An Old and A New Adventure with Friends

On Thursday we headed to the Ocoee  to pick up our part-time, TN son, Blaze Hurley. (And for all you rumor spreaders and drama creators-Blaze has no biological connection to Johnny or I. He is just our friend.) Our ultimate destination was actually Oconee State Park in South Carolina with some friends Johnny and I met on our last trip. Here is the blog post on that trip: Our Weekend in the Psych. Ward.

We headed out in true Cox form: camper in tow, boats and bikes racked up, and two of the most adventure seeking boys alive, buckled in the back.

Poley was just as excited as all of us that we were traveling.

One advantage to this camper thing...it is so much easier to hop in and make a quick snack for the road whenever anyone gets hungry. And if you know these two, that is pretty frequent!

After snagging a spot at Thunderock, we went to our beloved swimming places-Smileys and Blue Hole. All the guys went in full force. I made sure one of the rocks on the side stayed stable as I enjoyed the wonderful warmth of the sun. That water is COLD!!!!

I can't take enough pictures of them! They will fight and argue in a minute, but they really do love each other!

Jack chatted with Blaze as we walked from Smileys to Blue Hole. 

Blaze was able to successfully roll his kayak several times!! Whoo! Hoo! That is a huge achievement!

By an odd chance of events, we ended up at the Ocoee with 2 other families we are friends with: the Jolley's & the Grammer's. The boys LOVED having some play time together.

The next morning, we all headed to North Carolina for a trip down the Nantahala River. 

 John Gannon and Bode manned their own boat.

 I bet you can't guess which child of ours this is?

After the Nanty fun, we left our friends behind and headed to South Carolina to meet our new friends. The drive over was absolutely beautiful. The only downside to that-it was so curvy and steep, the 74 miles took us about 3 hours to drive!!! But we finally made it! The next morning, the guys headed out to paddle Section II, the calm section, of the Chattooga river.

Our boys took turns in Johnny's kayak. Ted, the guy we met on our trip that invited us to S. Carolina for his annual "friend" trip, is in the back of the canoe.

Of course, all this calmness, rocks Jackson right to sleep. However, he did also fall asleep on the Nantahala as well. Johnny said when he was at the end where a large rapid was, he used his paddle to bob him side to side to get him to wake up!

After a day on the river, it was a treat to enjoy some food and fun with our new friends.  As we left the event, Johnny and I really cherished the richness of their community. They have been friends for years. They all connected while on adventures and have taken the time to nourish their friendships. They meet at least two times a year, on Memorial Day and Labor Day. We were very honored that we got included on this trip. I loved hearing them reminisce about their adventures together. For us, it was a picture of how being intentional with your time can create such meaningful moments!

The boys got to help with making frozen strawberry yogurt using a hand cranked machine.

This good looking, strong guy cooked our food up!

The next day, Johnny and two of the guys went to paddle Section IV of the Chattooga River. Since this section was too advanced for the boys, we made full use of the park. We started the morning by attending the church service at the "barn."

We played countless rounds of miniature golf. There is an 18 hole course within the park.

And guess what? They have a low and a high diving board at the swimming area! Here is JG on the high one!

And here is Jackson going for the cannon ball on the low one!

John Gannon swam beside Jackson all the way out there (it is longer than it appears in the picture). He stayed in the water watching his brother as he jumped to make sure he could swim safely back. He said he didn't trust the life guards to watch him as good as he could!

Blaze and the boys also took a paddleboat out and cruised the lake. On Monday morning, we got up really early and packed up so we could meet one of the families back at the Ocoee for one more day of adventures. HOWEVER, when we were about 30 minutes away, they sent a text and told us they had left. We had some very disappointed boys. But, we made the most of it anyway. As soon as we got situated the boys and Blaze jumped into the river and let the current bring them down to our camping site. I was there with the safety line, just in case...

Blaze and John Gannon are always so careful to make sure Jackson can swim against the current and make it to the side. I love watching this!

Of course, we had to make another trip to Smileys. 

Thank you Jackson for taking a picture of me so that when I am old I can remember that I was actually on this trip!

I sometimes forget how much John Gannon and Jackson look alike. From the side, we can see so many similarities.

While we enjoyed Smiley's, Johnny took a trip down the middle Ocoee. Here is how we found him when we went to pick him up!

Here is a picture of our little camper--just the right size for us. 

And of course, we can't make a trip to Thunder Rock without a picture of Roxe, our FAVORITE CAMPGROUND HOST and friend! Again, thank you Jackson. We all enjoyed a meal together at a restaurant in Copper Hill that night.

On Tuesday morning, the sad day-the leaving day, we made a trip back to Smileys and Blue Hole. We packed up and headed home sometime after 1.

People, don't waste your time. Take the time to have some meaningful moments. You are not doing the company a "favor" by not using your vacation time. You are the one missing out--missing out on life with your family and friends. You are missing the opportunity to make new friends-and family. 

Purposely have adventures. It is work. Last night, we got in around 8:30 and by 9, the washer was going with a many piles waiting. A camper is outside waiting for a good cleaning, boats, bikes, and safety gear had to be unloaded. But it is worth it.  And guess what, we are leaving again in just 3 short days! Go ahead,  jump right in.

And if you are like me and just honestly HATE cold water--make sure you are there to capture the moments!

Live a Meaningful Life!