Back from Vacation

Well hello blog world! We are finally back. Those few days went by pretty quickly that is for sure.
I took Friday off and did so much running around it was crazy! I had my yearly Echo which turned out good YEAH. I go back to the cardiologist next month. Lets hope I can get a few of these lbs gone before I go. Also went in for my blood work...haven't heard back from that yet. Blood pressure is good and medicine is doing the job.

We left on Sunday and got up to Townsend about 1:00 in the afternoon....got the camper set up and just chilled around the site. It actually started raining later that evening. Some good blow the camper away storms. I did NOT sleep at all that first night. Up every hour making sure that we were still sitting in the campsite! This is butterbean on her first day there....

...we were not sure how she would do on this trip but she was a trooper and had a great time.

Monday was our usual day of Cades Cove and tubing. We can not go to Gatlinburg without a trip thru Cades Cove. Just as we went into the park we saw our first deer. Butterbean so enjoyed hanging out the window looking around. It was so cute. I got this great picture of her and her mom.

It is just so pretty up there. We got there early so there was not a lot of cars so I was able to get a few pictures of just us on the roads. I love this one above....it is just peaceful to me. We did not see any bears this trip but did see these beautiful bucks. there was three of them and I think my boys were drooling and wishing they would see them during hunting season. And so close to the car. Not even afraid of us.

It was a beautiful day and the sun stayed out all day. We cook steaks and backyard potatoes...OMG it was so good. We stopped at the Apple Barn and I bought some canned stuff and butterbean a fish. Drooled over the beautiful handmade quilts. Then we went to the BackCountry store and bought $70 worth of tubes. Yes folks....$70 and that was for TWO...let me repeat...TWO tubes! We spend $20-40 each vacation on tube rentals so we finally figured we would just buy them. Gosh I didn't know they would be THAT much. But...the kids played and played out in the river so I guess it was worth it. and would you believe I didn't get the first tubing picture. Nope not a one.

We finished off Monday by taking Butterbean on her first swimming pool experience. all I will say is she did NOT like it one bit. Nope. Lasted all of 10 minutes and we were back in the camper. But she sure was cute wasn't she...lol.

Tuesday we headed on out to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge for the day. We started off with a little excitement. We parked and got ourself on the walkways hitting our favorite stores. Billy had to stop at the MoonShine store and of course I had to go to the little mall on the corner for some good ole candy and a bathroom stop. We decided to walk back to the car because it was hot and the baby didn't have a hat and the stroller was steaming hot. When this lady starts screaming (she was Korean we believe so very hard to understand at first) that someone had stole her purse, call the police. It took us a minute or two to understand what she was saying. We all look up and see this older man, about 60's, jogging away with a purse. When it registered what was going on...my son...takes off running after the man. Billy hands butterbean to Kayla and he takes off with him. Of course neither one is dressed for running. shawn is wearing his cowboy boots and Billy is wearing his loafers. I'm trying to push the stroller as fast as I can thru a crowd of people and Kayla with the baby to the intersection the boys went down. They were walking back up. Another guy was calling 911 and several people were patting Shawn on the back and telling him brave he was and how good he was. He wasn't able to catch the guy but he punched him in the jaw and tackled him into the car that he was getting away in. The driver, a younger woman, gassed the car and Shawn backed off as they sped away. We don't know if he was ever caught. Shawn felt back for not being able to get the purse and then felt bad for hitting the guy but I told him he did a very awesome good deed. I was so proud of him. For trying to do the right thing and at the same time very happy that he was not hurt. Billy was so worried the car was going to drag him. It couldn't of been worse but overall...we are still so proud of our boy. We finally got back to the car, cooled off and headed to Pigeon Forge for some lunch and much needed drinks. A few stops at some leather stores...a T-shirt store where yet again I spent $75 on T-shirts!!! Billy HAD TO HAVE a Papa's butterbean airbrushed shirt and an airbrushed tag. Okay so I know where I need to focus on a business...geesh these are expensive these days! We finally went to Parrot Mountain which my Aunt had recommended. It was very nice and relaxing. But a storm was coming thru and we had to cut it short. Headed on to an EXCELLENT show at the Dixie Stampede. The baby did wonderfully!

Wednesday was another day at Cades Cove. This time we saw two bears. One is in this field...wayyyyy out there....on her back legs. She was pretty big because that grass was TALL. I can zoom in on it and see her much better but it pixelates pretty bad. The second we saw was a cub and I didn't get a good picture of her but we saw the baby run away from the car.

We headed back to camp and ran across this above ground yellow jacket nest. Neither one of us had seen such a thing. They are always underground around here. The kids went tubing and the storms rolled in some more. The boys went trout fishing for a few hours. And of course Thursday was packing up day...more rain...again.

But finally home. Camper unpacked. Groceries put up. Clothes washed (although they are all laying on my bed right now) and the baby is dead to the world asleep. I'm ready for a nice hot shower and to get back to my crafting table. I started painting a picture inbetween unpacking and have a few layouts sitting out for me to work on. I'm hoping the creative spark will come back now that I am rested and relaxed.

Tomorrow Kayla has some oral surgery and we are taking the baby for her 4 month shots. Lots to do still but glad I am still on vacation. Billy and I might try a getaway in July...depends...I haven't looked at all the credit card receipts yet from this trip. I might be selling all my belongings on ebay this weekend to pay for this vacation...lol. But sanity is priceless :)