Hikin' Hopps!

James and I love to be outdoors. We want our children to know that there is more to life than video games and tv. When our family is in the mountains, our children seem to come alive! They explore, climb, and basically do anything that uses their imagination. We have gone on short hikes as a whole family, but hope that our children will one day be able to join us on our quest to hike the entire Appalachian Trail! This time, James and Bryce hiked South Mountain with our dear friends-Ken Kramer and three of his children: Nicholas, Abby, and Jessie. They all had a blast (even though is got very cold at night). Now that we've got some good hiking under our belts, hopefully next year we can take the younger children...as long as they can carry their own pack!



Legofest 2011

James took Ethan to the annual Legofest this year at the fairgrounds. They got to see a lot of huge sculptures, plus make their own! I think this might just become another Hopp tradition!



And I took the road less traveled....

...and that has made all the difference.  Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets, and so appropriate is this poem that I was able to live out this past weekend. My outdoor husband James took me backpacking on a section of the Appalachian Trail. We have been reading books about the trail for months, but I've never hiked past 5 miles anywhere, especially not up and down a mountain. We hiked from Carver's Gap, NC to Mountain Harbor Bed and Breakfast on Roan Mountain, Tenn. It was almost 20 miles, filled with steep inclines, declines, and rocks. Lots and lots of rocks! Plus some of the most breathtaking views ever seen. There is nothing better than getting to the top of a mountain and seeing a glimpse of heaven with the one you love. No bears this time, but there is always next time! Wait, did I just say I might do this again??????