Campfires & Fireflies

We had the wonderful privilege to stay in one of the Sundancer Cabins , in Gleenwood Arkansas recently. Our particular cabin, the Dream Catcher, was incredibly beautiful and comfortable. When we arrived we felt like we had come home - that's how comfortable the cabin is. We were right on a river and the cabin was nestled between the forest and a big open field. Again, I must stress how beautiful and comfortable this place was!

A nice, and very welcomed, surprise was Violet had a lot of freedom to explore and roam around without her Daddy or myself watching over her like a hawk! She would spend her time either at the cabin or at the river, where her Daddy and Grandpa and Uncle were fishing. If Violet decided to return to the cabin, Gregg would either call or text me that she was on her way. And I did the same with him when she decided to go back to the river. Violet didn't know we were communicating this way but it sure was helpful at easing our minds and let us relax some.

Truly, Violet has never had that much freedom in her short seven years of life here on earth. We don't live in the same world that Gregg and I grew up in. There are hidden dangers lurking around every corner. Some of the dangers don't look dangerous at all! Without a prior record that you are personally aware of, how is it possible to know someone is a murderer or pedophile just by looking at them? Some of the biggest pedophiles in our history have a squeaky clean look about them! Call me paranoid, because I totally am, but it's mine and Gregg's job to ensure Violet's safety. In order to do that to the best of our abilities is to watch over her every move when we're outside our home. Knowing there wasn't anyone around us for miles gave us the opportunity to relax and allow Violet to have freedom to explore her surroundings and to somewhat be out from under the watchful eyes of her parents. It was a wonderful experience for all of us! Violet thrived in this environment and I hated to take her away from it.

Gregg, my Dad, and Gregg's Uncle, along with Violet, spent the majority of their time trying to catch some fish. I have to give her credit, Violet lasted a lot longer than I thought she would while fishing. And if tadpoles were counted as fish, she would have beaten the men in their great fishing adventure. The only fish we ate that week were the fish we consumed at a local restaurant in town! But it wasn't for a lack of trying. The men were at the river all day, every day, trying to catch fish.

My Mom and I hit almost every single consignment shop in the town. We found several great deals. Violet and I have a real tea party that we're attending next month. Everyone is to bring their

own tea cup and saucer. So, we had a mission while at the stores - find tea cups and saucers! We found three beautiful sets and I adore them. Those are mine and Violet's souvenirs from our trip. I found several great clothing finds for Violet. She should pretty much be covered for her summer attire. And I found a cute giraffe print purse with red trim - totally opposite from everything I own, but I love it!

These steps were a part of our scenery from the cabin's deck area. It was so tranquil.

The picture on the right is of a humming bird that is obviously preparing to lay some eggs. We kept trying to find her nest but  never had any luck with that. She was a beauty!

One of our favorite things of our trip were the campfires we had each night. We would gaze at the stars that were shining so brightly and listening to the symphony of frogs, cicadas, crickets, birds, and the occasional coyote.There were nights that I debated sleeping outside so that I could soak up all the sounds but always ended up in the comfy bed that was in our room. And to be honest, I have never slept better in my whole life like as I did last week! It was hard to leave when our last day rolled around and I'd love to be back at the cabin right now!

If you ever have a chance to go to these cabins please do so! Trust me, you will not regret going. The cabins are fully furnished, have cable and wifi, are comfortable and are a great place to get some R&R.