FAMILY SUMMER TRIP #5

North Carolina

 Gatlinberg and Pigeon Forge

The kids in front of the border sign.  They did not want to get out of the car so I am surprised I got them to half-smile. =)

 The Smokey Mountains are very beautiful, not quite the height and rocky feeling as the Rockies out west but Green, and thick with foliage of all kinds and did I mention GREEN! The "smoke" that you see in the background never seems to go away and they are truly a sight to see!

If you squint, you can see an Elk in the background of this picture.  Below Daddy got a little closer for a better picture, soon after a ranger came buy and kept everyone far back.  Um- Alta Smith and a broken shoulder anyone?

 As close as I dared to get- Very impressive!

We also saw a Black Bear cross our path about 50 feet away, all except for Mia who did not see him before he ran into the trees.  She was very sad for about 5 minutes.

 The Smokies are truly beautiful!

 On the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee.

 The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states and goes from Georgia to Maine. As you can see, Maine is almost 2000 miles from where we were.  We talked with someone who had hiked the whole thing and it took him more than six months! We hiked about 20 minutes of it!?!?

 The kids and "Water".

Mia loved the "Fuzzy Moss" that seemed to cover just about everything.

 In Gatlinburg and the indoor water park, the kids loved it! 

 In Pigeon Forge and go-cart time!

 The speed racers- Mommy and Mia!

 

Brenner and Cayden pushing the gas!

 Mommy and Mia on the elevated tight turn.

Get your tongue back in your mouth!

 Brenner and Cayden on the bumper boats. Mia was too short by an inch and a half.

Does that make our six year old "small" still?

 In one of Daddy's favorite spots- the Christmas Store! It was huge and went on and on.  Think Modern Display on Steroids! As big as it was, I did not find Our Ornament here. As ornaments go, I find that I am getting very picky, they have to be just right in every way. In a latter shop I did find a very cute wooden bear that will be perfect once I add a little tag of where and when and I even found the perfect blown glass hot air balloon for our Alabama trip that I was missing! Yeah!

 That night we caught a show at the "lumberjack Feud". It was allot of fun and Cayden even got one of the "cookies" which were the ends of the wood that the lumberjacks cut during the competition. He also got it signed by the lumberjacks at the end.  The kids favorite part of the whole show- the dogs! Go figure!

 Pigeon forge and Gatlinburg are very similar to Jackson Hole but much much bigger.  There must have been eight or ten playhouses, someone said 17 Pancake Houses, all kinds of shopping and all kinds of things to do and spend all your "Extra" money on. Dolly Wood is also there and as we have been to Disney several times and all three kids have passes this year to Six Flags over Georgia, no one wanted to go. Cayden also asked if it was only for girls- Dolly Wood. 

 The Smokey Mountains are truly beautiful and a place I would for sure go back to see again.

Fourth of July

Fourth of July

2012

We had a wonderful Fourth with Great Family, Nice Food, and some Spectacular Fireworks.

Happy Fourth of July to all our family near and far!

Summer Trip #4- Florida

Summer Trip #4

Panama City Beach, Florida

 The Traditional beach "foot photo".

 All of us out on the best balcony we have ever had- 19 stories up!

The view was just amazing!

 The Kids and the sunset. Very pretty the first and last day, Stormy the two in between.

Cold slushie drinks- Cheers!

 Feeding the birds off the balcony. It came to an end when we got a knock at the door telling us it was against the law to throw anything over the rail. Ops- but it was very cool while it lasted. 

 Brenner and Daddy in the ocean.

 The kids in a big hole that Cayden dug.

 Brenner buried in the sand.

 All of us with the sunset in the back the last day.

 Daddy with a plate of one of his favorite things at the all you could eat buffet.

Mommy and Mia enjoying everything the beach has to offer!

Summer Trip #3

Lake Oconne, Georgia

 Nikki and her connections- One of her friends from work has a beautiful Lake Home on Lake Oconee and we were invited to go for the weekend.  Although Georgia was not originally in the plans for our "summer vacations", it made for a nice weekend trip close to home.

 Brenner jumping from the Water Trampoline into the Lake- SPLASH!

 Mom and Dad on the Jet Ski.  We don't get pictures of just us often as we are always the photographers, but Cayden took this one and did a great job, we may need to hand over the camera more often!

 Mia and Brenner fishing.  I don't know where that boy gets his love for fishing as I know it did not come from his mother or I.  But none the less, He loves it! 

 The kids loved the kayaks, especially Cayden.  He could be found out in his yellow kayak most of the day.

 Doing his thing!

 Cayden on the tube on the back of the Jet Ski- FUN!

 There was a room full of vintage video games, pin ball machines, air hockey and the like and this is where Brenner could usually be found, he loved it!

The kids just hanging around down by the lake.

What fun we all had and so close to home!

Next week is Panama City Beach in Florida and we all can't wait for this one- Check back!

Swim Team

The kids are all on the local swim team this year and are loving it!  They all swim with kids that have been swimming for several years and all do very well, even coming in first and second in most of their heats.

Mom and Dad love the good family atmosphere, Cayden loves the socialization and being in the water, Mia loves the attention from all the "Big" girl and boy (yes- it starts early with this one!) coaches and her swim Buddie and Brenner loves the competition, even swimming a lap with his goggles pushed into his mouth and never stopping to adjust them (and he got second place!).  I have posted several heats below for everyone to view, make sure you see Mia's- Too Cute!

Brenner's Backstroke

Mia's Backstroke- Too Cute!

Cayden's Backstroke

MIA'S 6th BIRTHDAY

What better than a pool party with all of your best friends, lots of Pizza, Cheetos and Watermelon and a mound of presents for for your Birthday!

 Our little baby turned six on the 5th on June and lets just say that as the thought of it makes me want to cry.  I truly love our kids and their ages right now, they are so much fun.  But the thought of our last being six makes me sad.  Even though she promised me she would, nothing stays small forever!  She is still small to me and most likely will be forever.  

Mia- We love you so very much! 

 Mia and many of her BFF's.

 Mommy holding her "Baby".

Six years ago she would have fit in her arms, now- Well!?!

 And the Birthday Surprise of the year-

"Bunnies"

The kids all wanted something "alive" for a pet and Daddy finally caved in and decided that Bunnies would be a good outside pet.  Not to big, very cute, and the poo is very small (although very plentiful).  I worked on building a great cage with three cozy compartments, three water bottles and food troughs and it was done.  We all went out the the country and picked them up the day before Mia's Birthday- and they have not put them down since.  They are all Lion heads and very fluffy as you can tell.  Mia named hers frosty (After the Wendy's treat and some coaxing from Daddy), Cayden went with Snuggles (a throw back to Mommy's Bunnie as a kid) and Brenner decided on Bandit, very appropriate for a black Bunnie we thought.

2nd Summer Trip- Tennessee

Summer Trip #2

-Tennessee-

In front of Fall Creek Falls.

The largest falls this side of the Rockies falling 256 feet, they were truly amazing.

Fall Creek Falls

Cane Creek Falls- These falls (actually a cascade) were very beautiful as well.  The kids played, swam, caught tadpoles and had allot of fun at the top of these falls.  There was also a suspension bridge just above the falls that was great fun to bounce on.

Tennessee BBQ- Tangy, Smoky and Sweet- what could be better!

Brenner and His Tadpoles

The Kids on the hike to the bottom of the falls.  We had lunch down at the bottom and a lot of fun swimming and just sitting in the mist of the falls.

Brenner holding a millipede and Mia holding herself.  There are no bathrooms at the bottom!

Cumberland Caverns is a cave that is over 28 miles in length.  We walked through about a mile and a half and it was very cool- literaly, the temperature inside is a cool 56 degrees all the time.

In front of "Mobby Dick", a formation that looked like a whale.

A toad that Cayden found in the back seat of the car after picking up some fire wood- Rib it!

The Kids panning for gems and all sorts of good stuff!

Three Little Spelunkers! Too Cute!

The kids and fire flies in a bottle.  There were hundreds of these little buggers at dusk, very pretty at night.

Cool Treats!

The kids playing (rough housing) in the camper.  Forts and bombs with the pillows and blankets.

The fire at night. Very pretty the second night with the flames in green, blue, pink and purple.  We found a neat new "Magic" fire pouch at the general store, very cool!



We had so much fun in Tennessee!

The kids kept asking if we can come back next year but Daddy has other plans, maybe some time soon.  The Lake House in Georgia is next and then on to the beach in Florida- The Trek moves on!