Stop. Pause. Rewind.

Do you ever feel like you wish you could just PAUSE life and rewind it a little bit? Not just when you do something silly or embarrassing and you wish you could fix it, but when things are beautiful and time is going too fast - and you want to let it just be a little longer?

Maybe I'm the only one. ;)

For instance, I'm thrilled that my childhood best friend is visiting me this week on her way home from a vacation in North Carolina. Then I tried to figure out the last time I actually saw her in person, and my mind went all wibbly-wobbly. It's been at least NINE YEARS. *jaw drops* Wow. It doesn't feel like that long - but at the same time it's been ages. Time is weird.

Anyway, aside from hosting one night this week, I also want to get some more written on Smoky Mountain Serenade. And then plan a tea party. I don't know, something wild and crazy like that. *giggle* While Summer's still here, anyway...

Although the idea of autumn is sounding rather nice. The heat does get a little old after awhile. And I have some beautiful sweaters, boots, and scarves waiting longingly in my closet. Can you believe they're already putting holiday stuff in the stores?! It's barely August, people, not October... :) Maybe it's strange because I'm located in the south. Perhaps seasons change more swiftly up north. Do you think that's the reason, or are shops just hungry for the commerce the holiday season brings?

Okay, blog-readers, I want your input here. What kind of posts are you interested in seeing the rest of this month? Aside from the companion series I'm doing with Victoria, (Book review, DIY, and Fashion coming up)
would you rather read...

• A post filled with pictures of vintage teacups I recently found at an estate sale
• A post about the characters in my upcoming novel
• A post about my experience of being on the Trim Healthy Mama Plan since January, OR
• A post topic that you shall suggest in the comments section

Please tell me, if you're reading this. I see all sorts of interesting visitors on my live traffic feed from places all over the world, so I know SOMEBODY's out there! ;) Don't be shy, say hi! :D I don't bite. much. ;)

Love & Blessings,

There's An Empty Cross

Hi Readers!

I just wanted to stop and share a very special song with you. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, a day of the year when many people step outside of their everyday, humdrum lives to ponder the fact that Jesus died for us and rose again on the third day. I personally don't celebrate it by decorating easter eggs and nibbling on chocolate bunny rabbits, but I'm glad that we take some time to thank HIM for His Ultimate Sacrifice.

Please click play and listen to this whole song. I think it will really touch your heart. It might possibly be my very favorite from this great album.
This tells the perspective from the disciples' point of view of the crucifixion and resurrection.
Awesome. It makes me feel like I'm there with them!

"Fire and wind now sweeping in... this tiny upper room.
So sing with me... I dare you to... 'cause there's an empty cross, there's an empty tomb."

He's alive. And He lives in my heart.
Won't you ask him into yours today?

I bought MYSELF a big red heart...

... just because I like chocolate. :D

No, I don't have a valentine. Never had a boyfriend, actually. I'm waiting for the one special man that God has already chosen for me. One day I'll meet him, and I'll get to tell him that I never held hands with, kissed, or gave my heart away to anybody else but him. How precious will that be?
So - yes. Valentine's day brings thoughts of love and marriage into my head. But it also reminds me to stay strong in my convictions and remain pure and unspoiled for my future husband.

February is a month of birthdays in our family! My sweet Mama had her birthday on the 9th, and my handsome brother Mark celebrates his today, on the 14th. He's 18 years old now! He's never been that thrilled about having a birthday on Valentine's Day, but the rest of us think it's pretty neat. :)

We made Mama a tasty, healthy, sugar-free chocolate cake for her birthday. ;) We did lots of little things to make her day special... waffles for breakfast, a fresh bouquet of dandelions, and going out to Ryan's for dinner.

I wrote her a letter that I'd like to reproduce here to show you, because it give you some idea of how blessed I am to have Mama for my mother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mama,
I did not know what to get you for your birthday this year, so I decided to give you my words in this letter. I am so blessed to have you as my mother. All my life, you have nurtured and cherished me, daily making sacrifices for my benefit.
You say that you're so imperfect, and that you wish you had been a better mom, but Mama... you are the best, bravest, most devoted mother I have ever seen. I would not trade you for any other mom on earth.
You constantly battle against tremendous pain, and over and over again, I see you win. You are an amazing picture of perseverance and dedication.
Daddy has a faithful wife in you, for you support and encourage him in a sterling example of a godly helpmeet. I pray that one day I will have a chance to love and honor a man as you do him.
Mark and Steven don't know I'm writing this, but I know they would agree with me in saying that we have the most wonderful mommy in the world.
I love you so much! Have a very happy birthday!
Proud to be your daughter,

~Julia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This morning we surprised Mark with the board game Settlers of Catan, a fancy duct tape sword and knife that Steven custom-made for him, and a big heart-shaped box full of chocolates. I think he was happy. We're also planning a trip to the LEGO store up in Atlanta sometime soon.

Later this evening we'll have one of Mark's favorite meals, Amish Chicken, and then enjoy a delicious "Turtle Cake" for his birthday cake. One of our very favorite desserts to make, it's a Mennonite recipe that involves German chocolate cake mix, a gooey caramel filling, and chocolate chips on top. It's best eaten with a dollop of whipped cream. Yummmm.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm thankful for Thanksgiving!

I absolutely love this holiday! It's the only one dedicated to giving thanks and glory and praise unto God, and it's American to boot. :)

Today I am thankful for the day of Thanksgiving! :)

http://younghomemakers.blogspot.com

Hope you have a happy one! :D

Off To The Beach...

Hi blog readers! :)

My family and I are leaving this morning for Florida to spend thanksgiving week with my grandmother. I hope to come back with a tan and a few seashells. :) While I'm gone, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! (Tip: Go light on the mashed potatoes and gravy - fill up on turkey and veg instead!) :D


On our trip, I will be taking my new iPod shuffle. In pink. :D

 The reason I had to get a new one was that my old iPod shuffle tragically got left in the pocket of the hoodie I wore to the gym, and drowned in the washing machine. *sniff!* :( Strangely, the earbuds still worked just fine, it was only the iPod that died. (?) Anyway, I loaded up my NEW iPod with all my favorite music and it's ready for the trip! I even got a little adapter so that you can plug the iPod's usb plug right into an electrical outlet to charge it! No need for a computer! (which is a good thing, because my grandmother does not have one) :D


And, I thought I'd share pictures of a little project I'd done recently...

I found this GORGEOUS old-fashioned frame with a collage mat inside it for 8.00 at Ross. (I love that place, it's like a huge yard-sale) I took it home, and waited for months trying to decide which 'perfect' photographs to print and put inside.

Then I saw a tutorial where a lady had filled a similar collage with neutral backgrounds in each picture hole with a single feather in each square. It looked pretty cool, and inspired me to work with what I had on hand... which was a lot of old greeting cards left over from birthdays and my graduation party in '09.

 I especially like the peach one in this corner - it says "God is crazy about you. He doesn't just like you a little, he doesn't just think you're sort of special - the God of the universe is head-over-heels, deeply, truly, forever-and-ever in love with you."

I even fixed some of them up. The "Love, Hugs, Laughter" card in the corner there used to say "Happy Birthday" across the top, which was nice but I didn't want it in my collage... so I covered the text with two pieces of paper and stuck a flower sticker in the corner for a little extra embellishment. :) Also, the black damask-patterned one in the center used to have a fancy "B" in the middle... but I don't have a B in my name... so I simply stuck a pretty sunflower sticker over it, and Voila! It was perfect collage material. :)

Hoping you have a very happy Thanksgiving,

Back to Cyberspace Once More!

Hello, my dear sweet blog readers! :) It's been ages since I've done anything on my poor desolate little blog here, and I regret it very much. The truth is, I've been neglecting my computer sorely for the past 2 months or so. In a way, it's a good thing. I used to constantly be on the computer, working away at different projects and things, checking my email every hour, but this wasn't a healthy way of life because it ate up far too much of my time. For some reason, it's taken a wild swing in the other direction for me and I've been focusing on my crochet and jewelry making and reading, and the computer work has fallen by the wayside! Hopefully I can adjust back to a balanced middle ground and incorporate some computer into my life again. :D

Now, for your regular weather update: ;)
I don't know about you, but where I live in Georgia the air has been filled with pollen for the past couple of days. A few rainstorms yesterday cleared the atmosphere a little bit, but there's still plenty of the yellow dust left. What surprised me very much though, was the sudden and miraculous greening of all the trees and plants roundabouts! In a matter of days every twig and branch in the woods in which my log home is nestled were sporting lovely new green foliage - that elusive shade that's only seen when the leaves first make their appearance. Beautiful! :) I'm looking forward to the profusion of blooming flowers that, hopefully, will come out soon.

My grandmother and great-aunt Barbara were able to come for a visit over Easter weekend and we had a wonderful time with them. Some highlights of their stay were giving my grandmother her first computer lesson, (in preparation to getting her a computer of her own) showing my aunt Barbara how to crochet (Ah, what fun! I love crocheting!) and attending the Easter Sunrise Service at Callaway Gardens, spending a gorgeous day exploring the gardens and visiting the butterfly house.

Yesterday, my darling wonderful dear friend Allison H. came with us on a shopping trip to celebrate my 19th birthday, and we had such a blast! Before we left Allison presented me with a GORGEOUS journal with a cover that had been ribbon-embroidered by her. It was so beautiful! :) We stopped by Bath & Body works, and got matching bottles of fragrance mist, browsed the incredibly awesome store of Ross (where I always find something I absolutely love!!) in this case, finding some lovely skirts and a few picture collage frames (among other things). We went out for lunch at Stevie B's pizza and I was able to experience the astonishingly wonderful baked potato pizza... seriously folks, you gotta try some of that... :) Anyway, we came home loaded with goods from our shopping spree. Allison joined my family as we went out for dinner at a charming little Greek/Italian restaurant in my small home town and I had the most delicious Greek chicken salad ever. Oh. Wow. :)

Then, on top of that, Allison got to spend the night! I haven't had a sleepover since I was .... let's not think back how many years, shall we... And this one must have been the best yet. :D Allison and I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning whispering and trying to stuff our giggles into pillows so that we wouldn't wake anybody else. We ended up getting about 5 hours of sleep, making me take a nap this afternoon to catch up on some rest. :) This morning we watched Sense and Sensibility, which Allison had never seen before... She told me she loved it! Yeah! Score one for the Jane Austen fans! :)

Yes. You did read that fact correctly up there. (That is, if you're paying attention) I did say "My 19th birthday". It's tomorrow, actually, (April 10th) and I have a beautiful cake planned out that I will bake... involving fresh strawberries and vanilla and strawberry cake. :D I've felt so many mixed emotions about this birthday that I've finally decided it's time to stop trying to analyze my feelings and just go with the flow, enjoying the happy moments. :) On one hand, I am thrilled to be another step closer to being a full-fledged 'adult'... but on the other, something in me mourns the passing of childhood. I realize this MUST seem melodramatic to my friends who are already in their 20's... but that's how I've been feeling for the past month or so. 19 seems so much older to me - am I really finished being 18? ;) Like there's really anything I can do about it anyway! :D I am excited about what this new year will bring across my path.

Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed dipping my toes into the pool of blogging once more. Hopefully it will be followed by a big splash as I dive back in! :D

Oh yes - did anybody notice the new blog look? What do you think?

Much love, hugs, and many blessings to you, my friends!

Love-y Things

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...to all my dear readers!

And... HAPPY BIRTHDAY

...To my brother Mark, who today turns 16 years old. (sniff! He's growing up so fast.) :D

Love & Hugs,

What to do with your old 2009 Calendar

This post is for all of you people out there who are like me and wanted a new 2010 calendar, but your local Dollar Tree where you got your last one was completely out of calendars except for the rather silly-looking kitten ones or the 'wine' or 'golf courses' ones, which didn't interest you in the least. :D

(that was a very long sentence) *whew*

Ok. Here's what you do. Go to 'DonnaYoung.Org' and download one of her free Calendars. I chose the horizontal one for 2010 and downloaded the "DOC" file, or Microsoft Word Document. Then I opened the file and added my own cute fonts and changed the colors on each month to match my existing calendar color schemes.

Print out your new calendar pages. Take your old calendar and tape the new pages overtop of the old pages ... like so.

...And Ta-Da! You have a 'brand new' calendar for free! :) (not counting the cost of 12 pieces of paper and an eensy bit of printer ink)

Hope you enjoyed the tip! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, my family and I are at home by ourselves, (we were going somewhere but decided not to because Mama needed some extra rest time) as our extended family are in Michigan and Florida, but we're having an enjoyable time though... smelling delicious turkey aroma all throughout the house, wafting from the kitchen, into the living room, up the stairs and into the loft where I sit typing on the computer.... mmmm. :)

Mama and I are planning a number of tantalizing foods, including:

Turkey (of course!) roasted in the oven,
Gravy (to pour over everything)
Mashed potatoes (a must!)
Stuffing (yummmm)
Cranberry jelly
Corn casserole
Green beans
Raspberry Jello Salad
Apple Pie
Cherry Pie

MMMMMmmmmm!
Have a wonderful, homey, delightful, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)

Post-a-Day #7 - Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day everyone! What are you doing for Labor Day?

Happy Fourth of July!

Today is all about the Fireworks, right?

Well, no. Not really. Although I do love fireworks. "Whizzzzz-BANG-cracklecrackle... 'Ooooooh!'"

Today is Independence Day, the day we celebrate our country's independence from Great Britain. Our forefathers fought hard and some even gave their lives to give us a better future, free from oppression. Liberty.

Keep that in mind while you're out enjoying the hot dogs, hamburgers, cotton candy, potato salad, sparklers, and fireworks! :)

We will be going to our friend's house for a cook-out and then light sparklers afterwards. I'll try to get a few pictures of those... we actually found some rainbow ones at Publix this year! :)

Blessings to all and... HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

Today is my brother Mark's birthday! :D I know, I just did a post about my mom's birthday... their birthdays are very close, Mom is on the 9th and Mark is today, Valentines' day, the 14th. :)

Mark is such a neat brother. He is now officially 15 years old and can get a learner's permit. Wow. He's really growing up! Literally, as well, for he's now about half an inch taller than me, which is something he's always wanted. :) However, when I wear heels, I'm taller. He likes it when I wear ballet flats. ;D This picture was taken while on our trip to Michigan last month, and Steven and Mark had been snowball-fighting non-stop, which is the reason for the snow-dusted hat. :D

Happy Birthday, Mark!!

Okay, I know my regular readers must be exasperated with me by now. I can just imagine all of you going "Julia, where is that nice long post about the conference that we're all waiting for???" *Here I insert a sheepish grin* Yes, well, I currently have the post in the 'draft' file, and I'm still working on it. I haven't spent much time on the computer these last few days... I haven't been feeling that well. So, I'm sorry, but the post will just happen when it happens. I hope you'll understand. :)

Love and Hugs,

My First Post of 2009

For today, I just felt impressed to post the lyrics to this song... It seems like it fits today really well. :) To hear the song, click on the little playlist at the top of my sidebar. (Turn off my other music first by clicking the miniscule 'pause' button)

New Day by Avalon:

Chorus:

It's a new day,

Oh, it's a new time

And there's a new way,

I'm gonna live my life

All the old has passed away

And the new has come

Thank God, it's a brand new day

Lookin' back at yesterday,

There are things that I regret

But I put the past behind me

And I never will forget

You have covered my mistakes,

And my broken dreams

Now over the horizon

I see the dawn is drawing near

And I realize the sun did rise

Tomorrow's finally here

Chorus:

And it's a New Day,

Oh, it's a new time

And there's a new way,

I'm gonna live my life

All the old has passed away

And the new has come

Thank God, it's a brand new day

Now when I wake up thinkin'

Of the things I've done before

Memories I could not escape

Well they can't haunt me anymore

Now I can hold my head up high

'Cause I am not the same

You've changed my whole perspective

And with new eyes I see

I've become a new creation

'Cause of what you've done for me

Chorus:

It's a New Day,

Oh, it's a new time

And there's a new way

I'm gonna live my life

All the old has passed away

And the new has come

Thank God, it's a brand new day

Cause of what you've done for me

Now I am not ashamed

This heart of mine is finally free

And I will never be the same!

'Cause it's a New Day,

Yeah, it's a new time

And there's a new way

I'm gonna live my life

All the old has passed away

And the new has come

Thank God, it's a brand new day

(repeat chorus)

End.

My absolute favorite line in the whole song is "And I realize, the sun did rise, tomorrow's finally here". I used to get shivers when I heard it. :) I still do, sometimes.

So what did you do for New Year's Eve? I was at home. My brothers and I lit sparklers outside on the gravel driveway and I filmed some of it... I'll have to post a video later. :D

Blessings to all and a very Happy New Year to everyone!!!

Julia

Currently I'm feeling: Happy, and extremely Optimistic about the new year!

New Year's Tag

Today is the very last day in 2008! Can you believe it?? I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. It seems like just a little while ago that it was winter turning into spring...then it was summer...then it was autumn...and now it's the middle of winter again and it's nearly a whole new year!!! WOW! :)

I have been tagged by a delightful young lady named Madison, who has a lovely blog you really must go see.

For this tag I'm supposed to name ten New Year's Resolutions, then tag at least 7 people. Here goes!

1. (Madison took mine) Read my Bible more! I'm shocked at how easy it is to forget to read something so precious. God planned that everything in the Bible would be written for a specific reason. There, in that book, is everything God wants us to know about life.


2. Wear more skirts. :) I like (modest)pants and skirts equally, but I'd like to start wearing skirts more often. They make me feel like a lady.


3. Spend less time on the computer. (haha- and what am I doing right this second?) Of course this means I have to be more efficient with my time while on the computer.


4. Learn more about cooking. I've started my own recipe book full of special recipes that I want to save, so that someday all my mom's wonderful dishes will be easy for me to make for my own family.


5. Spend more time outside.


6. Take more pictures! Memories, that's what they are. Captured on film. :)


7. Write regularly, both in my real diary and here on my blog. (and just how do I do that and spend less time on the computer??? sigh...)


8. Be a more willing helper. God hates murmuring and complaining, and I'm tempted to do both when I have a hard job to do. This is wrong! So I will be cheerful when I go about my chores. :)


9. Eat more vegetables. :)


10. Make lots and lots and lots of jewelry and sell it online! :D See my online shop, Georgiapeachykeen, if you'd like to take a look. :)

I hereby tag:

Joanna

Jasmine

Amber

Joelle

Jocelyn

Lydia

Brianna

Blessings, everyone! Happy New year!!

Julia

Currently I'm feeling: Excited!

Christmas Might Not Be What You Think It Is

Hello, My Dear Readers,

Please take a moment to look at this post about Christmas by my mom. She has some very good points about why we don't do Christmas.

Please understand that I am not trying to 'push off' my beliefs on anyone else, and also that I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart, and not celebrating what we call "Christmas" doesn't mean I am not a christian.

I do ask that your comments, here and on my mother's blog, are courteous and respectful, even if you don't have the same opinion as my family. :)

Blessings!

Julia

Today I feel... Pensive, and quite Busy!

Happy Birthday, Steven!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN!!!

My little brother turned 13 last Friday! We celebrated by driving up to our friends' house for the day, playing Ultimate Frisbee, and baking Steven a beautiful fall-themed cake.

I think this picture is so cute... Steven is helping me sprinkle the sprinkles on to his cake and we're doing something unusual with our arms...

Mark, my 14 and 1/2 year old brother, also helped sprinkle the cake...

Isn't it lovely? It's supposed to be an autumn tree, with leaves falling to the grassy ground. (note the delicious candy corn on the sides of the cake) The chocolate sprinkles were not cooperating, but we managed anyway.

Gathered around the table as Steven's candles are lit...

And we have a successful blow! :)

Julia

My Favorite Autumn Things

This looked like so much fun I had to do it. I found this tag at Madison's Musings, and she found it at A Pondering Heart. :)

My Favorite Things about Autumn:

• 1. Favorite Smell... Hmmm, Well...probably the smell of Thanksgiving dinner cooking, but I also love smelling the scented candles in the living room.
• 2. Favorite Food... For Fall, I'd have to say Chili. My mom makes the BEST homemade chili ever. Plus it's nice and warm on a chilly (haha) afternoon or evening.
• 3. Favorite Color... Either red or surprisingly, orange. orange I really don't like too much during the rest of the year, but on the changing trees it's gorgeous. And red cranberries or maple leaves are absolutely beautiful.
• 4. Favorite Drink...Hum. Probably hot chocolate, with apple juice coming in a close second. (I would rather drink apple juice than soda or just about anything else except raspberry lemonade, all the rest of the year)
• 5. Favorite Treat... Either caramel apples (a newly discovered favorite) or Rice Krispy Treats.
• 6. Favorite Place to Visit... The Smoky Mountains.
• 7. Favorite Candy... Candy Corn! What else? :)
• 8. Favorite Movie To Watch... Either Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving or "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."
• 9. Favorite Clothing to wear... Sweaters, Hoodies, and when it gets really cold, my very cute knee socks. :o)
• 10. Favorite Outdoor Activity...Oooh, hard...probably nature hikes on which I photograph everything in sight, especially fall colors... and mushrooms - when I can find them. :)
• 11. Favorite Football Team ... NFL: New York Giants!! (Who are SO going to win the super bowl this year) College: GA Bulldogs because it's my brother's favorite team. I also like the FL Gators because of their homeschooled quarterback, Tebow.
• 12. Favorite Fall Holiday... Thanksgiving, of course! (We don't do Halloween)
• 13. Favorite Haunted place (haunted as in frequently visited)... Hmmm... Either my bedroom, otherwise known as "JuliaLand", or our porch, which offers a delightful view of the woods.
• 14. Favorite Food at Thanksgiving Dinner... The turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and Stuffing. Oh and cranberry jelly, and the apple crisp...(etc.)
• 15. Favorite Pie... Hard one. Pecan and apple are tied. Especially when you add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. :)
• 16. Favorite Fall Hobby... Blogging about Fall, Photographing the Fall colors, and playing outside with my two brothers.
• 17. Favorite Fall Memory... Hmmm....Probably the first time we had a fire in our fireplace. We moved to Georgia in August of 2005, and we had our first fire sometime that October when it got chilly, and I remember being so thrilled that we actually had a fireplace! I grew up in South Florida, where the seasons are nonexistent...it's just HOT and then cool for a bit then HOT again. Nobody had fireplaces! I really enjoy living somewhere where the seasons change. :)
• 18. Favorite Fall Sight... The leaves! Hands down!
• 19. Overall Favorite Fall Thing... Spending time with my family.
• 20. Favorite Season... Either Fall or Spring. They are both 'transitional' seasons and I love them dearly...the blossoms of spring and the beautiful changing colors of fall are equally the best in my opinion.

I hereby tag whoever wants to participate!
Blessings!
Julia

I'm Home From North Carolina

Hi, fellow bloggers!

It's so nice to be back! A big hug for all of you reading this. :) My vacation was lovely but home is where the heart is! :) And there is no describing the difference of being comfortable in our house to living in a tent in the outdoors and using a bath house....ahhh, the comforts of home. :)

I promised pictures and pictures you shall have! I'll have you know that choosing pictures for this post from all my 500+ pictures of the trip was EXTREMELY difficult. But here goes. :)

First of all, guess who stowed away in the van?

Survivorman, of course!

Here he is seated on the picnic table in the middle of our campsite right next to a dish of cranberry jelly. In the background you can see my the tent that my brothers and I slept in. It divides down the middle and they had half of it and I had half of it.

Mama cooking over the gas stove, Daddy relaxing. The yellow tent was for my parents. (You can also see someone else's camper in the very back... they left after our first day there and so we had a bit more breathing room)

Here's my half of our tent, complete with Airbed, pillows, duffel bag, and Vera Bradley Purse! The gorgeous Vera Bradley purse was given to me by my very dear friend Joanna and I was absolutely delighted with it!! Thank you Joanna!!!

Here is my brother Mark in the middle of Deep Creek, which ran right past our campsite and made a lovely trickling sound to lull us to sleep at night.

Here are my dear parents on a hike in some very pretty woods.

We had to bundle up in the evenings and mornings when the temperature dropped.....

I was really cold!!

Here is a rare picture of Mark actually wearing some kind of coat...usually he sticks to a hoodie and insists he's not cold. Steven likes wearing his blue down coat, so that's not unusual. In this picture you can see how close the stream was to our campsite...

Here is a beautiful part of Deep Creek that we had a picnic lunch right next to...it was heavenly!

Here's Mama next to it...

Here is a beautiful trout that Daddy caught with his fly-rod...look at the pretty spots!

Here is Indian Creek Falls...a gorgeous waterfall. Daddy and I hiked to it one day and spent the afternoon fishing (Daddy) and photographing (me).

And the Smoky Mountains were beautiful!

I found a little mushroom along one of our hiking trails and I had to stop and take a picture. :)

Anyway, I have hundreds more pictures (literally) but that's all for now. I may post more in the future.

I'm glad to be back!

Julia