Away

Jake and I escaped sans children to The Cabin last weekend, thanks to the amazing graciousness of my aunt and uncle for allowing us! We hadn't been up there alone since Jake surprised me with a weekend up there when we were newlyweds. It is a totally different experience than when we're there with our ladies, quite obviously. We slept in, had quiet mornings, read, watched a movie, played games, talked LOTS, and took a few hikes. One of the highlights of the whole weekend was a 3 1/2 hour hike on Saturday.

One of the most fun parts of getting up to the ridge line is getting to see Lake Blue Ridge.

When we got to the top, we took a little break. Imagine that- actually eating trail mix... on a trail. I like it.

The love of my life and I, au naturel, in the classic hold-out-the-arm. Don't judge. Moment= recorded.

While on the ridge, we had a National Geographic experience. We saw a turkey take flight out of a tree, give a few MIGHTY flaps of his wings, and glide out over the valley at what seemed like 100 mph. He looked more like an eagle. Except he had a gobbler, or whatever you call those. It was absolutely wild. Bionic turkey. Wish I had reacted fast enough to record THAT moment!

On our hike back down, we passed a few homes and getaways, including one with this impressive St. Patrick's display that I am not fully justice to here. The little hut has a shamrock saying Happy St. Patricks. Wow.

Jake coaxed a horse over for some hay, but it must not have tasted good, because he wouldn't eat any more from me.

One of the best things about having the occasional time away from your beloved little people is the ability to finish conversations that often get halfway started before something comes up. We came home rested and refreshed and rejuvenated by being unplugged and smack dab in the middle of gorgeous creation and utter peace.

When we got home, the girls wanted to have a dance party with Grammy, who had been partying with them all weekend, including during the tornado warning on Friday night. Grammy earned her stripes, not that they needed any earning, and the girls had a fabulous weekend! So thankful for family close by that makes these kinds of weekends possible for us!