Waterfall or Bust

The boys and I spent a few days with  my parents this past week.  I love going down to see my mom and dad especially when there is nothing on the agenda.

I had seen on facebook, a SC watefall roadtrip.  Link here.  Five of the seven top waterfalls are within 40ish minutes of my parent's house... thus the reason we call it God's country.  :)  I told mom that we should go.  We decided to split up the viewings into two days.  The two in Oconee county on Thursday and then the three in Pickens County on Saturday.

We load up the boys, and the two younger dogs along with my both my parents.  We get to our first destination of Chau Ram State Park.  You can literally see the waterfall from the parking lot which sounds great in theory, but turns out to be quite dangerous.  The rock that you walk on is not steep but very very slippery... do you sense where this is going?  My mom is on high alert keeping the boys close to her, my dad has both dogs (problem 1) who are pulling like crazy on their nice, long, extendable leashes (problem 2).  All of sudden, my father is being pulled down the rock, he slips, flies up in the air lands right in the middle of his back, dropping the leash and immediately curls up in a fetal position.  Mom screams, thinks he is dead or paralyzed.  She doesnt go down to him knowing she will bust it as well.  So, I hurry down and also fall.  However, I fall on my nicely, padded rear end but because it is slippery, I slide and my feet go in the water.  By the grace of God, I stop before I go all the way in the water (it is not shallow) with my phone and keys in my hand.

The big flat rock right in the front of this picture drops off a bit... that is where Mantis and I fell. 

Long story short, I get to dad- make sure he can move.  I gather up the dogs (by this point, mom has secured the kids on the grass), and dad crawls up the rock with me.  The word "fiasco" does not quite sum up this experience.

After the fall, we all recovered enough to smile for a shot

We let dad compose himself and he take a small walk through the trails.  He meets up with us on our way back.  Mom takes over driving his car and dad rides with me as he is a trooper and says we can continue on our waterfall hunt.

And another group shot.

Next stop, Isaqueena Falls/ Stumphouse Tunnel.  We had actually been here with mom and dad before back in January of 2012.  See post here.   A much different experience this time since it is summer you could see nothing from the lookout point plus Bennett was not even a thought the last time we were there.  Because of dad's back, mom and dad didnt hike down to see the waterfall.  It was a pretty steep descent but not super long.  The boys loved climbing down.  After the waterfall, we drove up to Stumphouse Tunnel which they loved.

The boys loved this waterfall.  After the last stop though, I was a bit on guard.

As close to perfect as I have snapped with these 4.  Hunt is a bit stiff, but these boys are the best.

Climbing back up to the look out.

Stop for a pic of the Stumphouse trail.

By Friday, dad's back was really sore and stiff but he was at least able to move and walk a bit.  The boys and I were able to meet up at CFA with Olivia and her boys.... again, forget to take a picture!!!

Uncle Nolan came down Friday night and we decided to forego the waterfall adventures and hit Secret Beach (a college, lake hang out.. we hit it before the college kids were even awake) and then the pool.

It was a nice 5 minute walk from the road to the "secret" beach.

Some pics of crazy Riggs.  He did not like anyone but Nolan going too deep in the water.

Some pics of crazy Riggs.  He did not like anyone but Nolan going too deep in the water.

example of Rigg's attempt to "pull" his kids back to the sand.

:)

queenie with her boys.

Nolan with 3 of the 4.  

Two of a kind.... these two preferred the rocks and snacks to the water and sand.

The boys and I hurried back home as my mom's sister, my cousin, his wife and daughter, and my GrandmaDean were coming over to my house for dinner.  Chad stepped up to the plate and got dinner ready for everyone and we had such a fun time.  I dont get to see my cousins much, especially as care free as he was at my house.

The adults getting a look at Nolan's Peru trip pics.  

Bennett and his 2nd cousin (or 1st cousin once removed), Spencer.  Bennett was so sweet to Spencer trying to make her feel comfortable in our wild house.

It was a slammed pack few days but lots of fun.... in the words of GrandpaGordie... we made a memory.

You Know You are a Mom of Boys When... Vol 3

It has been a year and a half since I did, "You Know You are a Mom of Boys When."  Here are the first two posts Volume 1 and Volume 2.

1-  Ashton and Hunter having a conversation about what they want to name their kids (we all love the CW show Arrow)...

Hunter- "I like (I cant even remember what he said now)
Ashton- "If I have a boy, his name will be Arrow."
Me- hahahaha, say that with your last name.
Ashton, "Arrow Smith"
Me- "haha- do you not get it- Arrow Smith is like Aerosmith."
Hunter and Ashton- silence and questioning looks.
Me- "like the musical group, Aerosmith."
Hunter and Ashton- more silence.
Me- "oh, never mind.  Arrow Smith is awesome."

PS- Dad, I know I am not supposed to put my last name on the internet like this, no need to fuss at me.  Love you.

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2- As mentioned in one of my beach posts, it feels like half of my deleted pictures look like this.  Seriously, if I dont tell them where to put their hands, at least one of the four will default to holding the weinie.... this goes WITHOUT FAIL.

Even better, when two of them are holding "it"

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3- Speaking of holding it, is it just a man thing that if you are watching tv then hands have to either go down the pants or sit right under the waistband?  I ask this in all seriousness because from age 3 to age 37 to age 50 something (dad including you on this one too), it happens.

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4- And since I am on a roll with this topic, let me branch off a bit and discuss standing vs sitting to pee.  I am on a quest in my house to teach sitting down to pee if you are at a toilet.  A urinal means stand to pee a toilet means sit to pee.  Chad acts like this is foreign concept.  Am I crazy for suggesting this or just following in my mom's footsteps?

Maybe if I only had a couple men/ boys in the house it would not be a big deal but goodness, 5 "men" standing and splashing or flat out missing equals messy.  Not to mention, when they forget to put the seat down or worse dont put the seat up in the first place and then pee on the seat and then I later sit on it (yes, this has happened).

Just wanted some other opinions on the matter....

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5-  Thanks to songs like "Hello from the Dark Side" and just being from my family where we always come up with quirky songs; lyrics of songs tend to change.  My mom and dad were/ are notorious for creating original pieces or changing the lyrics to songs.... so it is only fair that my kids were gifted in this area.

 Example:  This is my bathroom song (This is My Backroad Song by Granger Smith)

Example:  I like Yummy fries ("just like animals" Animals by Maroon 5)

Example:  You know I like my chicken fries (Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band)  I think they really think the lyrics are "chicken fries" as that is their favorite lunch frozen chicken.

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6- Anytime we go through a store's door that opens by itself, at least one of my boys will throw their arm up and say, "Force."

(Star Wars reference for those who are not covered up with Star Wars)

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7- During dinner, the conversation will almost always take a turn to potty humor. I quickly squelch it.  This last time, the conversation was how remarkably similar my eye color is to poop.

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8- Quick conversation with Bennett.  He was hugging me tight and rocking me back and forth.

Me- "Bennett, you are hugging me so hard it is going to knock me down."

Bennett- "but, fthat is how much I wuv you."

Freedom to...

4th of July is such a good time to sit and reflect on the freedom that we have been given- the sacrifices that are made.  We are free in this country.  

I try to wrap my mind around senseless tragedies.  I try to wrap my mind around the world that we live in where men feel justified in targeting any one group- whether it is attacking a race or gender like the "entitled white man" or the "enslaved black man" or the "encased independent woman."  Or attacking a religious group like the "headwrapped vengeful Muslim" or the "intolerant judgmental Christian."  Or attacking those charged in ensuring our freedom like the "racists police officers" or the "trigger happy soldier."  All these terms are not ones I coined, but ones that I hear often- descriptions to single out or to isolate a group.  And they are wrong.  

As a Christian, I can only speak from that perspective.  Jesus is truly the only one who ever sat on this earth and had the right to have an adverse reaction to us.... but he chose to sit with sinners.  He ate with sinners. He washed the feet of sinners.  He didnt see their color, he didnt see their occupation, he didnt even see their religion.  He saw a people in need of salvation.  A people in need of a Savior.  

We need to live by His example." for this is how we know what love is, that Jesus Christ laid down His life for us." I John 3:16

As Christians, we sit and marvel about how beautiful God's creation is.  We say it is beautiful for the mountains and the valleys.  It is beautiful for the snowy arctic and the sandy desert.  It is beautiful for the tallest oak tree and the prettiest lilly.  It is truly God's unique creation that makes it beautiful.  He used that same ingenuity to create His greatest masterpiece- people.  Why do we have such a hard time recognizing this diversity is what makes us beautiful?  To steal the words of a child's Bible song, "we (plural/ inclusive/ ALL) are precious in His sight."

I should probably have this be a post on its own, but most of you visit this blog not to hear me rant but to see pics of the kids.  Soooo

We had quite a schedule to coordinate for the 4th.  Basically, we are keeping my brother's dog, Riggs (if you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know ALL about Riggsy.)  Anyway, Riggs doesnt get along well with one of my parents dogs so instead of subject my parents and the dogs to that, my dad came up and spent a couple nights up here so that we could participate in July 4th activities.  

We first went to visit with mom just for a night and then headed over to PapaHub and Grandma's.  The 4th of July was spent up at the pool with a cookout and lots of swimming and a little bit of fishing.  Sandee and the girls and my family then went to see some fireworks.   We even got to meet up with Jodi and her kids for a bit before we came home.

On the road.

A side note, I am so proud of my middle two who are 100% swimming thanks to a week's worth of lesson with Mrs Kayla Brook (as well as lessons last year with Mrs Danielle).   Both of these ladies have made my life a bit more simple.  

Daredevil- the next day Shep had to strip in the pool as he had bee go up his shorts while he was at the top of the slide.  It bit his butt and his leg.

Hunter went down this slide about every way you could think of.

The most conservative of my 4 in the water.

PapaHub's got this grandpa thing under control- expertly handling the youngest three!!! 

Bennett was awesome with both a lifejacket and swimmies. haha- he barely went under when he jumped in. His swim lessons will begin next year.  Bennett jumping into Julie

Swoon- This is one of those pictures that I will adore forever.

PapaHub grilled up a good dinner.  The whole group at the cookout.

Attemped some fishing with Great Uncle John.

Patiently waiting

more waiting

nothing was caught by the those using crickets.  But, thanks to Uncle John for letting the boys fish in the pond.

Bennett and Sami sitting with Becca, Julie, and Guneet during the fireworks

Sam, Ash, Char, and Shep with McD's in the background

Hunter, my buddy, sat with me.

 Another fun holiday in the books.   Thanks to all the grandparents for taking such good care of us.

God Bless America!