Run

Lake Fontana is the birthday destination spot I've been taking my oldest girl, Haylee, to for years.

We stay in the Smoky Mountains at a sweet spot that offers refurbished cabins and an amazing peaceful atmosphere. We usually bring our favorite foods, take a few hikes, treat ourselves to a massage, and reflect on her past year all while celebrating her life.

This years hike definitely goes down as our most memorable, ever, of all time. While hiking the Mingus Mill trail, Haylee tells me how her friend Chrissy wants to hike the Appalachian trail with her dog. I glance ahead and see a patch of black fur, saying, "look there's a dog ahead!"

(Let me just say, it's not an odd to pass many hikers with their pups on the trail.)

One more step in and I hear, "Mom, that's not a dog."

We grasp hands and walk backwards slowly as we see a Mama Bear's big booty start to turn while her baby bear stares at us from a few feet away.

Slowly, we edge away until we think it's safe to run, and then off we go. I kept looking behind to see if we were being followed, strategically planning on being my own kind of Mama Bear should anything with claws and teeth try to harm my baby.

My daughter reminds me while we run that the sound of the rushing water next to us might drown out our footsteps. At the same time our iWatches remind us we have met our fitness goal for that day.

Needless to say we made it back to safety, happy to be able to share this adventure. We'll be even happier if it doesn't happen again.

#HappyBirthdayHaylee

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