Gilmore Family Trip to the Smokies

November 15, 2013: After what seemed the longest ride ever (only 3.5 hours) between fussy kids, peepee stops, etc., we finally made it to our cabin! The kids were so excited to finally be out of the car and to get to play with Addison. They ran off all of their energy while we all unloaded and got settled in for the night.

November 16, 2013: After a good night's rest, we all woke up refreshed and ready to go explore! We started out with our favorite place to hike (I just like taking pictures on the bridge!). The kids really enjoyed walking around, collecting leaves and sticks as they went. Unfortunately, Kailyn was obsessed with Mommy this trip so I carried her almost the entire time since she refused to go to anyone else- I was worn out! Our plan was to go to downtown Gatlinburg after our hike for lunch and to shop but it was so crowded we decided to head back towards Pigeon Forge. Best plan ever! We walked right into the Mexican restaurant there and had a great lunch. Then Kailyn crashed in the car so we headed to the outlets to do a little shopping. Daddy was the hero of shopping time by getting the kids milkshakes while Mommy shopped! That evening we enjoyed family time at the cabin with a Thanksgiving dinner before watching the Alabama game.

Oh and I forgot to add that on Saturday, we took the kids by the Dixie Stampede to see the horses. You see, last year, we took them to the Dixie Stampede show and Caleb remembered it so he assumed we were going again. But we weren't going to- we saw it last year and it is expensive! So we told him we could go by and see the horses, which seemed to satisfy him and save us lots of money :)

November 17, 2013: On Sunday morning, we enjoyed a big breakfast while Jeremy's grandfather preached for us...our own little Church service. Then we were off to the Aquarium to see the fish. Caleb was so excited but Kailyn did not remember last year. They had a blast! Thankfully, Kailyn walked and explored better this day so I didn't have to carry her as much. The Aquarium in Gatlinburg is so nice and it is just the right size for the kids since it ends right about the time they start getting tired. Once we got out of there, we headed downtown to go to the candy store- yum! It was fun for the kids to pick out a little treat, even if it was lunch time. It was starting to sprinkle so we thought it might be best to go back to Pigeon Forge for lunch since we had parked a little far away behind the aquarium and didn't want to get soaked! Kailyn fell asleep on the way out of Gatlinburg so Daddy dropped Caleb and I off at the Christmas store to get our personalized ornaments for the year while he snoozed in the car with Kailyn. We were all SO hungry at this point so we rushed over to Johnny Carinos to fill up on pizza and pasta. It was amazing. I totally pigged out!! After our lunch/dinner, we headed back to the cabin since it was rainy. The kids had a lot of fun playing and we even did a few crafts before bedtime.

November 18, 2013: Go home day...boo! The kids played together down to the last minute. I was just glad to get some good pictures of them before we left. I was really dredding the ride home since the ride there was so horrible, but it was great. The kids slept for a while then we stopped to eat Steak N Shake in Chattanooga and they watched tv and played so great in their carseats the rest of the way. Vacations are awesome and we are so grateful for them, but we were worn out by the time we got home and so glad to be sleeping in our own beds that night!