Charleston Tea Plantation

A small group of home schoolers, including our family, decided a field trip to the Charleston Tea Plantation was a must!  This tea plantation is the only one in the United States!  

 After going with our friends, the children decided their daddy, who was TDY at during our first field trip, simply must go with us.  So off we went again!!!
 

The first part of the tour is free and is inside the factory.

Then we walked around outside for a little while, before our trolley ride.

Then we started the trolley ride to see the rest of the plantation.  Only the tops of the bushes are harvested for tea.

Some of the blooms off the tea plants that the trolley guide passed around.

This is where new plants are being started.

If you ever make it to the Charleston area, in the Summer or early Fall especially, try to make plans to go and see the Charleston Tea Plantation!  You will not find anything else like it throughout the United States!  I can assure you we will be going back again!!!

Apple Picking

In the Fall, our family enjoys going apple picking.  We get enough apples to last us until the following season.  For our family, this means lots and lots of apples.  So every year, we pack up our five children and a picnic lunch and head to Justus Orchard in Hendersonville, North Carolina, for some of the yummiest apples in the area!  First, though, we must stop and get some pictures taken :)

Now it is time for some apple picking....

And we only lost one to the youngest.... though we did make him share it!

And then it was time for the yearly height measurements...  They are all getting SOOO big!

Ben wasn't interested in getting measured...

he wanted his apple back!

Looking forward to more fresh apples this Fall!

Update

Sooooooo much has happened since I last blogged!!!  In response to quite a few e-mails (love you guys !)  Over the next few days, I am hoping to update my blog on the various crafts and activities we have been doing, including preparing for Christmas (YES I realize I am MONTHS behind, school projects, and preparing for Easter.  But in the meantime, I want to share some exciting news for those who have not heard...

In the beginning of July or so, we will be welcoming our newest blessing!  We are all quite excited!  The ultrasound shows it is a little girl, so we will be naming her Alyson Michaela, or Aly :)  We are all super excited to be adding her to our family!!!

So look for posts coming soon, with pictures hopefully, of our past adventures :)