We were up early to try to beat the crowds and were so thankful when we pulled in a little after 8am and there was still parking! Yay! Praise God!
The trail starts steep but then levels out for a bit where you almost think ,”where is the elevation gain? “ Oh no worries .. the last part of the hike is all elevation.
Be on the lookout for rock climbers also. We saw several sets of them ascending the rock face which was very cool.
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As you get closer to the summit you will have some rock scrambling so trekking poles are super helpful especially coming down.
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When you come to the top clearing you are met on the left side with a stunning view( top picture on this post) ! In fact it may be our favorite view even more then the summit!
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Then you climb a little more and are on the summit of Little Si. Mt.Si is behind you and the whole Snoqualmie Valley is in front of you .
Such a fun family hike! It took us about 3 hours round trip and we logged just over 4.5 miles on our Apple Watch.
We started our Easter Weekend by going to Knutson Farms for their Spring Bloom. It is happening now through May 5 🌷Tickets are $15 per person on the weekend and $12 during the week . It includes all the rides , games , animal barn , Easter Egg Hunt ( limited to March 29/30) , and all the fun photo ops that are throughout the farm.Check out all the fun things we did that were included in the admission ⬇️
Photo props – There are so many unique photo props scattered throughout the farm. We loved exploring and getting pics with them all especially the Jeep ❤️
Beautiful #instaworthy photo spot Swing photo opDuck racesBull riding or lasso practice Easter Bunny was visiting Easter Egg Hunt 29/30 only
Animal Barn – Who doesn’t love visiting the animals on the farm? This is one of our family’s favorites! The sheep were super friendly, the goats were so cute fighting each other and the miniature donkeys were braying at us and showing off their teeth . The chickens were on full display and we even saw a Bob Ross imposter duck … 😂
Ready for a pic Bob Ross imposter 😂
Cow Train & Hay Ride – These were both so fun! They also have a Grain Train you can ride that looks like mining buckets .
Games – sandboxes, jumping pillow , tricycle races , and so much more!
You can also purchase some additional items like the mining experience ⬇️ .. this was so much fun for all my littles! They all got a great assortment of gems and the whole experience was great.
Look at all those gems!!
Another extra you can add on is the the U Pick tulips ⬇️ We all enjoyed picking out just the right ones to take home , and loved learning after the flower dies we can save the bulb to replant 🌷
Oh and can we add the Coffee Cart drinks were amazing! We ordered a few drinks …Berry Bloom Italian sodas and an Iced Lavender Haze ☕️ The lavender haze was so good!! The drinks were also at great price points .
Another #instaworthy photo spot but also a great place to catch up with friendsThey have a reward card to earn a free drink .. yay!
Lots of Food Options – and affordably priced!
There is also a super cute store and flower shop . There are all kinds of gift options inside .. cards, gardening, candles , stationery and lots more. We enjoyed picking out some flowers for friends we are meeting this weekend 🌷
Video clip of the adorable store
There is something here for everyone! I was surprised how long we stayed enjoying all of the fun..over 3 hours! This is definitely something you want to add to your plans.It is a great way to support Local Farms in your area❤️
Here is a fun reel of our day at the Spring Bloom ⬇️
The winter trail for Franklin Falls is so beautiful! From the drive to the beautiful snow covered path . We had planned to snowshoe the trail but we didn’t end up needing the snowshoes and were able to use our micro spikes . The trail is typically 2 miles but with the road closure in the winter it takes on another 5 mi so we did just over 7 miles with the winter route .
Road closure Sun peeking over the mountains Trail Head Famous Red Cabin
The cabins along the trail with the creek was probably one of my favorite areas of the hike and so peaceful. I wanted to grab my hot cocoa from my pack and read a book right there .. it was such a beautiful spot!
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Perfect spot
Before you come to the falls, you descend stairs and then the whole beautiful area just captivates you as you climb down and see the awe of the rushing falls! It was so cool!!
Anyone else amazed that you can drive right over this beautiful area and never know it was there until you hike it ? I am learning to look beyond the trees and roads as we travel . There are so many beautiful adventures when we take the time to explore 🌲
Have you ever hiked this trail? What were your favs?
I also did a fun reel of our day .. check it out here ⬇️
Any Hunger Games fans? Did you know that you could visit the actual mansion President Snow lives in ? The 13,000 sq ft Swan House was built in 1928 and is located in Atlanta Ga in the Buckhead neighborhood and it does not disappoint! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This beautiful home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also the setting of President Snows house in the Hunger Games Franchise. The Capitol Ball was filmed here as well as scenes of President Snows office which took place in the green room . Oh and guess what! It’s full of history so honestly it’s a win win.
A little history ➡️ The Swan House was designed by architect Phillip Shutze for Edward and Emily Inman. It’s called the Swan House because of Emily’s love of the beautiful birds, and because there is a swan motif that runs throughout the home. Another cool tidbit is it still includes much of the Inman’s original furniture. The house was completed in December of 1928. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While you’re visiting the Swan House, you can also check out another filming site of the Hunger Games: The Atlanta Marriott Marquis. The interior and elevators served as the tributes’ quarters in the film. The futuristic-looking hotel was designed in 1985 by John Portman.
We had a girls trip recently and stayed at the Home 2Suites Hotel by Hilton . We have never stayed at this line of Hiltons before so we wanted to check it out.
Front desk Clerk was very attentive and kind Love when hotels have this posted⭐️
The hotel was very welcoming when we walked in .The front desk agent was very kind and texted us to see if we needed anything once we made it to our room .
The room was clean and huge! It really is made for a family of 4/6 easily. There were two queen beds and a pullout couch. A fully stocked kitchen and full size refrigerator.
Our Stay included breakfast ..love that! It was a typical breakfast buffet . Eggs, meat ,toast , oatmeal and grits!! I was so excited for these!
Loved the seating
Our cost was for one night was $225, which we felt was a great price especially if we would have taken the whole family . We ended up using points from our Chase card so it was free !! Yay 🥳
Oh and they take dogs. We had quite the parade of dogs as we enjoyed breakfast in the am.
Coffee break! It has been a season of adventure for me personally as well as my family which means my social media had to take a back seat .. and honestly I’m ok with that! I want to live life full of adventure and experiences to live them and share them but not to do it for the sharing.
Ok so for some updates on what’s happening in our lives and what content you can expect to see.
First of all, we still love traveling and have several trips to still be posted once I get them fully edited with cost breakdowns. I love yo see the actual cost of family trips and the value of what you get so that’s important to us to share. In our years of traveling we have not seen enough of those!
We still love Disney .. but God has shown us there are so many beautiful places to see and learn about so we have started broadening our itineraries 🌎
We are still homeschooling and I am teaching at a Coop so lots of content of what I have done or will be doing is in the drafts . Just to note, as we head into this new school year we will have a Senior.. be still my heart!
A new adventure brewing.. this last year I was inspired to climb a mountain.. not just any mountain .. Mt. Everest . Let me just say that this is an adventure in Gods hands that I am learning to trust and show up for. I am completely ok if God only takes me to the base camp or if he takes this from me but for now I am feeling lead to train for it and trust him. Side note, I am not a mountaineer and or have never had any training .. I grew up in Texas so enough said😜oh and this is a 10 year plan 🏔️
In January, a dear friend , accepted my request to train and work toward learning how to climb elevation. She has the skill and knowledge to hike any mountain 🏔️ and I’m so thankful for her knowledge and skill and that God blessed me with her. She encourages and challenges me.
In January , we made a plan and have been going strong ! Guess what! Other ladies have joined us ❤️So you can expect to start to see these adventures soon.
I’m excited to get back to sharing our adventures with you all ❤️
So excited for this book ! Katelynn has done a terrific job in writing this .. oh and did I mention she is a Teen Author! So proud of her for pursuing her talent and dream❤️ . Head to her website https://katelynnbalcom.com/ To sign up for all the info on picking up her book.
“Unless there is Good Friday in your life , there can be no Easter Sunday ” -Fulton J.Sheen
Yesterday was Good Friday . It’s a somber day remembering the sacrifice that was made for all of us. I often want to fast forward and focus on the celebration part of Jesus’ Resurrection instead of sitting in the uncomfortable space of what took him to the cross and what he endured for my sake and yours.
We decided to watch the Passion of Christ as a family last night and oh my was it hard to watch. The movie starts with Jesus and his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane praying to God intensely asking him to take this cup from him but if not then his will be done. These moments of prayer are gut intrenched and brings you to your knees. These were the moments I would think any human part of Jesus knowing the sacrifice he would make asked for it to not be that way but still willing to do it if it was the Fathers will.
A few moments later , Jesus is betrayed and then arrested . As the disciples start to fight back , one of them cut off a guards ear . You see the guard in such agony and Jesus gently touches his ear and heals him in that moment. The other guards called to have him help them but all he could do was sit there in awe. I couldn’t help but to think about that scene . What was the guard feeling coming into the scene to arrest Jesus?How did he feel when his ear was cut off? What did he think when this man he came to arrest touched him and healed his ear? I wonder how that changed the guards life after that moment?
The progression to the cross begins and you see our Savior beat and spit on by his own people . We witnessed the scene where one of his disciples that walked with him ,denied him three times in a short time . We saw the dilemma of Pontius Pilot and the struggle he had with pleasing others and maintaining his position while also having the sound wisdom of his wife play against those.
Pilot commissions for Jesus to be disciplined to please the people but tells his guard to not bring death. The beating that came from the Roman Soldiers was difficult to watch .Those persecuting him wanting him to die and be crucified watched as the skin was tore from his back . We couldn’t help but turn away and stopped the movie at this point. It was so hard to watch .
One moment that really struck me through the movie was the way Jesus responded. He didn’t fight back,he didn’t ask his followers to fight ,he instead told them to put their weapons away, he didn’t curse or put them down and he didn’t try to run away or talk his way out of it . He willingly took it all.
I often think if I was living during that time , how would I have responded? Would I have been so caught up in the crowd cheering for his death? Would I have been a follower that loved him but when this time came deny him in front of others in fear of what they may do to me? Or would I have fought, trying to take on the whole world even though this was foretold ?
This weekend is way more then just celebrating .. it’s also about remembering all that his sacrifice was .
