Smoky Mountain Folk Festival and a Happy 14th Birthday

One of the bookends to our summer is the annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival held at Lake Junaluska, NC.  So many special memories have been made with family and friends at this festival.  This is where we have always celebrated Lorien's birthday.  As you can image, this place is very dear to her.  She is now fourteen and taller than her mother and older sister.  When exactly did this happen?  Can I please press the pause button?

The eleven Cockman cousins - soon to be twelve.  They would rather be with one another than anyone else in the world (that's their words).

My mother always makes Lorien's birthday extra special.  She is pretty extra special herself!