Colorado-Bound

After a long spell of dreaming and many months of planning, we are Colorado-bound! Tim flew out five days prior to enjoy some time with a few buddies in the Rockies and attend the U2 concert in Denver. The boys and I flew from Nashville on Sunday, May 22. This was the boys' first-ever flight, and they had the expected butterflies in their bellies.

Thankfully we had a smooth flight and arrived in Denver before we knew it! Tim was waiting for us with our rental car...or I should say Jeep. This is what happens when you send a guy to choose the rental car! Not exactly what I would have chosen, but Tim hit a home run with the boys. In the end, it was perfect for our adventuring through Colorado.

We immediately left Denver bound for Colorado Springs, where we spent our first two nights at Glen Eyrie. This facility, home of The Navigators ministry, boasts a stunning Castle, breathtaking landscape, and comfortable lodges. It also offers great hiking (we quickly realized we weren't hiking in the Smokies on the rocky terrain).

It was a dream-come-true to be in Colorado together and begin this memorable adventure with our boys.

Hikes #8 & #9

Our Colorado trip is only days away, so it's time to tally our hikes. No, we didn't accomplish our goal of 12 hikes before leaving, but we did manage to enjoy nine! Tim and the boy completed the final two during a Scout camping trip to Cades Cove. Thank you to Reed's awesome Scout leader for these pictures of my devoted hikers exploring the Smokies:

Mother's Day

We celebrated this Mother's Day with 76 trombones. My parents treated us with front-row seats to see "The Music Man" at UT's Clarence Brown Theatre. It was a delight to see this show with them and share the experience with the boys. Here are the happy moms with some musical men of our own...

Hike #7 (Dam Day)

When I heard that Norris Dam was spilling, I knew it was a "must-see" for our boys. Of course, it is also one of those experiences that the parents appreciate much more than the kids. Still, we made the short trip to Norris to see the sight of the dam releasing approx. 7,400 cubic feet per second into the Clinch River. Here is the view from the top of the dam looking down:

Here the guys stand on the opposite side of the dam overlooking beautiful Norris Lake:

From the bottom, you can see where we stood to take the first picture at the top of the dam looking down.

After visiting the dam, we ventured into the state park and discovered a very different dam, a shallow creek we could splash in, and a lovely trail to hike. In the end, Reed's water shoes proved too uncomfortable for hiking, and Dad generously gave him a lift back to the car.

Hike #6 (Birthday Bonus)

On Good Friday we headed to the Smokies with my parents for a double portion: hike #6 and a birthday picnic for Reed. We outdrove the rain which threatened our plans, and we enjoyed a beautiful day at Metcalf Bottoms.

Reed turns nine on Monday, April 25, so we celebrated in the woods with a picnic, some presents, and even cupcakes!

After our lunch, we made the 1.2-mile trek to the schoolhouse. Even BaBa took the hike with us while MiMi enjoyed some R&R beside the creek.

Hike #5

Our fifth hike took us back to the UT Artboretum near Oak Ridge. One of the wonderful benefits of taking these twelve hikes is watching Spring unfold. When we first visited the arboretum, the trees were bare. Today they burst with new life...especially the East Tennessee favorite - dogwoods! Hopefully our photographs bless you with a glimpse of Spring you haven't enjoyed this season.

Hike #4

When the rain came on Friday night, Tim and I were tent camping in Tellico Plains. We woke on Saturday eager to see how the waterfall we'd hiked to on Friday had swelled as a result. Below are pictures of what we found (visit Hike #3 post to recall what it looked like on Friday), as well as some lovely wildflowers we spied on our trek.