Did January fly by or what?

Ok so I have had a bit of trouble uploading pictures so you will not be seeing the Gatlinburg pictures today. It took me a week or better to get the pictures below loaded. Wow, we are in the second month of 2010. Where did the time go?

Brandon and I took our trip to Gatlinburg in January. We had lots of fun. We hiked to Rainbow Falls and checked out a few places that we had not been. We actually shopped for about 30 seconds on the day we left. I think it was just because we didn't want to leave and wanted an excuse to stay a bit longer.
When we got back, we took Taylor to Elephant Rock State Park in Missouri. She had a ball and we stopped in at Lamberts on the way home. It was the first time either of us had been and we enjoyed it. Taylor loved the rolls being thrown and I loved the food. Wow!!! The pictures below are from Elephant Rock State Park.
I will try to blog more but maybe without so many pictures.

Ready to Leave

At the top of Clingman's Dome in October 2009.

I am always so ready to leave for a trip. And since meeting Brandon, we've been on a few. Today is no different. I am giddy almost. I look so forward to the hiking. He is planning to get us to the top of Rainbow Falls at sunrise. I can't even imagine right now how beautiful that will be. I hope to get some really good pictures of that.

I really need more than anything else just to get away and enjoy some peace and solitude. Life is busy and doesn't allow for that unless you make the time.

I have been experimenting with meditation. I have to find someway to quiet all this craziness in my head. We all have it. You know, the constant stream of thoughts that just eat at you. I have had a few moments of success with it and those have been pure bliss but mostly I get upset because right in the middle of breathing I will think something ridiculous like that I need to clean the toilet. I mean really random shit. But I am trying and most days that is ok.

So Gatlinburg, here I come.

A New Year

So another new year rolls around. I have noticed lately that they seem to be rolling around faster. Kinda like being on a really fast rollercoaster headed towards the end of life. Not that I think I am dying but I am trying to pay attention as things fly by. You ever feel like that? Like it is just all moving so fast.

We were supposed to get lots of snow last night. We did not. Just barely a dusting. Taylor was devastated and wanted to stay home from school anyway. I can be a stickler when it comes to school attendance and did not allow her to stay home all day. I did however let her check in an hour late. She did not see it as a gift but did not turn it down either. I can not wait until she has children of her own.

I found out yesterday that my sister is pregnant again. She is letting the new knowledge grow on her. With one turning two in June, she will have her hands when the new baby gets here but she will do fine. I wanted so badly to ask if she realized how this happens but figured I would save that comment for when she was in better spirits.

Brandon and I leave for our Gatlinburg trip in a little more than a week and I am ready for a break. The fresh air will be great. Especially since I have not smoked a cigarrette in a week and can actually breathe. I am ready to hike and get some good snow pictures as well. Hopefully there will be snow there while we visit. Four whole days to rejuvenate are so needed after Christmas. The above picture was taken in October 09 when we went to Gatlinburg for one day to take pictures of the beautiful color change. This was on our way out of the park coming home. It was also Taylor's first trip. Hope everyone is having a Happy New Year.