Good Ole' Smokey Mtns.

Approximately one year ago right after I had Graham, our home phone rang and after I answered I was immediately sucked in. Actually, I told them to speak to my husband. Before I knew it, we had booked a trip to good ole Gatlinburg, TN with an added bonus trip of our choice for ONLY $99.00, as long as we attended a 90 minute presentation. Yes, we fell for it. I admit...we did. However, we DID NOT buy into what they were selling. I won't lie and tell you that we didn't spend an hour and half there too long because we were actually considering it. However, when I saw a girl from HS that I use to cheer with as one of the sales people, my mind was pretty much made up!
It just took us a year to actually take the trip. We did have a great time, but it wasn't the romantic weekend I envisioned in my head either....but really, when is it ever?
We started off the weekend attending the UT homecoming game with some great friends. We had a really good time and it was a beautiful day. On Sunday we headed up to the GREAT SMOKEY MTNS. I was determined to do some hiking since we did not have the kids with us. We ventured into Cade's Cove and had a great hike to a nice little waterfall. We worked up a sweat, so that in itself was good.


Michael and I neither one had been to Cade's Cove in ages, but I will admit it makes me a little batty. Going around on one road in a circle waiting for cars to go about did me in. It was these things that brought us to a complete stop.
I mean...COME ONE PEOPLE, I almost hit 4 just last night.

Now, a bear...a bear is a different story. I will stop for a bear. We even turned around and went back to look for one that was perched on a fallen tree. Michael and I are the awesome bear spotters. One crossed the road in front of us in Yosemite. We literally, on foot, chased after it.
We spotted 3 grizzly's in Alaska, and now this one in Cade's Cove. YEAH FOR BEARS...not for deer.

At least we had these 3 little girls in front of us that were hanging out of the back of their car making faces at us. Michael kept pretending that he was going to run in to them, so that was fun. I still wished I would have taken their picture, but I don't think their parents would have appreciated some stranger snapping their kids photo.
When we ended up letting a car get between us, you would have thought we ripped the girls arm off. We have never heard such a loud, pitiful, "NOOOOOO." Michael felt really guilty after that.
After driving back and forth from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge 500 times because of a hotel mix up, we ended back up at our hotel room. They claimed we were staying in a 5star resort.....yeah, not so much. I was almost ready to go pack up and get the kids and drive home. However, we had our 90 minute presentation commitment to keep the next morning, remember? :) We did try finding a movie theater, but we discovered something new in all the years we have gone to Gatlinburg: there is only 1 movie theater in PF. I guess they think there is plenty of other stuff to do.
We went and picked the kids up and did some shopping, and Christmas light looking. Lila and Graham both LOVED the lights.
As you can see..they were much more interested in the lights and looking at this little train going round and round than they were in having a quality photo taken with their mother. Aww well...one day I will have great family photos.





We had planned to go on another small hike for the kids, but it ended up raining..BOO! Lila kept saying she wanted to go to the waterfall. I feel so guilty! One day I will learn my lesson about telling them we are going to do things until they actually happen.
Goodbye East Tennessee...we will be back next weekend! Stay tuned....