Fall Break in NC, Part 1

We had plans to spend a week on Bald Head Island, NC, with PeePaw and Grandma Beth for fall break. They boys and I were going to be there for a week, and Creed had plans to come for a long weekend. Well, we knew there was a chance that Hurricane Matthew was going to wreck our plans, but American Airlines wouldn't change our trip without a ridiculous fee, so we packed our rain jackets, umbrellas, and rain boots and off we went.

Our hour layover in Charlotte turned into a three hour delay so we played Legos and had dinner at the airport.

Still waiting...

We made it to Wilmington and kept hoping that Hurricane Matthew would go out into the Atlantic. 

Sadly, we never made it to Bald Head Island. The ferry quit operating and only residents were allowed on the island. We ended up spending the morning on Wrightsville Beach. While it was a cloudy and breezy day, the kids still had a blast running and splashing in the warm ocean water and playing in the sand.

That afternoon we took the boys to see the Battleship North Carolina in downtown Wilmington. It was incredible and I am so glad we all got to experience it.

loading the big guns

Wilmington has a fun downtown area so we had lunch and shopped for a while. 

Look- Whitney & Creed ;)

That night we had dinner outside at a restaurant on the beach and then the boys swam. At this point we were still hoping Matthew would turn...

Gatlinburg!

As a family, we love taking weekend trips as much as we can, and thankfully, Creed is awesome about planning these (sometimes last minute) trips! Last week Creed surprised us all with a trip to Gatlinburg, and by Friday evening, we were there! 

We stayed in a hotel this trip and decided that when traveling there with the boys, a hotel is the way to go. They loved all the amenities, especially the awesome pool!

Our hotel was up on hill and our balcony overlooked the main strip in Gatlinburg. 

So beautiful!

We spent Saturday at one of our favorite places, Ober Gatlinburg. It was OctOBERfest, so there was so much to do and see. The boys rode rides all day, including a few family races down the alpine slide.

Sunday we let the boys swim one more time before heading into the Smokey Mountain National Park. Creed and I joke that we could be tour guides or trolley drivers when we retire because we know so much about the area at this point. ;)

Before walking up to Clingman's Dome, we stopped to take this picture in the parking lot. It was so breathtaking up at those elevations.

The boys thought it was so cool that we walked to North Carolina. ;)

While the clouds definitely impacted the views, the boys loved that we were actually IN the clouds. 

From the observation tower at Clingman's Dome 

Bucket List:

Hike the Appalachian Trail.

Check :)

Field Trip Fun

Caleb & I had a great day exploring Squire Boone Caverns with his friends, despite the rainy conditions. The cave was really neat and we both learned a lot about it's history. I am so thankful that I was off work and got to spend the day with my big kid. 

Mrs. Page's 3rd Grade Class

Luke and I had a perfect fall day for pumpkin pickin' at Gallrein Farms. It was his first time riding a school bus and he was all smiles when I met him there.

We are SO incredibly thankful for his sweet friends and their wonderful families!

Luke, Oakley, Braden, Porter, and Jacob

Dude

I love how sweet Taylor jumped in and had lunch with the boys. Taylor's big sister has been in Caleb's class since they were three, so we are thankful for another friendship in the family!

Mrs. Keeton's Kindergarten Class

Recently...

Isn't a mini-vegetable tray a normal snack for a five year old to pick out at Kroger?!!

**Labor Day Weekend**

Labor Day weekend 2016 will go down as the best weather for a holiday weekend ever- blue skies, warm temperatures, and low humidity...perfection!

Saturday we spent the day at the pool. We knew it would get crowded, so we got there right when it opened and the boys ended up having the pool to themselves for a while. 

Sunday we spent the day on the lake with friends. Milly and Clarabelle LOVE the lake and seriously spent the day smiling. They swam, tubed, and played on the (muddy) shore with the boys. 

We laughed that it was like having an adult day at the lake...the kids spent at least an hour or more swimming to and playing on shore. Caleb took his role as the big kid seriously and pulled them on the tube a few times.

Notice Luke's hand...he could always be found next to Clarabelle that day. While he couldn't tell them apart, he said he wanted to be with "the one in the blue life jacket."

Monday we went back to the pool for another perfect pool day. The kids love the giant ball Grandmom got them!

The pool always does bounce houses and slides on the first and last day of pool season. We are missing our pool days already!!!

The boys set up a birthday party for Imperial Storm Trooper and I was invited. I even had to make a birthday card for him. ;)  

When I got home from work one day, the boys were having a huge water balloon and hose fight in the front yard. So much fun, even though we are still finding balloon pieces!

KY State Fair

We had so much fun at the fair this year! We went with Grandmom, Grandpa, Uncle Luke, and Aunt Briana, and thankfully, planned to go on an evening that wasn't too hot or too crowded. The boys basically ate fair food and rode rides for hours, so they thought it was just great!

Big brother requested a corn dog

while Little ate grilled corn. 

(This is a great representation of just how different these two are!)

Sweet treats...

Uncle Luke had the task of riding the ferris wheel with the boys.

and even more sweet treats

This year Caleb was tall enough for all of the rides he wanted. I love his fearlessness!

When Caleb wanted to ride this ride, I agreed, but after it got going, I have to admit, I was a little worried about him.

Thankfully he ran off the ride like the big kid that he is...even though his little heart was racing! He is our adrenaline junkie!