Catch a Turkey

If you ever go to Gatlinburg, TN, I hope you visit the Sugarlands Visitor Center, just outside of town. You pass it if you're driving into the mountains from  the downtown Gatlinburg  area. They have an extensive nature museum displaying stuffed and mounted creatures commonly found in the Blue Ridge Mountains; also in cases, are lots of plant life replicas. Last year, Steve and I went to Gatlinburg on a tiny trip for our 20th anniversary. We wanted to go somewhere more glamorous, but at that time my health was too poor to risk going anywhere very far away from the safety of home. It really was a miracle that we still marvel at, that we were able to spend three days away without any major  incidents - I was healthy the entire time! I'm still amazed - that was a really bad time for me physically, but the Lord gave us those three wonderful days!  He a generous Lord! 

We visited the nature museum at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, as we always do, where groups of people mull around, looking at the displays and talking in hushed tones to one another. But this time, this visit was different...     

I don't know if we were just overflowing with joy/relief/happiness or what, but these pictures just started...happening. "Let me get a picture of you that looks like you're right next to that wild turkey!", turned into My Dear Husband pretending to be about to catch the poor, stuffed creature  in glass in the case. My laughter just encouraged him to be more and more outrageous...

...as he posed next to this wild boar. We hadn't had some unhindered, unweighted, childish laughter in many months! I still smile as I look at these photos! Because of the circumstances, they are a priceless reminder of God's gifts to us that anniversary weekend - joy and unexpected physical health.

For more priceless photos, visit the Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday!