Gnat In My Lipgloss

Well, as most of you know I just turned 28! Though I wasn't excited about being a year older, I was glad to leave 27 behind! I just don't like that number.... I mean yuk! 28 sounds much better.

I also had one of the best birthdays ever! I was kind of expecting this birthday to, well, suck. This year my birthday happened to be the day before I took my national board exam. I thought that I'd be all stressed out and just sit around the house and do nothing but worry. Well, my wonderful husband and his family took care of that for me!

Cody's family has been four wheeling for, well, I'm pretty sure forever. At least as long as I've known them. And me? Well, the first time I sat on a four wheeler was when I started dating Cody. Big surprise! However, I quickly came to love it. One of my favorite things is four wheeling at Kenny and Melanie's. We've gone countless times since my first ride, and I get a little more comfortable each time.

So this year, Kenny called Cody and asked if we wanted to go down to Ava and ride. Luckily, I was on Spring Break and could go with them. It also happened to be on my birthday! So we packed up the truck and headed down to Glade top. We arrived to find one of the most beautiful days of the year. The sky was perfectly blue and the weather was not too cold or too hot.

Glade top is a national park, and it is gorgeous! There is nothing around for miles, except for trees, creeks and wildlife. It's just you and nature. I love riding because I can just sit and enjoy the breeze on my face and look out into the forest. Glade top has a little bit of everything; you can drive forever and see only trees surrounding you and then suddenly you are on top of a hill and can see for miles around. There are rocky hills to climb up and creeks to cross. I love those gurgling creeks with the water so clear you can see the different colored rocks on the creek bed. If you go slow enough you can even see the fish and frogs that make the creeks their home. I love looking out and wondering how many little animals are hiding from the hum of our four wheelers, waiting to come out until we pass by. This area is one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. I can't help but think of how awesome our Creator is when I'm in a place like that.

Another of my favorite things about Glade top is the history that is there. Every once in a while you come across an old homestead. You can see the remains of old cellars, forgotten tin pails rusting in the grass, rock foundations that once supported a home. I find myself wanting to know more about the people who lived here. The ones that worked so hard to tame the land and build a home. Did they thrive here by the water, or did they struggle each day to put food on the table and to protect their children? Were they born on this land, or did they travel from a far away place to claim it as their own? How many children came into this world at this very spot? I can almost see a little girl sitting in the tall grass making chains of flowers, or a little boy struggling to chop wood so his family would stay warm. What were their hopes and dreams? What did they fear? Did they fall asleep at night listening to the water flow outside their window?

There is a small and very old cemetary on one of the hills on Glade top. It's a beautiful place, in its own way. There is certainly sorrow to be felt there. Many lives had been laid to rest there, too many before their time I'm sure. Many graves are only marked by a stone. Some have names and dates scratched on their surface. A few mark the resting place of entire families. Did they die of some terrible sickness? I can almost see a mother leaning over her child, wiping their little face, praying that they would get better. Some stones only tell of an infant, one that was called to heaven before ever even beginning life here on earth. Many graves show birth and death dates from the 1800's; what did this cemetary look like when these people were laid here? Was there snow on the ground? Were there this many trees around? I'll never know; all I can see now is a shadow of the past. As we leave the cemetary to continue our journey, I find myself hoping that it will always be there. That a hundred years from now, another person can walk through it, wondering about the lives that were lost here, thinking about those that had to walk away and leave their loved ones where they lay.

We left the cemetary and continued down the trail. I began to think that maybe I would try driving. Kenny and Cody have always been great about helping me and they are always very patient with me when I get scared. They always encourage me to get out of my comfort zone and actually drive instead of just ride behind Cody, but they never make me feel bad if I chicken out! I have driven several times; Cody stays on the back and helps me by providing emotional support, and, well, helping me do things like turning the four wheeler on. I usually decide to drive when we're on flat land with lots of open spaces; no hills or creeks to cross, no trees to run into. Just simple, easy driving. Well, Glade top is not really simple, easy driving. There are rock ledges to climb and water to cross, both of which are surrounded by trees to hit! I did overcome my fear and I drove! I didn't really go up any rocks, cause that's just craziness, but I did cross several of the creeks! I was so proud of myself! I've attached some pictures of our adventures.