a summer night

We were invited to pick blueberries out in the country at a sweet older couple’s house this past Sunday. Fresh blueberries are a treasure so we gladly accepted the invitation. We drove on some of my favorite back roads in the area on the way to their house. There were roses upon roses. A small sunflower patch. Rows of corn.  Enough blueberry bushes to feed an army.

It was one of those sweet summer nights in the country. The older couple talked about how they met on the school bus as kids. We talked about teaching and college. My parents swapped recipes. We sat around eating watermelon that dripped sweet stickiness all down my arms. We left with enough blueberries to keep us having pancakes, muffins, bread, etc. for weeks to come. I’m thankful for the simple joy of summer nights.

weekend adventures

If you spend enough time around me you’ll know that my love for the mountains runs deep. I’m so thankful to be able to get out and just explore. Here are a few snapshots of this weekend’s adventures…

My mom’s best friend came up to visit with one of her sons. So we hopped in the car to go exploring and hiking {of course}. Love these adventures.

Hiked to a waterfall…the sun was shining so brightly on the water at one point.

Went swimming at the Ocoee river.

We also went to the drive-in movies to see Despicable Me 2. The drive-in is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. And catching glimpses of the sunset as we waited was majestic. It was one of those moments where you just whisper, “Wow Jesus…thank You."

Saturday night I went four wheeler riding with my dad {a little wind blown but happy!}. We stopped by our neighbors on the way home to chat. The sun was starting to set and the breeze felt so nice. We walked around their small farm to see the animals and they made sure we left with fresh corn, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Here’s to more adventures this week! Get out and explore, friends.

Mountain Adventures

Good morning, friends! This week has been one of my absolute favorites of summer so far. One of my best friends, Janice, traveled up from Florida to spend the week up here and we’ve been going on lots of mountain adventures. We’ve been talking, laughing, singing along to the radio, getting lost, exploring, hiking, dreaming, and so much more this week. Here’s a glimpse into some of our adventures…

Lots of mountain driving…

Old fashioned adventure at the drive-in. So fun!

Now for the best adventure day…we drove up into the mountains on these looming (and majestic!) forest roads. They wind slowly up the mountain and we made our way to an isolated hiking trail.

We hiked 2-3 miles before making it to a river that we had to cross…it doesn’t look like it but the water was up to our knees. It was definitely an adventure to trek across!

We kept hiking until finding a spot to rest along the river. It was just so peaceful.   Overall, we hiked 9 miles. We definitely had sore legs and happy hearts.

After we made it back to the car we continued to climb up the winding roads. There’s a spot at the tip top where the leaves clear out and you can see mountains for miles. The picture doesn’t do the view justice…you feel like you’re high in the clouds. 

Janice’s husband is in the Navy and he’s currently in Japan. So she’s been Skyping him every day and last night I joined in the fun. Hi Stuart!

We’ve been ending most nights by watching movies, backing cookies, dancing like goofballs, and laughing until our sides hurt.

We’re off on another hiking adventure today! I’m just so thankful for this friendship.

{Summer Favorites}

As I type this I’m sitting on the front porch with country music turned up. I’ve officially been on summer break for two months already…what?! The days are flying by but I’m soaking up every single one of them. When I’m not in school in Tennessee, I come home to western North Carolina. We actually live right in the corner where North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia meet. I’ve grown to love this area more and more and I wanted to share a few of my favorite summer memories so far…

Hiking with this energetic puppy (she loves it).

Spending afternoons at the lake.

Running in my neighborhood with Eric Church cranked up.

Intentional friendships (especially thankful for this girl).

Back roads.

Coffee and pajamas = lazy summer mornings.

Attempting to take pictures before church…

Finally a decent one…haha.

Some favorites not pictured:

Eating coconut popsicles every single day

Sleeping in

Kayaking

Encouraging conversations

Riding in the mountains

This summer has been so so good and it’s only halfway over. I’ve fallen more in love with the area that I live in and I’ve been spending as much time outside as possible. Even though I grew up in Florida, I don’t think I can ever see myself moving back. The mountains are my favorite and I’m thankful for this summer here. Next week, one of my best friends is coming up to visit and spend my birthday with me. I can’t wait to show her around this area that has captured my heart. Here’s to even more summer favorites and memories!

Life Lately

Well, it looks like another week has passed since I last blogged….woops! I thought I would be much more on top of blogging during the summer but I was wrong there. So I’ll just share a few photos that capture last week’s activities…

My mom convinced me to go to water aerobics with her because that’s what a good daughter would do…it was definitely an experience. :)

Afternoon in Bryson City, North Carolina.

Father’s day….church, potluck lunch, jammin’ to oldies in the car, and kayaking.

Spending a little time at the Toccoa River.

Not pictured:

Started to watch Lost from the beginning (I’m hooked!)

Learning how to drive stick shift….overwhelming but so fun!

Skype/Facetime dates :)

Making plans for two of my friends to come visit…yay!

Hello Summer!

As I type this I’m sitting on my front porch with my puppy right by my side which means it’s officially summer break. Wahoo! Yesterday I finished my last final…finished packing up and cleaning my apartment…finished my last afternoon with my preschoolers for the semester. So I celebrated the first day of May by waking up in my own bed and heading out to the porch to soak it all in. Aaahhh…my heart is just so happy today.

Last day with my rambunctious three year olds! 

Now I’m back home where I get to start my mornings on the front porch with coffee and Jesus. I can hear the sound of the creek across the street flowing gently and see the green leaves rustle in the breeze. Do mornings get any better than that?

Here’s to a sweet summer, friends!