July 10 on 10

The first week of summer, we spent in the mountains of North Carolina, somewhere between Asheville and Boone.  As were making the trip from Hampton Roads, all loaded up in Chris's truck, I realized the last time we were on a real vacation, not just a long weekend, was 3 years ago.  What have we been doing?

This trip was so good for our souls.  For our spirits.  For our family.   The kids weren't able to pull up anything that they wanted on Netflix.  Chris and I weren't overwhelmed doing busy work around the house - the endless chores and projects that are always ongoing.  I wasn't pulled to my email and Chris wasn't checking his phone because there was no service.  To get around the mountains, we relied on maps that had been left behind by the countless guests that have called this cabin their mountain retreat throughout the years.

One evening, the kids were playing in the loft and I leaned against Chris while he read a chapter out of a book to me for the first time ever.  I felt so at peace in our tiny cabin in the woods with our children and our pups.  Every morning we would get around, pack our lunch,  and find our hiking destination for the day.  By 3, we were done and headed back to the cabin to get dinner started.  The evenings were spent outside by a fire, making s'mores, or rocking on the wrap around porch.  The skies weren't full of light pollution, like at home, and the stars shined so brightly for us.

We saw waterfalls, climbed to the top of mountains, hiked around lakes, used film cameras, swam, jumped, yelled, laughed, rested, and gave thanks.  We thought we were just getting away.  What we didn't know is that we would be renewed.

If you don't know how this 10 on 10 thing works - several of us photographer mamas post 10 photos from the month, talk about our adventures, and then link to one another.  Some of you cats call that a blog circle.  I have been a bit absent this Spring, but am so happy to be joining for July.  You also might notice that I couldn't decide on just 10 (sorry not sorry).  We had so much fun adventuring, I could barely get my selection down to 15.  

I invite you to continue on to see what Sarah has been up to.  She lives in Kalamazoo - not too far from where I grew up.  Small world!