More on Montreat...

So Labor Day weekend, the girls and I (Ray couldn't go...opening day of Dove season-work calls) loaded up and headed to Montreat, NC for our annual family reunion and had a very good time! Brenly has been going since she was in the womb...and looks forward to headed to the mountains every year! She loves the fact that she has 27 other people to play with...what more could a child ask for! Avery has also been going since she was in the womb...however she doesn't realize that she loves it so much...give her a few more years, she'll be begging to go as well! It was a LONG car ride (and you must keep in mind that Avery HATES being in the car for any amount of time...funny that God blesses me with a child that hates the car, seeing as how we are in the car ALL the time!) But we all managed just fine! We stopped in Dickson on Thursday and spent the night there (I actually went to Vanderbilt to see my friend Julie, while mom and dad kept the kiddos for me!) Friday morning we got the car loaded up and headed to Knoxville to eat dinner with Uncle Jay and Aunt Jenna..and we stayed in a hotel that night...I realize that might be a minor detail for those of you reading, but it was one (of the many) highlights for Brenly...we stayed in a hotel WITH a pool and she was soooo excited! Yes, she and grandfather swam, while I worked out my upper arm muscles with Avery jumping to me...over, and over, and over, etc. We got up Saturday morning and we were off to the mountains! We arrived at lunchtime (well, we were alittle late) ate lunch and then we were trying to figure out the days plans...Brenly, Avery and I went to play in the creek... and yes, all of us fell in, but I saved my camera from getting a drop on it..(I'll go ahead and let you use your imagination on what that picture would have looked like!) And then we decided to head to Lake Susan for some paddle boating and canoeing the ball field and play a round of softball...yet another highlight for Brenly...She got to hit the ball, run the bases, play with all of her cousins (this is the life!) It ended up that all the girls were hanging out on the bleachers catching up on the happenings of our life while the boys..and Brenly...were hitting, catching, throwing and running! Avery started to entertain us with her hairdo's by NayNay We arrived back at the glass house in time for the men to grill hamburgers and hotdogs and we played games...you name it...we played it...

And you certainly need to be jealous of our matching t-shirts...we love them!
We continued with games well into the night!
On sunday we woke up and decided to have church at the mountains (literally) We have always had church at the glass house and then traveled to the mountain that we always climb, but this time we decided to change things up a bit! We arrived and started our church service with some sharing of our joys and our pains...then Todd and Courtney lead us in some worship...along with Elizabeth "signing" a song or two!



And then came time for annual family pictures...




The it was off to attempt to climb the mountain...and we succeeded...but I want that to be a seperate post...(a good way to keep you coming back!) Back to the house where we ate lunch, got ready for another round of softball (or bocce ball...whichever one you wanted to play)




While we were there...God decided to open up the skies (out of no where) and the rain came pouring down...so we sat in the dug out watching the rain, playing in the rain,




and wasting time by taking "senior pictures" (I think that Heather and Lindsey cam up with that brilliant idea!! :)













Sunday night we were trying to figure out what to do..so we play games, and then Heather and Lindsey (I am beginning to think that they are the entertainment coordinators) decided it would be a great idea for us to spell "M-O-N-T-R-E-A-T" with ourselves and take pictures...so here is the attempt to succeed at the bright idea...It was hilarious!!






Monday morning, we loaded up and headed all the way back across the state of Tennessee...AND it is all worth it! We love Montreat and more than that, we love the people that we spend time with at Montreat! We have the best family...EVER!!!

and that L-O-N-G post...should make up for the 3 weeks I have been M-I-A!!!