Spring Break - part 1

We kicked off Spring Break with a 10 hr drive to the in-laws in Batesburg-Leesville, SC. Uneventful for the most part. After arriving, the girls decided to work off some stir-crazy from the trip and "take a hike". Jesse snapped these shots along the way.

Saturday was a relaxing day, just thawing out, catching some sun. Travis & I ended the day helping my father-in-law, Roger, and some men from the Hulon Baptist Church get ready for the Easter breakfast the next morning. For over 40 yrs, the men of the Hulon Baptist church have made this breakfast for the community. Travis & I were tasked with cracking egss, all 200 of them! Sunday started with a Sunrise Service followed by the Easter breakfast. It consisted of scrambled eggs (skillfully cracked), locally-made bacon (amazing), onion sausage (different), biscuits (bought; none of the men knew how to make 'em!), and grits (or "gree-ats", as they say down here)! The kids decided to pass on the grits! :-)

Here's the "extended family" shot, with Emily and Lea. Happy Easter!

Spring Break hiking...

Jesse is off school for Spring Break right after Easter, so we are off to warming weather. And new hiking trails! We will spend a couple days with our in-laws (who live in South Carolina) at Mistletoe State Park in northern Georgia.

BTW, Travis is home from Air Force Basic Training, so he will have a chance to go along too! We're excited. We weren't sure if he would be able to go, so Jesse had already invited a friend, Emily. And Travis has decided to bring along his girlfriend, Lea. It will be a loaded van, and loads of fun.

Stay tuned for riveting play-by-play updates. Oh, wait, I'll be at a State Park, so:

• chances for taking breathtaking pictures: high
• my ability to actually take breathtaking pictures: average
• taking time to "blog" from Mistletoe Cottage #8 on Clarks Hill Lake: average
  
• chances of even finding a wireless signal in order to blog: low
• chances of me wanting to get on my laptop: average (depending on the signal strength)
• chances my wife will let me get on my laptop: low (regardless of signal strength!)

Today's quote

Today's "leadership quote" on my Google home page is right down this whole "hiking" alley:

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Muriel Strode

Easier read than tread, though! Have a great day! Watch out for the thicket.

A different kind of walk...

Well, we didn't get a hike in last weekend, but it was legit. Last weekend, Sonia & I (and many others) accompanied our dear friend, Kevin Bergenthun, on a particularly difficult leg of his "life hike", the passing of his mother. Not all ventures happen out in the woods; not all walks are pleasant; and not all journeys are optional.

At times, the climb is steep, the scenery is sparse, and the trail looks impassable. That's when it helps to have someone walking with you. We're with you, Kev.

Looking forward...we're planning to participate in the Winter Hike at Old Man's Cave in a few weeks with some other friends Mark & Lisa Tyler. Stay tuned...