Smoky Mountains
We ran away to East Tennessee for a very busy weekend. It was both personal and business. We were able to visit with both sets of Brian's grandparents, as well as his brother, nieces, parents, aunt and uncle. We were there less than 72 hours but managed to fit in alot of catching up, 1 presentation of 180 Church, 2 sermons, a trip to Lake Holston, and 17 hours of driving.
Just a few pictures - it was so busy that I did not pull out the camera nearly often enough.
Kids piled on Uncle Jon to watch some late-night TV.
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We spent about 6 hours Saturday at Lake Holston. It rained the first couple of hours, but then turned into a beautiful cool day.
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East Tennessee is just breathtakingly beautiful (although I do miss some signs of civilization occasionally - like driving for several hours one way with no Starbucks or anything other than the occasional fast food restaurant).
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Brian trying to grill hotdogs in the cold rain.
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Kids played soccer for hours after the rain stopped.
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They kept losing the ball down the mountain.
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I loved this rusty old bridge.
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And just a couple with my big girl camera.
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There was alot of this happening: sitting, listening, talking.
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On the ride home from church Sunday - she was worn. out.
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We left the kids in Kingsport with Gram and Gramps for the week where they will be camping with cousins. Rory could not get us out the door fast enough yesterday, which cracks me up. She sure does like a little bit of independence! We managed to stretch a 5 hour trip into about 8.5 with some shopping and then an early dinner at The Pharmacy Burger. We've been wanting to eat there for several months now, but there never seems to be time. It was delicious!
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Our week without the kids is incredibly full, so I imagine the time will fly by. Brian is back to school pretty much full-time this week. July 22 seems awfully early, right? Hoping to sneak in some dates while they're gone in between events, though!
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