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| George took this picture of Mark, Diana and me standing at the brink of OZONE FALLS. |
Dear Friends, Many of you know exactly what I mean when I say "It's a fabulous day when this Mama can spend it with her kids"..... Mark brought his girlfriend, Diana, to live fulltime in Tennessee last week. Diana has lived her entire life in Texas ---so I'm sure that Tennessee is culture shock for her--even though she has been here a few times this past year to visit.
I was thrilled when Mark said that he and Diana wanted to visit us this past weekend (Saturday, 2/9/19). It was wonderful to see Diana again. Now, we can officially call her a Tennessee Lady!!!!! She will be looking for a job soon --and already has some good possibilities.
We 'ordered' a NICE day for their visit... Luckily, Mother Nature provided some RARE sunshine even though it was quite cold while out-and-about.... We started by having some lunch together. Then George and I took them to one of our 'local' waterfalls not far from our home, Ozone Falls.
When George and I moved to Fairfield Glade in 2003, we visited many of these area places during those early years --but hadn't been back to most of them in several years. SO --it was a fun day not only for them but for us!!!!! I always enjoy showing people the sights --especially when they enjoy being out in nature as much as we enjoy it.
I'll share a few pictures from that TERRIFIC day with Mark and Diana!!!!
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| Ozone Falls State Natural Area (located near Crab Orchard, Tennessee) |
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| Mark and Diana at the brink of Ozone Falls; It was quite chilly --but Diana did manage to take off her coat fairly quickly. The sun was NICE. |
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| George always loves to take water-pictures... He got some great shots above the falls and below ... |
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| I love this picture of Diana. She's a gorgeous woman, and she and Mark are SO happy together. |
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| Mark and George walked down the rocky path to the bottom of the falls while Diana and I sat above and had a chance to chat!!!! The gorge around that waterfall is filled will all kinds of little 'caves'... Wonder what lives in there at nights??????? Hmmmmmmm... |
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| This is one of George's awesome pictures of Ozone Falls, a 110 foot waterfall. |
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| Mark spotted this old wooden train trestle across the road from Ozone Falls... I did some research on this old trestle and the train track and found out that it was probably built between the 1880's--1890's.... |
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| After leaving the Ozone area, we drove farther east to the Mount Roosevelt Scenic Overlook. From there we could see the Smoky Mountains in the distance. |
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| Our new Tennessee Beauty wasn't too sure she liked the roller-coaster ride up to that overlook.... ha ha |
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| Two Sweethearts enjoying the view at Mt. Roosevelt Overlook. Below them is the town of Rockwood, Tennessee. |
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| One more view of the Smoky Mountains in the distance from Mt. Roosevelt Overlook |
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| We came home and watched the Tennessee Vols Basketball team beat Florida!! YEAH.... |
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George and I welcomed Diana to Tennessee by giving her a plaque to put on the wall in their home. The plaque says:
"Live by FAITH; Grow in GRACE; Walk in LOVE" |
Welcome to TENNESSEE Sweet Lady... Hope you love it here as much as we do!!!!! Thanks for coming to see us on Saturday... Come back anytime!!!! We have MANY places to show you in our area!!!!
Blog Friends, I hope you enjoyed my post... It is so great to have family closer now... The older I get, the more important family is!!!!
Have a great week.... Next week, I'll do Part II of my 2018 Review.
Hugs,
27 comments:
What a fun day. You're all looking good. It's great to see Mark so happy.
It sounds like the perfect day. Getting to spend time with people you love and getting out and enjoying nature.
There’s nothing like spending time and feeling the warmth of families closer by! Glad you both enjoyed their company like they do cheer visiting you and of course going out to explore and explain places which I do enjoy traveling with new or unfamiliar with places. Diana looks beautiful and hope she meet you often after transferred to Tennessee.
Hello Betsy,
I am happy for your son and his new girlfriend. It is great you all had a nice day seeing the waterfalls and the beautiful views. Wonderful photos. The plaque is pretty, love the quote. Enjoy your day, have a great new week!
Love this post! I lived in Rockwood as a child. I was born in Harriman. My sister lives in Kingston. Jackie.
So happy that Mark and Diana have found each other. Diana is a lovely lady. Family time is such a fun and precious time. Many happy pictures. The picture of you and George looking at the fireplace from last time is just right. Love Tennessee scenery too.
This is a beautiful summary of a wonderful day. I hope we can do it again real soon!
I think you found a great way to spend the day.
Family! Nothing compares to it - a snapshot of Love. I always enjoy your blog and love the pictures. If we ever get back that way, we are going to look for that waterfall - beautiful.
A great big welcome to Diana. I am so happy for you that your family is so much closer.
Betsy, Looks like a great day! Lately around here sunshine has been hard to find, that's for sure. Great photos! There is another nifty old wooden trestle that I think is still being used that 'hides' up in the woods along US 70 west of Kingston. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Oh I loved seeing this post Betsy. Your joy is evident. I am so happy for Mark and Diana. May they have many years of happiness together. And I know exactly what you mean about having family closer as we get older. I am so ready to have family nearby.
Many blessings, Betsy
So great that you have even more family moving close. I know they bring you such joy. Isn't it odd how we seldom see the local sights and travel many miles to see them in other states, till we have company and both of you get to enjoy them again.
Can't believe they were standing on that tiny platform so high in the air. Brave souls.
What a blessing to have both your sons living close now. Hmmm...I sense an engagement announcement soon! Very exciting! My favorites are the three of you, then the trestle and the cave.
It is nice to see Mark looking so happy. And Diana seems very sweet and kind.
Family is so very important. I am so happy that you get to spend more time with your family now.I don't know how I could go on, if my son was not close to me.
Betsy, how nice that you got to visit with your family. It sounds like you had a lovely day, enjoyed by all. You have wonderful scenic pictures to remember the day by too.
Yes, I love these words, "It's a fabulous day when this Mama can spend it with her kids".. I like that too. I think I would like Tennessee more that hot Texas - hope she is happy! sandie
Wow, beautiful place! Glad you get to enjoy your family.
Yes noting beats a wonderful time spent with your own children and family members
I understand how happy you must be to have more of your family close by, and especially if they enjoy going hiking with you and George. You not only life in a beautiful area, but you have so many neat places to visit not too far away.
I'm happy for you....God bless your day!
Time spent with family and at a scenic location, too. Good to see you looking so well, Betsy. That falls is beautiful!
Hello Betsy, yes family is so wonderful. Special times and many special memories are made when we are able to spend time with people we love and if we can get out and about together (like you did) then that's even better :)
Enjoy your week.
All the best Jan
Dear Betsy, I did so enjoy your post and seeing photographs not only of tall waterfalls and rocky caves but also your son and his beloved friend who's come to live there near you and George. I so agree that as we age, family becomes more and more important. that's been happening for me since I moved back here to Missouri where my brother and his extended family live.
I've been away from blogging and Facebook for seven weeks because of being ill. So I've missed everything you've posted here and on Facebook. I'm so glad to read here on your blog just how contented your life is right now. Peace.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful news and those gorgeous photos
Good morning Betsy....so glad you had this special time with Mark and Diana. Your photos make me want to move to the mountains. I love nature and anywhere that I can find streams and waterfalls, makes it just that much better. As you know all too well, not many of those around here in Texas. Happy Sunday...
What a lovely plaque. Having family nearby is the best.
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