vermont, part one

I went to Vermont this past week with my mom and we had such a great time. We flew out together and came home separately so she could stay a bit longer and I could go back to work. So not to worry, there will be even more pictures to post when I have her camera.

We went out to surprise my gram, Shirley. And surprised she was! She sort of caught onto the fact that all her kids would be coming, but she had no idea I would be there too (I told her I was the only worthwhile surprise - jk). My aunt and uncle run an inn & restaurant right on Lake Champlain, so my mom and I sat down at a table in the restaurant and waited for Shirley to come in for dinner. She was so happy when it dawned on her we were there!

Unfortunately, this cute lady and arthritis are not the best of friends. Needless to say, she is in lots of pain and is half bionic with all the surgeries she's had. As a result, she hasn't been able to drive for the past four years, which is nice for me because I get to be her personal chauffeur and spend lots of time with her.

But let me tell you, when my gram is in Vermont and not living with us, she has her own golf cart to get around the property with. And boy, can she put the pedal to the metal! She would zoom all around and I sat next to her giggling away. What a treat to be her passenger!

(Gram hates cameras so in the above picture, she was pushing the gas with all her might while I was simultaneously holding down the brake. I'm glad we got a picture of her "Grandma" golf cart though!)

We went back to the house and gram showed me her latest sewing projects. She has made a bunch of baby quilts for future grandkids. I claimed this quilt top as my own. I love the yellow in this for my yellow-loving gram!

The next day was her birthday, and her present was a hit. She loved it.

The pillow found its new home on Shirley's bed. My gram is a total Green Bay Packers fan. Look at the helmet on her teddy bear - so hilarious.

My mom and I swam in Lake Champlain at 6:30 in the morning one day. It was SO frigid. I usually handle cold temperatures with ease, but the freezing water took my breath away and I had to use my inhaler after. But we had a lot of fun and I was reminded of all the times I swam in this lake before. (We've been going to Vermont to visit our family ever since I was really young).

We went to an apple orchard.

I so badly wanted to pick apples from the trees, but they weren't quite ripe yet. I think apple orchards are the prettiest of places. In this pic is my Tennessee uncle, Hazen. He is always goofing off (note the sour apple on his head) and I usually joke around with him speaking in a southern accent.

Ben & Jerry's is my favorite ice cream, which is lucky since the factory is in Vermont. We used to go all the time as kids, but I haven't been in a decade. We planned on making a stop, but our days were just so jam-packed, that the factory didn't make the cut.

There is this small shack on the Lake Champlain islands so we got ice cream from there. This is the same place that a seagull so lovingly plucked the ice cream off my cone as a little girl and made me cry. There were no tears this time around!

Gram and I spent an entire day together going into Burlington. We started out with a doctor's visit. She was so funny telling a whole bunch of stories to the doctor and his resident (I was super impressed that they spent more than 10 seconds with us). She ended the visit by telling the doctor that he picked a good quality shirt because the stripes on his sleeves and the body of the shirt were lined up. Only something a great seamstress like her would notice!

We then went to two fabric stores. Shopping for fabric is her absolute favorite, and I sure love it, too.

We stopped at antique stores and had her hair permed. This is a wishing well I saw at one of the stores. I thought it was so cool. If only I had a place to put it, I have about ten wishes I'd like to cast at the moment.

Hazen and I went kayaking on the lake. I've never been before, but I have to say that I mostly kept up with him, despite our difference in height. I'm vertically challenged next to him, but my jokes and southern accent abilities compensate for it.

Here are some pictures of the property:

Adirondack chairs are a staple there.

Now this little place below is a secret I discovered. It's a little gazebo that's secluded in the corner of the property. How in the heck I have never seen it in the 20 years I've been going to Vermont is beyond me.

Oh my, is it wonderful, though. And look at the killer view! I think it's a prime spot for a proposal or a smooch with a cute boy. Maybe one day I will go back and put it to good use.

I was also spoiled rotten with yummy food. We ate breakfast and dinner at the restaurant every day. My uncle is the bartender, and since I don't drink beer or alcohol, he always makes me a shirley temple. When I was a little girl, I would wear a fancy dress and sit on a bar stool while he made me one. I didn't think life could get any better then, and I still get just as excited now at the age of 23.

He really made me laugh too, because the first night I only got three cherries in my drink, and as the nights went on, the cherries increased. My last shirley temple had five. Like I said - spoiled!

Here is the most gorgeous full moon I have ever seen. This picture displays about 1/8 of how beautiful it really was. Staring at the moon reflecting on the lake with people I love. It just doesn't get much better than that.