Kayaking on the Harpeth

We were up very early today to be the first ones on the Harpeth River. The boys were not happy about such an early morning, but Keagan has wanted to kayak for the past month. We were the only ones on the water this early in the morning. 

Evan has been a champ this weekend. His mouth is still swollen from the extractions, but he’s acting like nothing happened. I know it has to hurt.

Wes has found his happy place!

Keagan found a rope swing and his day was made! 

We chose the 2.5 hour float and made it to the take out point in an hour. It was way too short! After the upstairs bathroom, the kitchen floors, and the front door are finished, we have decided we are buying kayaks. 

More of this is in our future. 

Zoolumination

My sister and her family are visiting for the week. We have a list of holiday events to see and do as long as the rain stays away. After church and a nap, we made the short drive to the zoo to see the Chinese Festival of Lights.

It was cold, and if we had not already made plans to do this, I would be tempted to stay home wrapped in a blanket. I’m so glad I didn’t; it was amazing to see. I couldn’t believe it was all made from silk and strings of lights. 

Our attempts for a selfie were an epic fail! Maybe tomorrow night we can get a pic of the fam. Five more days of fun are in store for us!

Family Fun Day

Thursday was my first official day of summer; Wes had the day off. We decided late last night we would hit the road and find something to do in the great outdoors. This morning the boys were outraged that we woke them up at 0900. They were even madder to read the GPS and find our destination was 90 minutes away. Then they saw this.

 

The boys outlook quickly changed and they even had smiles. They were off running the wooded trail in no time looking for the first waterfall. 

 

They found it but not before they heard it.

 

At this point, I thought we had seen the best part. I was content with what we had seen and we took the obligatory selfie.

 

But little did we know. The best waterfall was just ahead of us. 

 

Beautiful cannot even begin to describe the view.

We hiked down to the base of the fall and splashed in the shallow creek beds. 

What a great day trip and great way to kick off summer! One more local state park remains on my bucket list. 

Farewell Summer Time

We bid farewell to summer vacation with another road trip. We began with food at an iconic restaurant in Nashville. 

While waiting the 1.5 hours for a table, we played a corn hole tourney. Parents vs. Kids. As with any athletic event or sport, it came easy for Keagan. He threw twice and was quickly a corn hole expert, but his partner's "man hands" kept him from the big win. The parents won three games to two. 

 

After our lunch, we headed down the Natchez Trace Parkway for some site seeing, hiking, and photo ops. 

Summer vacation has been wonderful this year - long, relaxing, and filled with adventure. It was just what we all needed after a very exhausting school year. Now our crazy begins all over again.

The Falls

I have been bummed for weeks about not getting a family vacation this summer. Wes has been super busy at work and hasn't been able to get away. On the upside, because we haven't been able to make it to the beach, I have made it a priority to see as much of the local sites as possible this summer. I made a list in May, and we are slowing scratching each tourist site off. Today's 3/4 Family Fun Day took place in Cummins Falls, the most beautiful place in Tennessee and perhaps the best reason we didn't get to go to the beach this summer.

We took a nice hike through the woods, then traversed the creek, climbed over rocks and reached here.

My picture isn't nearly as stunning; this was posted on the FB page. This place literally took my breath away. The boys swam, climbed to the top of the falls, jumped into the gorge, and explored every nook and cranny. We had lunch at the water's edge, and just when the heat became unbearable, we made our way back up the creek, through the woods, and to the parking lot.

The hike back to the car was tough, but it was totally worth it because I got to spend a wonderful day in a beautiful place with my boys. It was so perfect, this just may become a summer tradition.

A Day in Nature

We spent our morning at Lookout Mountain and did our best to see it all done before the rain started. Rock City was by far our favorite spot on the mountain. We arrived so early in the morning that we were the only ones in the park. It was quiet, uncrowded, and just beautiful.

My mom wasn't so sure rock formations would hold the boys' interests, but there's magic in imagining you're fighting garden gnomes around every corner or when you spit just to hear the sound it makes when it splatters against a rock wall. I'm so proud.

After a short walk, we made it to Lover's Leap. The waterfall was beautiful, but the clouds were too low for us to see anything, much less the seven states promised to us in the brochure. It didn't matter to us. As I might have mentioned, we loved this place even without the view!

We also stopped to see Ruby Falls. I'm not going to lie. Falling 260 feet into the depths of the Earth is a little unnerving - especially when your older son points out the cracks in the ceilings and questions the sturdiness of the cave tunnels. 

Next up is nap time. I may have tween boys, but they require as much sleep today as they did as toddlers. It will be much easier to break the news that our hotel does not have NFL Sunday ticket when everyone is well-rested. 

Home of the Free and the Brave

My boys must really love me because all three agreed to a day trip to the Hermitage to see the estate of Andrew Jackson. I love touring historical sites and learning about history, but the boys are only intrigued if the site includes a story about a bloody battle. Because Jackson fought in the Revolutionary War, I thought it only appropriate that we visit the site during the holiday weekend.

While touring Jackson's home, we were told a story about a bloodstain on the bedroom carpet that occurred during Mrs. Jackson's death. The story was pretty exciting for Keagan, but he was totally disappointed to not be able to actually see it. His disappointment was quickly forgotten, though, when Wes agreed to take us downtown to get burgers and milkshakes.

Jekyll Island

Our first venture outside of Hinesville included a day trip to Jekyll Island. We were one of six families on a ten mile stretch of public beach. 

Beautiful. Peaceful. Perfect. 

So who wants to come for a visit?

Gettysburg

After my family left for the airport, Wes and I decided to pack up and take the kids to Gettysburg. The timing was perfect because with wind chills in the thirties it was extremely comfortable to be outside walking through a battlefield and climbing Little Round Top. However, when Wes reminded me that the crowds would have been over the top in August when I first suggested that we go, I decided zipping through the park on the coldest day of the year was maybe not that bad.

Evan and Keagan actually got a lot out of the experience. They now understand that the South was composed of "bad guys" and that the "good guys", The North, succeeded in winning the war. Considering our next move is to South Carolina, the heart of the Confederacy and the first state to succeed from the nation, I figure Evan's analysis of the Civil War will go over really well when discussions begin in history class in say two years. Keagan made the most important observation when he said he would fight for the Union because their uniforms looked the best. 

When Wes and I tried to explain the implications of the North winning the war, and the effect it has had on our society, Evan was able to simply say, "The brown guy wouldn't be president; he would just be a guy."

Keagan "What's the brown guy's name?"

Me "Obama"

Keagan "Yeah, yeah, I like him! He should be president!"

And because this conversation proves we have lived outside the Beltway for most of our our childrens' lives and indicates we now have Democrats in our midst, we will be even more popular in the state of Georgia. Instead of Icebergs, I can hear Keagan suggesting that his next soccer team be called the blue donkeys.

In all seriousness, though, I found the day trip highly educational, and I am really glad that we were able to make the trip before we PCS. I read an article a month ago that stated that every American should visit Gettysburg because the outcome of this battle had more implications for our country than any other. I couldn't agree more.

Trains, History, and God

Today we drove into the city to the Botanical Gardens for the Christmas train show. We have made it an annual visit because Keagan has always been a train enthusiast. However, it was Evan that was the most impressed this year. With his little digital camera, he took a picture of every single leaf, bush, and flower. This year's theme is Childhood Stories and it is more elaborate and detailed than any of the past. It was well worth the wait in the cold; even Wes agreed it was a good idea to visit again. 

We also made a stop at the National Archives to see the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. This has been on our to-do list for five years, and we couldn't believe our luck when we arrived and found such a short wait! When I asked the boys what they had learned during their visit to the vault, Keagan responded with the default answer, the answer that works for almost every situation except a visit to the National Archives. His answer: "God."

Shenadoah Valley Hike

My parents arrived on Friday only to leave again on Monday. With only one full free day in our schedule, we decided to take a day trip to the Shenadoah Valley to hike. A friend of a friend wrote a guide book to hiking in the Valley, and we found a scenic, child friendly hike that seemed perfect for us. On the trail we found creepy crawlies, we picked blackberries, and we observed two deer. 

After 1.5 hours and 2.5 miles later, we made it to our goal. This is what we found.

The boys splashed in the very cold water while the adults sat back to watch. It was a very beautiful place.

And then it was time to hike the 2.5 miles, almost all uphill, back to the car. We only sufferred a couple of melt-downs, one insect bite, and one blister. However, even with all of this, the boys did remarkably well with such a difficult hike.