Family, lots of family

I love my family!  I love being with my family.  I even love the sometimes crazy aspects of my family. My extended family is spread out.  My paternal grandparents had 3 children, 5 grandchildren, and now 10 (with one more on the way) great grandchildren.  We live in 9 different states all over the country.  Needless to say we don't get to all be together very often.  We planned to all gather in East Tennessee this summer.  We missed 2 of my cousins and their families!!!  However, the other 19 of us had a great week of adventure together.

We all went on a hike in a National Park (it was part of Gaitlinburg, but we didn't go in the main entrance).  This was a 1 mile hike that all the kids and my Grandma hiked.  A beautiful morning in the Smoky Mountains!

The whole Baughman family present, except Aunt Anne who took the picture!

Kelsie, Joel, and Jim hiking

Eli (who is 3 months younger than Joel), Larry, and Rachel

Melanie and Tim

Kirstin, Myself, and My Mom!

A sampling of the beautiful view on our hike

Joel crossing a river on rocks

Aunt MeMe helping Joel across one of the many foot bridges.

He made it!  He did such a great job hiking.

We ate a picnic lunch in the National Park before some of the family headed back home for naps.  Then the rest of us hiked up 2.1 miles to a waterfall (and then back down 2.1 miles).

Trevor (and others) on the way up.  It really was up with this incline for the first 2 miles.  The last .1 of a mile was even more steep down to the falls.

My brother, Tim, and nephew, Trevor at the waterfall

It was just after this moment when Jim realized his phone was going for a swim.  After 3 days in rice to dry out, it revived!!! 

My Kelsie!

Cooling off in the waterfall's fresh mountain water.

That's my brother!!!  (He got ALL of the daring genes and I got NONE)

Sweaty, but enjoying the view!

Another glimpse at God's beautiful creation.

The trip down the mountain was adventurous as my Aunt fell a split her knee pretty close to the top of the mountain.  She then went into shock and passed out with Jim and I catching her.  Fortunately, my cousin, the nurse, was with us.  Her husband, the doctor, was able to put 4 stitches in my Aunt's knee after dinner.

As if that wasn't enough adventure, the next day we headed to the Pigeon River where several in the family started the day ziplining, but I wasn't up for that adventure.  However, after lunch most of us went white water rafting.  Unfortunately, I don't have any cool pictures.  Joel has the best story of the day though.  He went on a raft with his Grandpa, Great Grandma Betty, Great Aunt, and 2nd cousins (ages 3 and 6).  They went on the lower river that was calmer, while the rest of us went on the upper river to experience more rapids.  A few minutes into Joel's trip their raft went backwards into a rock.  This caused Joel to be dumped out of his raft and into the river.  He spent some time floating along until his guide Miss Melinda hoisted him up into a different raft.  Eventually, he was put back into the correct raft.  Grandpa was very concerned for him.  Joel wasn't scared a bit, though.  He was thrilled to tell us the story when we met back up with him.  

We also enjoyed time in the sandbox, local community pool, around the campfire with smores and fireworks.  I look forward to the next time we all decide to get together (and hopefully those that weren't able to join us will be able to the next time).