Holy Hiking Batman!

On Sunday we were invited to join some friends for a hike up Yonah Mountain.  I was very excited as Yonah is a very recognizable landmark in North Georgia yet I had never been up close and personal with her. 

(Yes I'm calling the mountain a "her")

I did a little research prior to the climb, discovering that the hike would be 4.4 miles round trip with an elevation climb of 1400 ft.; not an easy climb but definitely doable. 

The three of us met up with our group at the trail head all excited to get to the top.

AND WE'RE OFF...

ANNND WE'RE TAKING A BREAK!

Ya'll, Yonah aint no joke!  

She is straight up from the very beginning of the trail all the way to the top.

BUT...she is soooooo worth it.

About 1/2 way up she gives you a nice flat "rest" area with a glimpse of the amazing views to come.

A fun little cave made from rock

So close you can almost see it

WE MADE IT!!

The pictures do not do it justice.  It is an amazing view that I can't put into words.

All of us after our descent back down the mountain.

We all survived.

I had a great time with some great friends.  Looking forward to our next adventure.

Where to next?  Any suggestions for a great hiking experience in Georgia?

Until next time,

Heather

Gratitude ~2/52~

Gratitude Challenge Continued...

April 18, 2016          Week 2

~Spouse~

My Hubby

My mind is all over the place on how to express my gratitude for this man, my husband; do I thank him for all of the obvious reasons...

~He loves me for me, in the present.  Not for who I once was or for who I will be in 10 years, but for me, as I am today.

~He is a hard worker, a provider for our family, not only M-F, 8-5 but 24-7.  He is always working on something for us.

~He never complains.  He is always as cool as a cucumber, never loosing his temper.

~He is a great father, not only to his birth child but to those he has inherited along the way.

~He is a great son, always front and center to lend a hand to his parents.

While I am forever grateful for each of these characteristics, as I believe these character traits are what I first fell in love with; I am choosing to list the "not so obvious" deeds.  The day to day actions that I all to often take for granted and have come to expect but rarely say "Thank You" for in return.

~He brings me the most perfect cup of coffee each and every morning (and sometimes at night), without fail; complete with whipped topping AND in my favorite mug.  He has also been known to go without coffee for himself just so that I can have the last K-Cup.

~He takes out the trash.  This is a chore that I rarely give any thought to because it is just always done.

~He is an excellent helper in the kitchen, assisting with every meal from start to finish (including clean up).

~He lets me sleep late!  He will get ready in the dark (or by flashlight) just so that I can get an extra 30 minutes of sleep each morning. 

~He will compromise his body temperature to accommodate mine.  I am ALWAYS cold, in the house, in the car, in the office...he will be uncomfortably sweaty so that I can be cozy and warm.

~He is my exterminator.  I CAN kill bugs, I just don't like to so he takes on that task daily.

~He is also my lawn boy.  (We don't have a pool but I'm sure that if we did, he'd be my pool boy too)

~He rarely eats onions because I don't like them (and by rarely, I mean maybe once a year).

I certainly don't mean to take his actions (those listed as well as the many others not written down) for granted but I am human and fall short everyday.  I am grateful, I am thankful for each and every deed but most of all

I am thankful that he and I get to do life together!

My Best Friend

So here's to being more appreciative, grateful and thankful to my Prince Charming, my Knight in Shining Armor, my Best Friend, my Husband...

Thank you!

P.S.  I love you too!

Until Next Time,

Heather

10 on 10

10 Photos on the 10th of the Month

April 2016

So today's 10 on 10 just so happened to coincide with our trip to Raven Cliffs Falls, located in White Co., GA.  This hike has been on our "list" for quite some time and while the 5 mile (round trip) hike was great, the fall itself was a bit of a disappointment.

At the trailhead, there is a dirt parking lot along with a toilet house (a glorified porta-potty really) and a dumpster.

It was a little chilly!

The trail followed the creek the majority of the way.

Nature's Heart

There were several of these "bridges" along the way.

Several "mini" falls can be found along the hike.

Raven Cliff Falls

Overall I enjoyed the hike.  I would definitely do it again.  Although this particular falls is a very popular attraction, with the parking lot being full on Sunday, we didn't run into many people at all.  It was very peaceful and serene.  There were a lot of places along the hike to "pull over", rest, enjoy nature, have a picnic or pitch a tent.  

If you haven't been to Raven Cliffs, what are you waiting for?

Until next time,

Heather

Gratitude ~1/52~

As I was perusing Pinterest for post ideas, I came across a Gratitude Challenge.  It spans the course of 52 weeks, with each week suggesting a different area of your life in which to be grateful.  The challenge spoke to me as I find that everyone, myself included, could use more gratitude on the daily.  So for the next year I plan to work through this challenge, greeting each week with a thankful heart and a smile on my face. April 11, 2016          Week 1 ~Why do I want to begin this challenge?~ My first thought...what is the true definition of gratitude? grat·i·tude /ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/ noun 1.    the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. "she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support" Secondly... In the daily hustle and bustle of life, I find that it is all to easy to get bogged down in the struggles; allowing negative thoughts and feeling to invade my mind.  If I continue to dwell on those negatives, then they eventually invade my heart taking away happiness and joy.   On the flip-side, I know that there are numerous aspects of my life that I take for granted.  I go about my routine without giving a second thought, much less a Thank You, to some of the people I treasure most for things that mean the most to me. By attempting this challenge I hope that it will not only allow me to step back and analyze myself but will also give me the opportunity to express my gratitude to the ones I hold most dear. A heartfelt THANK YOU to each and every one of you reading today!  It means a lot to me to know that you took a moment out of your busy schedule to visit my little blog.  The numbers do not go unnoticed and the comments do not go unread. What are you thankful for today? Until Next Time, Heather

Victoria Bryant State Park

This past weekend the 3 of us took off on our first camping trip in our newly purchased camper.  I was beyond excited!  We chose to visit Victoria Bryant State Park in Royston, GA.  We had driven through the park beforehand and had an idea of what was there, the site(s) that we hoped to get as well as the activities that we wanted to do while on our stay.

We drove up Thursday evening after work and got straight to work setting up camp.  It only took about 30 minutes and we were ready to RELAX!

Next up...supper!

Marinated Hotdogs
Recipe from plainchicken.com
http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/07/foodbuzz-24x24-hot-diggity-dog.html

The forecast called for rain and storms throughout the night and unfortunately the meteorologist was correct.  Drizzly rain began around 9 and the storms moved in after midnight.  Luckily they didn't get to terribly bad.

 (Mind you that is my opinion, I slept through it all.  Z says he was up all hours keeping a watchful eye to make sure we were safe.)

Friday brought about some wind and clouds~but no rain~so it was full steam ahead.  We decided that we would hike to the Beaver Pond via the Broad River Loop Trail.

Beaver Dam

Beaver Pond

Looks more like a swamp than a pond...

After 2 hours and 4.7 miles of uphill/downhill we were ready for some lunch.  The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing by the fire.

Saturday brought the sun but also brought the wind.  Once again we weren't going to let the weather dampen our spirits so we set out on yet another hike.  We hiked the Perimeter Trail along with Victoria's Path which ran alongside Rice Creek.

As the completion of the Perimeter Trail was Fish Pond #2...

Rice Creek

The remainder of Saturday was spent by the fire, roasting marshmallows and dodging smoke and ash due to the excessive wind gusts that plagued us all afternoon.  

Best marshmallow roaster in Georgia!

Sunday night I was awakened by a sick little girl.  Sunday morning, as you can see, she wasn't feeling any better.

Bless her sweet little heart


I think that she just played so hard all weekend long that she was just slap worn out.  After lounging around all day Sunday, coupled with a good nights sleep, she was back to herself come Monday morning.

So we packed it all up on Sunday and came home.  It was a GREAT weekend aside from the not so great weather.  We have already planned out next trip and I CANT WAIT!

Until next time,

    Heather