We got back on Saturday from our vacation in North Carolina. It was absolutely gorgeous and we had a fantastic time! It was so nice to spend a week together without anything going on and no distractions. We just got to enjoy each other and get extra rest. It was very relaxing! Wouldn't you know that I forgot to charge our camera battery before we left! We were able to get some pics, but not as many as I would have liked. We did take some some video too, so it wasn't a total loss!
The cabin was gorgeous and very homey with a spectacular view! We saw lots of chipmunks and Aaron saw a porcupine! We had fun looking for wildlife as we drove up and down the mountain. We didn't see any bears though.
On Monday we drove around and looked at the scenery. We drove all the way up a mountain, I can't remember right now, but we were up REALLY high. We stopped at a place called Wayah Bald and hiked up to the top and saw for miles and miles. There was a lookout tower there, and from the top of the tower, you could see several states. It was really neat! There were some college kids there at the same time we were and they all called Aaron "Sir." I loved it! I think it made him feel a little old. This is from Wayah Bald, but not up on the lookout, just on the ground. They're both making funny faces, but with a dying battery, you take what you can get!
This was on the side of the road. We saw a beautiful little waterfall coming down the mountain so we stopped and took a picture.
On Wednesday we drove about an hour from the cabin and went to the Cherokee Indian Reservation. We went to a museum there and learned a lot about their culture and how the discovery of America effected them. It was very interesting and they had some really neat exhibits. This is a New Testament that was translated into Cherokee.
Here are Aaron and Caroline in front of some wax figures in one of the exhibits.
There was a lake close by that we took Caroline to. We decided not to rent a boat or anything this time, but she loved playing in the water. She kept picking up rocks and throwing them. I think she thought she was skipping them like her daddy. It was cute! I was afraid the water would be cold, but it really wasn't and she had a blast playing until it started to rain and we had to go in.
We took some food with us and hit a grocery store once we got there so we didn't eat out much. We ate out Sunday after church and then again when we went to Cherokee and that was it. We grilled out every night but one. Here is Aaron grilling our oh-so-healthy lunch of hot dogs. Isn't the view behind him AMAZING?
We were surrounded by the Lord's creation in a way we had never been before. It is truly awe-inspiring to be surrounded on all sides by the mountains, trees, rivers, streams, and wildlife He created. It was a wonderful trip! We are so thankful to our friends, John and Becky Haley, for letting us use their beautiful "Cabin in the Sky."
