Hiking up to Amicalola Falls!

Guys, it was harder than I thought it would be.

A lot harder.

Ascending to the top of Amicalola Falls is no simple feat. This 729-foot waterfall is nestled atop a cliff in the southern Appalachian Mountains, and is considered the southeast's tallest cascading waterfall. While my little family was enjoying a mountain getaway in Ellijay last weekend, we decided to hike up to the Falls that I had previously heard so much about. I knew it would be strenuous, especially with a toddler in tow, but we were just crazy/enthusiastic/high on mountain air to gleefully attempt such a feat. And while it was obviously worth is and totally beautiful, I will say that it wasn't easy. Okay, it was downright hard. There, I said it.

Stevie wore Everett in a hiking pack (ours is from REI and is no longer available but see similar here) and I wore a Camelbak (similar here) with all our snacks, water, and of course the camera, and we found ourselves seriously huffing and puffing to get to the top. The 2.1-mile trail begins like a normal hike and then turns into a series of steep, winding staircases that lead you to the top of the falls. I didn't do a great job of photographing the actual stairs (because those were the moments that the camera stayed put away, because well, I was wheezing for the life of me), but now I really wish I had a shot of those rickety stairs that looked like they were leading up to a forest of Heaven. It was quite an experience, climbing those 600-ish steps. Everett did a zillion times better than he did the last time we hiked (thank goodness!), so at least his kicking and screaming wasn't an issue this time around. But even though the trail was seriously challenging, my two boys were happily chattering, singing songs and making animal noises the whole time. Stevie asked Everett about the sounds that really obscure animals make, like giraffes and zebras. Who even knows? But Everett made up some really hideous screeches that he found thrillingly entertaining and proceeded to die laughing and then make more of the same sounds. These two are just peas in a pod these days.

This pack stands up on it's own, even with a kid inside! Such a great gift that we got from our buds Travis and Liz :)

We found a crazy tree. What could possibly have caused it to grow like that??

The pinnacle of the hike was getting up to the falls. However, it was crazy crowded at the top (we are talking swarms of people, children, dogs and trail mix), so we didn't manage to get a good family pic of the three of us at the top. It was actually kind of claustrophobic. But we decided to continue the hike up above the falls and managed to take in this view:

Getting to see this sweeping view of the valley below from up above the trees was incredible. Watching the eagles soar at our eye level was a little eerie and wondrous all at once. We stood there for a long time, drinking in the view and enjoying the lack of swarming hikers. It's moments like these that I'm reminded of just how GREEN the state of Georgia is. And I don't really mean eco-friendly green, I just mean GREEN green. It's the greenest, leafiest, kudzu-iest state.

This is kind of a bad photo of us, but I still love it because this was when we finally reached the top of the mountain and Everett and I plopped down in the middle of the trail and ate fruit snacks. Which he calls "fruit sans". I love how he carefully watched me dole out each bite would immediately demand, "more!" before he even finished his bite. He's something, that little guy. Also, his hat plus tank top just kill me. I bought him more of these tank tops this week.

We came, we hiked, we conquered. It was an awesome experience, one that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in hiking to a gorgeous view and can handle the 600+ stairs that lead up to the falls. I'm sure Stevie would agree that without a toddler on your back screeching "duck sounds" at the top of their lungs, this gig would be much easier to accomplish. But then, what's the fun in that? :)

P.S. - If you into other hiking/camping adventures, check out the time we went glamping with our toddler, and the time I road-tripped and camped across the U.S.

Glamping in the Winter.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to haul my family out to Sweetwater Creek State Park for a night of glamping in the woods. What is "glamping", you ask? GLAMOROUS CAMPING. It's a thing, guys. It's where you stay in a yurt - a wood and canvas structure - that has beds, a heater and usually a table and chairs. Bathrooms are shared with the entire yurt village, so you have to trek outdoors when mother nature calls. But it's a great way to take your family and still have a bit more protection and comfort while "camping".

I'll admit, I'm not a huge camper. I love nature and the great outdoors, but I've never had an excellent camping experience. I wish I had those fond memories that everyone talks about, where they grew up camping with their families and snuggling up by the fire and telling fun stories and playing with flashlights. I asked my dad the other day why we never really went camping and he said, "Kristen, I had three girls." Huh. Good point, Dad.

So I didn't grow up camping. I have, however, camped all over this beautiful country in the past 10 years or so. On this epic cross-country road trip, I had the opportunity to camp everywhere from the Grand Canyon, to Moab to Lake Powell to Tulsa to Jackson Hole. And those experiences were awesome... except for the actual sleeping in a tent part. I just always feel COLD. And yes, we have the right gear for that sort of thing. So this is just me, admitting to you, that although I love hiking and being in the woods, I don't prefer sleeping in them.

Which leads me to glamping. I have been working to expand my writing capacity (if you want to learn about my journey on becoming more intentional and pursuing dreams, check out this series), and I was sent on assignment to cover the new yurt village at Sweetwater Creek. If the tiny little article actually gets published, I will share it with you guys :) And oh, what an experience, camping with a 16-month old.

I'm gonna go ahead and be honest with you. Camping with my son. Was kind of terrible.

I love him. I adore him. I would lay down my life for him. But I literally spent the ENTIRE day saying "No, Everett! No Everett!" to pretty much everything. No, you can't walk head first into the rushing raging river. No, you can't walk by yourself while we hike because there is a cliff that you could fall off of if you wander. No, you can't touch the campfire. Because you can't. You just can't, son.

I spent an entire day having these conversations. And he's in this really fun stage where he throws his body on the ground and screams bloody murder, so we often attract attention for all the unwanted reasons. People are making sure that our son isn't being kidnapped or something. Nope. Just a normal day with Everett in this fun toddler stage. He has a will. He's not afraid of exerting the will.

Am I being too harsh?

I'm just being honest.

Once I put him down to sleep in the yurt that evening, he fell asleep in less than two minutes with the lights still on. So all that will-exertion must have tired him out, too.

Once by the campfire, Stevie made me quesadillas over the open flames and we drank beer and made s'mores and it was so so fun. I've got a good s'more strategy, I wish I could show it to you guys. But it was just us, out in the woods. Talking. Mostly about our son. But also about the direction our lives have gone, the journey we're on, the fears we have and the dreams we hope to achieve. What is it about the campfire that draws out the most deep-seated of feelings?

It was the coldest night of the year, the night we laid our heads down in that yurt. Coldest of the YEAR. It figures that we would try to sleep in the woods on the one night when things got frosty. But going to sleep in an actual bed (with our sleeping bags on top!) really, really was the icing on the cake. I just slept so warmly, and SO WELL. Until Everett woke up screaming at 1am. Am I making you guys want to have babies yet?? We tried everything we could to coax him back to sleep in his little travel crib, but he's not so little anymore and he was aware that we were in the little hut with him. So he wanted to be near us. Thankfully, Stevie had packed a third sleeping bag (it was in case I got that cold feeling I was telling you about earlier, he's such a good one you guys), and we pulled Everett and that sleeping bag into bed with us and we all slept for 7 more hours. All of us! We haven't co-slept with Everett since he was a wee little tot, and I'm surprised we didn't all wake each other up sooner. But in the morning, I was the one with the sunlight on my face, and I opened my eyes and looked at my two boys, facing each other, mouths opened, drinking in the most delicious of sleep, and wow. I felt all the feelings. So happy, content, and kind of in awe and wonder. This little family is just my gold. Even after the previous exhausting day with Everett. These two are my world.

We spent the morning eating oatmeal, enjoying the views from our deck, and drinking our happy concoction of half coffee, half hot chocolate :) This is when Everett was his usual fun self, so we had a good (redeeming!) morning with him. Then we spent our time out in the park exploring. Aside from Everett's shenanigans, everything was absolutely beautiful. There was a ton of hiking, and a beautiful creek that leads down to a historic Civil War-era textile mill (which was used and featured during the filming of The Hunger Games Mockingjay!) The stream turns into some level 4 rapids, which is apparently awesome for whitewater rafting during other seasons of the year. We just traipsed around, until Everett's war cry was enough for both of us, so we packed it up and hit the road. And vowed not to take him camping until he's at least another year older.

The consensus? Glamping is pretty cool. Glamping with a baby under the age of 2? Not so cool. But the park and the facilities and the hikes and views and history were compelling enough that when we got in the car and started driving home, Stevie was making a strategy for how we could make it a better experience next time. So who knows. We might be nuts and attempt this thing again.

If you have advice for camping/glamping/hiking with kids under the age of two, please share in the comments! Not only do I need it, but everyone else reading this would probably be interested in helpful tips!

P.S. - Don't miss out on my Christmas giveaway for him, going on now!

Hi, Old Friend.

On Saturday night, I was cleaning up the kitchen from dinner and Stevie was taking out the trash. He came back in the house and said, "Kris, you've got to stop what you're doing and come out here."

I stepped outside and whoa. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it.

It wasn't just cool - it was cold. It was like I had stepped out onto the dark porch and back into a memory, one from our days in Boston. Walking home from dinner in Harvard Square and snuggling up together as we meandered those cobblestone streets in the black night, the chilly autumn weather dancing all around our feet. It was wonderful and sweet and, wow, life was really simple then. Even though it didn't feel like it at the time.

And as I stood, barefooted on my own back porch, far far away from the life I journeyed in Cambridge, Massachusetts a few years ago, I was swept away in that memorable moment. Such a simple one. All because of the strikingly cold weather. It's enticing, what our senses can do for us.

Stevie and I just stood out there for a long while, feeling the hard porch wood beneath our feet and the cold enveloping all around. We took deep breaths and silently welcomed this old friend, this autumn chill signaling it's time. Time for knotty sweaters and mulled cider and crackling bonfires and apple picking and fan girl phenomena about all things pumpkin. Time for walks through Williams Sonoma with to-go cups from Starbucks to sniff out all the harvest recipes. Time for watching football in the living room, eating chili and knitting blankets that I will never finish. Time for Sunday afternoon naps and woolly socks and sloshing around in the crispy leaves. It's time for all of it. It's beginning again. Welcome, old friend. Have your way.

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe. Part 2.

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe. Part 2.

I just had too many great photos from this fun little getaway. See part 1 HERE.

For me, the beginning of the year is such a cleansing season. Everything is sort of bare, torn away, and a little bit unbeautiful. Almost a little too raw, a bit uncomfortably vulnerable. And yet I really love this wintery season. Of course, it's a lot easier to love it in Georgia than in Boston or New York :) Seeing the dirty sleazy snow turn a million shades of sick can really throw your stomach off for a day. But here, the trees are stripped to their skivvies and tenderly hold up their branches in a "raising the white flag" kind of way. Like, here we are, world. Ready to start fresh. Start over. Dream again.

Am I crazy? That's just what February is to me.

I had to include a few more Serenbe photos from last week. I couldn't possibly choose my favorites so I just pretty much chose them all. Seeing my little boy interact with my strapping husband is making me feel alive and happy in a new way. Maybe it's the whole February thing. Maybe it's a new mom thing. Maybe it's a clear-headed thing. Or a "I've finally slept, booya!" thing. But I'm having a small moment in the sun these past few weeks. Life finally doesn't feel so gosh-darn hard. I don't feel so bare bones tired. Or ragged. This little getaway to Serenbe couldn't have come at a better time. It was cold, but so what? I've had colder winters.

// I love setting up Everett's little bed when we travel. I don't know why. //

// I like to tease him that he's my muse. He. HATES. It. //

// 7.5 years. I'm a lucky lady. //

Happy February to you all!

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe. Part 1.

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe.

We spent last Sunday evening and Monday at the wondrous Serenbe Farm. We had the privilege of staying in one of the cottages at the Inn, enjoying dinner at The Farmhouse and doing some exhilarating hiking/walking around the farm grounds. If you aren't familiar with Serenbe, it's a wonderfully chic, urban-ish farm community (yes, "commune" is perhaps another word for it), located about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta. We enjoyed spending time there in September, and with each season change we find ourselves itching to get back to the farm to bask in the still quiet. Serenbe is the kind of place where you go to dream again, which is exactly why we decided to steal away for an evening.

We got to really dive into some fun imaginings about our goals for the year and how we would like to grow ourselves. That might seem like a funny term, "grow ourselves", but I've learned that unless you attempt something with all sorts of intention, it probably won't just "happen". Like the watercolor painting that I want to do. I bought the supplies! And yet they are still sitting in their plastic Michaels bag, begging me to be played with. But hey, baby steps, right?

We meant for this little getaway to happen over the Christmas/New Years break, but I got some kind of gross bug and we had to cancel. But alas! Nothing could keep us away for too long. Yes, we brought Everett along for the fun, although my sweet mother offered to drive out and babysit for the evening so we could enjoy a dinner date, just the two of us. These are the crazy good benefits of living near family. Thank you, Mom! You're the best!

Dinner at The Farmhouse is such a wholesome, earthy experience, because most everything is grown on the property itself (or at one of the nearby farms in the area), so all the food is locally grown and most is organic. IT'S SO GOOD. If you go on Sundays, get the fried chicken. GET THE FRIED CHICKEN. And the cobbler. Whatever cobbler they're serving up, you will just kick yourself if you don't eat it all. The food is almost holy.

As for the farm yard experience itself, it was really as good as could be expected in the dead of winter. I'm not going to lie to you - it was pretty cold. And really windy. And sort of misty/foggy/wet. So we didn't do as much outdoor frolicking as we hoped, BUT - the goats had just had babies, like a day before we got there - SCORE! Those little baby goats. Seriously guys, you could just die. They are so stinkin' wobbly and CUTE. A slew of pictures to come (because you know that I can't possible edit this batch down any further :)

// Which came first, the chicken or the goat? //

// He's a total dog whisperer, but somehow all the little animals wanted to come to him. They must talk. //

// Um, YEAH. //

// New mama with her baby! This little guy was scampering around and trying to jump atop the haystack. Ah! //

// I was, um, trying to get in some animal love. Connection. Whatever. I didn't grow up on a farm guys. I don't have the animal-whispery tendencies. //

// I really had nothing to offer. But my hand in marriage. Oh wait. Nope. //

// He's all, give me one good reason to talk cute to you. And all I could do is squat there. Empty of any good reason. DRAT. //

// BAAAHHHH never grow up. Just stay this little. //

// Can you tell I'm a little smother-y with my love? I know I need to cool it a bit. BUT I CAN'T. //

// Probably my favorite photo OF ALL TIME. Somebody is wrapped around somebody's finger. Everett's all, "Mmm Hmm, DADDY, gimme twenty dollas." //

Serenbe is fun and then some more fun. You can see the last time we visited HERE. I have more photos to share, the rest will be up tomorrow!