It's Good To Be Home

Home.

Laundry. Suitcases. Trash. Dishes. No milk. Or bread. Piles. And more piles. Tired. Pictures. Cooler. Swim bag. And oh so much more.

Still - Home Sweet Home. It just feels good to walk into your house after a week's vacation.

This was a most special week. We went to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and stayed with 15 other family members in a cabin.

The cabin was high on a mountain and had a spectacular view.


When I first arrived, I was sure I could sit on one of the three decks and just stare out at the mountains for the whole week. It was beautiful. Some mornings the fog would roll in and you could literally watch it rise and ooze toward you. Many afternoons and evenings brought fantastic thunderstorms with brilliant displays of lightening. Awesome to watch from so high up.

Sunday and Monday we went to Dollywood. (A ticket purchased after 3PM allows you entrance to the park for the entire next day as well.) I must admit that I had low expectations for this. The last few times we've gone to Kings Dominion or Busch Gardens, I've left early with a headache. Sometimes the sun/heat does it to me. Sometimes it's the roller coasters. But I wanted Brenna to have fun so I was determined to stick it out no matter how I felt.

It turned out I didn't need to stick it out. I thoroughly enjoyed the park and probably could've spent another day there! Brenna was big enough to ride most of the adult rides, except for roller coasters, and our favorite ride became the Mountain Slidewinder. (a water ride that starts at the top of a mountain and takes you down in bobsled fashion-fast!) Daniel was big enough to ride some of the kiddie rides and Brenna gladly rode with him. It was absolutely precious!

In addition to great rides and fun shows, the park is well landscaped with beautiful flowers everywhere. There are tons of trees, too which provide a much needed break from the sun.

We did a lot while we were in Tennessee. The Apple Barn. The Old Mill. McAlisters. Gatlinburg. The Ripley's Aquarium. The Craftsman's Fair. Hillbilly Golf. But one of the prettiest places we visited was Cades Cove. It's about a 10 mile one-way loop through the mountains. About half way through we stopped at an old farm and watermill to stretch our legs and take pictures. Along the side was a river, and though the water was very cold, we kicked off our shoes and went wading. The rocks were slippery which made it all the more fun!

A short while later, we spotted a bear and her cubs. I think if you click on the picture below you can see it a little better. They were a long ways off so it was hard to get a good one.


Saturday we drove the seven...eight...uh...nine hours home. Everything takes longer with a baby! And so ended what we've all agreed was the Best Vacation Ever!