Hiking with Maria

This is Maria.

Maria loves to hike.

She also loves our family,

even though she has threatened to never speak to us again

since we are moving to Utah, and leaving her beloved Tennessee.

Yesterday

we called Maria,

so she could take us to one of her favorite local trails.

She said it was kind of steep,

but I convinced her we could do it.

We headed to House Mountain.

Where the only trail condition is steep.

We all wore out our calves packing 30 pound Caroline.

Maria tried really hard to get a nice family photo for us.

I think she did a pretty good job. Given the incompetency of her models.

I am certain we would have quit before getting to the top without Maria's help.
Or one of our kids would have fallen off a cliff.

 Look she got a great shot. If only LG was looking at the camera this would have been the perfect photo to say goodbye to our life in Tennessee.

Even our dog  loves Maria.

Maria said it all would be worth it
when we got to the top.

 I believe she was right.