On Memorial Day we headed up to Wears Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains for a day of hiking, picnicking, exploring and splashing. 
We decided on a three and a half mile hike to an old school house and homestead. The children found interesting critters, 
Amber (12) and Sadie (5) sketched, 
and everyone collected sticks on along the trail.
Beside the school house there was a cemetery. We enjoyed reading the tombstones and thinking about the lives of the people who died and were buried long ago. Probably a full third of the gravestones marked the grave sites of children under the age of 5, most of them from the same few families
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Colby (2) tried to climb out of the window. There is nothing notable in that except that I thought the photo was nice.
Next we hiked to the Walker Sisters home. This photo is unedited. (Well, of course it is unedited. Despite having a degree in cinematography, I’m inept at I don’t have time for photo editing.) See how green North East Tennessee is in the spring, are you jealous?
Yep, another window, another photo of Colby scoping out his exit. 
On the way back to the car the children waded and Colby finally found something that he could jump off. 
Here is a token photo of Nicholas (1). Outside of wading he spent his day happily ensconced in his favorite place the Ergo .
We found this lovely butterfly and Colby was fascinated even though the poor thing was dead. I just missed the opportunity of capturing Colby giving it a kiss on film. If I had realized that he was going to kiss it with his lips, I promise that I would have tried to stop him and not have tried to capture the moment on film instead. Well, maybe.
Nicholas also got out of the Ergo for the car ride home.
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Those are beautiful photos. What a great way to spend such an important day.
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I love seeing your kids’ faces!! I miss that. And yours too! I can’t say I miss seeing Mark’s or that might sound out of place. Funny how being toted around in the comfy ergo all day can put you right out!! :>)When are we going to do our used to be, never was, annual trip to Bays Mount? Lori
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Love the pictures,but can’t Mark or someone else take a picture? Miss seeing you. You also are dating yourself, didn’t get the picture on film. What is that?
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Hey! They still make film!
Leave my poor gurl alone. (hehehe) I must be old too… lol I say film too. 
Oh hey Kimberly.. another kewl thing happened on this day that I wanted to share with you. I officially became an Auntie! My sister had her baby at 4:08pm. She had a boy, and named him Dominic Collier. He was 7lbs 11oz, and healthy. He has short brown hair, and looks like a good mix between mommy n daddy. I can not wait to go see him Sat morning!! Yeaa!!
These pix are beautiful! THe kids look like they had such a wonderful time. I love the mountains in the spring. My favorite flowers are blooming now too. (don’t ask me the name… it is the blue ones along all the roads arround town)
–A
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It looks like you had a fun and exhausting day! Thanks for leaving a comment on my page. It is neat to hear from people that just happened onto your page. Have a great and beautiful day. Full of fun and laughter!
Michael
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Oh goodness I love those pictures. What an adorable family . (But what about you ) where are you??? someone should have taken at least one. You should have your smiling face on here too..
Great photos , thanks for sharing
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