Vacation Part 1: Adventures in the Smokies

Our vacation started early, 3:50 a.m. on Monday morning, to be exact. We hit the road at 4:15 a.m. bound for Townsend, TN and a quick visit with GiGi and Pappy. With two stops at McDonalds and two stops at Chick Fil A, we arrived in the mountains to loving and open arms at 11:15 p.m. Needless to say, we slept well that night and were thankful that GiGi and Pappy got up with the kids in the morning!

Josiah loves to attack an apple, so we would give him an apple when he got frustrated in the car. 
This particular apple somehow ended up all over him.

We spent Tuesday around the house and neighborhood. There was plenty of fun to be had, including walking down the driveway (aka a walk down the mountain) to a neighbor's swings and sandbox, a walk around the neighborhood pond, and a trip to the local natural spring.

There is lots for a girl and her Pappy to discuss on the walk up the driveway.

You aren't the only one, bud! We all left very well fed :)

On the path around the pond, after feeding the fish.

On Wednesday we ventured out a little further and took a nice hike to Laurel Falls. It was a paved path and about 2.6 miles round trip that yielded lovely views of the color and ultimately a nice waterfall. We were all pretty cold by the time we reached the bottom, so we hopped on over to the Sugarlands visitor center and enjoyed the unique displays of local wildlife.

I was telling her all about Niagara Falls :)

Trying to keep the babies warm!

 Thursday morning Sarah and GiGi made special cupcakes with a chocolate surprise in the middle. Then we all went for a leisurely ride through Cade's Cove, always a favorite. Sarah especially enjoyed the mill this year.

You'll have to ask Pappy who jumped the biggest when Sarah accidentally honked the horn :)

She was quite fascinated by the mill.

"Ummm, so you're telling me I can't have another?"

Friday morning we packed up and cleaned up. GiGi and Pappy were headed home and we were going to continue on to Niagara Falls for the rest of our vacation. A little last minute research turned up two troubles. 1) The high at Niagara Falls over the weekend was in the 40s with snow in the forecast. We weren't prepared for that kind of cold! 2) The two attractions we were most excited about, the Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds, had each just closed for the season. Also, Dave's passport expired six days before our arrival, so we would be bound to the American side of the falls. We did some quick thinking, lots of calculations, made a few phone calls, said goodbye to Pappy and GiGi, and headed toward Washington D.C. instead!

MegaTrip: Fun with the Cooks

Part Eight in a series chronicling our first big family road trip. 

As much a treat as the mountains were, the real draw was the family who had gathered there. We were able to see my parents (Pappy and Gigi), my grandmother (Grandma Lynda), my cousin Rachel and her husband Drew, my cousin April, my Aunt Faye and Uncle Jerry, my sister Jacki, her husband Mike, and our nephew Eli. 

Pappy leading Sarah down a path in Cade's Cove

I got to preside over the renewal of Jacki and Mike's vows

Jacki, baby Eli, and Mike

My parents with their children and grandchildren

A gathering of home beer brewers, for sharing purposes. Pappy brought his newest creation.

Pappy and his boys

At a stop along the road. Emily, Josiah, Sarah, Me, Pappy, and Gigi.

Pappy, Gigi, and the grandkids

Our nephew Eli

Buds

Trip to Florida

Well, life has finally calmed down enough to tell you a little about our trip to Florida, in which we got to see so much of the Cook side of the family!

It all started the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving, in which we rode up to Boston and spent the night in a hotel. Although we (especially Emily!) love staying in hotels, this was really so we could avoid driving up from the Cape to catch our 6:00 a.m. flight. By 4:20 the next morning, we were out the hotel door and on our way to the airport.

Wrap a couch cushion in a baby blanket, stick it between the hotel bed and the wall, and what do you get?
A toddler bed!

The sun rising over our beautiful Cape Cod

After landing, we spent the afternoon and evening with our family, having lunch at Chick-Fil-A and a dinner of my Mom's hamburgers. The next day, we took a trip to the Regional History Museum so Emily could be briefed and I get a refresher on Florida history.

A little playing in the car while we waited on Auntie J.

I was NOT going to let this stone alligator eat my wife!

Sarah picking oranges with Grandma Vicky. I think I was up in the tree at this point.

Wednesday was a real treat, as we went to Dunnellon to see my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Faye. We all took a trip together to Rainbow Springs, a beautiful part of what I call "the real Florida."

Rainbow Springs

Somewhere it turns from Rainbow Springs into the Rainbow River

On the way home, Sarah got to meet Molly and Amanda.

The rest of the week had some great plans attached to it, but instead the strangest thing happened. By Thursday morning, Jacki and Sarah were the only people who hadn't come down with a stomach bug! So we all spent a day or two at home in recovery- fortunately it was a quick one. By Friday evening, everyone was well again and a dozen or so of us had a nice dinner together before we flew back home.

Panorama of sunrise on Lake Louisa

Sunrise the next day

Playtime!

Reading with Great Grandma B.

It was a great and refreshing trip. Although we were sad to miss out on a few days of fun, especially on seeing our good friends the Kerrs, I think the easy rest of a sick day may have been just what we needed.


Epilogue: you may be thinking, "it's a good thing Sarah didn't get sick." And you would be right . . . if. As it turns out, she only managed to fight it off until the day we flew home. I don't suppose the details are internet-appropriate, but let's just say that plane ride involved several outfit changes and ended with a diaper-only baby and some stewardesses I feel very sorry for.

Sometimes, rather than just giving us patience, the Lord teaches us patience.