It takes a village

We camped/cabined at Fall Creek Falls, TN.  It's a state park located in beautiful east Tennessee.  We stayed in the fisherman cabins and here is the reason they call them the fisherman cabins...

Our cabin was built over the lake and the boys could literally fish off of the back deck.

Cooper wasn't content to just fish off the deck, he had to try out other spots as well.

Lots of friends from our church went on this trip.  We had 4 families on the cabins and 5 families at the campsites, so everyone had someone to hang with.  

I have to clarify something I think I have left out about this trip and why it was a pretty big deal...we did this trip without our daddy.  Chad had no more vacation days left so he was unable to come on this trip with us.  It was just me and kids "getting by with a little help from our friends."

I knew the time was going to come when the boys went off with everyone hiking and I had to stay behind with Sophie Kate.  Cooper carried the backpack I was supposed to carry with their snacks and water.  I wanted to wait until they had pulled away before I started crying but that didn't happen. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing so I just tried to hide behind my sunglasses.  I didn't fool too many people.

Once they drove away I got in the van with SK and did the ugly cry.  SK and I drove to the Fall Creek Falls overlook.

To my surprise there were friends already up there at the overlook...

I didn't realize at the time that the boys were hiking up to the overlook as well, it all worked out perfectly.

A group picture at the overlook and this isn't even all of us, two families are missing, we had 38 people on this trip!

OK, wait it gets even better, another friend volunteered to stay with SK while I hiked to the bottom of the falls with everyone.

 At the bottom of the falls...

Ugh, now we had to hike all the way back up, but we did it and I am so grateful to have been able to do that with the boys.  Only hours before I had been in tears because I didn't know when we would meet up again and what all everyone else would get to do with my boys and what all I would have to miss out on.  What a treasure that day turned out to be!  It spoke to my heart and this journey we are on with our girl and how God has turned our tears and mourning into smiles and joy again.

The adventure is not even close to over, but it's way too much to fit into one post.  Stay tuned part 2 will be coming up soon.