for each wind that blows: Weekend Recap

This weekend was a great one - laid back, but with a bit of adventure thrown in.

That's usually my favorite kind of weekend honestly!

Victor and J have been doing 5 AM hikes for a few years now, but typically it's boys only, but since the group was a bit larger this weekend for Victor's birthday, I asked to tag along. It worked out well since there was plenty of room and even Townes got to come. We went to Rock Island in Tennessee (about an hour north of Chattanooga, TN). As soon as we parked the cars, we got to see these incredible falls! The gorge hiking trail was closed sadly due to high water levels.

I couldn't get over the green color of the water! It was so beautiful.

We weren't planning on a long hike so I left my hiking boots behind; however, this ended up being a bad call since we hiked through some small falls to get to a hidden waterfall. Despite the cold, wet shoes, it made for quite an adventure! Even the stairs and railings down to the falls were covered with dripping water! The various colors (water, rocks, and moss) of all of the nature and the sounds of the rushing water made me feel so grateful for days like these.

We were going to make one last stop before heading home, but we stopped at the visitor center and I decided to ask the rangers if they'd suggest any other spots before we left. Thankfully they told us about Twin Falls that is just across the river. We didn't have time to do the 1.6 mile loop along the river, but we definitely loved the falls and lingered on the rocks to enjoy the sunshine and rapids.

Townes has a new thing where he barks incessantly at the water when it hits the rocky shore. It's bizarre because this bark is totally different than his typical bark. Watch the video for a good laugh :)

Happy birthday, Victor! I'm so glad to have gotten to celebrate with you!

We got home pretty late on Saturday, so we basically just stayed in and watched "The Interview" on Netflix. It was pretty much what I thought it would be. :)

On Sunday, after a nice breakfast and a long walk with Townes, we enjoyed some time in the backyard before I headed over to my parents' house to celebrate my niece's 10th birthday. I can't believe Natalie is now in the double-digits!

Since the weather was so perfect, I actually got in the hot tub before the party started (it was so nice and relaxing). Natalie had a few of her friends over for pizza, laughs, and cookie cake. I'm glad I got to spend some time with her and the other little girls.