Fall Break and Jamie and Christopher's Wedding

We decided to make the trip for Jamie and Christopher's wedding into a fall break adventure. We rented a house that was fairly close to Gatlinburg, so that we could have some family fun before the wedding. We spent time in the mountains, where Preston and I hiked, and Carl and Evan fished. We also spent time in Pigeon Forge, where we played mini golf, mined for gems, rode go carts, etc. Grandpa, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Teddy, Caroline, Alex, and Andy joined us, which was lots of fun. The kids always love being together. 

Jamie and Christopher's wedding was really nice. The ceremony was held outside and the weather was perfect despite the forecast of heavy rain. We had delicious food, danced, and spent time with our extended family. We wish Jamie, Christopher, and Novella all the best!

I really enjoyed The Great Smokey Mountains. It was so beautiful there! I would love to go back, when the leaves are changing color. I bet it is beautiful!

Evan loved fishing for trout. He wants to go back and fish in more of the streams of The Great Smokey Mountains. Perhaps next time, we can get a guide to help us find some places that are farther away from the tourist areas. 

Pigeon Forge was unlike anything I have ever seen before! The boys loved all of the different activities. 

We spent a little bit of time in Gatlinburg, where I had the biggest slice of pizza I have ever seen. It was delicious! I wish we had time to do more activities, such as at the sky lift and the sky bridge. 

Congratulations, Jamie and Christopher!

Summer Snapshots

We had so much fun this summer and we did lots of new things. I didn't make posts about each event or achievement, but since I want to look back and remember what we did, I am creating a single post of some of our summer highlights.

We purchased an old bass boat to take out on the creek. Evan used it a lot for fishing. In addition to fishing with a rod and reel, he also learned to bow fish. 

When Evan wasn't fishing, he would take us out for rides. I always enjoyed the beautiful scenery and spending time together. 

I love our neighborhood, because of all the the beautiful wildlife and flowers. Here are some pf my favorite pictures from my walks.

Our backyard is full of wildlife too. There pictures were taken this summer. We also have lots of squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. 

Evan went to his first overnight camp. He went to a fishing camp, with his friend Porter. He had a great time and learned a lot. 

Hamilton came to Louisville and I was SO excited that Carl and I were able to get tickets. It was an AMAZING performance. I am so glad that I got to experience it in person, once again. 

Aunt Heather brought the kids to Louisville, so that they could attend camp. We were fortunate to get to see them a few times before they left for camp. We enjoyed pizza, ice cream, and games. Evan also took Aunt Heather for a boat ride on the creek while the kids were at camp. We are so grateful for our time together. 

We loved having a fun field day with our neighbors. Lisa organized everything and it was a great time for everyone. There were lots of games and we also had a cookout. We ended with kayak races on the pond. 

We attended several festivals. Preston liked the games and treats. 

Preston and I made several trips to The Cat Cafe. We both loved cuddling with the cute kittens and playing with them. Our favorite part was seeing a family take home a kitten that they adopted!

We celebrated Dad's 75th birthday! We are so glad he is healthy and enjoying life! We hope that there are many happy, healthy years ahead!

Carl and I enjoyed going out for a  few date nights. Now that the kids are bigger, we can go out more easily, which is nice for us. 

Preston earned a new belt in karate! He is now a blue belt with a black stripe. He has worked so hard and we are very proud of him. 

In addition to karate, Preston also ran cross country for his school. We had so much fun watching him train and race!

I enjoyed hanging with Isla. She loves to play games with me, but she is also up for helping me with cooking, folding clothes, etc.

We attended Brooke and Taylor's wedding, which took place on a beautiful farm in Midway, Kentucky. It was a beautiful ceremony and the venue was amazing. The boys enjoyed petting the horses that were on the farm.