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