bearwallow mountain | hike it baby.

Another Hike It Baby 30 Challenge is in its final week, and it's been so much fun with two babies in tow this time. Our April challenge was pretty chaotic due to Bethany being so little and still on the "unsettled" side of life, but this one has been mostly glorious. Sure, we still have our moments on the trail (as we always do and always will), but both kiddos have genuinely loved our weekly outings with our friends. Especially Braxton. He goes through the list of all his little buddies as we drive up the mountain, and he lets out an "aww, man" every time I say no. He's already learned an important lesson at just three years old: life is better with friends.

One of our favorite places is Bearwallow Mountain, and thankfully this trip up was much more pleasant than the last. If our previous trip had been my first hike with my kids, I would have vowed to never go hiking with them again -- it was THAT bad. I'm stubborn, though, so we trekked up again just a few months later -- and instead of being the worst hike ever, it was one of our best ones yet. Ahh, sweet redemption.

The start of this hike was the most beautiful scene I've ever seen -- the mountain fog engulfed the trees above and around us, leaving small pockets for the sunshine to peek through. It was like we were in a magical forest. We all couldn't believe how majestic it was! And the blue sky that awaited us at the top was enough to take our breath away. There's just something about being on top of a mountain that provides such incredible perspective -- and I'll never get enough of it. I actually heard a quote by the late, great Billy Graham that I won't ever forget: "Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys." This resonated so deeply with me, mainly because I've experienced the truth in it.

Bearwallow, you'll always make my heart swell. And I sincerely pray that you always make my kiddos feel the same way.