The Groovy Outdoors

Yeah, for Fall! We just came back from the first official camping trip of the season, and a GREAT time was had by all! We went to Unicoi State Park in the North Georgia mountains, only a few miles from the alpine village (heehee) of Helen, GA. It was Awesome!! The girls were SO dirty by the time we came home, they looked like mini coal miners. When we first arrived, Eleanor's hands got dirty and she asked for a napkin. Kevin said, "No Ellie, when you're camping you do this..." and proceeded to wipe his hands all over his clothes. So naturally, Ellie came over and wiped her hands all over Kevin! It was classic! (see photo) Zahara and Selah decided to build a creek next to our campsite, using garden trowels and water bottles... it's a work in progress... Hannah found that a camping pot and piece of rope make an exciting vessel for water from the pump.
After the moon came out, the party really got started...
Hotdogs and S'mores were abundant at the Groves Camp, with live guitar music by Chuck and Sewell. The girls each wore a fuchsia glowstick and got their own flashlight to run wild in the wild. Hannah started a rousing game of "Nancy Drew solves the Camp Mystery", with, of course, Hannah as Nancy, Selah as Bess, and Zahara as George. When the clues went cold, the girls joined in a rowdy game of Tag with other kids in the park. By the time they stumbled into their tent, they were worn out!
The next morning we ate a "Camping Breakfast" of potatoes, onions, and eggs... however, in our excitement to hit the open air, we failed to remember silverware... so we tore a paper plate and made our own spoons. We walked down to the playground and discovered a creek filled with rocks and sea urchins!... Actually, the urchins turned out to be chestnuts (or buckeyes, for you Yankees). The girls had so much fun picking up chestnuts from the ground, we found about 5 pounds, which we are looking forward to roasting (open fire required!) Fortunately, no one was hit by the frequently falling chestnut casings, which are baseball sized and covered with spikes... (they are so heavy, they split open when they fall and that's how the nuts come out)...
We then took the girls to hike up to Anna Ruby Falls, a half-mile trip up the mountain. I was so proud, even Ellie Grace made it all the way to the falls, just not up the stairs to the observation deck. It was BEAUTIFUL! We are really thankful for the perfect weather, if it were any hotter or colder, it wouldn't have been the same.
In closing, I shall state my undying opinion that all children should be allowed to get as dirty as possible while in the woods. Love you all!