How much fun can we have?!

We just returned from our vacation trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We had 3 full days of fun and 2 days spent mostly driving. It was a great opportunity for our family to hang out together!  As much as I don't love long car rides, at times they are one of my favorite things.  Hysterical behaviors and conversations as well as some deeper topics discussed.

Our family needs room to spread out and be alone some, so renting a 3 bedroom cabin was a perfect option for us.

 Outside of our cabin and our trusty van which we named Van Go!

One silly kid!

The cabin had a pool table and arcade machine that everyone enjoyed for some cabin down time.

 View from cabin deck!

I found a reading nook although I didn't read as much as I thought I would!

 

The cabin also had a hot tub on the deck which some of us enjoyed the first night.

 

Nature! We loved getting out into nature!

 

 I was at the Old Mill General Store and saw they had duck food- so we went to find some ducks! And pigeons ! At times it felt like we were on the edge of getting attacked! They would eat out of your hands.

 2 bear cubs, Mama bear was a little lower in the bushes.

 Wild kid wild kid! Andrew in a tree.

 Andrew was not so sure about this sign!

 Tubing- I was one heck of a mess for this experience! Thankfully my husband and kids kept saving me. The water was a bit low and easy to get stuck or in Jayna's instance she had her tube run away from her. The kids all really enjoyed the experience, I was glad when it was over!

 Whitney and Richard after ATVing in the mountains. Jayna and I started out as well, but after a bit Jayna decided it was not for her so we hung out together.

 



This bear visited our cabin!

 

 

More Fun!

Jayna mini golfing, after she climbed over the fence.

This handsome guy ready to mini golf.

The Escape Game!  We didn't escape but we had a great time trying to! Lots of fun, and our guide said we were so much fun to watch!  He said so many people come very serious about winning, but that we seemed like we were having fun just playing the game! This was one of the last things we did and it ended vacation on a high note.

 

 The Dixie Stampede! Yes, I paid for this overpriced picture. It is so hard to get my 3 kids together for a photo and I thought this was a good one!

Waiting for dinner at the Stampede. The show was fun, and it was especially so since Jayna got chosen to be an audience participant. She participated in the bucket brigade and her team the North won! ( I'll try to insert a video later, but right now it is too big and I need my techy husband to help!)

The Island at Pigeon Forge. This felt lovely on a sunny day, music, fountains, shops ( Richard and Andrew checked out the moonshine distillery) we ate at Margaritaville and enjoyed the fun atmosphere.

We also enjoyed shopping and eating at the Old Mill area.

Fun! Fun! Fun! We had so much fun and I'm full of gratitude for the opportunity that we had to be together and enjoy fun things together.

And so it goes...

 

Reading Now- "Night Train to Lisbon" by Pascal Mercier , it is taking me a good while to get through, but I like it.





Cleveland Rocks! Cleveland Rocks!

I was singing that line from the Drew Carey tv show, and teaching it to my kids, for a week or two before our family took a quick trip to Cleveland!  Richard and the kids planned a surprise trip for us for my birthday.  We went to a Cleveland Indians game, the Rock and Roll Museum and ate at Hard Rock Café and Paninis! I knew Richard and the kids had planned some kind of get away, since he asked me to see if the young men who watch our dog could watch her for an upcoming weekend. I couldn't figure out what we were doing and it was fun having something to anticipate and fun to go!

 I love going to baseball games! It feels like a care free time ( and that is a feeling I don't accomplish often), I think it has to do with the summer weather, being outside, the excitement of the crowd. It was fun hanging out with the whole Fam! And it was really fun to see how much Andrew especially enjoyed the game and watching him jump out of his seat!  It started out very toasty and sunny!

 Then it rained!  We stuck it out and it cleared up and we won the game!

 A very enthusiastic fan, who was a bit drunk, sat in front of us. Thankfully his excitement was fun, instead of really rude, and he kept his language pretty clean. I also tend to get a bit emotional when the National Anthem is sung.

Being 21, Andrew tried out the slot machines at the casino at Tower City.

I have to say I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Although I like music, I just wasn't expecting to care much about the museum. However I found it interesting and it really made me think about the connection people have to music and how that can connect us to one another. I also felt the power of music, especially as we watched about Farm Aid, We are the World and Do They Know It's Christmas- how artists came together for good.  It was fun to see the recording of I think "Do They Know It's Christmas", all of these famous artists showing up in their street clothes all working together for good and as they were told to check their egos at the door.

I'm so thankful we could have a good weekend and that the whole family could go together. I think it was really sweet of Richard to plan, and I know he is careful with his money and I find it sweet that when he did spend more than normal it was for me.
 Cleveland really does rock! Andrew especially says he could see himself living there- he was born there so maybe he will return to his roots someday.  I liked being by the water again- I miss it!

And so it goes...

Reading Now- "Night Train to Lisbon" by Pascal Mercier- I don't know how this will be but so far there are lots of passages that I wish I could mark. Thinking I may have to buy my own copy.
Just Read- " A Long Way From Chicago" by Richard Peck - a fun read! Also "That Part Was True"  by Deborah McKinlay.  I really enjoyed this book- it was just lovely!