in our passport | the smokey mountains

’tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free

’tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

and when we find ourselves in the place just right,

’twill be in the valley of love and delight.

when true simplicity is gained,

to bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,

to turn, turn will be our delight,

till be turning, turning we come ’round right.

“simple gifts” an old shaker hymn from the 1800’s

a few photos from our trip to the mountains of tennessee this past weekend. it is true that i love to get away and explore and become part of new beauty and adventure and air. we spent time with my dad’s side of the family- almost sixty of us- in two rustic cabins, tucked into the great smokey mountains. 

my boys received so much love and i enjoyed catching up and chatting with my cousins, aunts, uncles and immediate family. there are a lot of really good storytellers + very comical people in our family – so i left with so much joy in my heart. i really tried to be intentional and without much phone service, it was easy to unplug (which is something i know is important/something i hope to do more often.) we enjoyed the views, hearty meals, swimming pool, soothing campfire, a fun s’more bar, games and cards, watching the ohio state football game together and simply being.

this past friday, september 14, would have been my grandpa charlie and grandma leona’s 80th wedding anniversary, which we didn’t originally plan… but it made it even more special. right before my grandpa passed away in 2009, he told his oldest daughter, my aunt lila, to be intentional with family gatherings and to make sure that we all made the time and effort to get together often. we celebrated with stories and a table full of cherished family photos. i could feel their spirits so deeply.

-our precious leona rose-

seeing her all weekend was one of my very favorite parts

my love for my boys is vast and overwhelming and beyond the contents of words.

it’s all there is, all the possibility for more is just extra

kind of like, more heaven.

more than a miracle.

we left sunday not knowing what hurricane florence was going to bring/what damages were headed our way. we came home safely to power and one minor leak upstairs. we feel so grateful but our hearts are breaking for so many in our beloved carolinas.

i am so thankful for a weekend with family;

a weekend where nash could be introduced to so many people that i truly love.