On Mother's Day, We Ran Away :)

Take one known-for-his-spontaneity husband who randomly suggests things at the last minute, one holiday in which a mother can feel like she can express her wishes and do what she wants, one family that hadn't been on any trips--long or short--for quite a long time, one gorgeous Sunday with perfect weather, one pastor who is understanding of a family's need for time together, and what do you get?

Well, this.  :)

 A "wouldn't it be great if we could," "hey, maybe we can!", tossed-around-the-idea-of-on-Saturday, executed-on-Sunday, one-day Fisher family get-away to Blackwater Falls in West Virginia!  :)  And so, my Mother's Day was spent doing this...  :)

 Jeff cooked bacon for us at home in the morning; and that, combined with delicious cinnamon buns from my kind friend Sally, made a scrumptious breakfast for us.  We packed a picnic lunch to take along and then set off, headed west through the mountains in search of beautiful scenery, a splendid waterfall, and most of all, family memories in the making.

 Can you tell that Moriah has it SO rough, being the only girl?  ;-)

 Jeff and I had been to Blackwater Falls, but that was nearly eight years ago when we were celebrating our 10th anniversary.  I was pregnant with Tobin at the time; but other than him, none of our other kids had ever been there (and his recollection was dim, to say the least).  ;-)

 We had mentioned the word "hike" in relation to this adventure, and the boys were prepared.  David, Tobin, and Shav insisted that they each take a backpack, even when we said it really wasn't necessary and the walk to the waterfall wasn't that long.  David even found a nice walking stick to use on the trail.  :)  Later, David confessed that he was somewhat disappointed at the ease of the walk!!  :)

 Moriah had been complaining sporadically about her foot hurting, and I just KNEW she wouldn't want to walk by herself--at least, not for long.  Visions of carrying her in our arms up and down the path haunted me, until I remembered this child carrier we have.  Jeff got the honor ;-) of carrying her in it, and she LOVED it.  She seriously did not want to get out of it, even after our walk was over.  :)

 The way down to the waterfall is the easy part.  It tricks one into thinking, "Oh, this isn't bad at all!"  ;-)

Moriah liked this little stuffed animal that we attached to the carrier many years ago.  

 I'm not entirely sure what the boys chose to carry in their backpacks, but I do know that in Shav's was a Batman costume and mask.  Everybody knows THAT is essential for such an expedition!!  ;-)

 The spectacular waterfall coming into view...

I can't think of any place I would have rather spent this Mother's Day!  :)

 Just being there is magnificent...

...the roar of the water...

 ...the spray in the air...

 ...the view of that much water rushing over the rocks.

 I've been to Niagara Falls; and of course, this doesn't compete in size or volume.  But it's still impressive--to me, at least.  :)

 We talked with a few different friendly folks along the way, including this dog...I mean, a couple who happened to have a dog, a goldendoodle, who instantly became the center of attention for my kids. :)  Even Moriah got to pet him, thanks to a daddy who was willing to lean down and break his back so she could reach the dog.  ;-)

 As we started to go back up the trail, the others had gone ahead of me (surprise, surprise!); and an old man with white hair and beard caught my eye and started telling me about how he used to go in the river and swim at the base of the falls.  He pointed out a large rock that he used to jump into the water from, about 30 or 40 years ago (I wonder if it might not have been longer ago than that!).  ;-) Thanks to safety measures like boarded-in walks and signs urging you to stick to the path, you just can't do that anymore (although my boys would have loved it!).

 As we neared the top, another older man spotted us and began the conversation by saying something like, "Don't tell me all these kids are yours!"  When I smiled big and nodded, he started counting them aloud; and then I chimed in to make sure he knew that #6 was on the way.  What I had originally feared was going to be an unpleasant encounter changed quickly, and he and his wife were very pleasant and complimentary.  We chatted for a minute or two, then they wished me a happy Mother's Day and went on their way.  I've discovered that many times (not at all, but many), if I respond to such queries with joy and gratitude and love for my children overflowing, it transforms the conversation from a "woe art thou, for thou hast so many children" kind of thing into a "wow, you are truly blessed" encounter.  I love letting the love I have for my children shine in obvious ways to others; and I hope that somewhere along the way, others will be inspired to love and appreciate their own children more!  :)

 Tobin and Shav were interested in exploring this "cave" and seeing if there were any bears in it.  There was one, as a matter of fact.  It was a Tobin Bear.  ;-)

Jeff rewarded us all with ice cream at the top; and although the path down to the falls was mostly shady and fairly pleasant, it was hot at the top so we all appreciated the cool refreshment.  :)

Moriah really wanted to stay in the carrier.

 So we let her.  :)

After we looked around in the gift shop and the boys chose some trinkets to buy with their own money, we climbed back into the van and headed east again, over the mountains and through the valleys, admiring the incredible beauty of our neighboring state, and laughing our way across the miles to our own home sweet home.  As we rolled along, Josiah said something to the effect of, "This is the best day trip we've ever had."

I happen to think he just might be right about that.  ;-)