Thursday, November 15, 2007
Picture Pandemonium
the kids had their school pictures this week. when i did my summer shopping, i bought the kids matching shirts for a family photo. well, the family photo never panned out. so, i figured, hey! picture day is different days for the kids, no one will know they wore the same shirt (except i told like a dozen people). things went well on tuesday (josh's picture day). wednesday morning, when i brought down abby's shirt, josh flipped otu that it was HIS shirt, and abby announced she didn't want to wear it because she thought people would laugh at her because she was wearing the same shirt as josh. anyway. HUGE joshie meltdown, resulting in being sent to his room. abby eventually put the shirt on and we all headed out to school. she announced the "girls don't wear this kind of shirt" and "girls wear skirts". so i asked her if she would rather wear a skirt and she said yes. SO, i got her a skirt and dress shoes and she was much happier. AND she got about 100 compliments on her shirt. Anyway. I hope the pictures turn out, otherwise it was a lot of headache for nothing!!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Day Eleven
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Eleven - the long trip home.
Today we came home. We left the campground around 8am to return the rental car. We made a quick stop at the Smoky Mountain Visitor's Center in Sevierville (pronounced, severe vull). Then we got onto Route 40 and took that to Interstate 81 which we drove for 500 some miles through four states to finally arrive home around 6:15pm. We did make a quick stop at Taco Bell because Mommy and Daddy had been craving "crap" for a couple of days :-)
The kids did amazingly well considering the amount of time we were in the rig. We stopped briefly for gas, twice. That was it - the rest was just plugging on to get home. Once we got here, Daddy and Mommy did some unloading of the RV; the rest will wait until tomorrow. The kids played with toys they hadn't seen (or missed) for almost 2 weeks. Then Mom and Dad made the kids favorite dinner - Weiner-oni and Cheese. Then it was off to bed - in their own beds, all alone. I wonder how long that will last?!?!?!
This was an AWESOME vacation. We're planning our summer RV trip (Acadia National Park) and are definetly going to come back to the Smokies again!
Day Eleven - the long trip home.
Today we came home. We left the campground around 8am to return the rental car. We made a quick stop at the Smoky Mountain Visitor's Center in Sevierville (pronounced, severe vull). Then we got onto Route 40 and took that to Interstate 81 which we drove for 500 some miles through four states to finally arrive home around 6:15pm. We did make a quick stop at Taco Bell because Mommy and Daddy had been craving "crap" for a couple of days :-)
The kids did amazingly well considering the amount of time we were in the rig. We stopped briefly for gas, twice. That was it - the rest was just plugging on to get home. Once we got here, Daddy and Mommy did some unloading of the RV; the rest will wait until tomorrow. The kids played with toys they hadn't seen (or missed) for almost 2 weeks. Then Mom and Dad made the kids favorite dinner - Weiner-oni and Cheese. Then it was off to bed - in their own beds, all alone. I wonder how long that will last?!?!?!
This was an AWESOME vacation. We're planning our summer RV trip (Acadia National Park) and are definetly going to come back to the Smokies again!
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Day Ten
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Ten - The Great Smoky Mountains
Today we spent the day in the Mountains. It took us a while to get things moving (even though the kids were in bed with us before 7am). We rented a car so we wouldn't have to put the miles on the RV (or try to navigate crazy turns in this rig). That took longer than expected. We were finally on the road by 10am. We drove through Gatlinburg (instead of taking a bypass) to buy batteries for Daddy's camera. We entered the park and went to the Sugarlands Vistor Center to plan our day.
First stop - Clingman's Dome. We drove most of the way up the highest peak in the Smokies (2nd highest East of the Mississippi), and walked the last .5 mile. It felt like it was mostly uphill. And since Josh had fallen asleep on the drive up, he wasn't too inclined to do too much of the walking himself. So, Mommy and Daddy took turns carrying him (OYE!) We got to the top and were rewarded with a picturesque 360 view of the Smoky Mountains and surrounding area. We took lots of pictures, but it surely will not do it justice. It took a lot less time to come back down, but personally, my knees were killing me!! We had "lunch" in the car before heading back down the mountain.
We came to the Visitor's Center again and stopped to buy a Coke for a quick caffine fix :-) Then we drove another 24 miles to Cades Cove - a very picturesque (again) drive. The loop at the actual cove was 11 miles long. SO glad we did it in "off peak" season. Even then, people were driving me crazy with their stopping to take pictures in the middle of the road! We started the loop around 3 pm. We were half way by 4:30 and the deer were out by then. So, of course, everyone was stopping to take pictures of ALL the deer. Oye. We saw lots of historic buildings and could probably have spent much more time there than we did. We'll go back!
24 miles back to the Visitor's Center and then we picked up the bypass around Gatlinburg (though we did get to drive up above it and see it all lit up - quite a sight!) We decided to splurge and eat out tonight, so while Daddy was taking pictures, Mommy googled restaurants in Pigeon Forge. We found the "Smoky Mountain Brewery and Restaurant" and stopped looking!! Driving through downtown Pigeon Forge, we got to see the Christmas lights all lit up - tonight was the first night they were lit. The center medien displayed the 12 Days of Christmas as you drive down the road.
Finally we arrived at the Brew House. We were seated quickly and the food and drink were also quick to arrive. A good thing, since the kids were tired and hungry (and so were Mom and Dad!) A quick stop to refill the rental and it was back to the RV park. The kids were quick to go to bed (Abby kept saying, "Mommy, I need to get into my bed, I'm so tired!") Mom and Dad checked their email and then went to bed. It had been a LONG day!!!
Day Ten - The Great Smoky Mountains
Today we spent the day in the Mountains. It took us a while to get things moving (even though the kids were in bed with us before 7am). We rented a car so we wouldn't have to put the miles on the RV (or try to navigate crazy turns in this rig). That took longer than expected. We were finally on the road by 10am. We drove through Gatlinburg (instead of taking a bypass) to buy batteries for Daddy's camera. We entered the park and went to the Sugarlands Vistor Center to plan our day.
First stop - Clingman's Dome. We drove most of the way up the highest peak in the Smokies (2nd highest East of the Mississippi), and walked the last .5 mile. It felt like it was mostly uphill. And since Josh had fallen asleep on the drive up, he wasn't too inclined to do too much of the walking himself. So, Mommy and Daddy took turns carrying him (OYE!) We got to the top and were rewarded with a picturesque 360 view of the Smoky Mountains and surrounding area. We took lots of pictures, but it surely will not do it justice. It took a lot less time to come back down, but personally, my knees were killing me!! We had "lunch" in the car before heading back down the mountain.
We came to the Visitor's Center again and stopped to buy a Coke for a quick caffine fix :-) Then we drove another 24 miles to Cades Cove - a very picturesque (again) drive. The loop at the actual cove was 11 miles long. SO glad we did it in "off peak" season. Even then, people were driving me crazy with their stopping to take pictures in the middle of the road! We started the loop around 3 pm. We were half way by 4:30 and the deer were out by then. So, of course, everyone was stopping to take pictures of ALL the deer. Oye. We saw lots of historic buildings and could probably have spent much more time there than we did. We'll go back!
24 miles back to the Visitor's Center and then we picked up the bypass around Gatlinburg (though we did get to drive up above it and see it all lit up - quite a sight!) We decided to splurge and eat out tonight, so while Daddy was taking pictures, Mommy googled restaurants in Pigeon Forge. We found the "Smoky Mountain Brewery and Restaurant" and stopped looking!! Driving through downtown Pigeon Forge, we got to see the Christmas lights all lit up - tonight was the first night they were lit. The center medien displayed the 12 Days of Christmas as you drive down the road.
Finally we arrived at the Brew House. We were seated quickly and the food and drink were also quick to arrive. A good thing, since the kids were tired and hungry (and so were Mom and Dad!) A quick stop to refill the rental and it was back to the RV park. The kids were quick to go to bed (Abby kept saying, "Mommy, I need to get into my bed, I'm so tired!") Mom and Dad checked their email and then went to bed. It had been a LONG day!!!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Day Nine
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Nine. Gatlinburg, TN
Well, this morning was fairly relaxed. The kids were up by 7am, so it was time to start the day. Mommy went to take her shower, and Daddy got the kids dressed and breakfast started. We had scrambled eggs and bacon - yum! Then Daddy took his shower and Mommy read another chapter from Charlotte's Web, played towers and other crazy kiddie games. When everyone was dressed and ready to go, we headed out to Patriot Park to board a Trolley to Gatlinburg, to go to the Aquarium. It actually took 2 trolley rides to get there, but it was lots of fun.
The Aquarium was AWESOME. Abby was very excited to go see the sharks. We had to go through lots of fish, first, though. Finally, we got the giant underwater walkway where the sharks were, as well as lots of other fish, and one turtle. T'was very cool. We finished the Aquarium in about an hour and a half, and then decided to do it again (well, the underwater part, anyway). When we went through the second time, they were feeding the sharks, so the turtle was hidden away and we saw a lot more action overhead.
After the Aquarium, we walked around downtown Gatlinburg for a while, just window shopping and looking for a place to have lunch. We decided on Blaine's, Bar and Grill - good food, and not busy (since it was 1:30). Then we walked down the other side of the street and got on the trolley to head back to Pigeon Forge. We stopped in at the Gatlinsburg Welcome Center and then boarded our trolley back to Patriot Park. We did some more shopping right outside the Park and then headed back to our camper for some "Quiet Time". That lasted about 5 minutes! So, we put on a movie ("Shrek") and got a little more time out of it. Mommy spent the time uploading pictures and (shock!) blogging.
Daddy grilled dinner tonight - Italian sausages and hot dogs. Yummm. After dinner he built a fire and we made smores. Our last campfire, sniff, sniff, sniff. Then it was time to get the kiddos to bed. They are beyond exhausted. It was a big day!
Day Nine. Gatlinburg, TN
Well, this morning was fairly relaxed. The kids were up by 7am, so it was time to start the day. Mommy went to take her shower, and Daddy got the kids dressed and breakfast started. We had scrambled eggs and bacon - yum! Then Daddy took his shower and Mommy read another chapter from Charlotte's Web, played towers and other crazy kiddie games. When everyone was dressed and ready to go, we headed out to Patriot Park to board a Trolley to Gatlinburg, to go to the Aquarium. It actually took 2 trolley rides to get there, but it was lots of fun.
The Aquarium was AWESOME. Abby was very excited to go see the sharks. We had to go through lots of fish, first, though. Finally, we got the giant underwater walkway where the sharks were, as well as lots of other fish, and one turtle. T'was very cool. We finished the Aquarium in about an hour and a half, and then decided to do it again (well, the underwater part, anyway). When we went through the second time, they were feeding the sharks, so the turtle was hidden away and we saw a lot more action overhead.
After the Aquarium, we walked around downtown Gatlinburg for a while, just window shopping and looking for a place to have lunch. We decided on Blaine's, Bar and Grill - good food, and not busy (since it was 1:30). Then we walked down the other side of the street and got on the trolley to head back to Pigeon Forge. We stopped in at the Gatlinsburg Welcome Center and then boarded our trolley back to Patriot Park. We did some more shopping right outside the Park and then headed back to our camper for some "Quiet Time". That lasted about 5 minutes! So, we put on a movie ("Shrek") and got a little more time out of it. Mommy spent the time uploading pictures and (shock!) blogging.
Daddy grilled dinner tonight - Italian sausages and hot dogs. Yummm. After dinner he built a fire and we made smores. Our last campfire, sniff, sniff, sniff. Then it was time to get the kiddos to bed. They are beyond exhausted. It was a big day!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Day Eight
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Say Eight - en route to The Smoky Mountains
We're getting pretty used to this RV lifestyle. I think we might have to make something permenant about it...but not for a while, yet. This morning, we were up and ready to go by 8:00. Daddy made us some pancakes and sausage; then we dumped the poop tanks (ew) and hit the road. We had issues with the tank cover throughout the day and when we pulled into our campsite tonight, we noticed it was gone. Fabulous. One more thing to replace before we return this beast.
The trip today was only about 169 miles. We had the time, so we thought we would take a quick side trip to see Big South Fork NRRA. Alas, that didn't turn out well. We tried two different routes - one of them twice and never found what we were looking for. So, we got back on the main road back to the Smoky's. We only wasted about an hour's travel time. But we used up a lot of our patience reserve!
Gatlinburg, TN is CRAZY! It's like driving down the main drag of Myrtle Beach, except instead of "Wings", all the souveneir shops have "Mountain" in their name. It's crazy. We're plugged in and getting ready for dinner. Tomorrow we will head out to the "Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies". That promises to be a lot of fun. If that doesn't take all day, we'll piddle around downtown, maybe do some shopping (oh darn!)
Say Eight - en route to The Smoky Mountains
We're getting pretty used to this RV lifestyle. I think we might have to make something permenant about it...but not for a while, yet. This morning, we were up and ready to go by 8:00. Daddy made us some pancakes and sausage; then we dumped the poop tanks (ew) and hit the road. We had issues with the tank cover throughout the day and when we pulled into our campsite tonight, we noticed it was gone. Fabulous. One more thing to replace before we return this beast.
The trip today was only about 169 miles. We had the time, so we thought we would take a quick side trip to see Big South Fork NRRA. Alas, that didn't turn out well. We tried two different routes - one of them twice and never found what we were looking for. So, we got back on the main road back to the Smoky's. We only wasted about an hour's travel time. But we used up a lot of our patience reserve!
Gatlinburg, TN is CRAZY! It's like driving down the main drag of Myrtle Beach, except instead of "Wings", all the souveneir shops have "Mountain" in their name. It's crazy. We're plugged in and getting ready for dinner. Tomorrow we will head out to the "Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies". That promises to be a lot of fun. If that doesn't take all day, we'll piddle around downtown, maybe do some shopping (oh darn!)
The past few days
The campsite we've been staying at didn't have wireless internet. Withour further ado, here are Days 5, 6, and 7:
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Five started WAY too early, with Abby being sick in her bed at 4:15 am. So, if you're keeping track, that's a poopy day for Abby on Day 3, a poopy AND a pukey day for Josh on Day 4 and a pukey day for Abby on Day 5. Hopefully everyone is over the cruds, cause this is getting gross!!!
Everyone is very excited about the BIG DAY!!! After putting all the cruddy clothes in the laundry and getting the kids showered, Mommy got showered. While she was still in the shower room, Nana, Mimi, Lesa, Minette and THE BRIDE came to visit at the RV camp. They all wanted to see where the red-necks were staying. Mommy headed off to the church with Heidi and Minette to get ready. Daddy stayed at the camp with the kids, and got to experience the Camper Shower, where the directions were to "rinse, turn off the water, lather, rinse, turn off the water..." :-) Then Daddy and the kids went to lunch with Grandma and Grandpa.
Abby and Grandma came to the church to get ready and get the dress ready (respectively). Pictures were scheduled for 2pm. The wedding scheduled for 4pm. Pictures went without too much fuss - one bridesmaid was late, and one of the men's bouteniers was broken. But the "Mommy MacGyvers" figured out a solution.
All too soon, it was TIME. Everyone was in place and the bride was Beautiful!!! The ceremony was lovely and then it was time for more pictures. Then off to the reception to PARTY!!! The blessing was said, the head table ate and then there was the toasts and the cutting of the cake (yummy CHOCOLATE!). Then the DJ kicked it up a notch and the party moved out onto the dancefloor.
By 9pm, the kids were still having a good time - running on pure adrenaline (and M&Ms), but it was time for BED!! They said their goodbyes to the bride and groom and headed back to the RV lot. Everyone got changed and into jammies and went straight to bed. It had been a very big day!
Congratulations, Heidi and Scott!!
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Six - Vacation Part 2
Day six began early, again. This time because of Day Lights Savings time (beginning or ending, I dunno!) We think we got up around 6:15. Mommy took a quick shower to wash out the loads of hairspray that had kept her very cool "do" up the day before (BTW, 30 bobby pins - yes, I counted). The family was packed and ready by 8am (or was it 7?). We called Grandpa and arranged to meet at the hotel for G&G to follow Mommy to the rental car place to return the car. Back at the RV camp, Daddy was getting everything squared away and feeding the kids their breakfast. By the time Mommy, Grandma, and Grandpa returned, we were ready to roll.
Cue: "On the Road Again"
This time, our route took us through downtown St. Louis and we got many, MANY pictures of the big Arch. Way cool. Then it was miles, and miles, and miles...of driving. Back through Illinois (with a stop 20 miles in for lunch with Grandma and Grandpa), a quick corner of Indiana and then into Kentucky. Other than a wild goose chase looking for a gas station, the trip was VERY uneventful. Daddy listened to some football games (Go Bills!) and the kids watched a movie and othewise harassed each other. Mommy was looking for the emergency exit :-)
We rolled into our KOA around 5:30 (or was it 4:30?) and Daddy took the kids to the play ground while Mommy made dinner. Since we hadn't stopped at the grocery store (as was part of the original plan), we had leftover spaghetti and the kids had Easy Mac. After dinner, Daddy built a fire and we sat around and enjoyed being outdoors. The weather was fabulous. Then we had a treat - popcorn (!) popped over the campfire! Yes, the directions explicitly say "Do not use over open flame", but whatever! It took awhile (and caught on fire once), but it sure did taste good.
After popcorn, it was time for bed. And the kids finally brushed their teeth for the first time since we left home. (Eww!)
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Seven - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
So, guess what - today started early, like the last few days. But today was especially early since we still didn't really know what time it was here. Abby was awake by, what we thought was, 6:50. Alarm was set for 7, so we figured, okay, let's start our day. We had a light breakfast (granola bars) and got ready to go to Mammoth Cave National Park. Decided to stop by the KOA store on the way out - sign said it was open at 8am. It was 8:30 as far as we knew, so all was good. Except the store wasn't open. What's up with that? So, Daddy whipped out the trusty Blackberry and did some research. Turns out Western Kentucky is in the CENTRAL time zone and Eastern Kentucky is in the Eastern Time Zone, and the time zone switches about a mile up the road from us. SO, it was really 5:50 when Abby got up, and we were heading out for our trip at 7:30 am. And Mammoth Cave National Park didn't open until 8:45. So we headed out and did our grocery shopping instead (funny thing - store didn't open until 8:00 - ARG!)
FINALLY, we arrived at Mammoth Cave National Park. We looked around and got tickets for a 9:15 tour. It was the only tour that was suitable for the kids - not too many stairs or climbing involved. That was pretty cool. We saw all kinds of stalactites and stalagmites and columns (they're usually called pillars, but in this neck of the woods, that's what folks sleep on at night). It was really, really neat. Then we went back to the Visitor's Center and walked down to the Historic Entrance and then back up to the Mammoth Cave Hotel. Finally we headed back to the RV for lunch (PB&J) and planned the rest of the day.
After lunch, we made a quick trip back to the Visitor's Center and Hotel to get the kid's National Park Passport stamped and the buy some souveniers; then we headed out to another Cave. The kids took a short nap while we traveled (it was about a mile away, but we made the trip last about 20 minutes!) This one was called Diamond Caverns. And it was much more touristy. Also a very neat cave and lots of geological information, but this one was more lit up and more "scenic". We took LOTS of pictures at both places.
By 2:30 we were done, and I mean, DONE! We headed back to the KOA and got hooked up again so we could turn on a movie for the kids. They watched Toy Story and Daddy and Mommy relaxed. Then we started dinner (BBQ chicken (not cooked on the grill, because, oh did I forget to mention, it started raining - our first "bad weather") with potatoes and salad). It turned out quite nice, if I do say so myself. After we ate dinner, we looked at the clock - mistake! It wasn't even 5:15 and we were done with dinner already. Now what?! And it's dark outside already, too! So, we hung out for a bit, then took a walk down the road to the Souvenier/Quilt shop, which was closed. So we continued down the road to the gas station/convenience store and purchased a Coca-Cola! Stopped at the KOA store on the way back up. And then got back to the RV. By then it was 6:30. We rationalized that it is 7:30 where we're going tomorrow, and the kids DID get up very early and they DIDN'T have much of a nap, so it was bed time. By 7pm (local time), the kids were in bed and it was time for Mommy and Daddy to take showers and feel clean again (too much cave dirt!)
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Five started WAY too early, with Abby being sick in her bed at 4:15 am. So, if you're keeping track, that's a poopy day for Abby on Day 3, a poopy AND a pukey day for Josh on Day 4 and a pukey day for Abby on Day 5. Hopefully everyone is over the cruds, cause this is getting gross!!!
Everyone is very excited about the BIG DAY!!! After putting all the cruddy clothes in the laundry and getting the kids showered, Mommy got showered. While she was still in the shower room, Nana, Mimi, Lesa, Minette and THE BRIDE came to visit at the RV camp. They all wanted to see where the red-necks were staying. Mommy headed off to the church with Heidi and Minette to get ready. Daddy stayed at the camp with the kids, and got to experience the Camper Shower, where the directions were to "rinse, turn off the water, lather, rinse, turn off the water..." :-) Then Daddy and the kids went to lunch with Grandma and Grandpa.
Abby and Grandma came to the church to get ready and get the dress ready (respectively). Pictures were scheduled for 2pm. The wedding scheduled for 4pm. Pictures went without too much fuss - one bridesmaid was late, and one of the men's bouteniers was broken. But the "Mommy MacGyvers" figured out a solution.
All too soon, it was TIME. Everyone was in place and the bride was Beautiful!!! The ceremony was lovely and then it was time for more pictures. Then off to the reception to PARTY!!! The blessing was said, the head table ate and then there was the toasts and the cutting of the cake (yummy CHOCOLATE!). Then the DJ kicked it up a notch and the party moved out onto the dancefloor.
By 9pm, the kids were still having a good time - running on pure adrenaline (and M&Ms), but it was time for BED!! They said their goodbyes to the bride and groom and headed back to the RV lot. Everyone got changed and into jammies and went straight to bed. It had been a very big day!
Congratulations, Heidi and Scott!!
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Six - Vacation Part 2
Day six began early, again. This time because of Day Lights Savings time (beginning or ending, I dunno!) We think we got up around 6:15. Mommy took a quick shower to wash out the loads of hairspray that had kept her very cool "do" up the day before (BTW, 30 bobby pins - yes, I counted). The family was packed and ready by 8am (or was it 7?). We called Grandpa and arranged to meet at the hotel for G&G to follow Mommy to the rental car place to return the car. Back at the RV camp, Daddy was getting everything squared away and feeding the kids their breakfast. By the time Mommy, Grandma, and Grandpa returned, we were ready to roll.
Cue: "On the Road Again"
This time, our route took us through downtown St. Louis and we got many, MANY pictures of the big Arch. Way cool. Then it was miles, and miles, and miles...of driving. Back through Illinois (with a stop 20 miles in for lunch with Grandma and Grandpa), a quick corner of Indiana and then into Kentucky. Other than a wild goose chase looking for a gas station, the trip was VERY uneventful. Daddy listened to some football games (Go Bills!) and the kids watched a movie and othewise harassed each other. Mommy was looking for the emergency exit :-)
We rolled into our KOA around 5:30 (or was it 4:30?) and Daddy took the kids to the play ground while Mommy made dinner. Since we hadn't stopped at the grocery store (as was part of the original plan), we had leftover spaghetti and the kids had Easy Mac. After dinner, Daddy built a fire and we sat around and enjoyed being outdoors. The weather was fabulous. Then we had a treat - popcorn (!) popped over the campfire! Yes, the directions explicitly say "Do not use over open flame", but whatever! It took awhile (and caught on fire once), but it sure did taste good.
After popcorn, it was time for bed. And the kids finally brushed their teeth for the first time since we left home. (Eww!)
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Seven - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
So, guess what - today started early, like the last few days. But today was especially early since we still didn't really know what time it was here. Abby was awake by, what we thought was, 6:50. Alarm was set for 7, so we figured, okay, let's start our day. We had a light breakfast (granola bars) and got ready to go to Mammoth Cave National Park. Decided to stop by the KOA store on the way out - sign said it was open at 8am. It was 8:30 as far as we knew, so all was good. Except the store wasn't open. What's up with that? So, Daddy whipped out the trusty Blackberry and did some research. Turns out Western Kentucky is in the CENTRAL time zone and Eastern Kentucky is in the Eastern Time Zone, and the time zone switches about a mile up the road from us. SO, it was really 5:50 when Abby got up, and we were heading out for our trip at 7:30 am. And Mammoth Cave National Park didn't open until 8:45. So we headed out and did our grocery shopping instead (funny thing - store didn't open until 8:00 - ARG!)
FINALLY, we arrived at Mammoth Cave National Park. We looked around and got tickets for a 9:15 tour. It was the only tour that was suitable for the kids - not too many stairs or climbing involved. That was pretty cool. We saw all kinds of stalactites and stalagmites and columns (they're usually called pillars, but in this neck of the woods, that's what folks sleep on at night). It was really, really neat. Then we went back to the Visitor's Center and walked down to the Historic Entrance and then back up to the Mammoth Cave Hotel. Finally we headed back to the RV for lunch (PB&J) and planned the rest of the day.
After lunch, we made a quick trip back to the Visitor's Center and Hotel to get the kid's National Park Passport stamped and the buy some souveniers; then we headed out to another Cave. The kids took a short nap while we traveled (it was about a mile away, but we made the trip last about 20 minutes!) This one was called Diamond Caverns. And it was much more touristy. Also a very neat cave and lots of geological information, but this one was more lit up and more "scenic". We took LOTS of pictures at both places.
By 2:30 we were done, and I mean, DONE! We headed back to the KOA and got hooked up again so we could turn on a movie for the kids. They watched Toy Story and Daddy and Mommy relaxed. Then we started dinner (BBQ chicken (not cooked on the grill, because, oh did I forget to mention, it started raining - our first "bad weather") with potatoes and salad). It turned out quite nice, if I do say so myself. After we ate dinner, we looked at the clock - mistake! It wasn't even 5:15 and we were done with dinner already. Now what?! And it's dark outside already, too! So, we hung out for a bit, then took a walk down the road to the Souvenier/Quilt shop, which was closed. So we continued down the road to the gas station/convenience store and purchased a Coca-Cola! Stopped at the KOA store on the way back up. And then got back to the RV. By then it was 6:30. We rationalized that it is 7:30 where we're going tomorrow, and the kids DID get up very early and they DIDN'T have much of a nap, so it was bed time. By 7pm (local time), the kids were in bed and it was time for Mommy and Daddy to take showers and feel clean again (too much cave dirt!)
Friday, November 02, 2007
Day Four
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day Four. Mommy and Daddy woke up early - not being quite adjusted to the time change and all. The kids slept "late", but Josh woke up with poopy pants. Ew. Mom was glad that she was out at the shower house at the time of discovery! Breakfast was low-key - cereal or granola bars. Then the girls left to get their nails done. The boys planned to go the Bass Pro Shops, but Joshy got sick, so they headed back to the RV to get cleaned up and watched a movie. They did get to Bass Pro after that and then had some lunch at Steak N Shake. By then, the girls were done being pampered - they had very nice nails (fingers and toes). The family all went to Bass Pro (again) and picked up a wedding present for Heidi and Scott. Then it was back to the RV for some rest time and a visit from Grandma and Grandpa.
Then it was time to get ready for the rehersal. Mommy discovered that she left her jacket at the nail salon, so the family had to make an extra stop on the way to the church. They were almost late! (Fortunately) one of the other bridesmaids (and the ring bearer) were even later. The rehersal went quite well - everyone seemed to understand what they were supposed to do and where they were supposed to be. Abby and Matthew (the ring bearer) got along quite well and will probably be quite the ham show at the big event tomorrow. The family got a little lost getting to the rehersal dinner, which was held at the same location as the reception tomorrow (so at least they won't get lost tomororw!) Dinner was yummy - fried chicken and ham, broccoli and corn, mashed potatoes. The bridesmaids helped get some decorating done for the reception, but since the room was going to be used for a luncheon the next day, they couldn't do much. We are leaving most of the decorating in the (hopefully) very capable hands of the event coordinator.
It was another late night getting into bed. Daddy Febreezed the bed(s) that Josh stank up this morning and then everyone got tucked in. Mommy and Daddy will probably not stay up late tonight!
Day Four. Mommy and Daddy woke up early - not being quite adjusted to the time change and all. The kids slept "late", but Josh woke up with poopy pants. Ew. Mom was glad that she was out at the shower house at the time of discovery! Breakfast was low-key - cereal or granola bars. Then the girls left to get their nails done. The boys planned to go the Bass Pro Shops, but Joshy got sick, so they headed back to the RV to get cleaned up and watched a movie. They did get to Bass Pro after that and then had some lunch at Steak N Shake. By then, the girls were done being pampered - they had very nice nails (fingers and toes). The family all went to Bass Pro (again) and picked up a wedding present for Heidi and Scott. Then it was back to the RV for some rest time and a visit from Grandma and Grandpa.
Then it was time to get ready for the rehersal. Mommy discovered that she left her jacket at the nail salon, so the family had to make an extra stop on the way to the church. They were almost late! (Fortunately) one of the other bridesmaids (and the ring bearer) were even later. The rehersal went quite well - everyone seemed to understand what they were supposed to do and where they were supposed to be. Abby and Matthew (the ring bearer) got along quite well and will probably be quite the ham show at the big event tomorrow. The family got a little lost getting to the rehersal dinner, which was held at the same location as the reception tomorrow (so at least they won't get lost tomororw!) Dinner was yummy - fried chicken and ham, broccoli and corn, mashed potatoes. The bridesmaids helped get some decorating done for the reception, but since the room was going to be used for a luncheon the next day, they couldn't do much. We are leaving most of the decorating in the (hopefully) very capable hands of the event coordinator.
It was another late night getting into bed. Daddy Febreezed the bed(s) that Josh stank up this morning and then everyone got tucked in. Mommy and Daddy will probably not stay up late tonight!
Day Three
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wasn't afraid of anything and one time her family went on a Red-Neck RV trip.
Day three began with breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage patties. Then it was time to say goodbye to the donkeys (who, thankfully, slept through the night and didn't make and crazy sounds while the family was sleeping!) and load up into the RV again. Off they went - out of Indiana and into Illinois. Stopping once for Mommy to take a turn at the wheel. Stopping again for gas, and then for a quick lunch. Then it was on into Missouri. The route they took did not take them past the Arch in St. Louis, and the family was sad to miss that sight.
Finally, they reached their campground in Columbia, MO. They had arrived!! The kids played at the play park while everyone waited for the rental car company to bring them a car. Once the car came, Mommy and Daddy went to do the paperwork and pick up the actual car they would be driving (a Chrysler 300 - DARN!). Then Mommy and Daddy came back to the campground and picked up the kids and Lesa and they all went to meet Heidi, Scott, Mimi, Nana and Minette for dinner. It was a long wait for dinner, but the food was worth the wait. By the time they had delivered Lesa to Aunt Heidi's house and gotten back to the campgournd, it was 8:30 Missouri time, so 9:30 PA time. The kids were TIRED! (So were Mommy and Daddy). It was straight to bed for everyone. The next day the girls would be going out to get their nails done. Daddy had plans to take Josh to the big Bass Pro Shop :-)
Day three began with breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage patties. Then it was time to say goodbye to the donkeys (who, thankfully, slept through the night and didn't make and crazy sounds while the family was sleeping!) and load up into the RV again. Off they went - out of Indiana and into Illinois. Stopping once for Mommy to take a turn at the wheel. Stopping again for gas, and then for a quick lunch. Then it was on into Missouri. The route they took did not take them past the Arch in St. Louis, and the family was sad to miss that sight.
Finally, they reached their campground in Columbia, MO. They had arrived!! The kids played at the play park while everyone waited for the rental car company to bring them a car. Once the car came, Mommy and Daddy went to do the paperwork and pick up the actual car they would be driving (a Chrysler 300 - DARN!). Then Mommy and Daddy came back to the campground and picked up the kids and Lesa and they all went to meet Heidi, Scott, Mimi, Nana and Minette for dinner. It was a long wait for dinner, but the food was worth the wait. By the time they had delivered Lesa to Aunt Heidi's house and gotten back to the campgournd, it was 8:30 Missouri time, so 9:30 PA time. The kids were TIRED! (So were Mommy and Daddy). It was straight to bed for everyone. The next day the girls would be going out to get their nails done. Daddy had plans to take Josh to the big Bass Pro Shop :-)
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