Stuff we did without the kids

While Emma and Ben were blazing a trail around Ohio and New York (and Josh was at the Langfords--thanks!, and Lydia and Afton were at the Fake Cruzes--thanks!), we were trekking it old school. Scott and I were a Ma and Pa for this summer's youth conference--a pioneer handcart trek. We pulled our carts in about six miles to our camp site, spent a day playing pioneer games and sleeping in tents and using port-a-pottys (day one: not as bad as I thought they'd be, day three: hold your breath and close your eyes and focus on suppressing your gag reflex and you'll be fine), then trekked back out. We had a great time. Couldn't have asked for better kids in our family, good attitudes abounded, and we gained valuable practice with teenagers.

Pa, Tyler, Thomas, Seth, Noah, Jared
McKayla, Ma, Courtney, McKayla (another one), Savannah

Then, a week after our return, we celebrated our anniversary early with a getaway just for us. (Emma, Ben, Josh at Sextons--thanks!, Lydia and Afton at Fake Cruzes again--thanks again!) Guess where we went? The Virginia Creeper. Of course. We stayed in a little apartment for two nights and mostly relaxed and biked the time away. It was so great. I had grand aspirations to do the whole 68 miles both ways, but it turns out I'm just not ready for that. We biked 17 miles from Damascus to Abingdon, then 17 miles back. Our route was almost completely flat, and I guessed it would be pretty easy. But about halfway back to Damascus I thought I was going to die my back and knees and bum were aching so bad. Scott could've rode circles around me at that point, but he politely kept to my snail's pace and lovingly reflected on how hard we'd been riding and how we hadn't taken any real breaks and no wonder I was worn out. That's why I married him. The next day we slept in late then went up the mountain toward Whitetop for a few miles (only 3 or 4) before stopping to wade in the river a bit then coast back down (when we go with the kids we just go from Whitetop to Damascus...all downhill). We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Abingdon's beautiful historic downtown before catching 39 Steps at the Barter Theater.

It was a good anniverary.

And it's not even our anniversary yet.