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Since a successful trip to the top of Stone Mountain in the fall of 2015, hiking has become a regular weekend outing for us. We pack both dogs and our gear, and generally spend a couple hours on foot. We have refined our approach with each trip, and Rachel pushes the envelope on the food options (Publix fried chicken anyone?), keeping the crew well fed and tempers under control.

Our Springer Spaniel Trixie does great — as long as she’s in the lead. She’s a handful if someone else is out front, but seems to love the trips (and the treats). Our poodle mix Bandit has the shortest legs in our group, but the biggest heart. They say a good dog will run until its heart explodes, and I think Bandit would prove that true if we let him. After having to carry him for stretches on the first few hikes, we stuck him in Nathan’s backpack on the most recent outing (see Nathan’s update). I sensed some shame, but Bandit didn’t fight us, and I don’t blame him.

Early this year we did a couple hikes nearby — at Lake Norman State Park and Latta Plantation — then set our sights on bigger challenges.

A three-hour trip to a place called Max Patch, which included a nine-mile drive up a tight, winding, washboard dirt road, ended with an excellent payoff. The hike to the top was a short one, though steep in one stretch, and the summit was a big, grassy plateau with incredible views.

On Mother’s Day we tackled Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi. It’s just off the Blue Ridge Highway, and the temperature drop was pretty incredible — from mid 70s in our driveway to low 50s at the base of the mountain. The steep trails were by far the most difficult we’ve tackled — tree roots and boulders were our stairs for more than half of the four-mile hike — but everyone came through unscathed. And now we know hikes considered difficult or strenuous are still in our wheelhouse, although when Viv saw the parking lot near the summit, she let me (and everyone nearby) know we could have just driven to the top and walked a short, paved path to the observation deck. So maybe we’ll try a moderate trail next time.

Our hiking is sure to slow down in the summer heat, but the NC mountains are full of big waterfalls and other cool destinations, so I’m sure we’ll be back at it soon.

Vivian has become quite capable in the kitchen, baking pies with her Dad, making salsa with her Mom. She measures ingredients like a pro, and has even started working on her knife skills (under the watchful eyes of her parents).

When Rachel’s client Chef Julia from Nourish was schedule to appear on TV, and the producers asked for a child to join her, Rachel knew just the junior chef for the job: Vivian, 9 years old going on 30.

Vivian was a little nervous, but she quickly warmed up, thanks in part to Julia.

Celebrity hit Vivian fast, like by the time she arrived at school that morning. “Everyone for the rest of the day kept asking me ‘Were you on TV? What was it like?'” she said exasperatedly when she got home that afternoon.

The Intermediate School stardom carried on to the next day, when the class watched her segment on the smart board.

She’s still not sure she wants to put in her application for Kids’ Baking Championship on the Food Network, but we’ll see.

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We met the Damerons — Brad, Jamie, Luke and Will — in Nashville for a long weekend in July. We were able to cram a month’s worth of activity and good eating into a couple of days, and both families left Music City tired and happy.

The kids behaved like champs as the parents made them endure a few long waits for some high-end grub, including: Hattie B’s Hot Chicken (a hat tip to Jamie, who rustled up seating for eight in a small joint). We also ate upstairs at Jack’s Bar-B-Que on Broadway, at a killer breakfast/brunch joint called Biscuit Love, and hit Jeni’s ice cream joint one evening.

The sightseeing included visits to Jack White’s Third Man Records, American Pickers star Mike Wolfe’s Antique Archaeology, the Johnny Cash museum (a Brad and Rachel only adventure), and the little shop where they make Goo Goo Clusters. And of course the Parthenon, the main attraction in Nashville’s Centennial Park. The building and the Athena statue are full-scale replicas of the originals in Greece.

On the last day we ventured into Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge to give the kids a taste of some live music. Vivian requested an Alan Jackson tune, endearing herself to the band.

Not gonna lie, we logged some hours at the hotel pool. It refreshed the kids on a hot weekend, and for the adults it was a place to relax, get some sun … and maybe a spiked drink or three.

Nathan turned 12 this year. Where has the time gone?

Mr. Man is a rising 7th grader, and with that comes some freedom and responsibility, including hanging at Carowinds with your buddies to celebrate your birthday.

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Nathan and I took our second Dudes Only summer trip this year. Our first was to the N.C. mountains in Asheville. This time we went to Charleston, S.C., one of my favorite cities. For the most part I let him set the agenda, so I was able to see Charleston in a different way.

The first thing we did was play wiffle ball in Battery Park. Judging by some of the stares, we were trailblazers. The breeze coming off the water made my pitches dance, but he still crushed everything I threw. The fishing was slow, but there was some excitement when an old-timer battled a small shark.

We took a tour boat to Fort Sumter, which he enjoyed, even if it was blazing hot. Visit Charleston in mid June and you expect heat, but there is no preparing for 105. We also went to the aquarium, which was full of wonder for him at age 4, but less so at 12. The first night we took a ghost tour — I’ll call it a success, though I think Nate was rooting for tales with more gore and scares.

On Day 2 we saw a Charleston RiverDogs baseball game, and the stadium and view are amazing for the low minors. Bill Murray is part owner of the team, and he clearly had some say in the concession options, which are awesome. Sadly, by game time we really just wanted water and shade. Next time I’m getting a Guiness Caramel beer shake.

I cut Nate a deal and we left the baseball game early and I let him stay up to watch Steph Curry in the NBA Finals. We stopped for snacks on the way and sat on our beds in the AC watching Game 6. Pretty sure this was the highlight of the trip for him, though he was snoring by halftime.

Because of the heat, we logged some serious time at the hotel pool. We were in one of America’s most interesting cities for about 48 hours and spent about four of those trying to get the perfect jumping/diving catch of a wiffle ball. We were at this until his skin shriveled and I have about a dozen blurry pics of the attempts, the best of which is in the slideshow below. I’ll be keeping my day job.

Charleston’s food scene is fantastic, and Rachel sent us with a long list of restaurants to try. But this was Nate’s show, and his list was shorter: Subway and BBQ. As a compromise, he let me drag him to a couple of cafes for breakfast instead of his preferred morning option: The hotel’s buffet.

On the last day we went to a landmark called the Angel Oak. It was quite a hike to Johns Island (I swear I heard banjos). Apparently this tree is believed to be more than 1500 years old. Our scouting report: Big, old tree with a lot of signs around it. Not much room for wiffle ball.

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The end of the school year snuck up on us! Nathan and Vivian wrapped up sixth and third grades with aplomb.

2015-06-05 19.43.56 from Rachel Sutherland on Vimeo.

As part of the third grade curriculum in Mooresville Graded Schools, third graders must present a living history project that involves a written report, power point presentation and a live interpretation of the subject.

Rachel was excited to hear that this year, third graders were encouraged to choose an entrepreneur or business owner as their subject. Vivian chose to do her report on Julia Child. Rachel sourced the costume from thrift stores and snagged the wig at Party City.

Vivian and Rachel watched “Julie and Julia” to further familiarize themselves with Julia Child, and well, the rest is history.

Vivian was the first station at the Living History Museum at South Elementary and passed with flying colors.

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We celebrated a wonderful, action-packed Christmas holiday in North Carolina. The Atlanta Sutherlands and the Michigan Sutherlands descended on our house in Mooresville and merriment quickly ensued.

The girls took a trip into the city to see The Charlotte Ballet’s Nutcracker (a first for many in the group) at the Blumenthal Center. We also had the chance to see the Leonard Bearstein Orchestra perform.

After a day of Christmas fun on Dec. 25, we headed to The Biltmore Estate in Asheville (another first for many in the group), where we toured the incredible house, indulged in wine samples (NA variety for Nathan and Vivian) and enjoyed an unseasonably warm, beautiful Carolina day.