Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: holidays

A Blackberry Biking Bonanza

A Blackberry Biking Bonanza

Our family traditionally celebrates the 4th of July in Winston-Salem with both sets of grandparents.  We have homemade ice cream, ping pong and corn hole tournaments, and of course the biggest, most badass fireworks display in the neighborhood!  As the Crag-Daddy’s parents have gotten bitten by the biking bug in recent years, the past couple of Independence Days have also featured a biking adventure – last year we spent a day on the “rails to trails” system in Virginia’s New River State Park.   So much has changed since then!  Not only has Big C graduated from balance bike to…Read the rest of this entry →

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Easter Egg Huntin’ at the Climbing Gym

Easter Egg Huntin’ at the Climbing Gym

Last year we spent the Saturday before Easter hiding eggs for Big C within the pocketed walls of Crowders Mountain, while the grown-ups got their climb on.  (And ironically looking back at that old trip report, I see that Big C is wearing the exact same Thomas the Train jammies…)  Now that Big C is a bona fide roped climber in his own right, our plan this year was to move our egg hunt higher than 5 feet off the ground, hiding his eggs within the nooks and crannies of actual climbing routes.  We’d been looking forward to it all…Read the rest of this entry →

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The 5 Most Unpleasant Things I’m Thankful For This Year…

The 5 Most Unpleasant Things I’m Thankful For This Year…

Well, it’s Thanksgiving again, and like many of you probably have, I’ve taken some time to pause and reflect on what I’m thankful for this year.  However, at the risk of sounding cliche and sappy, this post is going to take a different perspective than the usual rote lists of blessings.  Often times, situations that seem unpleasant at first glance end up being the gateway to other blessings that we never would have encountered without the former unpleasantries.  I think it was Garth Brooks who once sang that “some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”  I’ve certainly found that…Read the rest of this entry →

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An All-Weather Gift Guide for All-Year Adventures!

An All-Weather Gift Guide for All-Year Adventures!

It might not even be Thanksgiving yet, but I’d be willing to bet that a lot of you have already started your holiday shopping.  You can really never start too early, as many times finding the perfect gift for someone you love can be quite difficult.  My husband’s family tries to make this easier on every one via a “Christmas List.”  Not just for kiddos around here, we all jot down a few items in varying price ranges and share them with each other.  While going rogue and purchasing something NOT on the list is certainly acceptable, the list is…Read the rest of this entry →

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Spring Egg-stravaganza at Crowders Mountain!

Spring Egg-stravaganza at Crowders Mountain!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted a trip report.  That’s because it’s been just under a month since I’ve climbed outdoors.  Between cold and wet weather, a little guy’s birthday, and a (hopefully minor) knee injury, our weekends of late have been occupied with activities other than climbing.  So when the stars aligned just right last Saturday, our whole household was psyched!  For me, the tick list was non-existent.  My main goal was to test the knee out on some local rock before galavanting off to the Red River Gorge later in the week.  Oh yeah, and I wanted to do…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN