Well since our last adventure in the Smokys, a lot has happened. As it seems with everything, a lot always happens at once. We have recently made some new friends. Gray got the chance to go duck hunting with our new friend, Jared. His family has some property near here in North Georgia. This hunt was different than any other hunt Gray had ever been on, in order to set the decoys out they had to jump as hard as they could to break through at least 2 inches of ice! They didn't kill anything, but it was definitely an adventure that produced a new friendship in the duck blind. They were also rewarded by a beautiful sunrise. The following day was a beautiful, warmer day that we spent ontop of Signal Mountain with our other new friend, Nick. We met Nick at the Camp House Coffee shop a few weeks back. It was a beautiful day, we discovered some frozen waterfalls, caves, and did a little spontaneous climbing- due to my poor trail leading abilities. It made for an adventure that got our hearts beating a little faster.
Gray started school on Monday and is learning the basics about wood and knives. He is accompanied by Dustin, the only other student who is starting the semester fresh with him. Dustin and his wife just moved to Chattanooga from Las Vegas. They are a super nice couple and we look forward to getting to know them better as well. Last night Jared had us and some of his friends over for venison burgers. It was delicious and very fun. We ended the night with some sledding in the street on picnic tables and in boxes, only to escape with a bruised tail bone, lots of laughs, and some more new friendships.
Tuesday we had a surprise snow storm hit Chattanooga. It made for quite a mess around town. Traffic filled the streets all day, with numerous cars sliding off the roads and into other cars. The roads were super icy and the snow was plentiful. Everything is still shutdown, as the high is only in the mid-twenties today. Gray is building a table with Dustin so they can make cool wood things at his house. Gray is pumped to start making things and is really enjoying school so far. I ended up going on a walk with two of the girls I met last night. Our walk turned into an all day affair of walking, running, window shopping and trying a few beers at the local beer spot, Heaven and Ale. It was a beautiful, productive snow day number 2.
Each day brings new challenges, blessings, friends, obstacles, and joys. We are still walking in faith that God is providing exactly what we need for each day and He has a great plan for our lives.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Off to the Smokies we go!
Like I said in my previous post, we are trusting God will provide for us. Well, the same day I had written the last blog the owner of the Woodworking Academy called Gray and offered him a little side job to get his feet wet in woodworking. Gray will be refinishing a door for a lady here in town and will make a pretty penny for doing it! God is good, and He does provide!
The Smokies were great! Our adventure started off in Gatlinburg. We arrived Friday afternoon not knowing where we were going to stay that night and not 100% sure about the route we would take on our hike up Mt LeConte the following day. We decided to stop inside the Natahala Outdoor Center and browse around and talk to some of the workers. Gray mentioned to one of the workers we were looking for a spot to stay that night. She wasn't sure we would find a place since it was a holiday weekend and everything would be pretty expensive. Out of nowhere a man behind Gray said he owned some condos right down the road on the river. He offered to let us stay in one and gave us a killer deal and even waived the cleaning fees. What a great way to start off our trip! We then made our way up to the camping section and talked with some workers and fellow trail seekers. We came up with a route for our hike after meeting a guy from New Orleans that gave us some tips. We were also convinced to buy spikes for our shoes since there would be heavy snow and ice on the mountain. I was a bit nervous about it being really cold on top and whether or not we would be able to stay warm enough to sleep on the top of the third highest peak in the Smokies in January!! I was a nervous wreck.
Gray helped me and told me we could get an early start and if we didn't want to sleep in the shelter on the top we could just hike down. Wheww. I was a lot better. So the next morning we ate a quick breakfast and started the walk. What a beautiful walk it was! It was like a winter wonderland, snow everywhere! The trees held the snow so gracefully and beautifully. The creeks partly frozen, which made for tricky crossings, the beautiful blue sky, and the icicles hanging from the rocks. It was like we were hiking through Narnia. We even met the lodge-keeper (who stays atop Leconte during the winter months) on the way up and he assured us it was worth the hike, but told us it may be a bit cold to sleep - but it was definitely do-able. We finally arrived on the top after 8 miles and 4,000 feet in elevation gain! The view was outstanding. Looking out from the cliff tops we could see for miles, gazing at the ever so blue, Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, it was definitely worth the trek. Snow beneath out feet and Sun above our heads, we found the shelter we were scheduled to stay in and sat on the benches for a break and a snack. It was so relieving to take the packs off! We gazed around and noticed that the fire pit inside the wall had been blocked in due to people burning wrong things in the past. Bummer. With the weather forecast of Gatlinburg saying it was going to be in the teens and well below that with the wind factor, I can safely say it was an unanimous vote to hike back down and get some hot food and sleep in a warm cabin. So, we hopped up and started the walk down. I have to admit, I was pretty relieved that I didn't have to freeze all night long! The walk down was much quicker- although it still took almost 3 hours to get down. We arrived at our car around 6:15pm, right as the sky turned dark. What a long (16 mi. hike), challenging, beautiful day in the Smokies. We then went to our favorite spot we found in Gatlinburg (or should I say the lest touristy spot), the Great Smoky Mountain Brewery. We filled our well deserving bellies and then headed to our little cabin in the RV park for some sleep! (We still got to use our sleeping bags in the cabin and they kept us nice and toasty!) We cannot wait to come back to the Smokies, we'll save the camping up top for warmer weather :)
And like johnny Cash's song 'one piece at a time' - we are taking the Trails of Life, 'one step at a time', enjoying every one of them.
The Smokies were great! Our adventure started off in Gatlinburg. We arrived Friday afternoon not knowing where we were going to stay that night and not 100% sure about the route we would take on our hike up Mt LeConte the following day. We decided to stop inside the Natahala Outdoor Center and browse around and talk to some of the workers. Gray mentioned to one of the workers we were looking for a spot to stay that night. She wasn't sure we would find a place since it was a holiday weekend and everything would be pretty expensive. Out of nowhere a man behind Gray said he owned some condos right down the road on the river. He offered to let us stay in one and gave us a killer deal and even waived the cleaning fees. What a great way to start off our trip! We then made our way up to the camping section and talked with some workers and fellow trail seekers. We came up with a route for our hike after meeting a guy from New Orleans that gave us some tips. We were also convinced to buy spikes for our shoes since there would be heavy snow and ice on the mountain. I was a bit nervous about it being really cold on top and whether or not we would be able to stay warm enough to sleep on the top of the third highest peak in the Smokies in January!! I was a nervous wreck.
Gray helped me and told me we could get an early start and if we didn't want to sleep in the shelter on the top we could just hike down. Wheww. I was a lot better. So the next morning we ate a quick breakfast and started the walk. What a beautiful walk it was! It was like a winter wonderland, snow everywhere! The trees held the snow so gracefully and beautifully. The creeks partly frozen, which made for tricky crossings, the beautiful blue sky, and the icicles hanging from the rocks. It was like we were hiking through Narnia. We even met the lodge-keeper (who stays atop Leconte during the winter months) on the way up and he assured us it was worth the hike, but told us it may be a bit cold to sleep - but it was definitely do-able. We finally arrived on the top after 8 miles and 4,000 feet in elevation gain! The view was outstanding. Looking out from the cliff tops we could see for miles, gazing at the ever so blue, Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, it was definitely worth the trek. Snow beneath out feet and Sun above our heads, we found the shelter we were scheduled to stay in and sat on the benches for a break and a snack. It was so relieving to take the packs off! We gazed around and noticed that the fire pit inside the wall had been blocked in due to people burning wrong things in the past. Bummer. With the weather forecast of Gatlinburg saying it was going to be in the teens and well below that with the wind factor, I can safely say it was an unanimous vote to hike back down and get some hot food and sleep in a warm cabin. So, we hopped up and started the walk down. I have to admit, I was pretty relieved that I didn't have to freeze all night long! The walk down was much quicker- although it still took almost 3 hours to get down. We arrived at our car around 6:15pm, right as the sky turned dark. What a long (16 mi. hike), challenging, beautiful day in the Smokies. We then went to our favorite spot we found in Gatlinburg (or should I say the lest touristy spot), the Great Smoky Mountain Brewery. We filled our well deserving bellies and then headed to our little cabin in the RV park for some sleep! (We still got to use our sleeping bags in the cabin and they kept us nice and toasty!) We cannot wait to come back to the Smokies, we'll save the camping up top for warmer weather :)
And like johnny Cash's song 'one piece at a time' - we are taking the Trails of Life, 'one step at a time', enjoying every one of them.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Together is better
We recently got married, (it'll be 3 months on the 26th of this month) and a lot has happened. But we wouldn't of had it any other way. One thing I can say as a new bride is going on adventures in God's creation with the one you love magnifies your love for your spouse like nothing else does.
While honeymooning in Spain Gray and I talked about what we wanted our life to look like as a married couple and I believe traveling abroad helped us see we didn't want the usual typical American consumer based lifestyle. We desired to be stretched, to live in a place we could pursue our passions and enjoy the outdoors, together. So, two weeks after being married we drove up to Chattanooga to check out the Chattanooga Woodworking Academy. We were very impressed with the head teacher, the facility, and the city. We decided that this is what God had for us. We were blessed to have a place to live in Chattanooga. Gray's parents have a condo here in Chattanooga and they so kindly offered us to live in it. It seemed like a no brainer to move here.
Well, we both quit our jobs, moved out of our precious little rent house in downtown Lake Charles, gave Gray's truck away and loaded up the Subaru. We pulled a U-Haul with a motorcycle and about 5 bicycles on it. We made it to our new home! It has seemed like a whirlwind, but it's nice to be here and explore our new home, together. We took advantage of our transition time and spent New Years in Nashville, rang in the New Year with Old Crow Medicine Show then went to Denver to visit Adrienne. We got to go skiing in Vail with the whole family and had a blast. We had quite the trip back, as a winter storm was not agreeing with all the airplanes trying to fly out. But, nonetheless we made it back safe and sound. Gray starts the academy on the 27th and I am working on getting my Tennessee Dental Hygiene license and plan to get a job in the near future. In the mean time we have had a blast exploring Chattanooga and the surrounding area! We have a trip planned to the Smokies. We will summit Mt Le Conte and spend the night in a shelter on top of the mountain. Hopefully we will keep each other warm. Thanks to Audra, we have a double person sleeping bag, so I think we will survive :)
So, here we are, in Chattanooga, at the foothills of the Smokies, newlyweds, pursuing our passions together and fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We believe He is leading us and we laugh at the future any time we start to have fear. We know God is going to provide for us- He always does, always has, and we know He always will! We are excited for the journey and look forward for what is to come! But one thing I know that will happen is that we will continue to live alive together, no matter what the outcome! Together is better than one!
While honeymooning in Spain Gray and I talked about what we wanted our life to look like as a married couple and I believe traveling abroad helped us see we didn't want the usual typical American consumer based lifestyle. We desired to be stretched, to live in a place we could pursue our passions and enjoy the outdoors, together. So, two weeks after being married we drove up to Chattanooga to check out the Chattanooga Woodworking Academy. We were very impressed with the head teacher, the facility, and the city. We decided that this is what God had for us. We were blessed to have a place to live in Chattanooga. Gray's parents have a condo here in Chattanooga and they so kindly offered us to live in it. It seemed like a no brainer to move here.
Well, we both quit our jobs, moved out of our precious little rent house in downtown Lake Charles, gave Gray's truck away and loaded up the Subaru. We pulled a U-Haul with a motorcycle and about 5 bicycles on it. We made it to our new home! It has seemed like a whirlwind, but it's nice to be here and explore our new home, together. We took advantage of our transition time and spent New Years in Nashville, rang in the New Year with Old Crow Medicine Show then went to Denver to visit Adrienne. We got to go skiing in Vail with the whole family and had a blast. We had quite the trip back, as a winter storm was not agreeing with all the airplanes trying to fly out. But, nonetheless we made it back safe and sound. Gray starts the academy on the 27th and I am working on getting my Tennessee Dental Hygiene license and plan to get a job in the near future. In the mean time we have had a blast exploring Chattanooga and the surrounding area! We have a trip planned to the Smokies. We will summit Mt Le Conte and spend the night in a shelter on top of the mountain. Hopefully we will keep each other warm. Thanks to Audra, we have a double person sleeping bag, so I think we will survive :)
So, here we are, in Chattanooga, at the foothills of the Smokies, newlyweds, pursuing our passions together and fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We believe He is leading us and we laugh at the future any time we start to have fear. We know God is going to provide for us- He always does, always has, and we know He always will! We are excited for the journey and look forward for what is to come! But one thing I know that will happen is that we will continue to live alive together, no matter what the outcome! Together is better than one!
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