Our third family hike in the Shenandoah National Park was our longest one yet and it was right before the kiddos and D started school this past August.

Yep...you heard right...the kiddos and D! I'm the only one who isn't in school (this year...D will be back working next year). Ha!

We wanted to check out the lower White Oak Canyon Falls, and boy, we were SO glad we did.

It was beautiful and the kids did great for being the longest hike we did.

I think it was 3 miles to the falls and 3 miles back. Can't remember exactly though. ;) But, we were SO happy they did great, because, with kids, you just never know when they're going to make it loud and clear that they've had enough! Ha!

But...even though this hike was SO beautiful, I was struggling for a bit. Actually, for probably the first hour or so.

I just couldn't get out of my head.

I think it was because it was the end of summer.

I just spent 12 weeks with my kiddos, all day, everyday, while also moving out of our house in May, then being at my parents house for three weeks in Florida, then a week in Orlando at Disney World, then back to a hotel in Lousiana for another week while D finished his last week of work, then driving two days to Virginia to another hotel and then unpacking and getting settled and then soaking in as much as the area we could before classes started.

So, yeah, I was in a major funk.

And because of that, I kept asking the Universe and the Angels to help me get out of my funk...to help me FEEL the way I felt on all the other hikes we've done...in the moment and ignited with JOY and to BE excited to take pictures of what I was seeing, because I wasn't excited at all.

But, thank goodness I kept snapping through the funk, because what I captured, in my opinion, was the best yet!!

OH, the beauty!!

I just love how Luca is looking up at D. Makes me smile BIG!

And off we gooooo!

Even though I was in a funk, I was still in awe of the beauty that surrounded us, right at the very beginning, too!

And wouldn't you know, right away, I stumbled across a heart rock! The Universe and the Angels were definitely on my side, as you'll see below, it just took me quite some time to SEE and FEEL it!

This is ALWAYS my favorite view!!

And, of course, when he stops for his picture, too! :)

Daddy always gets way ahead and then has to wait for all of us to catch up to him. Ha!

Sorry, Daddo...I'll never stop teaching them to walk slow so they don't miss all the beauty that surrounds them. ;)

SO.MUCH.BEAUTY!

I still love her little feet...even though she's a BIG girl now. ;)

Off we go...again!

But, I stopped and snapped because when I looked at both sides of the bridge I was starting to get out of my head and into the present moment.

The rocks, the water, the light and the dark on the leaves...oh my goodness! I was LOVING it!

And then I caught up to my loves! :)

And I found another heart rock, too!

And another one!

They were starting to pop up everywhere and I knew it was a sign from the Universe and the Angels to get out my head, because still, at this point, it was like I was having a battle with my mind...telling it to get present, but then it would immediately go back to me thinking how tired I was or how I just didn't feel good and how badly I wished I was feeling JOYous like I had been since we moved here.

Then it was snack time for Luca.

And oh my gosh, once we stopped, I was ignited with JOY, yet again, because of the lighting all that summer green that was surrounding my loves.

But then CeeCee tripped and hurt her knee. And, again, thank goodness for Daddy's healing touch!

He was SO concerned about her while eating his snack.

There's nothing better than her Daddy's healing touch! We are SO grateful for him!! :)

And off we go and, yet again, the view was absolutely stunning!

And...more heart rocks!!!

I didn't even capture them all because there were a lot of people on this hike and I didn't want to get in there way, but slowly, I was starting to FEEL the Universe and the Angels and I knew they were helping me GET IN MY JOY!!

Because they know just how much I absolutely LOVE seeing heart rocks out in nature! ;)

After catching up with my loves (I was way behind because I kept stopping to view and capture the beauty of all the heart rocks I was seeing), I just loved seeing them all standing there looking so cute.

It's not a hike without these cute (and funny!) faces! :)

And then little guy thought he was ready for an adventure on his own.

Uh...I don't think so little guy. Not yet!! :)

"Luca!! Get back here!!"

BIG heart rock!! YESSSSSS!!!

And then Daddy went ahead to see where the path went while we waited behind.

Uh, BIG MISTAKE!

Our kiddos hate it when we are all NOT together! I had no idea where the path kept going through the rocks and Luca was trying his hardest to go after him.

Thank goodness he came back. But, when he did, I said, "NO MORE LEAVING US!! THE KIDS RUN AFTER YOU!!! WE ALL NEED TO STICK TOGETHER!! BECAUSE I AM NOT LOSING OUR KIDDOS IN HERE!!" HA!

Once on our way again, I could tell we were getting closer to the falls.

The stream was SO peaceful! Aaaaahhhhhhh!!

And, guess what!?

MORE BIG HEART ROCKS!!! OH YEAH!!

I mean...just WOW!!!

And then...we made it!!!

I sat back on the rocks, watching my loves explore the falls (I didn't go in because this south Florida girl grew up going to North Carolina every summer and went tubing in the water and it is COLD!!! SO I sat back and watched and snapped!) and I was completely out of my FUNK!!

Water...nature...photography...the Universe...the Angels...it does that to ya! Even if it takes a few hours! ;)

Brrrrrrrrr! But, oh SO beautiful!! :)

They LOVED it!

Then they explored even more!

Go C...our future rock climber...maybe? ;)

A quick portrait for the win!!! Yaaaay!!

And then we walked up even more to check out the big fall.

I mean, wow...it really shows just how tiny we humans are! ;)

Hi ho, hi ho...it's back up to mama they go!

Fueling up for the hike back to the car.

While still surrounded by Virginia's finest!

And then, while hiking back, I found more heart rocks!!

OH MY GOSH!! I couldn't believe it!!

This was the most I'd ever seen on a hike...and all while I was in such a funk. WOW!

It was a HUGE message that I always need reminding of...no matter how funky or stressful the day...LOVE is always there!!

Even Luca savored the love with me! :)

And, wow...SO MUCH LOVE!!!!!

WOW!! BIGGEST HEART ROCK EVER!!! WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!

Then, at the very end of the hike, C yelled out, "Mom!! I found a heart leaf!!!"

She had found the brightest and the greenest heart leaf ever!!

And we all walked to the car with the biggest smiles on our faces!

All while I learned, that no matter how funky I feel, it's SO important for me to never stop doing what I love.

And that I was SO happy that I never put down my camera, even though, there were many times I wanted to do, because, yeah, I don't feel like taking pictures.

I saw that my heart was being pulled in the moment more than my mind was trying to keep me from it.

Because what I know for sure about ME, is that when I seeing something that ignites me with JOY and LOVE from within, I absolutely LOVE to stop, smile and SAVOR it through the lens.

My camera pulls me more into the moments I love more than my mind ever will.

I'm SO happy that my funk didn't win!

But, I'm even happier, that on this day, I was shown more than ever, that no matter how FUNKY or LOVELY I feel, LOVE is ALWAYS there!!

If you'd like to see more of our hikes...

Check out Our 1st Family Hike | Stony Man, VA here!

Check out Our 2nd Family Hike | Glass Hollow, VA here!

Until next time...

Why do I do take pictures? Because it's one of my favorite creative tools that easily pulls me out of my to-do list head and helps me to SAVOR (the feeling of) everything that makes me stop, smile and lights me UP with LOVE even more (something that's hard for me to do when my mind is running five miles ahead or behind the present moment)