This is my disclaimer...I have broken the record for pictures in one blog. I am realizing why I do a WEEKLY blog...too many pictures! BUT I don't want to leave out or forget any of the fun things we did. For about a week my family was spread out all over. I had two staying with friends, one staying with grandparents, Jonathan was teaching at a camp, and I was at home with the little two girls and our friends.
Xiao Jun asked if I would take them to Atlanta to visit the Coke Museum. She was ready to see "big buildings" :)
Everyone received a free Coke when we entered. I had never seen or tried the green one so that's what I chose. It wasn't bad, but I still like the original best.
The kids had fun tasting Coke products from all over the world, some of which I didn't know were Coke products. We have all learned that we do NOT like the drinks from Europe.
Lauren hung out by the Latin America drinks. She was a huge fan of the peach tea!
So cute!
We even got to meet the Coca-cola bear (he looked a little skinny to me...cuter on the can)
4 D Coke movie
The view from outside the museum.
We were pretty hungry when we finished with the museum. Lucky for us there was a hot dog cart at the entrance to the park across the street.
six foot long hod dogs it is :)
Centennial Olympic Park
So, my friend wanted to know where she could see MORE big buildings. What did I do? Call my sister, of coarse. She suggested going to the Westin on Peachtree street and looking out at the top. We should be able to see all of Atlanta. OK. We got there and found out that just to look and not eat is $8 per person, but lucky for us they were having issues with the register and let us all go up for free! YEAH!
The kids loved the elevator on the outside of the building. We rode all the way up to the 72nd floor.
Afterwards, it was right in the middle of Atlanta rush hour, so we stayed and ate at Hard Rock.
They wanted a picture in front of the CNN building
Hudson spent the week with Mamaw and Papaw and Emily. He got to visit Auntie Em at work and then have a picnic lunch.
On another day, Auntie Em made his dreams come true and let him drive a real race car! He's so serious!
He also played putt putt for the very first time!
And LOVED keeping score!
Hudson's other favorite thing...to see if people will let him use Snapchat on their phone (because I refuse to download it knowing he will never stop asking for it) So, I randomly got pictures like this all week from this cute little penguin :)
Regan and Kayla got to have some best fired time.
Benjamin and the Moore boys enjoyed being all boy. How cool to have hammocks in your bedroom.
We found a great FREE lake in Chattanooga! How could we have not found this earlier! It was perfect weather for swimming in the lake.
The kids kept wanting to swim out deeper than I was comfortable with, so we rented some life vests to make me feel better. Better safe than sorry!
That's Benjamin catapulting Winter through the air in the lake. He enjoyed throwing people through the air and the kept coming back for more!
We visited Raccoon Mountain.
There was a cave there that you could walk through. Katherine liked the low walls and wanted to do the more adventurous one where you get dirty and squeeze through really tight spaces. Maybe one day.
Swinging in the swing
Benjamin trying to feed the geese :)
Feeding the goats
A dream come true for these kiddos! They have always wanted to ride horses, so we surprised them on our family vacation! Horseback riding through the mountains! Hudson
Benjamin
Lauren
Katherine
Regan
We ate at No Way Jose's Mexican Restaurant for dinner in Gatlinburg. We were laughing so hard at how much food Xiao Jun ordered for herself. She said she had no idea it would be so much!! haha!
We rented a cabin in Gatlinburg (Gatlinburg Views) for a few days. It was so nice! The kids enjoyed the pool table on the third floor. It was PLENTY big! (3 floors) 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, two living rooms, two dens, laundry room, pull out couches, tvs, games, and more!
His happy place :)
This was fun...all the classics!
I didn't get pictures before we messed it up, but at least I got a few.
It was supposed to rain the entire time we were in the mountains. Although the weather wasn't perfect, it typically only rained while we were in the car! Every time we wanted to get out for pictures, there was a break in the weather. We even ended up seeing the sun a few times!
My child who loves pictures...not! I got some good ones anyways!
Cades Cove
Loved seeing the deer
Yoyo and Regan
A foot long corn dog
Icees and Cinnabon
My favorite American purchase! I can't wait to put it on the tree! :)
The kids enjoyed The Christmas Place...and I'm so glad that they didn't ask me to buy everything in there! :)
We drove all the way up to TN, NC State line at Newfound Gap. It was really cold!
my photo bomber in the background :)
The kids wanted to see a bear so badly. With all the rain, they were not out as much in Cades Cove, but we finally got a glimpse of a family up in the mountains. They had moved so far up the mountain that it was hard to get a good picture.
The night view from our cabin
This was so cute!
My friend was at Cades Cove right after we left and they saw THREE bears! So, this is for my kids because they know the area and wanted to see them in person.
Winter, Regan, Katherine
WE were eating a little Hibachi Factory before spending the afternoon tubing.
Tubing at River Rats
Jonathan and Katherine
It's hard to get that many people in one picture!
Lauren
The water levels were really low, but we had a blast!
The girls were helping get Grandmommy out of the tube
Jonathan too :)
Auntie Em and Regan
Grand mommy
Kelly and Winter
Regan
The girls went to Claire's and found thing they wanted to spend their money on, but then decided they should check out the Disney Store first to make sure they didn't want something there. They LOVED The Disney Store, but Claire's won out (I think because of the price tag)
The girls played on devices while my friend had her phone looked at.
They had no idea that they matched!
Having fun with make-up
A room full of love! Pizza at Emily's house
You can't have a family vacation without visiting the University of Tennessee! They have been asking to come here for weeks!
on the Hill
Neyland Stadium...maybe we will get to see a game next time
Regan's dream come true! She said, "Just look at all of those books!"
Smokey Dog
We went to the Farmer's Market in downtown Knoxville (notice Hudson Farms in the background) ;)
Katherine's all time favorite store...The Mast General Store. Although, I think it might now be Hobby Lobby.
These girls and their sunglasses! (on their clothes, too)
My Aunt Jan and Aunt Sandra met us at Tomato Head in Market Square for lunch. It was good to visit for a little bit!
After the mountains, we made our way to the Biltmore Estate. The kids have never been and it was hard to pass up since they were running a special that ALL KIDS 16 and under were FREE!!!! That's a win for this family of seven :)
The Biltmore Gardens
always having fun
After the Biltmore, we went to South Carolina. We decide to visit Patriots Point in Charleston.
The USS Yorktown
Jonathan in the plane
Regan
out on the deck
Benjamin had a huge smile the ENTIRE time we were here. I guess all boys like planes and ships :)
These were the deer that showed up in my mom's front yard! There were NINE of them! The kids loved that so many came!
Eating at Hyman's Seafood in Charleston. This place is amazing! IF you are in Charleston, it's a must!
We went to Isle of Palms beach in SC. It had GREAT waves for the kids. That's really what we were going for...the waves. It was a super crowded beach, but worth it for all the smiles!
Back in Chattanooga...going to church.
Coolidge Park. WE had come to play in the fountains, but they were down for maintenance.
So we rode the carousel instead. It was $1 and is hand carved and over 149 years old! Worth a dollar for sure!
Enjoying ALL parts of America. Filling up with gas
We watched a movie in the girls' bedroom.
We ate at O'Charley's. I had no idea that it was Kids' Eat Free all day every day! $20 is not bad for a party of 6
Buster's Ice Cream
They were fascinated with our big trashcans (and how we can fill up a bag of trash every day)
at the Disney Store
Xiao Jun wanted to visit a Nissan dealership. They showed us every car on the lot! The girls thought it was great and, of course, their favorite was the most expensive.
On Promotion Sunday, Katherine and Yoyo's Sunday School teacher gave each of them a gift card for Dairy Queen! Ok, ice-cream it is!
The last day for our friends here in America, so we had a water balloon fight!
Let's get Regan!!!
No, no, no, no :)
Our friends had a very early flight, so we got to see the sunrise on the way back home. (No, I did not take the pictures while driving....Regan kept me company and kept me awake, so she took the pictures)
Hudson found this shirt at Old Navy and wanted to know if he had enough money left to buy it. He wanted to match his daddy!
Benjamin and Mom in our Tennessee gear
This guy was SUPER excited that he finally got to pick out new shoes. He's a growing boy! Size 11.5 He has graduated to the big kid shoes!
Regan spent the rest of her America money on this black board and some pens that she could write on it with. I love it. It's very her and she will enjoy changing it around.
I forgot this one. It's one of my favorites. This was round one of three.
A bridge in South Carolina
Wal-Mart...see now we don't need to buy them ;)
