Laurel Falls, Great Smoky Mountains

We recently had a visit from our niece Lori who lives in Brooklyn, New York. We wanted to take Lori into the mountains so we decided to go to Laurel Falls which is a nice easy little hike to a beautiful waterfall. I could absolutely stay in the mountains forever taking in the beauty of God's creation. We are truly blessed to have the Great Smoky Mountains in our very own back yard!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Our sweet Sophie turned seven years old today. In planning her party Sophie decided that she wanted to have a party at home so that she could invite all of her neighborhood and school friends to join her in celebrating turning seven. We have done several parties in our home in recent years and it has been so nice to return to celebrations that remind me of birthdays of my youth. As a child, I think I had two birthdays that were celebrated in a place other than my home. I always enjoyed having my friends over at our house for cake and ice cream and fun and games. I'm glad our girls are experiencing the same throw back to yester year in their own birthday parties. We had 21 girls join us for a wonderful afternoon of ice cream sundaes, cake, a piñata, games, and more. Sophie enjoyed her birthday and being able to entertain all of her friends. Here's a photo recap of her special day!