i'm in a bit of a slump. i'll admit it. :)
stuck when it comes to what to blog about. it's hard for me to blog when i am feeling "blah".
we are doing just fine over here. staying busy,getting creative with ways to fill the summer days now that school is out, but i've got blogger's block i think. no new content is coming to mind!
i realized i never shared lots of photos from our asheville trip and i thought that was the perfect solution.
we LOVED touring the biltmore estate. it was a lot of walking for the girls, but they loved it.
all i could think of was "can you imagine CLEANING THIS?". ha!
anyway, it was drop dead gorgeous. and we visited during the flower festival, everything was in full bloom and amazingly beautiful.
here's some favorite photos+stories from our trip.
thank GOODNESS we borrowed these backpacks from friends before we left. they were complete lifesavers. not to mention they gave me a major work out. HA! the babies loved them and had no problems napping in them. i told j i wanted him to carry ME around in one of them. hehehehe!
first we had a little family picnic on the lawn. i took the opportunity to use the gorgeous grass as a backdrop for some impromptu photos.
j kept saying "the GRASS is even rich!!!!" bwaahahahaha
i think KP would be proud of this picture. harper is a mini 'ashionista KP anyway.
next were the gardens.i just couldn't get over how stunning they were.
apparently, neither could sadie.
she was so overcome with God's beauty, that she made this face:
hmm.thanks,sadie bug!
FLOWERS IN VINTAGE SUITCASES? SERIOUSLY? SWOON.
heaven.
then we toured the house (no photos allowed, BOO!)
and then we visited the winery. by we, i mean me. i had a blissful 20 minutes alone in the gift shop while J circled in the minivan with the girls. what a man. :)
that's it for today...i'll see you tomorrow with an awesome giveaway.
happy monday!
xxo
Sounds fabulous!
Posted by: Linda E | 05/23/2011 at 12:46 PM
beautiful house.. dang it with not allowed to take pictures.
Best husband you have, let you in as he kept girls for while. How nice!
Thumbs up!
Lovely pictures of garden!!
Posted by: jennifer Camplin | 05/23/2011 at 12:51 PM
I have always wanted to tour that place!!! I remember seeing lots of commercials and whatnot with the Biltmore on HGTV years back. So so pretty, your photos are! I will live vicariously through your photos. Seriously, the suitcases are awesome! How nice to get a few minutes to yourself. My DH has done that for me too. :)
Posted by: Michelle | 05/23/2011 at 01:00 PM
what a man ideed, I have to have a suitcase garden now HAVE TO!
Posted by: jamie long | 05/23/2011 at 01:07 PM
love the biltmore!! i mean. a bowling alley in the basement? yes please :)
photo of H is gorgeous--- love sadie's faces! ha!
Posted by: Jenni Hufford | 05/23/2011 at 01:25 PM
Love the pictures. Love the picture of H in the grass - Absolutely stunning!!! Sadie and J kissing in front of the flowers - So sweet :)
TFS!!!
Posted by: Angie May | 05/23/2011 at 01:31 PM
Love the flowers in the suitcase. Going to pin that to my "it's just pretty" board :-)
Did you ever finish answering all the questions in your last Q&A request post? Just a thought.
I did wonder how you had the girls' car seats arranged in your minivan. Just curious.
Posted by: Diana C. aka the Lonely Scrapbooker | 05/23/2011 at 02:36 PM
gorgeous pics steph! i'm so glad you enjoyed it...
and so glad you got to see the winery too :) i can just picture j driving round 'n round!
Posted by: Kimber-Leigh | 05/23/2011 at 02:39 PM
I hope you got a chance to have a glass of wine! Now why do they not allow pictures? it is such a shame one spends all that money to go there and no pictures! For heavens sake I am a scrapbooker!! lol Thanks for sharing. Grace xoox
Posted by: grace | 05/23/2011 at 02:39 PM
Harper is the grass is amazing! Such a beautiful photo! The garden's are beautful!
Posted by: Pat | 05/23/2011 at 02:44 PM
Thanks Stephanie for sharing. Love the gardens and in particular the suitcase flower boxes. I will need to do that, HA!! Love Sadie and J kissing in the garden, she closes her eyes and that is so sweet. Love all the sharing you do with us but I can understand how you would get a block. We will hang in there with you.
Posted by: Diana in Napa | 05/23/2011 at 03:38 PM
Beautiful photos. Love the plants in the suitcases. Fabulous idea!!!
Posted by: Kimberly O'Rosky | 05/23/2011 at 03:51 PM
gorgeous photos!
the one of harper in the grass is perfection!
I just LOVe hearing about your everyday life with the girls!!!
so just blog the ordinary!!!!!!
we love it!
tara
Posted by: tara pollard pakosta | 05/23/2011 at 04:20 PM
p.s. just thought of some blog posts for you!!!
update on your journey of getting healthy: recipes, workouts etc.???
harpers enjoying her birthday or a post about her at age: 5
We saw all the goods, but I don't remember many during the party shots, but I could have missed a post somewhere too?!
maybe one special photo shoot per day of each girl w/ an update? I LOVED the Sadie faces/popsicle ones so much!!!
maybe do a photo shoot of the activities you do during the summer to keep them busy both indoors and out?
what about an update on their favorite colors/shows/book etc. or a mini interview with each older girl!!! that would be so cUTE!
okay just some thoughts to keep your wheels turning and the things that I want to see HAAAA~!
tara
Posted by: tara pollard pakosta | 05/23/2011 at 04:26 PM
Scrumptious pictures - and that reminds me of Hearst Castle....I found myself thinking the same thing about cleaning, and that I would never feel it was clean enough for bare feet....
Posted by: Kirsten J | 05/23/2011 at 05:04 PM
I so love going to the Biltmore House! I go there every chance I get. I love it here and there is sooooooo much to do. I knew you would love it here. Can't wait for you to come again. Maybe I will get lucky and run into you! LOL!
Posted by: Alicia Sharp | 05/23/2011 at 07:29 PM
Thanks for sharing. I've really enjoyed watching your little ones get bigger. No, I'm not a crazy stalker. I just really do thank you for letting us in on your life. :)
Posted by: Mariah | 05/23/2011 at 07:33 PM
Oh, those backpacks are amazing! When my youngest was just 6 months old, we carried him around Paris in one just like those. It was SOOOO much nicer than a stroller... and because he could sleep whenever he needed to: NO INFANT JETLAG!!
Posted by: Carrielyn | 05/23/2011 at 08:07 PM
You HAVE to scrap that picture of J and Sadie smooching, how stinking sweet is that!! Lovely pics of the house and the flowers, all so pretty, thanks for sharing! I know what you mean about needing things to blog about, I just took some random pics around my house the other day of stuff I love and blogged about that, does anyone look at my blog, I don't know, but it's fun anyway...
Posted by: laurie | 05/23/2011 at 08:15 PM
Oh I love the flower filled suitcases! Beautiful photos!
Posted by: DeeDee | 05/23/2011 at 10:04 PM
Thanks for sharing the suitcase flowers! So inspiring! Loved the girls as well. :) Pretty as always.
Posted by: Leslie | 05/23/2011 at 10:32 PM
your right that suitcase is GORGEOUS, but even better is Sadie closing her eyes when she is kissing her daddy!! LOVE!!
TFS, Natalie
P.S. I have 3 girls and my oldest is graduating highschool on wednesday, I'm so sad about this! Enjoy it goes by so fast!
Posted by: Natalie | 05/24/2011 at 12:15 AM
Sorry you're feeling "blah". I never feel that way when I read your posts....just love hearing from you. And may I mention that your family is Drop Dead Gorgeous! All of you.
Big hugs.
Posted by: Claudia | 05/24/2011 at 06:01 AM
What a grand place! Love your photos! My husband and I visited the Biltmore a couple years ago. We dropped our son off at camp and drove there for a four day stay! It was heavenly! We stayed at the hotel there and ate at the bistro. There's lots of other things to see on the grounds too. Anyway...you brought back these fabulous memories from our special trip!
Posted by: Kathy Martin | 05/24/2011 at 06:50 AM
Wow, that place is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Laney | 05/24/2011 at 09:23 AM
Okay, I LOVE the flowers in the vintage suitcases!!! Who thinks of that??? The photo of Harper in the grass is to die for, as is Sadie's "I-love-this-garden" face! lol
Posted by: MilliD | 05/24/2011 at 09:25 AM
Pictures are so sweet. Harper is turning into a regular 'ashion model! Love the up close kiss with Sadie & Dad. Priceless.
Posted by: bluemoon | 05/24/2011 at 10:02 AM
I thought about "cleaning" it back when I visited the Biltmore in 1975 as a teenager. I would love to go again.
Posted by: berta | 05/24/2011 at 05:19 PM
What gorgeous pictures! Those flowers and grass make the perfect backdrop! We vacation in North Carolina (about an hour west of asheville, in Cashiers/Highlands area) every year and we have visited a few times! I am always just in awe of that place!
Posted by: Corey Brock | 05/24/2011 at 07:33 PM
Beautiful Photos!! Would love to go there some day!
TFS!!
Posted by: Kim Boken | 05/25/2011 at 05:30 PM