Wilderness at the Smokies

My father and stepmother gave my family a gift card to the Wilderness at the Smokies for Christmas!!!  Since Jackson was out of school till Jan Th we decided to take a small family get away!!  It was awesome!!  Since we chose a great time to go (right after New Years, most schools already back in, etc....) we got a great deal.  They have 2 hotels on site and the Stone Hill Lodge is more budget friendly.  Since they weren't booked up they decided to close the Stone Hill and we were able to stay at the River Lodge, but for the price of the Stone Hill!!  We were so happy, because we did not have to shuttle back and forth to get to the water park.  It snowed Tuesday so we were really happy we did not have to shuttle!!

We love the log cabin feel.  The beds and table and chairs were so nice.  The people at the hotel were not as friendly as we have seen before, but the water park employees were super nice!!  Bart and Jackson went to the arcade Monday night and me and Stephen went back up to the room.  They must have closed the arcade Monday night because Tuesday all the games and stuff were gone.  They are doing a huge remodel and we were told they would have a movie theater, bigger and better game room and some other stuff.  It was to cold and since it snowed the putt putt golf was closed and of course the outside water park!!  

 Jackson LOVED it all!!  He really liked when the big waves came on in the wave pull!!

 Stephen loved his slide and even talked Jackson into going down with him a time or two!

 This is a picture of the kiddie area!  This is where Stephen could go play all by him self.

 Stephen thought he was Tarzan for a while and would swing back and forth.

 The big bucket up to would dump 750 gallons of water every few minutes!  Jackson LOVED that as well, but Stephen stayed away!

 Stephens famous "I don't want my picture taken!" smile face.

 This was the coolest thing ever.  Jackson LOVED this and he was really really good at it.

 This was Jackson's favorite ride.  The orange one was just a little to scary for the both of us.

 He made lots of friends.  Not sure mama is happy about him riding with girls or not, but the lifeguards paired him up. :/

 Trying to race one of the little boys he met there and he flipped over.  He didn't care since he won!!

 Stephen also loved the wave pool.  He finally on the last day got the hang of it and was able to climb up all by himself!!

Polar Express Train ride!!

We checked Jackson out of school a little early Tuesday and took them to ride the Polar Express to the North Pole!  We were invited to go with some friends this year, but with Jackson being gone every other weekend, and our own Christmas plans and parties and Church play there was just no way we could have done it.  So Bart booked us last Wednesday.  This seriously was the hardest thing ever to keep from them.  A few times I slipped up and said words like "train" and had to cover myself by talking about the Marta Train when we go see the Monster Truck show.  ;)  I printed off the flyer and wrapped it up in a box.  Jackson opened it and was supposed to read it to Stephen, but I guess he was camera shy and Nana read it for him!

 They were really excited and they both changed into their pajamas!  We ate at the Pizza place across from the train!

 When we got on the train we sat down and waited for the action to start!  I of course took out the camera and tried to capture as much as I could!!

Stephen with his golden ticket!

 Papa gave Jackson a quarter at the Pizza place and he got a mustache!! Jackson was very proud of his golden ticket!!

 The boys had a really good time and was excited for take off!  They loved looking out!!

 He came by to punch their golden ticket.  Sadly it did not say believe, but the boys loved it anyways!!  They even had the hobo come by!!

 They danced alot!!

 The boys got in the action as well!!

 Jackson loved the whip cream!!

 Stephen was loving his chocolate chip cookie!! The Hot Chocolate was very good as well!!

 Dancing with cookies on top of her head!!

 Jackson spotted Santa first and was excited to tell Stephen!!

 Seeing Santa on the train!!

 Jackson telling his wish list to Santa and getting his silver bell!!

 Stephen was very quite and whispered to Santa he wanted a basketball goal.

 Ringing their bells!

 Of course my boys are silly when they have their picture made with me.  Wait they are always silly, so maybe its not me!!

 For some reason Jackson LOVED this Santa.  He thought he had to be the real Santa!!

 After the train ride we had to go to the train store and the train museum.  Stephen LOVES trains so he stayed here most of the time!!

 He got a conductor hat and Jackson got a Santa hat with the train on it!!

 Of course Stephen stayed here most of the time in the museum as well!!

 Stephen loved this old man!  He went up and rubbed his hand!!

 Cute sign I want for the play room in front of the train table!!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I always decorate before Thanksgiving and I get in a crafty/baking mood! I am always wanting to be in the kitchen, but not took cook just to bake. Yes there is a difference!!

I love to buy Christmas decorations about a week after Christmas. I wait till they are 75% off. I scored this really awesome wreath for about $3.75!! I hung it up and it lasted above the mantel for about a week or so. One night it fell, knocked down my garland on the fireplace and broke 3 or 4 ornaments. It made a HUGE mess. While cleaning up the mess I put it on the table and after cleaning the mess up I tried to figure out where I would put it. I saw it sitting on the table and thought it looked okay there for now. The next day while decorating my breeze way and entertainment center I was taking all the other stuff down. I had a great idea to put this vase and candle inside it. I love how it turned out!!
Side view!

I have never liked how we arranged our living room, den, or dining room. We had our dining room table in the den by the fireplace and our dining room was empty and our living room was completely full with way to much furniture. My sweet husband agree to move it for Christmas, but only to move it back afterwards. I have not completely finished decorating the dining room, but I can tell you I am already in LOVE with the table there!! Since our living room was cramped I decided to move the flower chair and recliner with the big tree. I am in LOVE with this room also. Turns out Bart really likes the furniture exactly how I have it. ;) We will most likely leave it the same way after Christmas! We are getting a burgundy recliner and getting rid of the blue one so I will need to get some new curtains!! BUT I am lost as to what to do about the empty spot above the fireplace. I have some great ideas from pinterest, but have not decided what to do for Christmas!

This is in our living room. I am not totally in love with it. It needs some color or more ornaments or something???

Jacksons tree in his room!!

Our advent santa calendar!!

Got this from an idea off pinterest. I am not totally in love with it. It needs some green ribbon. Hopefully a trip to the craft store will help with that!!!

I still have so much to do to finish up the house!! I love it!!!

Cooking

My boys have always LOVED baking and cooking. Stephen has his very own kitchen set that he got last year for Christmas. He plays with it all day long every day even after 1 year! Jackson is such a big help in the kitchen and I can tell him to make something and it will turn out just as good or better than if I were to do it! During Thanksgiving break they helped me make cinnamon rolls!! Can't wait to do more baking during Christmas break!!!

Been busy

My baby boy turned 9. Finished his very first year of racing. He came in 7th. We go Saturday for the awards banquet and we are so excited we can't wait! I am just so proud of him for finishing in the top 10 his first year! His second season of football finished! He got new glasses and a new exercise for his eyes so that come February he wont have to have a patch. We went on a school field trip. Stephen got to ride the bus for a little while and that I think made his whole year!! He LOVED riding the bus! This is them on the Appalachian trail!

Stephen is still not into watching much tv so we spend alot of time playing outside and finding some of bubba really cool toys!! We made houses one day and the orange part was the smoke stick. AKA the chimney!

I can finaly understand Jackson's dream!

Picture taken the Night of Fire and the passage below is from a drag racing friend's facebook page!

Drag racing is something that most people will never understand. It's not just a sport or something to do on a Saturday night. It's a way of life. Once youre in it it's in your blood. Once you make the first pass you can't stop. The drag strip is your home away from home. You smell that smoke the rubber and the racefuel and you feel peace within. When you here those revving engines it's music to your ears.♥

Funny things Jackson has said

I have been absent for a while. Summer is crazy!

I wanted to jot down a few things Jackson has said here lately. That kid cracks me up sometime.

The other day I was fussing at him and he started laughing and then he got me tickled. I asked him what was so funny and he said "Mom, I can't take you serious when you sound 14."

While swimming he said "Mom you look 98, but sound 14."

Walking out of Khols a sweet girl held the door open for us. When we got in the car he said "Mom, she sure was pretty but wears to much makeup."

After a hot day of errands we stopped at Dairy Queen. While driving down 129 in Gainesville we were going over the bridge. He saw a really cool boat and wanted me to look at it. I said Jackson if I look over in the lake I might run off the road which would make us fall in the water and drown and die. He said "And it would ruin our ice cream"