Summer in the Smokies

Yesterday was a beautiful summer day, so we spent it hiking and creek hopping in Elkmont with our friends, the Alves family. Here are a few pictures from our Smoky Mountain fun:

On our trek, we came across this vine hanging from the treetops. The kids had fun swinging from it. On top, you see Tim giving Maya a push; in the center, Reed is pictured mid-swing; on the bottom, you see that even the big kids couldn't resist, as Andre swings Tarzan-like through the trees: "Aaaaaaiaiaiaiaaaaahhh..."

First on Reed and Maya's agenda was dam-building. After they built a tidy little dam that would impress the local beavers, they followed their big brothers creek hopping downstream.

Creek hopping is not as easy as it looks, but the middle picture proves I gave it a try (however brief). The bottom picture shows the hoppers who perservered the frigid waters and slippery rocks to reach our destination.

The trek ended when the creek hoppers reached deeper waters where they could actually swim. The water was so cold no one did more than take a dip, but their shivers didn't deter the fun.

The day ended with an important discovery. Question: If a friend jumped off a cliff, would you jump too? Apparently, the answer is "yes," as Tim jumped off the rocks into the creek, followed by Andre (though it was really Andre's idea!). The top photo shows Andre's splash (you can see Tim holding on to the rocks on the right). The final photo shows Jenn and me, enjoying our shady spot and smiling because their jump is safely over.