A Fall Cabin Retreat

We headed out to James River State Park for a little retreat over Halloween weekend!







We love the little cabins at the Park and had such a great time last year that we decided to go back again. The first thing we decided to do on Friday was take a hike!



Charlie was so excited to venture into the woods. He loves to hike on the trails. We hiked to the Tye River Overlook where the Tye and James Rivers meet.



We never get tired of this beautiful view!



The scenery is gorgeous!





We attempted a group photo!







It was a beautiful day for being outside!



Charlie really enjoyed the leaves as he always does!





We hiked over 7 miles that first day and then on the next day we took a little road trip up past Crabtree Falls to hike Spy Rock.

There was a field full of pumpkins on our way...



We parked and then started our journey!





The hike was a pretty steady uphill climb for almost 2 miles!



We even saw horses on the route!



Then there was the fork in the road...



My guys...



A little more...



And, we arrived...



Picture time...



Look at these smiles!



We made it to the top of the rock!





360 degree views!











And, then we had to make our way back down...



We choose a slightly easier route down than these folks...



I wasn't moving fast enough for Charlie!



The rocks were amazing...



Going down was a lot faster!



The faces after the hike!



On our way down we stopped at the Montebello Fish Hatchery! Really cool!



And, then a quick stop at the parking lot at Crabtree Falls!



And, another quick stop to check out the rushing water!



I just love our time together!



Such a magnificent view!



This was a little fuzzy, but we'll take it!



And, I asked Dynamo to stop so I could snap a picture of this beautiful church!



And, this sign down the road...



What a way to end a great day and trip! The little man enjoyed roasting like a marshmallow!



We really enjoyed our time relaxing and getting fresh air! The state parks are amazing and we are so blessed to have access to such beautiful sights. Be sure to check out Spy Rock and James River State Park. You won't be disappointed!

Mint Chocolate Chip is here!

The latest batch smells good enough to eat...literally!!



This mint chocolate chip is true to its name offering a delightfully chocolate fragrance with a hint of mint!

These bars were made as a favor for a recent bridal shower, and because they were such a hit we made more!!



We also added some coffee grounds for exfoliation! Yummy!

A little lavender chamomile...

This lavender chamomile is a lovely soap. It's so light and fresh with lots of yellow Brazilian clay for detoxification.



The lavender buds serve as exfoliants.

Cupcakes Anyone?

It's always an honor to be asked to make favors for special occasions. Most recently I was asked to make pink soap cupcakes for a friend's wedding. They will be her favors this coming weekend!



It's very special to be a part of someone's special time.



The soaps turned out lovely and they really do look like edible cupcakes.

Tandem Time

A few days ago we brought out the bicycle built for two!



We ventured over to the Petersburg National Battlefield!



At times it gets a little tricky taking groupie pics while trying to ride!



We had a great time on our spin even in the heat!



It is always so beautiful in the woods. It's quiet and so peaceful.



We should all stop to smell the trees every once in a while even if it means we might see an unwanted friend or two...



We are very grateful for our health to be able to ride and enjoy the time together!

Mountain Bike Monday - See Spot Ride

I dusted off my Spot single speed over the weekend and we hit the trails at Poco.



It was a beautiful afternoon for a Sunday ride together in the park.



Spot was so glad to be out and about again. And, I felt really good on the bike after all this time.



I just love these big rocks on the green trail. Dynamo rides right up like it's no big deal!







Of course we ventured over to the dam where the snake family lives. Can you see him poking his head out of the bottom crack of the pipe?



And, there was another one!



Last week on our ride we ventured over to the new trails at Poco, the Blueberry Trail. It was a nice flowing ride with an awesome downhill!





Did I mention we rode Blue and Green too?





We checked out all of the new stuff on Forest Exploration side of the park.





And, we even saw a garter snake...



Even though I've been a little delayed in posting, we are still out and about riding the trails together! It's always a good day when we can be together riding!