Year 3 in Gatlinburg



I'm still playing catch-up here on the ol'blog.  This post is dedicated to our 3rd family trip to Gatlinburg, TN back in early May.  We invited Jean Jean to join us this year and we all had a great time. 

 

One advantage of being behind on updates is the joy of going back and looking through pictures months later.  It makes you feel like you are there again.  The Smokies are rather magical for our family.  We drive into the dense green foliage and by the next morning our worries and stresses are gone.  We talk little of significant things but rather sit quiet or play loud.  Tony and I were Freshmen at Baylor University when we first traveled to the Smokes for his family's family reunion.  Just skinny teenagers at the time, we had no idea that ten years later we would travel back with our own two children.  I hope and pray that The Smokies will always be a retreat for our little family....

 

 

Ready for The Smokies!

  

{Vincent is all smiles and excitement as we buckle him in for the long trip.}

 

{As is tradition, we stopped in Chattanooga to visit their amazing aquarium.  We left Birmingham right after Sophia's ballet class.  She's still sporting her ballet bun.}

 



{Checking out the rays}

{The sting ray touch tank area of the aquarium has beautiful, diverse foliage.  Orchids are in my top 5 favorite flowers and these were extraordinarily beautiful.  I've earned a huge "F" in growing them at home.  Any suggestions?}

{Butterfly exhibit}

 {We arrived in time to witness and participate in the release of the newly hatched butterflies.}

 

{Mesmerized}

{We had a picnic dinner on the lawn outside the aquarium before climbing back into the car.  We found a little alcove on the waterfront to shelter us from the chilly wind.  A cold front blew in and the next few days would prove to be uncomfortably cool.}

 

We're Here!  We're Here!

 

{We braved frigid temperatures to check out Cades Cove on our first day of vacation.  Getting to Cades Cove from our cabin in Gatlinburg took awhile but was well worth it.  Cades Cove is rich in history with old cabins and beautiful meadows.  We had packed a few inexpensive kites for the trip and I thought it would be rather romantic to let the kiddos fly a kite in one of the meadows.  We fought barbed wire fences, intense winds, and cheaply constructed plastic kites to experience only a few moments of flight.  All of Tony's surgical skills and knot tying expertise were used to hold the kite together.  I'm not going to brag but after about an hour in the meadow it was the pregnant momma who was able to catch some air and distance with the kite.  Later in the day we spotted a mama bear and her two cubs in a different meadow.}

 

 

 We are Going to Catch a Fish!  Gosh Darn It!  We are Going to Catch a Fish!

{Subsequent days were spent traveling to different fishing spots around Gatlinburg and The National Park in an effort to catch one, single fish.  Licenses were purchased for every member of the family.  Local experts were consulted.  Bait was bought - from expensive lures to bread and hot dog wieners.  Maps were studied.  Prayers were even offered.  And, not. A. Single. Fish. was caught.  Tony rose before dawn each day to fish on his own then returned to the cabin to rally the troops for more fishing.  Through it all, he remained patient.  The kiddos enjoyed the process and didn't seem too bothered by our lack of success.  Better luck next year.....}

{These pictures were taken in The Smoky Mountain National Park on a flat trail we discovered last year.  It's flat enough to take a stroller and runs alongside a river. The sound of water is constant and loud.  There are great opportunities for exploration and reflection.}

{Vincent spent a good half hour to an hour beating this large log.  Workerman!}

 {Beautiful Sophia and Beautiful Jean Jean}

 

{More fishing}

{The National Park was the highlight of the trip this year.  The kiddos spent hours exploring, throwing rocks into the river, and trying to catch fish.  In this picture they are watching some critter.}

 



{I had just completed the first trimester and my energy was returning slowly but surely!}

{Moments after this picture was taken we would arrive at our car parked at the trail head and discover that a window was broken out and several of our possessions, including my mother's purse, had been stolen.  Our favorite day of vacation could have been ruined.  BUT, miraculously the thieves were captured and all of our belongings were returned before we left the park for the day.  Both kiddos were quite shaken and we used the moment to teach them about people's "bad choices,", consequences, and forgiveness.  When we talked about consequences, Vincent said that the mean men needed to go to time out.  Yes.  A big time out called "prison."  God definitely redeemed this situation.}

 

Cabin Fun

{It rained the entire day on our last day of vacation.  We spent most of the day indoors enjoying the view of the Smokies, the covered porch, and the local wildlife....}

 



{Knitting and coloring}

 



 

{Tony and I had a little mini-date to check out the local artists' scene.  While we were gone Jean Jean and the kiddos were able to watch this cute raccoon from inside the cabin.}

 



{Knitting with a view}

 

Theme Parks - Oh the Fun!  Oh the Exhaustion!

 

{The weather cleared on the day we were scheduled to drive home. Since we missed Dollywood the prior day due to rain we decided to drive home late and enjoy the park during the day.}

 

 

{Watching shows}

 

{Miss Lillian's chicken cafe.  She's a hoot!  Remember last year when Sophia joined her show?}

{Just look at all that fried goodness with a side of biscuits and pudding!}

{The authentic coal fired steam engine train is our favorite part of the park.}

 

 

 {The rocking rhythm of the train always puts at least one baby asleep.}

 

{Vincent slept while Sophia enjoyed the water fountains.}

 

 {Glass blowing demonstration}
 

{Choosing their souvenirs before heading home.}

Back Home in Time for Her Recital

 



{The morning after we returned from our trip Sophia was scheduled to perform in her ballet recital.  I was nervous as to how she would do after our busy week away.  I'm happy to report that she did fantastic!}

 



{Sophia with her "hummingbird" friends.}

{After the recital Jean Jean gave her a beautiful pink hummingbird that she purchased in the Dollywood glass blowing shop.  What a great way to commemorate Sophia's performance as a pink hummingbird in her very first recital!}

 

 

I'm looking forward to our next trip to the beautiful Smokies.  I know that with each passing year the kiddos will remember more and more about our special time together as a family.