FAMILY VACATION

On July 17th, our family and some very special friends headed for the Great Smoky Mountains.
Brad and family were not able to join us as planned due to the sudden illness of Crystal, his daughter-in-law who was 7 1/2 months pregnant.
She had developed ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), and was put on life support almost immediately.
The baby was delivered....a 3lb, 9oz baby girl that they named Audriara....and with good care and lots of prayers has been doing very well ever since.
Crystal showed no improvement for a period of almost two weeks; but I am happy and thankful to report that last week she began to improve and
is now on her way to what we are trusting will be a full recovery.

To God be the glory!

Well, anyway, for the next week or so I will be posting pictures and words about the marvelous week 17 of us had in the mountains of Tennesee.

I would also recommend that you click on Sarah's blog http://www.sarerinthal.blogspot.com/ for more beautiful pictures and stories of our adventures .

2009 is the 75th Anniversay of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
It seems 1934 was a very good year....as while we were there, I celebrated my 75th birthday also. (more about that later)

Dolly Parton has been made the official ambassador of The Park for the year, and the following are a few of her words about the place where she grew up as told to Guidepost Magazine:

"All that I am comes from those mountains where I was born and raised.
If I close my eyes, I can see the mist on the peaks, the bluebirds on the fencepost, the meadows filled with purple ironweed and wild daisies.
I remember chasing butterflies and hummingbirds.
I loved running barefoot in the hills, my feet tender in the spring then brown and tough by summer's end.
Just hearing the word, 'barefoot' still conjures up a sense of wonder and freedom for me... because that's what I had growing up.

I knew there was a world beyond the Smokies..the geese and butterflies had to be flying somewhere, after all..and I wanted to see it for mself.
So I moved away after high school.
But I always came back for what I discovered growing up there: wonder and wisdom, music and inspiration, freedom and faith.
Even today, in these hard economic times, I think, well, if the worst happens and I lose everything, I can always go home to the mountains, plant a vegetable garden, maybe raise a few chickens.
I'll go back to God's green earth and he'll give me everything I need, just like he always has."

Please come back tomorrow.....Love, Blessed