Botanical Gardens - Fall field trip

Last spring, we went on a field trip to the Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, N.C. We went back again last Friday with our field trip group.  My kids (and I!) just love it there. 

Tabby was well enough that morning to go with us - thank you God!  Then that afternoon she became extremely nauseous and has high pain every since - please heal her God.  Still though, she was SO happy to be able to get out for a bit.

[Little update - we got some of Tabby's blood tests back last week.  Everything was normal except her Vitamin D level was a bit low.  That could be contributing to her bone pain and inflammation.  Should get back more lab test results over the next 2 weeks.] 

The boys LOVE to play in the "twig house".  Unfortunately we learned it is going be taken down this winter.  It is apparently starting to fall apart and some people have gotten hurt.

I saw a beautiful plant that I want for my yard!  The berries on it are gorgeous.  It is appropriately named "American Beauty Berry":

Since we have goats, we thought this one was funny.  Apparently it is a plant that goats hate!  It is called "goat's rue":

We got to go inside this old log cabin.  It was originally built in the 1800s.  It was used by North Carolina playwright, Paul Green, as a place to do his writing.

Lily pads and fish!  Our tour guide showed us how if you push a lily pad under the water, it just pops right back up to the top and all the water runs off.  We needs raincoats made with that material!  This section had raised gardens were they had some sort of garden therapy for people in wheelchairs.

Hunter's favorite plant was the Venus fly traps, which were mixed in with pitcher plants.  We got to watch our guide feed some of the fly traps potato bugs.  Too cool!

Solomon's favorite plant was "Solomon's Seal."  We will plant some in his garden next spring.

Hunter loves a sundial:

For humor, Tabby copied the leaf sculpture called "Running Man".  (She can not wait to start running again herself.)

Hunter was fascinated with this spinning sculpture and was watching it for awhile to figure it out:

We have decided to go back to the Botanical Garden in this winter to see what it is like then.  :)

On a different note, Hunter told me this morning about a funny dream he had.  Right before he had a nightmare about an old lawnmower we have.  (He usually dreams about machines.)  He said he dreamed he was at Lowes looking to buy a pump.  Jesus and the apostles were there, shopping. (LOL!)  And Joseph (Jesus's earthly father) was there too - buying carpentry stuff - but he kept disappearing and reappearing. Hunter said the worst part of the dream was that of all the pumps they were selling, they would not let him buy the one he wanted!