the last gasp ...

It's been a whirlwind these past 2 weeks, racing against the clock as summer ticks down ... first the quick in-and-out trip to Florida for the baptism weekend followed immediately by our annual West Virginia road trip. This road trip happens at the end of each August in that sweet spot of time after camps end and before the school year begins (right after Labor Day for us). Speaking of school, I just glanced at aaaaall of the blog updates I've missed over these past 2 weeks and I can't get over how many of you are already back to school - you guys are back in with both feet and meanwhile I'm in complete denial crisscrossing the northeast corridor to get in one last gasp of summer ...

As you can clearly see from the photo - we definitely weren't close to home this last week! My mother has a house tucked into the hills of West Virginia, about 5 miles over the Virginia/West Virginia border - a 13-hour drive due southwest from here. She leaves Florida to spend the summer months there, but we've also enjoyed a Thanksgiving and even a huge Christmastime family reunion there as well - either way, this place is truly a slice of heaven and always offers us such peace and quiet each August before the roar of the school year begins. The grounds of the beautiful Greenbrier hotel are adjacent to my mother's neighborhood and as an owner there, she has hotel privileges that just can't be beat. It's like the best of both worlds to have all the comforts of home and yet all the perks of the hotel at the the same time! The girls and I get to do all sorts of fun activities that aren't at all like the flavor of home: fishing and horseback riding are the main attractions for my little ladybugs, but there are loads of other options as well ... golf, tennis, bowling, swimming, spa, and great restaurants too. The photos (took 167 in all!) really tell the story better than I can in words ... these are some shots of how we spent our days ...

And here are some shots from around the hotel - absolutely gorgeous! For those with a design itch like I have, it was socialite Dorothy Draper who decorated the hotel back in the 1940's with her signature bold classics that are still as beautiful and timeless today as they were 70 years ago ... her protege Carleton Varney has since taken over as president of Draper's design company and continues to do the Greenbrier's design work to this day ... take a peek ...

We returned on Thursday to a flood of back-to-school activities and errands for the girls, a huge pile of mail, and even bigger pile of emails and voice mails ... it's been a tough re-entry for this ladybug momma, but the weather here in New England continues to be as beautiful as ever, so I really can't complain too much ... and when I look at these wonderful photos of yet another fantastic week spent in this amazing little corner of West Virginia ... well, then I really can't complain at all, can I?! Lucky lucky ladybugs indeed ...