Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Hike day one stopping at a picturesque stream

Hike day 2 to an incredible waterfall

Viewtopia in the morning

Viewtopia at sunset

Our morning surprise guest!

 

The first week of August Carolyn offered to have Grandma camp with Lauren, Quinten, Matt and Jack. These are her oldest four grandchildren.  We decided to take her up on the offer and have a few days in the Smokey Mountains.  We stayed at a one room cabin called Viewtopia.  The pictures above show the beauty of the Smokey Mountains from our nestled cabin.  Driving to the cabin required nerves of steel from both the diver and the passenger! Gravel roads with barely enough room for two way traffic and sharp turns going high up made the trip interesting.  Mark and I hiked three straight days with me averaging over 17,000 steps each day! The heat was not intense as the mountains are naturally shaded though humidity was evident.  We saw lovely waterfalls and streams.  Mark wanted to bike the 11 mile Cades Cove loop which proved difficult with the elevation in the last third of the trip.  I had to walk the bike on several hills which totally frustrated me.  Mark was patient and waked along side me and the bikes.  This was the first time I felt I was not a young person. One morning Mark yelled for me to come to the back window with such urgency I ran to the kitchen.  He said "look at the porch".  I literally jumped back as a full grown black bear was on the other side of the door searching for breakfast. The porch was small and if I had opened the door he would have eaten my hand! The next day I was nearly obsessed looking for him but alas he did not return.  

Burt Lake, July 2012

Janet's form at high speed!

Mark relaxing before he took a dive!

Lauren held on!

Siblings in the water.

Quinten being pulled in the tube.

 

 

Mid-July we headed north where the lakes are gorgeous and the company delightful!  Mark's Aunt Linda and Uncle Carl invited us to stay with them on Lake Burt in Brutus, Michigan.  How ironic for a name? The area had to have been settled by a buckeye with a sense of humor!  Brutus is located ~400 miles north of Columbus and 20 miles south of Mackinaw Bridge.  The long trip is worth the relaxation and water enjoyment.  Uncle Carl escorted us around the lake and through a small stream section that connected to another large lake.  Their dog, Mackinaw, leaped off the boat attempting to swim with a family of ducks.  Trying to get a 80# dog out of the lake and onto the boat was no small feat.  Thinking this large golden retriever could play with momma duck and her itty bitty ducklings proved humorous!

Summer Fun!

We have had much fn this summer.  Aunt Sarah and Uncle Steve joined us at our soon to be annual ice cream social gathering.  They brought two waterguns which provided much enjoyment.  The boys against the girls and the plotting on both sides were fun.  What a difference a year makes as the kids had so much fun and entertained themselves! Despite the high temperatures, the kids played and played.  Having water as a central theme certainly helped us keep our cool. We have also been in the pool trying to keep cool.  The water still cool to me though I cannot figure out how in almost 100 degree weather!

The girls plotting about how to get the boys!

Quinten spraying his daddy!

Waiting his turn in the dunk tank!

Spring Soccer

 Leader of the pack!

 Nice kick!

The Chipmunk's!

Quinten had another successful spring soccer season.  He enjoyed the new coaches and new team members.  He appears to have a knack for the game and genuinely enjoys playing all positions.  He had some new competition which has pushed him to work harder.  Mark enjoyed watching him develop skills from defense to offense.  Quinten was a true good sport in passing the ball despite wanting to score every time he had control the ball. 

The proud parents!

Aunt Patti came!

Pap-Pap also came to the ceremony!

Miss Heather, his teacher.

Quinten, Pre-K graduate!

Quinten has officially graduated from Primrose of Johnstown Road.  He was pretty cute though initially he told me he did not want to walk across the stage. He would look at me from the stage and then look down as to not draw more attention.  Yet, he was happy to keep on his cap and gown for the pictures.  He will spend the summer at Primrose for child care purposes and then full time Kindergarten come this fall. 



Sweet 16!

The car cake designed by Quinten and Sarah!

Lauren loved her cake!

Lauren turned 16 today! Due to parenting schedules, I have realized this may be Laurens' last birthday celebrated living under our roof.  She will be at her mom's for the next two birthday's and then off to college.  Then, hopefully she will be living on her own.  I became teary eyed thinking about this transition.  Lauren has started the driving aspect though had a minor incident with a dog, swerving her car into the oncoming lane (no car was comng) and an instructor screaming at her.  She has not driven since the incident! Luckily no one was hurt.

Dear Lord, I pray that Lauren continues to develop as a confident person, assured that she fllows the path you have given. May she enjoy this life you have given her.

Las Vegas Part 2!

Bridge over the Hoover Dam!

Quinten receives an electricity lesson from Mark.

Amazing flowers inside the Belagio.

Lauren and Janet at the Belagio.

One of the amazing views from top of the Eiffel Tower.

I wanted to add a few more pictures from our spring break trip. Our only glitch was the Hoover Dam tour. We arrived less than 10 minutes after the last tour due to the time we spent at the Grand Canyon. Quinten had been looking forward to the tour almost as much as Mark. Since this would have been my fifth tour, I was not as excited and I dare say not sad at missing the tour. I love the picture above of Quinten and Mark who was literally giving a full lesson on electricity and generators.

Las Vegas with the Zappe's

The Ultimate Sundae at Serendipity's! Strawberry Cheesecake-yum!

Lauren at Cesar's Palace.

Quinten at Belagio horticulture display.

Mark's imitation of a Greek statue!

Top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris.

The 2nd half of our spring break trip was spent in Las Vegas. A family vacation to Las Vegas is far different than an adult trip to Las Vegas! Mark managed to get in his nightly black jack and Janet played once. Mostly we walked around and took in all of the sites and "shows" offered outside the hotels. On the first night Quinten said "what is the deal with all these lights? How could anyone go to sleep with all the lights?". Despite cooler than typical weather, we were able to use the pool at the Monte Carlo. Quinten said his favorite memory of Las Vegas was the hotel. Mind you we could have been at any hotel he just loved the idea of living in a hotel! Lauren had 2 requests- ice cream at Serendipity's and going inside Paris.

I have been to Las Vegas about a half dozen times and still I saw places and events that I had never seen. We saw the volcano erupt at Mirage and a pirate show at Treasure Island. The female lead pirate was named Cinnamon if that gives you an idea of the show! Quinten is into pirates and he really wanted to see the show. He did not notice the women but loved the cannons and the "battle" between the two ships.

Grand Canyon Part 2

The last stop on the bus route.

The girls enjoy the sun at the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon holds a special memory for me. My family visited the park was back in 1976 as part of a month long family vacation. It was a rare vacation that allowed us to stay in continuous hotels. I remember loving the beauty and Majesty of the canyon. Our kids seemed to enjoy as much as I remember enjoying. Picture can never due the park full justice but I hope you can enjoy some of the splendour.

Grand Canyon Part 1

Quinten's shoe apparel though not by design!


Sibling love!


The bright sun made it hard to take great pictures .


Quinten preferred to be looking at the canyon rather than pose for a picture.

Our family photo.

Spring break took us to a combination of the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. We went the last week in March for 5 days. The kids traveled great and did not mind the time change. Lauren admitted that she enjoyed the trip "to the big hole" more than anticipated. Quinten used binoculars and LOVED the trip. He wanted to make every stop and enjoyed the beauty of the scenery. The weather was cold and hail came down in the morning. We drove from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon National Park which was 5 hours away Sunday. The biggest glitch was one parent taking out Quinten's coat and shoes from his suit case and leaving them at the hotel on Las Vegas. I will leave you to figure out which parent took out the items and which was a little upset they were not in the suitcase! Sun was bright and the temperature climbs 30+ degrees every day. We used the free bus service to get on and off at stops along the southern portion.

Crazy Spring!

Preparing the sponges to wash off the car.


Filling the bucket!

Spring blooms in full force!

The midwest has experienced one of the mildest winters in my memory. Many people loved the mild winter but I missed going sledding, making snowmen, drinking hot chocolate and watching the fire in the fire place. However, I am loving the early spring! While spring flowers are not crazy, having the blooms a month early seems insane! They are also larger, more fragrant and beautiful than previous years. Today I cut a bundle and they made my entire office smell wonderful!

Monday Quinten asked if we could wash the car. Who turns down free labor? Not me! Washing the car in March is not typical. Washing the car in March wearing your bathing suit and not being cold leaves you scratching your head. The end result of a clean car makes me smile

Bird House

The finished house!


Putting together the top.


Adding the bottom piece.


Sawing the wood! Quinten has the shop vacuum catching the dust before it hits the floor!


Painting the sides. This is actually much darker blue than it appears.

Quinten wanted to build a birdhouse. He designed it himself albeit it was a very common look! He used his Handy Manny set to build one. Then, Mark had him sketch using a ruler! i was very impressed with his ability. They have spent the day building it until it came time to actually hammer it in place. Mark took over at that point and it is best to say a few colorful words ensued. A finished picture is not posted yet as it needs a little repair on the sides. Seeing them work together on this project was sweet. Not to mention the nice me time it provided!