Spring Break in the Mountains

Greetings from Helen, GA

Spending the day walking around town

Our vacation budget was awfully tight... hence the picnic lunch

It was cool this morning. Roy loved to sit on the porch and read on his Kindle

After a huge breakfast at The Dillard House

Angel playing the guitar

Lounging around and laughing while watching Modern Family

Pooped from a morning browsing around old antique shops

Roy and I hiked to the waterfall close to the mountain house

How blessed were we to have spent our Spring Break in North Carolina at my parent's mountain house. Roy and I had the same spring break off of work and school and Bonnie did as well. She and Angel came to join us for a few days in NC and we had an incredible time.

We spent a day in Helen, GA, which is an old German town. Everything from the food to the architecture has a European feel to it. It is a quaint little town with cute shops and restaurants. Boy was it warm too! We were expecting a cool week in the mountains, but it was in the upper 70s low 80s most of the time.

The rest of the time we sat around the house reading, listening to Angel play his guitar, cooking, playing games, hiking, eating (sadly!), going to the movies, watching Modern Family, and watching TV (none of us have cable so it was a real treat... and there was an HGTV House Hunters Marathon! Score!)

It was so incredibly relaxing!

Remembering a hero...

On March 2nd, my precious Papa went to be with the King. At 93, Papa had lived an incredibly rich life and the countless memories we have shared will forever be in my heart. He had spent 19 months in a Veterans nursing home and has suffered from Alzheimer's for several years now. How precious the gift of life is. Papa's life is a model for many to follow. He valued the simple things in life, people, family, God. I find joy in knowing that he is with his Creator, but miss him dearly. He was a my hero, one of the greatest men I have ever know. He was so proud of me and loved being a part of the things I enjoyed, even if it meant sitting during my cheerleading practices. :) He is greatly loved and will be dearly missed.

Baby Carrete!

My beautiful sister Bonnie is expecting her first child on September 1st! Obviously, I am a thrilled aunt :) Although this is an incredibly joyous event, Bonnie has been incredibly sick her entire pregnancy thus far. It breaks my heart to see her suffer so. She has a wonderful attitude and I am encouraged at her faith in the midst of such a trial. She has thrown up 130+ times in 7 weeks :( Please pray for Bonnie and her husband Angel during the remainder of her pregnancy. Pray that Bonnie's strength and health will be restored and that God will work wonders in their lives and hearts during this time. I cannot wait for this little bundle of joy to make its appearance. What a precious blessing from the Lord!