Date Day, Cabin time, and playground time!

 Gary’s parents we kind enough to watch Noah for us so we could get out for a little date day in Gatlinburg.    We first played a little indoor blacklight mini golf.  We both had never seen a course like this before and really had a lot of fun.  We were the only people in the building so we took some silly pictures….(this is what happens when we get away from the baby)

 

 

We also played a little skee ball and air hockey….of course Gary won air hockey but we tied in skee ball!

 

We also played a round of outdoor golf (Gary won again, of course) and Gary made this incredible shot!  In the picture below you can see Gary standing with is ball….from where I am taking the picture is where he actually first hit the ball and it bounced and rolled it’s way all the way over to where he is standing and went IN THE HOLE!!!

 

We also had a nice lunch at a yummy Mexican restaurant….and our waitress was nice enough to take a photo of us!

 

We headed back to the cabin and spent the afternoon playing with Noah and hanging out with everyone else.

Noah had fun "typing" on Uncle John’s laptop, reading ESPN magazine with Uncle John and hanging out with cousin Emily:

 

He also enjoyed rocking on the big rocking chair with daddy and Grandpa on the deck:

 

Everyone else went to a show tonight in Gatlinburg so Gary, Noah and I found a playground in Gatlinburg and walked around the city a bit more:

 

Here are some pictures of a place called "The Villiage" in Gatlinburg that has speciality shops.  My mom and sister would just love this area!  There are lots of fountains and cobblestone streets.

 

 

 

 

Cades Cove – Abram’s Falls Hike

 Today we drove over and hour through the Smoky Mountains Park to Cades Cove.  Cades Cove was an 11-mile drive through loop (you could stop along the way) where you could see wildlife (we saw bear cubs and deer), old barnes, houses and churches, beautiful views of the Smokies, and lots of hiking trails.  We all decided on the Abram’s Falls hike.  This was a 5-mile hike round trip that ended at a fantastic waterfall and pool.  The hike was difficult….a lot of up’s and down’s.  Gary was once again Super Daddy and carried Noah in his carrier the entire hike!  After about an hour and a half or so of hiking we made it to the waterfall and all agreed it was well worth the hike!  We all stopped for lunch and snacks and Gary and I took Noah into the water for a little cool down.  The water was VERY cold so we didn’t get in too far.  He enjoyed splashing around and watching the tadpoles around his feet.

 

Along the trail:

 

Scary signs along the trail near the Falls:

 

Abram’s Falls…it was very much worth the trip!  Mommy and Noah cooling off near the Falls:

 

Lunch stop for Noah…Grandma and Aunt Dawn helped keep him out of the sand and rocks:

 

After we finished the hike we continued on the Cades Cove 11-mile loop and saw some really awesome old buildings.  We saw this old church.  It was very plain inside but had such a feeling of peacefullness.  The pews were very old and at the front of the church were several bibles that visitors had left.  In the picture below Marge is looking at the bibles at the front of the church.

 

We also saw an old house that is thought to be the first all-frame house in the area.  It is dated back to 1879 and has not been altered.  It is in the original condition and was just beautiful.  We walked through the house and read about the woman who owned it.  I took a picture of the description of the house and the original photo so you could read and see for yourself!  The first picture is the one I took today….compare it to the original picture and you can see it is exactly the same!

 

Here are some pictures of the inside of the house.  I just LOVE looking at these types of old buildings!

 

Also on the same property of the house was and old water mill that was still working to grind corn into cornmeal, and old barn, and the original horse buggy!

 

We also saw some bucks along the way:

Pancakes, Mirror Maze, and more!

  I will start the blog with this:

Funnel Cakes: $5.00

T-shirts: $20

Watching Noah run into the mirrors in the mirror maze: Priceless!!

 

 We started our morning bright and early at the "BEST" pancake place in town (or so everyone said)….The Pancake Pantry.  Every time we have driven past this restaurant the line has been out the door and literally around the building and down the street!  So of course had to try it!  We went early to avoid any lines and were able to get in, order and get our delicious food in less than 30 minutes (those of us with toddlers LOVE this type of fast service!)  I had the plain buttermilk pancakes and Gary had French Toast (everyone else had pancakes too) and they were FANTASTIC!!!  It was very much worth the trip.  Noah enjoyed the syrup most of all but did eat his fair share of pancakes and toast.

 

Yummy!

 

Then we came home and took a nice morning nap with Noah while everyone else headed out to do their own activity.  We spent most of the afternoon hanging around the cabin playing with Noah.  It was a nice recovery day after yesterday’s hike.

 

This evening after dinner we headed to Gatlinburg to walk around.  If you haven’t been to Gatlinburg before it is basically a one street town….but the one street is filled with shops, restaurants, malls, and lots of cheesy T-shirt, fudge, and tourist shops.  We all split up to do out own thing.  Gary, Noah and I did some T-shirt shopping and everyone else went to play some putt putt golf.  Everyone was going to go on the Sky Lift (a ski lift that takes you to the top of the mountain that overlooks Gatlinburg) but we didn’t think it would be a good idea with Noah so we waited while everyone else rode up the mountain. 

 

Here are some pictures of Galinburg:

 

There are lots of cheesy tourist activities in Gatlinburg….

 

The Sky Lift:  We skipped this and waited at the bottom but everyone else really enjoyed the view from the top!

 

We enjoyed some yummy, hot, million calorie Funnel Cakes!  Oh so very very good!!!

 

We took Noah through a mirror maze!  It was dark inside and all you could see were the lights on the floor.  I admit it, we had a few chuckles as Noah ran full force into the mirrors!  WOW look at all those Noah’s in the mirror!!

 

Hanging out with Grandpa and Grandma and Daddy 

 

 

Hiking and Swimming

 Today was our first full day in Gatlinburg and we had a busy day! 

 

 We all decided to go on a hike and visit the Smoky Mountain National Park Visitor Center.  We first stopped at the visitor center and Noah had a fun time looking at all the animals on display in the museum.  He was especially fond of the Black Bear.  Then we drove about 8 miles into the park to the trail head for the Alum Cave Trail.  This was a 4.6 mile round trip hike that was labeled as "moderate" in our trail guide.  I will tell you that the first 2.3 miles was almost ALL uphill!!   Gary was amazing and carried our 20+ lb. child in the carrier the ENTIRE trip and hardly broke a sweat.  My hero.  I, on the other hand, had a tough time and lagged a bit behind.  Marge and Ron were kind enough to travel at a slow pace with me.  The trail was beautiful.  Most of it was right next to a fast flowing stream full of BIG rocks with large tree’s and flowers.  There was a point in the trail that went right through a rock.  There was a large rock staircase that took you right through a cave like rock.  There were several "bridges" over the stream that allowed for a fantastic up or down stream view.  We made it to the half way point…the Alum Bluffs and it was a pretty steep climb to the bluffs.  We stopped and admired the huge rock formation and then headed back down the trail to begin our journey home.  The hike back was much easier as it was virtually all downhill.  Again, Gary carried Noah the entire way.  Noah slept the majority of the 2 hour hike and was such a trooper today!

 

After we got home and had some dinner we all went down to the neighborhood (we are in a log cabin neighborhood) pool.  I was so excited to get Noah into the kiddie pool….but when we got there we found the pool to be VERY chilly and at this point Noah was so tired from a long day that he wasn’t in the mood for cold swimming.  We played around a little and Ron, Marge, Dawn, John , Alan and Emily braved the FREEZING pool for a few minutes.  We came back to the cabin and Noah is now sleeping soundly while everyone else is playing pool, foosball, and showering.  What a fun day we had.  It is so nice to be here with family.

 

Tomorrow we are planning to visit the town of Gatlinburg.

 

Playing, rocking and sleeping with Grandpa with the cabin deck:

 

The Great Smoky Mountain Visitor Center:  Noah looking at the Black Bear!

 

The beginning of the Alum Cave Trail: Ron, Marge, Gary and Noah, Alan, Aubre, Emily and John

 

Trail pictures

 

The rock cave that we climbed up:

 

Noah "hiking" and enjoying the waterfalls

 

Our final destination: the Bluffs

 

Noah and daddy braving the COLD water!  Alan getting a friendly shove by his dad!

 

Gatlinburg…We made it!

 We made it to Gatlinburg!  Before we left Lexington though we decided to go with Gary’s parents and visit a horse race track.  In the morning you can go and watch the race horses being exercised and walk around the track grounds.  We arrived at the track and it was just beautiful!  The grass was so green and the all the buildings were made of old looking rock.  There weren’t a lot of horses in the barns but we did get to see some horses being exercised and Noah even got to pet an old retired race horse named "Champ".   We wandered around for awhile and let Noah explore and get some energy out.

 

 Then we headed out for Gatlinburg.  The drive took a bit longer than expected.  We drove about 5 hours.  Noah again did wonderful and slept a lot of the trip.  We stopped several times for food, potty time and just to stretch our legs.  We took both of Noah’s car seats so we were able to switch him from his "little boy" seat where he could sleep to his "big boy" car seat where he could see the road and visit with mommy and daddy. 

 

We all make it to Gatlinburg about the same time even though we all drove seperately.  The cabin is wonderful.  Large enough for all 8 of us (and a dog!) and so comfortable and cozy.  We made a grocery store run (it sure is hard fitting three families food in one fridge!) and then Marge made a great dinner.  Noah had enjoyed roaming around and finding things to get into.  We spent the first hour here baby proofing and rearranging!  It has been worth it though not having to worry about Noah (well, not worry TOO much…we do still follow him around pretty closely).  We all went for a walk around the neighborhood and found the roads to be quite steep!  As I write this Noah is fast asleep and everyone else is struggling to stay awake to watch Michael Phelps last race in the Olympics.  He has been so amazing!!  Tomorrow we are planning to do some hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain park.

 

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!!

 

Our visit to the Keeneland race track in Lexington.  Ron, Mare, Gary and Noah at the entrance to the track:

 

Is that Noah or just another tiny little jockey?

 

Race horses being exercised:

 

The track:

 

The barns where all the horses are kept.  There was barn after barn after barn.

 

Noah and Grandpa looking for horses to pet!

 

Noah got to meet and pet "Champ"  He is an old retired grey race horse.  We fed Champ some mints.

 

Our drive to Gatlinburg….we made it to Tennessee!  Noah having fun during out drive in his "big boy" seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lexington, Kentucky

  We finished the first leg of our journey to Gatlinburg yesterday.  We drove about 3 hours and arrived in Lexington, KY in the mid-afternoon.  Noah was a wonderful traveler and made it the entire trip with hardly a peep!  We checked into our beautiful right-off-the-highway Day’s Inn and quickly turned around and left again to visit some sights in Lexington.  We visited a local mall in the hopes of finding a fun kids area that Noah could enjoy but the mall wasn’t very large and only had a few stores.  We did find a bookstore that had a nice kid’s section.  He spent a little time playing with a train set and meeting other kids. 

 

Then we headed out to visit the University of Kentucky and a Aboretum affiliated with the university.  We first walked through the aboretum and saw some fantastic flowers and gardens.  It was a very wide open rolling grassy area that Noah was able to roam around.  There was a bird house competition going on so they had tons of homemade birdhouses throughout the gardens and you could vote on the one you liked best.  I took a picture of a couple that I thought were especially creative.  We walked over to the University of Kentucky campus and Noah made friend with a little boy…they played in the sand next to eachother for a little while and Noah did some swinging (there was a kid’s play area in the middle of a section of graduate apartments).

 

Once we got back to the hotel Grandma and Grandpa had arrived.  We got rooms next to eachother and visited for a little bit then headed off to bed.  What a busy first day of travel!

 

Helping mommy pack!

 

Wow, it takes a lot of work to pack for a week! We had a very full car!

 

Ready to go daddy!

 

Aboretum flowers

 

Cute birdhouses! I love the wedding cake one!

 

Aboretum with daddy – University of Kentucky stadium in the background

 

University of Kentucky football stadium…..what sign??

 

Noah and mommy doing a little swinging

Vacation, Dippin Dots, Biking, Teeth Brushing

  Finally, it is here.  Vacation.  We are headed out tomorrow for a week in Gatlinburg, TN!  This will be Noah’s first long car ride and Gary and I decided we will take BOTH car seats…the big boy car seat so he can see out the window and his infant carseat (yep, he still fits in it!) for sleepy times.  We have rented a cabin in Gatlinburg with Gary’s parents and his sister’s family.  The last time we went on a family vacation was 5 years ago so we are very excited to all be together for this trip. We will be driving half way tomorrow afternoon and will be staying in Lexington, KY for a night.  We are hoping to be able to visit one of the many beautiful horse farms and maybe a local park while there.  All of us will arrive in Gatlinburg some time Saturday (we are all driving seperately).  We are taking our computer and I plan on keeping up the blog…so check back!

 

Our cabin…plenty of room for all 8 of us!

 

Noah tried Dippin Dots (ice cream) for the first time last night….can you tell he loved it?

 

YUMMY!!!…give me MORE DADDY!!!

 

We all went for a bike ride last night and Noah had fun running around the house in his helmet before we left……hmmm, maybe this would cut down on "new walker" injuries!

 

Noah LOVES getting his teeth brushed (thanks to daddy!).

 

 

 

You know you have a toddler if…..

  I have been thinking about all the funny things that happen in our house (and outside our house!) now that we have a toddler on our hands.  I came up with so many I had to make a list!  Here we go….

 

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A TODDLER IF…..

 

* You find yourself scouring internet pictures of your vacation rental cabin so you know what safety devices to bring along!  ( I was doing this yesterday!  I found myself blowing up pictures of our rental cabin kitchen to see what type of cabinet locks I would need to bring!)

 

* You find yourself looking all over the house for the dog bowls only to find them mysteriously placed in the hamper.

 

* You get very excited about "wheelchair" access bathrooms and dressing rooms since the stroller fits in there so nicely!

 

* Jello, jelly, pudding, yogurt and various cheese products seem to be a new hair product (that does not wash out easily!)

 

* You can expect a bleeding episode at least once a week from falling.

 

* We worry more now about the baby hurting the dogs than the dogs hurting the baby.

 

* You find yourself looking at menu’s online before you go out to eat to make sure there is something yummy for the little one in your dinner party!

 

* The mall kid play area you dreaded BEFORE kids is now makes for a great "wear him out" event.

 

* Speaking of "wear out activites" you find yourself planning for lots of these with a toddler!

 

* It is no longer an option to vaccuum everyday….you MUST vaccuum everyday to avoid little fingers placing things in little mouths.

 

* To please a picky eater you find yourself feeding some strange meal concoctions. 

 

* You ALWAYS have snacks available at anytime of the day, especially outside of the house.

 

* The minute you enter someone else’s house you are looking for safety hazards!

 

* I (mommy) can’t make it through one whole day with a clean shirt!  Noah is always spilling on me, sneezing with mouths full of food, and touching me with dirty hands.

 

* It is necessary now to have a "plan of action" when cleaning up after a meal! 

 

* You truly appreciate all safety straps on strollers, shopping carts, toys, etc.  You appreciate them not only for safety but to keep a VERY busy toddler still for a few moments!

 

* You hate to admit it (and still would never do it) but you understand the "leashes on kids in public" look.

 

 

 

Precious

Look at our little guy sleeping in his new dino jammies!

 

Brutus on Parade!

  For those of you who don’t live and breath Ohio State Buckeye Football as we do……let me explain.  Brutus Buckeye is the football mascot.   Right now there is a fundraising event called "Brutus on Parade" on the Ohio State campus.  Large (life size) Brutus Buckeye statues were sponsored by various groups and companies and the money is being donated to renovate the Ohio State library.  The groups and companies decorated their specific Brutus statue anyway they wanted.   All the statues are being displayed on campus for everyone to visit.  Which explains "Brutus on Parade".  We took Noah to visit the Brutus Parade.

 

Toga Brutus

 

Indiana Jones Brutus and Superhero Brutus

 

Elvis Brutus and American Hero Soldier Brutus

 

Tin Man Brutus and Doctor Brutus

 

Pizza Man Brutus and Woody Hayes Brutus

 

Dave Thomas (Wendy’s) Brutus and Artchie Griffin Brutus

 

Cheryl’s Cookies Brutus and Jim Tressel (Ohio State Football Coach) Brutus (Yes, Daddy and Noah are bowing to him)

 

Ohio State Band Brutus and Phantom of the Opera Brutus

 

Daddy and Noah in place of a missing Brutus and all of us with Jim Tressel (OSU Football Coach) Brutus