Today we went on yet another beautiful hike. The boys stopped to pretend to fish with sticks off this dock on the lake for awhile. What a beautiful spot. This moment felt very nostalgic to me. I love their brotherly bond. :) I hope that they are close friends all their lives....
We took a walk in the woods on "our mountain" tonight after dinner. It is SO deserted and remote here that it can be disconcerting, but at the same time, it is AMAZING. I was hoping to see that darn elusive owl that has escaped me several times on previous trips....but instead, I caught this moment when the boys were laughing at their Daddy making faces. Even better. How sweet are they?
We took a drive to South Carolina today and hiked to an amazing waterfall called Yellow Branch. We had such a fun time! The kids walked the whole way (1.5 miles one way, moderate trail) and there were no complaints! Once we got to the falls, we spent some time relaxing on the rocks, finding some newts hiding in the water, throwing rocks (of course), and having a picnic lunch together. I even managed to get a family shot with the tripod too. The way back felt MUCH longer since everyone was tired, and I carried a 40lb little boy in the carrier on my back the whole way!! WOW! What a workout! :) AND what a super hike! Spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the hammock, reading, playing catch, and playing Rummy and Go Fish with my son and husband while my younger son napped. Finally, we topped off the day with another incredible sunset!! I wish vacation could last forever.....
We enjoyed another amazing sunset tonight.... what a great way to end an awesome day of hiking, walking under waterfalls, swinging and reading books in the hammock, playing cards, and building a lean-to in the woods! To top it off, my oldest son told me he loves me more than anyone in the whole world tonight. That was almost as good as waking up this morning to feel his little hand grab my hand in the dark (his bed is next to ours in our room)... Life is sooooo good. :)
We arrived in this paradise early this morning, exhausted. We spent most of the day unpacking and getting settled in. Then, after we got the kids to sleep, Erich and I made hot tea and sat in the rocking chairs on the deck. I took this timed self portrait of us to prove how phenomenal the cabin's view is. Jealous? ;-) I still can't get over it everytime we visit..... I always find myself saying "Are you seeing this?!!". There is NOTHING better than sitting together, relaxing, and watching the most spectacular sunset over the Smoky Mountains in chilly 45 degree weather after a long day. Happy Spring Break! :)
We had a 5 hour pit stop today at Nani and Papi's house before going on to the Smoky Mountains in NC tonight. The boys were VERY happy to get out of the car, and so were we! Here is our oldest, crazy little "monkey" in the tree and swinging from a very strong strangler fig vine in the front yard.
My husband bought me this orchid yesterday for NO reason! He said he knew I'd been very overwhelmed and busy/stressed lately and thought he'd cheer me up. Seriously? How lucky am I?!
