On Labor Day weekend we had made more camping reservations, this time at Cumberland Falls State Park. But the plan for all of us to be with the Abrahams was undone by a soccer tournament for Reese in Indianapolis. So Callie and John headed down I-75 to experience a new state park with Kelly, Kirk, and Claire. It started off a bit rough with traffic at a dead stop north of Corbin. We needed to get the tents set up before the sun went down, but we had confidence we could make it happen. You might think that Sarah was having the better end of the deal, but she was in her own little bubble of fun. She and Reese made it all the way to their hotel in Indianapolis only to discover that Sarah had forgotten her wallet at home. With a little of that California charm she was able to persuade the hotel to let them in their room, but it was going to be an interesting weekend.
Meanwhile, back in southern Kentucky, the camping crew were able to find their campsite and set up their tents before darkness fell. It wasn't the biggest campsite, but there was enough room for the tents and a fire, so no one was complaining.
We had already grabbed a bite to eat before getting to the park, so that night the fire was just for hanging out and making s'mores.
We always say that we can never have enough time with the Abrahams, and that still holds true. It did seem a little strange to have only partial crews from both families, but we made it work.
Saturday morning came bright and early for the soccer girls. Reese and her friend Mary hit the field prepared to win in a look that had become normal for us all. It was the first tournament of the season so we were all interested to see what would happen. Although most of her teammates were the same, Reese did have a new coach so she wanted to impress from the get go.
The camping crew was also up bright and early and excited to explore the trails around Cumberland Falls. It was a short trip from the campground to the trailhead, and it was a beautiful day. Claire and Callie were hoping to work on their upper body strength along with cardio.
Although the hiking wasn't intense, it certainly provided many opportunities to see all the beauty that Kentucky has to offer.
This is one of the many views we had of Cumberland Falls during the course of our hike. The water is far from clear, but the waterfall is quite a sight. We were not there at the right time to catch the famous moonbow, but one day we will get there for that. It is well worth a return trip.
Every time we went camping this summer we learned new reasons why the hatchet was such a critical purchase. And every time we camped we each learned new skills. Here we see where those two things converged as Callie discovered the joy of chopping wood.
We needed that wood to be the right size to start the fire and Callie was ready to do what it took to get it ready. And she didn't even come close to chopping off a toe.
At every soccer tournament, a key question is what to do with the downtime between the two Saturday games. Sarah paired up with Erin Oakley, Mary's mom, and they took a group of girls to the local mall. It had been at least six months since we had been in a mall, but clearly this store knew we were coming.
Sarah and Erin are cool moms, no matter what their daughters might say, and Erin was even cooler because she was ready to help out the walletless Sarah all weekend.
Here we see Mary, Harper, Reese, and Emerson enjoying the mall in their own special way. You can't tell from the picture, but they found their way to the cosmetics counter in Nordstrom's and got a special tour in the Body Shop where they tested countless lotions to see what combinations worked best.
They also tried to find the best combinations on the field as well. The tournament was not as challenging as we had hoped. The girls won most of their games by double digits. But they had a good team and gained a lot of confidence.
At the end of the weekend they walked away as champions, which is certainly a great way to start the season. The funniest part of the whole tournament was when Mary got a yellow card, a first for the team overall. She is one of the smallest players on the team, but she is pretty feisty and can hold her own.
And best of all, on that Sunday night we were reunited around the fire pit in the Abraham's backyard. Monday was a holiday so we were all able to relax and enjoy being together as full families. Callie, Claire, Reese, and Ella always enjoy each other's company and aren't afraid to get a little silly.
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