjoyed the company of my in-laws (Alin’s parents) and it was a trip that will always be remembered.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I was lucky to visit Savannah twice in the past few weeks. Once when my best friend and her husband came to visit us from Phoenix and then again when we shot this wedding. I’ve decided to compile my personal photos from both trips into this one post. A few of these were taken by Jenny who is not only one of my very best friends, but also a brilliant photographer, and mother of twins. There was a plethera of geeking out over photography, heaps of boisterous laughter, and the purchasing of best friend necklaces. It was like we were in sixth grade all over again.

Back in April, Alin, the kids, and I took a trip down to Charleston for the umpteenth time. There was something about this trip, though, that made it my favorite Charleston trip of all time. With four kids all ages six and under, you would think that road trips and vacations would be stressful. But I was so proud of them this day. I enjoyed watching them simply be -kids. No tv’s, no iPads, no iWhatevers.

The best part was when we walked the quiet residential streets, and it was just a quiet, simple walk. They didn’t need an amusement park to feel like they were having fun. In those moments, I felt like we were all in agreement that we just liked being in each others’ presence. And to me, that felt amazing.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

[crying because they didn't want to leave]