Good Like a Medicine

I plan to finish the rest of my posts related to my thoughts on joy tomorrow. I took a break from blogging them because I took a break from everything! Eric, the kids, and I took a spontaneous “Fall Family Vacation” to the mountains of NC for a couple of days, and the trip was great. We took advantage of a fantastic retreat getaway deal from the folks at Ridgecrest, and it was beyond valuable for the little expense we had.

God is great! The Fall colors were breathtaking! We surprisingly met up with some friends from our church and ate with them, and they said they could speak from living in New England and that these views in NC were simply awesome. The conference center offered many ways to enjoy the beauty and glory of God’s creation.

After checking in Friday we immediately grabbed the trail mix, camera, and headed up to the hiking trails. The recreation center was closed, so we didn’t have a map. Like idiots we just “started walking,” and we thought a couple of miles for a hike was doable. Long-story short, it was quite a steep hike, and we had three little ones in tow. We made it up (sort of), and back down, and all of us were pretty worn out in the end. I’ll say, though, that we actually had a wonderful time with no arguing, and Lydia and Steven were great! I will never underestimate what they can do after this. To be so young they really amazed us. They were literally climbing up the rocks and tackling the trail like pros. When we got to the “top,” (Rattlesnake Mountain) we were disappointed to say the least that we weren’t at the summit. I told Eric I saw a smaller trail and that “I’d be right back.” Wow. About twenty minutes later I came back down after doing more than my desired share of “rock climbing.” The peak was reached by climbing on my hands and knees and was only five to ten feet in diameter. I was shaking as I took some snapshots before heading back down to tell Eric, “There is no way we could have made it to the top safely with the kids!”

Later we rode in the van to get some dinner, and Lydia made us laugh so hard. She said bluntly, “Daddy, Mommy, this way is easier.” Ha! This morning we drove to the top of another mountain and enjoyed a fantastic view. The kids loved it. We spent the day in Black Mountain and had a blast before heading back home. Those three kids slept for three whole hours, and I started a fun pink and green scarf. I am so thankful for this trip, and I know we will probably be visiting Ridgecrest quite often as a family!