A Beautiful Sunday!

Yesterday was a total washout. It was a dreary, rainy day. We ran some errands and watched ALOT of football (UGH). We decided to go to a Saturday evening mass instead of our usual Sunday morning in case the weather forcast for Sunday was better. Saturday was, however, my brother-in-laws birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE JOHN!! Unfortunately, he lives several states away, so we didn't get to celebrate with him, but sent many good thoughts his way!!

When we woke this morning, the news channel boasted about the weather and Paul and I looked at each other and said, "Let's Go." We had been wanting to take Aidan to the Renaissance Festival, but time and weather never played in our favor. Aidan is really into Knights and Pirates right now (in fact, he is going to be a knight for halloween!!). We stopped by Kroger to snag our advance (and discounted!!) tickets and headed up north. It was a beautiful ride and we could barely contain Aidan's excitement. He had many questions and just couldn't believe that he might actually see a real knight! All the way there he kept asking, "are we going to see a real knight?" Even after we assured him many times, he still asked, "for real? We're really going to see a REAL knight?"

Once we arrived, we had to walk along a long foot path before reaching the entrance gates. Aidan called this foot path "the forest." I knew he was nervous for two reasons. 1) He kept saying "I'm not afraid, I am brave." and 2) every couple of steps he would say, "I love you, mama." This is something he does/says when he is nervous. I hate that he is afraid, but I LOVE how he reacts to fear. Once inside the gates, his eyes just lit up. He was glued to every stage filled with dragons. He stared at every "character" that walked by. We finally made it to the jousting event and he cheered for our section, "The East Shire" and our fearless knight, Sir Reynolds. We knew Aidan was having a good time but we didn't realize how good of a time until the jousting event ended. There were lots of bees around and at the end of the event Aidan started sobbing out of no where. We thought he had been stung, but through the sobs he explained that he wanted to see more knights. So, we made our way down to the knights and asked Sir Reynolds for a picture....and of course, he abliged.

The topping on the cake was when we were walking back through the festival, checking out all of the sights, Aidan looked up at me and said, "Am I dreaming?" It was truly a wonderful day, filled with wonderful memories!!!
A picture of my brave knights protecting me from any dragons we may have encountered on our way back through "the forest."

Aidan Fix

I don't really have alot to say in this update. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening here. I'm super behind on my scrapbooking so I'm attempting a page here and a page there, instead of blogging. Four years ago I started giving scrapbooked calendars away for Christmas, to the grandma's. Needless to say, I have done ONE month for ONE of the calendars. I MUST make progress on them as they have come to expect them and I don't think they'd be too forgiving if they didn't show up under the tree this year. But, for those of you that need your Aidan fix, I was printing it off for the September calendar pages and thought you might enjoy it as well. It was taken at the apple orchard....oh, how I love the fall!!!!

Now, it's back to scrapbooking....

Laughter is the Best Medicine

This evening as I took some time to catch up on my blogging friends, Paul folded laundry and Aidan watched a movie.....Madagascar. All of a sudden we heard this shrill scream. Paul went flying through the house and I just froze, waiting for a hint from Paul as to what was happening. Come to find out, Aidan was laughing hysterically at the movie. Paul came back through the house all smiles and said, "he is just happy." It's moments like this that make my heart melt. Boy do I love my guys!!! Well, I'm keeping this short, because I'm going to soak up some of that laughter.

Why?

This summer, we lost several of our friends and loved ones. It has caused many questions from Aidan. He is very vocal and inquisitive about death. He talks candidly about it, especially after the death of Paul's uncle. We answered many questions after that, but they have died down as of late. However, with the death of Steve Irwin, the questions come flooding back. It is amazing how the mention of the death of a complete stranger brings Aidan right back to being at an Uncle's funeral.

Last night's conversation went like this:

As we were getting ready for bed,
Aidan: Why are you crying?
Jenny: I'm not crying.
Aidan: Why WERE you crying?
Jenny: (puzzled) I wasn't crying.
Aidan: You were crying at Uncle Franks funeral. Daddy was crying and Grandma and Grandpa were crying too.
Jenny: Because we were sad, honey.
Aidan: Why?
Jenny: Because, Uncle Frank is in heaven and we won't be able to see him anymore.
Aidan: Why?
Jenny: Because he had a heart attack
Aidan: What is a heart attack?
Jenny: It is when your heart gets really tired and can't beat anymore.
Aidan: Will your heart stop beating?
Jenny: (Oh, where is Paul when you need him?!?) Eventually, everyone's heart will stop beating some day. But, then you go to heaven and are reunited with the rest of your family who will be waiting there for you....you'll get to see Uncle Frank again and you will have lots of fun with him.

A long silence....(just when I thought I was safe)

Aidan: (crying) But I don't want you to die
Jenny: Oh, mommy and daddy are going to be around for a really long time, Aidan. You don't have to worry about that right now.
Aidan: But after daddy drops me off at school tomorrow, his heart will stop beating and your heart will stop beating and I won't have anywhere to live.
Jenny: PAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!!!!!!!!

We've always tried to be real with Aidan and answer his questions honestly. We hope and pray that he is smart and can think logically for himself. I don't know who said, "Be careful what you wish for" but boy, they weren't kidding!!

Slip Slidin' Away

Today was water day at school. Once a week during the summer months, the school puts out sprinklers, baby pools and other water fun for the kids to play in. When I picked Aidan up from school he looked a little sad and then I noticed that he had his bathing suit in his hand. It must have been the final water day of this summer. On the way home I asked Aidan how his day went. He told me all about water day and asked if he could continue water day at home.

When we got home, I immediately put the sprinkler on. As I came back in the house to get dinner started, I remembered that my great friend, Trista had given Aidan his first Slip-N-Slide as a gift. I decided that dinner wasn't as important as extending the final hours of water day. So, out the door I went with the spiderman box in my hand. Aidan went bonkers....which was quite funny in itself, considering that he didn't even know what a Slip-N-Slide was. The mere sight of spiderman was enough for him. As I was setting it up, he got this very concerned look on his face and couldn't understand how he was going to float because "this thing was flat." However, once it was set up and I explained that he simply had to run and throw himself on the ground (two of his very favorite things to do), he was sprinting across the yard. Thanks, Trista for such an awesome gift!! I'm only sorry that I didn't open it earlier in the summer.

Good Ol' Summertime

There is not much to report here. We've been enjoying the last weekends of summer. Every sign that school will soon be here is lurking around every corner. We've been soaking in the nice weather, though. We've saw the 3-D version of Ant Bully (very cool!!), visited with friends and family, seen some baseball games and spent alot of time in the pool. Here are a couple of pictures, of Aidan, over the last couple of weeks. Enjoy! Aidan just got out of the bath and we're getting ready to wind down for the night, so I'll have to post again later. I just wanted to get an update out there for all of our Aidan fans!!

Aidan, with pal, Stephanie!

Aidan and Stephanie have been friends since birth. Stephanie's mom, Linda, and I were pregnant with our precious angels at the same time.

The Box

Paul and I were really happy to see the package on our front porch when we arrived home from work. Paul's brother, John, sent us a new (his old) computer. Aidan was excited with the content, as well. However, his excitment was with.....THE BOX and THE FOAM PEANUTS!!!!


Thank you, John, for the computer and the wonderful, boy-sized box!!

Just keep swimming!!

I was so proud of Aidan this past Sunday....he learned to swim!! He started swimming with a life vest last summer and has continued this summer. I was in the pool with him on Sunday, trying to convince him to take the life vest off. I tried explaining that it would be much easier to use his new spongebob kickboard because the life vest was a little bulky with the kickboard. He refused. So, I tried his technique of pestering away until he finally gave in. About every two minutes I would say, "how about now? Now? How about now?" After what seemed like a million times of asking he finally got frustrated with me and gave in. Off came the life vest and he clung to me for dear life. Then he got the brilliant idea to jump into the pool and try landing on the kickboard. I don't know how he went from refusing to take off the life vest to a daring thing like that, but he did. I knew he was going to miss that kickboard at one point and I didn't want that to be the end of our day at the pool. I kept warning him that if he got into a situation that he didn't have anything to hold on to that he should not panic. "Just keep moving your arms and legs and you'll be fine" I kept telling him. "I know mom, I won't panic" he would say. As soon as he got a little too comfortable, it happened. He jumped off of the deck and right OVER the kickboard. My dad and I had already discussed that when the moment came, we were not going to rescue him immediately. We would give him a chance and see what he would do. I just KNEW he would panic. That little rugrat started kicking and swam right to the ladder. He was as calm as ever. I wish you could of all seen the look in his eyes. Triumph!! He climbed up the ladder and started showing off his muscles, proclaiming, "I did it, I did it. I told you I could do it mom." I don't know who was more proud....him or me. That was the end of the life vest. After that, he was swimming all over the place.

I can't believe my little boy is growing up so fast. Next stop....kindergarten!! That evening we were giving him a bath. I couldn't believe how dirty he was. Afterall, we had spent all day in clorinated water.

After a good scrub, I realized it was not dirt afterall. This kid is TAN!!

Survivor - Family

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. We sure had a great time. It was hard to get back in the groove of work and school this morning.

On the 4th of July, we celebrated with my dads family by playing our version of the reality television show, Survivor. We called it Survivor-Family....clever, huh?

The day started with a potluck BBQ and then the challenges began. We had 5 teams of 4, involved in 10 different challenges. It was an awesome time and a great way to spend the holiday with family. Everyone was laughing and having a wonderful time. My mom even made buffs that said, "Got Family?" on them. I'm gonna need another scrapbook weekend for this event!!

Paul, winning the "Run For Your Life" challenge, for the yellow team!

Aidan, refilling his water gun, to squirt the contestants during challenges.

The whole gang!

Aunts and Uncles and Bears, Oh My!

Pauls siblings live in many different states and we don't get to see them often. However, recently they were all together (under one roof) and I decided to take advantage of the (scrapbook) situation. Here are some of the pictures with the aunts and uncles....in no particular order.
Aunt Maureen & Uncle Phil
Uncle John & Aunt Amy
Aunt Colleen & Uncle Jeff
Aunt Denise & Uncle Randy
Grandma & Grandpa
Great Grandma
We are so blessed to have family!! We miss you guys!

A little Red Bull goes a long way

Aidan asks everyday, when I pick him up for school, "how many more days to I have left." I was very excited this week for the 4 day holiday weekend not only because I didn't have to go to work, but because Aidan was SO excited to have a break from school. However, he thinks that the word vacation means we are packing up and going somewhere.

When I picked him up from school Friday evening, he asked how many days he had left. When I answered "none, because we had a 4 day vacation", he asked where we were going. I said "no where, but we have lots of fun things planned." Of course, then we had to have a big discussion of what the fun things were.

One of the things we had planned was a visit from Pauls sister, Maureen and her husband Phil. Aidan gets so excited for a visit from Uncle Phil. In fact, yesterday when we were driving in the car he was explaining how he was so excited to see Uncle Phil that when he saw him he was "going to go crazy."

I noticed when we walked in the door to see Aunt Maureen and Uncle Phil, Uncle Phil was downing a Red Bull beverage. I thought this was hysterical, but didn't blame him at all. Aidan keeps Uncle Phil (and all of his aunts and uncles) on his toes. They played cars, ran around the basement, played more cars, ran around the basement, and the cycle continued on like this for several hours. I've never had a Red Bull, but I can speak for its contents. The stuff really works OR Uncle Phil is....well, let's just say that the stuff really works!!

We had a really nice visit with Maureen and Phil. Thanks for playing so hard with Aidan last night....he slept like a champ!!

Baby Piranhas

When I picked Aidan up from school today, I was sent home with the dreaded pink piece of paper....A.K.A an accident report. Because we get these quite frequently, I've learned to remain calm when they rifle through the pile on the front desk as I walk through the front door. The assistant proceeded to tell me that Aidan had been bit by another student during story time.

I glanced down at the pink report and read that the bite was on the right leg. As Aidan headed toward me, I couldn't see any "battle wounds", other than the self inflicted ones that were already there. I figured it couldn't be that bad, if the bite was already gone.

As I was buckling Aidan into the car seat, I asked him who bit him and where. He pulled his shorts up and right there on the meaty part of his thigh was the HUGE black and blue mark. I'm sure my eyes bugged out of my head.

Jenny: (excitedly) Aidan, why did Michael bite you?!
Aidan: (ever so calmly) He must have been hungry or somethin'.
Jenny: Didn't he have breakfast? (I was thinking this in my head, but must have said it out loud.)
Aidan: Yeah, he had breakfast.
Jenny: What did you do when he bit you?
Aidan: I hit him.
Jenny: Why did you hit him? (as if I really needed to ask this question)
Aidan: (noticably annoyed) Because he was eating my leg.

Enough said!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

With only a week under our belts in the "official" dog days of summer, we've been cherishing every minute....

Going through the sprinkler, in roller skates....who knew?!

Aidan is becoming an excellent swimmer.

Havin' A Blast!!

Life Lessons Learned

This week was filled with much sadness for our family. Our 6 year-old friend, Jacob Duckworth (http://www2.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob/) earned his angel wings on June 12th. On Wednesday, June 14th we received the sad news that Paul’s Uncle Frank had passed away suddenly.

Although we had never met Jacob or his family personally, we have been following his story of bravery for over a year. Jacob reminds me a lot of Aidan and so I felt very close to him. His mom and dad shared their story of the life and death of their son so openly and I’ve learned an incredible amount about faith from them.

Aidan and I have been praying for Jacob and many conversations regarding death and heaven were inspired by Jacob. We were very sad to hear the news of Jacob’s death. Aidan asked many questions about where Jacob was and what he was doing. He asked if his body had any more germs in it. He asked if we would ever see Jacob again. He also asked if his mom, dad and brothers were sad. He asked which direction heaven was so that he could blow bubbles up to Jacob. As I answered Aidan’s questions, it became apparent that I wasn’t sad for Jacob and his short 6 years on Earth. I was sad for his family who mourns his loss. I was sad for his brothers who may have a hard time understanding why Jacob isn’t around to play anymore. I was sad for his mom and dad, that they wouldn’t be able to hold their precious son anymore. However, I was at peace with the fact that Jacob accomplished more in his 6 years than many people do in a lifetime. (If you check out his website, you will see that this little boy has touched so many people, near and far.)

When we received the call about Uncle Frank, we were in shock. He had no history of heart disease and was an active, healthy man…but still, a massive heart attack took his life. I was sad for his wife and two sons. I was sad for all of his family and friends. It was a very difficult funeral, but I am so grateful for the time that I did know Uncle Frank. I was concerned about the impact a second death, in a week, would have on Aidan. I was concerned about his attending a funeral and what would go through his little mind. However, he understood about as much as a 4 year-old mind could. His questions were very similar and as innocent as his questions about Jacob’s death. Are Uncle Frank’s germs gone? Why are there matchbox cars in his casket? Is Uncle Frank with Jesus? Is Uncle Frank still happy? My answer to this last question, is “You bet, little guy, you bet!!” At the funeral luncheon, Uncle Frank was the obvious missing link. As I walked through the hall, I just expected to see him there. It was his deep, genuine laugh that was missing. This was a man that, when he laughed, he REALLY laughed. He never faked his happiness. His presence was known through is laugh and genuine happiness. His presence was always known by his infectious smile, a smile that beamed through his eyes. This was something that I took for granted. However, I am at peace with the fact that he is in a better place. A place with no heart trouble. A place where he can laugh all of the time…and because of that, a place where he will truly be at home. We’ll miss you Uncle Frank!!

I have learned a lot this past week about death…and life!! Thank you Jacob, for teaching me to celebrate life, appreciate the miracle of life that has been given to me and to hug my little miracle a little longer, and a little harder each day!! Thank you Uncle Frank for always making me smile and for being a ray of sunshine on our family. I know you will continue to shine down on us in the many difficult days ahead. Thank you Aidan for bringing out the positive side of death and for adding that honest innocence to very dark days.


"Bubbles to Heaven"

Congratulations Aunt Maureen and Uncle Phil!

It's been a while since I've posted, but our May madness is officially over and we have been enjoying it. May was a really busy month for us, but the end was marked by the wedding of Paul's sister, Maureen and her new husband, Phil. The wedding was beautiful and we all had a great time. Congratulations Newlyweds!!

Aidan was the ring bearer for the 4th time in 4 years. He has yet to disappoint. He was only 1 year old for his first wedding. He was oblivious to what was really happening. However, the last three, we had to use bribery. Each "reward" was chosen by Aidan. (Ironically, I just saw a news story this afternoon shaming people who bribe their children. I'm hear to tell you it works beautifully on my son.) Anyway, for Paul's youngest sister Aidan was promised Harold the Helicopter (from Thomas the train) if he made it down the aisle. Currently, Harold is stuck in a box somewhere and makes it out to play occasionally. For Paul's brothers wedding, he was promised football cards. I can't even begin to guess where those are. For Maureen and Phils wedding, Aidan was promised Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shoes (influenced by one of the boys at daycare). Of course, as soon as he made it to the end of the aisle he had to put the shoes on and they were worn throughout the wedding and the remainder of the night. Those shoes (I've been told) make him run faster and jump higher than any of his other shoes. Hmmmm, I think I've heard that before. Anyway, to this day (mind you, it's only been a week) we can still locate these shoes and they are still being worn every day.

We are so pround of the little man he has become. We are so very proud of him and he was by far the cutest one in the wedding party....sorry, Phil!!

A League of Their Own

Aidan has officially joined the world of organized sports. He is now old enough to play Soccer. He really wanted to to play t-ball this year, but the little league organization raised the age limit and he wouldn't be able to play this year OR next year. We figured since he loves sports anyway AND loves to run, why not try soccer? We were skeptical because neither Paul nor I know ANYthing about soccer, however, Aidan was thrilled at the thought.

Tonight was Aidan's first game. He did awesome!! He was nervous at first, but as soon as he opened up.....GAME ON!! He scored three goals and we were so proud of him. The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is so great. It is a volunteer program so all of the coaches are parents and take a real interest in the kids. They cheer for everyone, even if they are on the opposite team (my mom and sisters family joined us on the sidelines, so our team had a great crowd). The kids were so thrilled to have people cheering around them, regardless of who they were cheering for. Everyone gets to play and they really promote having fun. They are not at all interested in who wins or loses....they don't even keep score (did I mention Aidan scored 3 goals)!!

To celebrate, we all went for pizza afterwards. It was a really enjoyable night. I still don't have a clue what is going on in the game, but you can bet on finding me there every Friday night cheering on The Green Goblins (the team chose the name because they all liked spiderman and they wear green.)

Kitchen Remodel

I've been promising many of you pictures of our new kitchen for quite some time now. So, I thought the best way to do this was through the blog.

As many of you know, Paul remodeled our kitchen at the end of 2005/beginning of 2006. After much planning and trips to Home Depot (we probably could have qualified for an address change), Paul finished the kitchen in only 6 weeks. He did a tremendous job!! I should note, that Paul has never remodeled a kitchen before. This was a "learn as you go" experience for him. Thank goodness for confidence, huh?!

During the 6 weeks, he finished our cabinet doors, drawer fronts and cabinet facings. He refaced our kitchen cabinets, replaced the cabinet hardware, replaced our countertops with new formica, replaced our 2 basin sink into a one basin sink (which required new plumbing work) and ran new electrical to install accent lighting above our cabinets. When he finished his handy work, my dad painted above our cabinets my parents and I put up new wallpaper. It looks like a whole new kitchen.

Here are some pics of the "old" kitchen:



Here are some "working" pictures, including the piece of finger that Paul lost during the process.

"Daddy's Little Helper"
"The Missing Piece"

Now you didn't really expect to get through a big project like this without a trip to the ER did you? No such luck! On the day after Christmas, I was out shopping with my mom when my cell phone rang. It was Paul explaining that he had cut his finger with a razor blade and was on the way to the emergency room. I dropped my mom off at home and met Paul at the ER. I figured, it was just a razor blade AND he's driving HIMSELF to the ER, how much damage could he do, right? Well, when I arrived in the ER Paul was sitting in a chair trembling, from the pain. Immediately after, they called him back to take his vitals and ask him all of the insurance questions. As part of routine questioning they asked him if he was taking any drugs. He mentioned that he only took an over-the-counter antihistamine. The nurse looked up at me and said ever so calmly, "I'm not going to write that down because I don't know how to spell it." I should have known, at that point, that this visit was not going to go well.

Paul starting shaking violently and complained of seeing stars. Then he passed out! Immediatly, there were about 6 nurses smacking him around and calling his name. They got him on a stretcher and made reference to a siezure (I didn't take that too seriously, because I wasn't real confident in the abilities of the people that surrounded us). However, given the fact that Paul wasn't conscious at that moment, I couldn't very well suggest driving to another hospital. A doctor stuck his head over the cubicle, threw his hands in the air and said, "oh, just get him in a bed." Good Grief, this place needs a lesson in bedside manner!! I could go on about the completely incompetent staff we encountered, but I'll spare you. To make a long story short, Paul needed stitches. However, he left the piece of finger at home (to be found later), so they had nothing to stitch. They bandaged him up and sent him home. I was so relieved to be leaving that place and very thankful that Paul wasn't in serious condition. I would have feared for our lives. Much to my dismay, he started back to work later that evening.



The finger incident didn't affect his abilities whatsoever. The finished product was MUCH more than I ever expected. I am so proud of him....and the kitchen! I think he did a fabulous job....but you can judge for yourself!

The Great Smoky Mountains

Walking the streets of Gatlinburg, and enjoying some ice cream with daddy!


We’ve returned safely from Gatlinburg. I’d like to say that our vacation also returned us well rested, but that would be a HUGE lie. We went non-stop, but enjoyed our first trip to the Smoky Mountains tremendously. We left last Sunday at 4am, along with my parents, for the 8-hour drive to Tennessee. I thought that by leaving at 4am, Aidan would sleep for the first half of the trip! No such luck. He was wide-awake the whole time…but was a very good traveler. Mostly, he watched the Spongebob Squarepants movie for what seemed like a thousand times. If I never saw Spongebob again in my life, I would be forever grateful.

We arrived in Gatlinburg, TN around noon. We were so excited that we decided to take in our first site, the Ripley’s Aquarium. The aquarium, with 1.3 million
gallons of water, was fantastic, to say the least!! There are 8,000 living aquatic animals, with 34 filtration systems that clean approximately 25 million gallons of water per day! The most amazing part of the aquarium was the 340-foot underwater tunnel that you stand on a “people mover” and take a slow ride through. Only 6.5 inches of clear acrylic divided us and schools of fish, stingrays, sea turtles, snappers and 10-foot GIANT sharks. Thank Goodness for 6 inches of Acrylic. This experience literally enabled us to walk along the bottom of the ocean floor.


Since we were pretty tired after this experience and our long drive, we went back to our hotel and spent the evening at the pool. We picked our hotel solely based on the wonderful pool. Aidan loves the water, so this was an important feature for us. The pool had a waterfall and a cave to swim through. Aidan was thrilled to pretend that daddy was the water monster and swim and squeal with delight when the monster finally grabbed his foot.

The next morning, while Paul and my dad went golfing, my mom, Aidan and I caught a trolley and went to the Outlet Malls in Pigeon Forge. Aidan thought the trolley ride was pretty cool. He loved it when we had to travel through a tunnel. The three of us shopped and played a round of putt-putt. When my dad and Paul finished their round of golf, they met up with us for lunch. The restaurant was sitting
right next to a go-kart site. Throughout lunch, Aidan stared out the window and begged us to ride the go-karts. So, of course, we did. Paul decided to buy an afternoon pass. So, while he and Aidan rode go-karts, my dad and I decided to hit the local scrapbook store!! Now, that was exciting. Many dollars and many laps around the go-kart track later, we headed for Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. Prior to leaving for Gatlinburg, we purchased tickets to this dinner and show. I was worried that Aidan wouldn’t sit through this 4-course meal and live show, but again, he proved me wrong. The show included live animals (buffalo, horses, pigs, etc.) and the arena of people was divided into two sides….the north and the south. We were on the north side and Aidan was very competitive. He waved his flag and cheered for the north like he had money on them! Everytime they would compete, Aidan would say, "did we win?" and then he would jump up and down and shout, "YES!!" (He gets this from his dads side of the family :-) The meal was pretty entertaining itself. We were served soup, chicken, pork, corn on the cob, potatoes, biscuits and dessert. However, there was no silverware. You had to eat everything with your hands. Have you ever tried to eat soup with your hands? Aidan was leery at first, but it didn’t take him long to slurp that soup right up!!

That evening, we took our first ride through the Smoky Mountains…to search for bears. We drove up to a place called Cades Cove. Cades Cove was once known as “Kate’s Cove” after an Indian chief’s wife. The Cove drew the Cherokee Nation back again and again by it’s abundant wildlife and good hunting. Later, Cades Cove’s wildlife drew European descent frontiersmen to make it their home. They and their offspring cleared the fertile valley floor and built farms to sustain them. The pioneer’s families lived in Cades Cove for many generations before the cove became part of The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I’ve been told that Cades Cove is still as full of wildlife as before….but we didn’t see ANY wildlife. Perhaps it was because by the time we drove the 25 miles through the Mountains, it was pitch black.

On Tuesday, as the guys headed out for another morning of golf, my mom and I decided to take it easy. We walked the streets of Gatlinburg. Aidan was thrilled at the candy store so we stopped for a chocolate covered marshmallow. While eating his candy, we watched the filming of a Gatlinburg Tourism commercial. Lucky for us, the commercial featured a bear, so we snapped a picture with Aidan….just in case we couldn’t find any of those real bears in the Smokies!!
After walking up and down the streets of Gatlinburg, we headed back to the hotel for some outdoor swimming. The temp exceeded 80 degrees and we couldn’t wait to get our feet wet!!

After the guys came back from their golfing, we took a ride into Pigeon Forge again and the 5 of us took a helicopter ride. The view was magnificent!! They took us over the Smoky Mountains. While this view was quite different than what we had seen on our ride to Cades Cove, it was something that I will never forget. I thought Aidan would chicken out on us as we got into the helicopter, but he didn’t. He actually smiled the whole way. We all wore headphones during the tour so we could speak to each other. We couldn’t get Aidan to stop talking. I think he liked to hear is voice in the headphones. The tour guide was trying to point out different areas of interest, but we didn’t hear much of him over Aidan’s chatting.

The next day, we rode the trolley to the Hill Billy Golf. When we got on the trolley, Aidan told the driver that he wanted to play Hilly Billy Golf. The trolley driver got a big chuckle out of that. After a game of hilly billy putt-putt, we rode a ski lift to the elevation of 1,800 feet. The view of the mountains was so beautiful. Again, Aidan amazed me by how brave he was. It is hard to imagine that just last summer, he was afraid of any and all carnival rides!! At the bottom of the ski lift, we stopped at a hot-dog stand that boasted 21 styles of hot-dogs. 21 different ways to have your hot-dog and Aidan chooses plain with no bun. That evening, Paul and I enjoyed a ride through the Smoky Mountains while my parents stayed at the hotel with Aidan. We decided to take the 5.1 mile one way road on a motor tour called Roaring Fork. I was still determined to see a wild bear. The scenes and sounds were beautiful. I have never witnessed nature like that before. It was unprecedented. However, again, we left too late and it was pitch black half way through our tour….but we kept our windows down and enjoyed the sounds of nature. The only wildlife we saw was a single deer.

The final day of our trip we headed to DollyWood. For those of you who don’t know, It is a 125-acre theme park nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is named after Dolly Parton, of course!! We spent the day taking in rides, games and quaint little shops. We were exhausted by the time we left but I was still determined to find that bear. So, Paul, Aidan and I decided to take one last trip through the Smoky Mountains trying to find that bear. We decided to does the Roaring Fork motor tour again. Aidan hadn’t seen it yet and it was truly, truly beautiful. This time, we left early enough so that it would stay light throughout our entire tour. I can’t pick a favorite spot on this tour because it was all so beautiful, but one place of particular interest was an area called “The place of a Thousand Drips.” Here we saw a waterfall cutting away at bedrock. Eventually, this will produce a side canyon, although we will never live to see its finished product. The air around the waterfall was cool. So, we took a few moments to get out of the car, relax and enjoy the beauty and splendor of the creation that the Almighty creator has made.


Oh, by the way...We NEVER saw a wild bear!!

You Know You Have To Many Relatives When...

Many of Pauls relatives live out of state, including his brother and 2 of his sisters. Aidan received a birthday package in the mail yesterday from his Aunt Maureen and Uncle Phil. As he was opening it, I explained to him who it was from. When Daddy came home from work, Aidan excitedly showed him the contents. The following conversation erupted.

Aidan: (to daddy) "It is from Aunt Maureen and Uncle Jeff."
Mommy: "You mean, Uncle Phil."
Aidan: "Yes, Uncle Phil and Aunt Amy."
Mommy: "Aunt Amy is married to Uncle John. Aunt Maureen is going to marry Uncle Phil."
Aidan: (exasperated) "I love Uncle Randy and Aunt Denise."

Poor guy, with the addition of 1 aunt and 2 uncles in the past 2 years (we've had alot of weddings recently!!), I guess he just gets confused when they are not here to put a face with a name. Now, we are even more excited to see them for the wedding, in May!!


Are these people really my relatives?!