We were feeling cooped up. Trapped in a house by tired bodies from busy schedules and cold, gray skies. We decided to act and piled in the van and headed to our happy place. The color of the sky didn't matter. The naked, barren trees didn't matter. What mattered was the fresh air filling our lungs and just being together, all six of us, in the same place at the same time. The girls drew maps in the sand with sticks. We littered the trail with peanut shells as we walked, like we were a lesser-known, Southern version of Hansel and Gretel. We imagined the lucky squirrels that would happen upon the occasional peanut that jumped from our grasp before it could make its way to our hungry mouths. We watched water glide as smooth as glass before it rushed and crashed over falls. We ran and we dawdled. We hushed and we hollered. We spent this first day of this New Year doing what we hope fills up many more days over the coming days, weeks and months. Enjoying life's simple pleasures. Together.
 |
| The covered bridge the girls love to race across. |
 |
| Maryn whittling with the new pocketknife Santa brought her. |
 |
| Lauryn leading the pack. |
 |
| Lulu swears she saw a fish go over the waterfall! |
