just so you know, that is what hiking 8 miles will do to you. i'll let you know if i lose some toe nails

and the top

jason and jess

yep we live here

wow, what a view

gorgeous

ah, a rest

this is actually illegal. grandfather mountain is private property and it costs $20 a person to get in. we paid 5 to do the trail, got tired when we reached the top, and decided to take the road back down, so our trip was about 5 miles some intense terrain and about 3 down

This is Roan Mountain. Last Saturday Chad and I went to Tennessee and enjoyed the day just doing some mild trails and some sightseeing. It took us about an hour and a half to get there, but it was almost worth it. Unfortunately we didnt get to spend quite as much time there as we anticipated due to some unexpected company and a cookout we had that night, but we enjoyed the day trip nonetheless. The hike up the mountain was about a mile long, and when we got to the top we couldnt see a thing (as you can see). The brochure looked so appealing we were disappointed that we couldnt see anything. We know that the long range views would have been incredible.

The ride to and from Tennessee was also a sight to see. We went through some small towns such as Banner Elk and Elk Park, and they just had the coolest old buildings!! It almost made Chad and I want to renovate another old one....almost

Today we are hiking the backside of Grandfather Mountain, and I am so excited. I think we are going to do the eight hour hike, so I must get goin, i will have some more pics soon enough.

ah, welcome to tennessee yawl

walking to the overlook

it was a long car ride ok

nice view

we didnt get the clearest of days, usually you would get a wide range view of rodedendrums and some beautiful mountains

yes, there i am riding the pony

on the way back to Boone, check out that make shift steeple they put on a small town local church

well chad and i have embarked upon this adventure, and the adventure has only begun. sinse the move we have only approached the word adventurous, and with some consistency we hope to get in gear to conquer a whole world of adventures. we have a lot to do then, and a lot to look forward to in this small town that offers oh so much. in advancing toward the adventure chad and i have taken on some small challenges, which seem to consist of learning to walk uphill in the worst shoes known to man, walking down hill without falling on your face, watching for eager fellow trailsmen and bears who will trample over you, being equipped with enough water for two people and not just one, not climbing on rocks (you will fall and die), and always always staying on the trail (or you will fall and die...pretty much). that being said, thus far, chad and i have only brushed the surface of the hiking experience. we have started small to get in shape for the big. chad and i hope to stear clear of home renovations, and focus on the amazing things that God offers us in nature. we wont to be able to do several miles (like 20) in one day, take a some long camping trips, and even do some extreme hiking in the winter when it is negative 8 million outside (hopefully that will only consist of snowboarding), but none the less, we are thrilled to be here.

sinse the move we have done three trails and the dreaded campus walk which was a trail in itself only to leave us in more pain than any of the other trails. We have done Greenway Trail, which is good for visitors. We didnt know, however, that it didnt loop around, so our short walk ended up to be 5 miles, but fairly flat. This trail is about 5 minutes from the house. We did the Glenn Burney Trail in Blowing Rock, which was about three miles of intense climbing up and downhill. I pretty much wanted to die on that one, but the view and the waterfalls were worth the trek. And the most recent (below) is the Tanawha Trail, which was my favorite, this one is about 25 mins from the house, but the trail is just fun, and the views impeccable. I cant wait to have some visitors to share some of the experiences that we have had.

God bless!!

and the journey begins

at the bottom of the bridge

at the bridge

wildflowers covered this trail, they were beautiful

we couldnt get the full view here, it was a lil misty, but worth it

ah, the top, ahead is the viaduct that chad and i walked under on the way up

remember this little booger??

how could you forget this little man

ah, the bond of mother and son

This weekend Chad and I went to Andy and Erins wedding. They are Chads friends, but as usual i was blessed to be a part of it. It took place in Wilmington, NC, and turned out to be quite a celebration. There was about 300 people at the reception, and it went on for hours, and of course the bride was beautiful!! I have never seen a group of people who could dance for 7 hours (yes i said 7), but it proved to be quite the entertainment. I had the opportunity to meet some new people, and learned more about my husband than i ever wanted to know. it was a blast from the past for chad and a bit overwhelming for me, but i was honored (at least for the first four hours) to have finally gotten to meet those people from chads past who helped mold him into the incredible man that he is now.

announcing mr and mrs andy collins

lovely

it was normal when we started i promise

there goes that wedding singer again, such a charmer

as the night progressed it got crazier and crazier, and yes that is robbie on the wedding singers shoulders everybody

and here come the bride and groom, no wait that would be robbie, yep typical

o there they are greeted by eager bubble blowers

yes, she is now an outside dog

yes, i know i know you are all anxious, but there will be more to come. chad and i are absolutely exhausted, but we are mustering up enough energy to make it through the days. very soon there will be a bit of normalcy back in our lives--praise God. today is thursday, soon to be early friday, and chad and i got up at ten oclock this morning WOW, our schedule is a bit off, and our house is a bit dark so we tend to sleep a bit late. we have needed the rest desperately. but wow, what an exciting time in our life. God continues to pour out his blessing, and chad and i are just so thankful that we have an amazing house and have already met some amazing people.

for those of you who may be wondering, chad and i were a little nervous, but made it to church on sunday morning. we were a little early, but made it just in time to meet a ton of people literally. to our surprise we already knew like the whole congregation with the help of chads hook up at the university, and what is even more the total act of God himself i turned to my left and i was sitting right next to a girl i went to high school with, beth. i couldnt believe it, and i knew at that very moment that any uncertainties i may have had (which i didnt) i knew one very important thing, and that was God had made his presence known very loud and very clear. we have found a church, and to our delight it is incredibly similar to our own church home, Liberty. we couldnt be more thrilled.

God bless you all for keeping us in your prayers. and a great big, huge thanks to the ones who helped with the big clean up of 409 Devon St, we appreciate ya----------more than life!!

love yall

fried pussycat


and tonights special will be chinese, what, you like it rare? i think this one was a little undercooked

and a special thanks to my sisters for all the help and for taking this pic, nice work!! can you smell me through the screen because it got ugly

unfortunately the dead hydrangeas didnt make the moving list--pity

and the next stop Boone, willie was reluctant to give up his spot that he had learned to call home

and so the packing had begun

not to worry, there is more to come...........

wow what a celebration, and quite a surprise at that. and seriously it was a surprise even though someone let out the surprise beforehand. i should try to keep this as lighthearted as possible because i am in danger of losing all self control. i dont feel it redundant (even though i ALWAYS ALWAYS find myself saying it) that God is so good, and He has blessed chad and i with the most amazing people. last night we all gathered together to partake in the celebration of new beginnings in an old way. there we were again congregated around those same plastic tables with the same plastic table cloths, those same dag on center pieces, the same citronella candles, the same bean salad, the same concrete patio, and as always the same group of people, and of course we were at sues as usual. however it was quite a different experience. we were there to say goodbye to what we want to call comfortable, to home, we were there to say goodbye to those people who have made such a huge impact in our lives, the people who have stood by us and supported us and encouraged us, the ones that have made us laugh, cry, sing, dance, and praise the Lord (ok ok and fart) all at the same time. These people are our family, our extended family, and the whole list that measures up to exactly what a family stands for. We are so thankful, so blessed, and couldnt be more happy to have had the opportunity. we are going to miss each and everyone of you dearly, but dont worry there will be more to come. trust me this aint the end

as usual boone is only six hours away, and you all have a free place to stay. we love you and thank you all for everything

cool sign

the whole fam

ok, ok can we pay attention please

and smile

who is that midgett in the red...i dont know, but i am certainly going to miss these ladies