March 30 - Garvan Woodland Gardens

Spring Break 2021

After a relaxing week in the smoky mountains, it was time to head back to Texas. JD planned our trip back and decided to take a different route home with a pit stop in Arkansas. I will admit when JD said we were going to Arkansas I was a tad hesitant, but I did visit Arkansas years ago to visit old neighbors (the Drost family) and it was beautiful. 

We checked into a hotel in downtown Little Rock and walked around the downtown area. We were shocked to find an old farmhouse from the 1850s. Literally downtown! Turns out we found the oldest building in Little Rock, an old farmstead that is part of the Historic Arkansas Museum. The kids (of course) didn't appreciate the find but JD and I loved it! After walking around the historic area, we ordered a pizza to-go from a local pizzeria and headed back to the hotel. 

The next morning we headed to Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs. Garvan is a 210-acre botanical garden that is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I could have spent all day walking around the gorgeous trees and flowers. It was so peaceful! If we lived near the gardens we would go all the time. If you are ever near the Little Rock/Hot Springs area, you have to visit these gardens. You won't regret it! It will be hard to add pics to this post because I took so many, but know that I didn't use any filters on these pictures. The flowers were really this vivid!

Gorgeous tulips!

Coolest tree house ever

Awesome kids area

March 29 - Smoky Mountain National Park

On one of our few excursion from the cabin last week, we went to Smoky Mountain National Park in Gatlinburg (about 20min from our cabin). If you have the opportunity to visit this park, I highly recommend it. It was so beautiful and peaceful. There are a lot of trails at the park but we chose the Noah 'Bud' Ogle Farm, which was something we could do with the entire family. It was a great morning!!

Noah 'Bud' Ogle Farm

So peaceful

We forgot a group shot but trust me, I was there! Ha!

March 26 - Cabin in the Clouds

Good morning in the clouds

After our quick Chattanooga adventure, we headed to our mountaintop cabin in Pigeon Forge (VRBO #784040 for those interested). The owners sent very detailed driving instructions that included things like (you will pass a church here, look for a giant rock and turn right) which had us a tad worried we wouldn't be able to find it but google maps was right on the money. The road up the mountain was narrow, steeps, twisting with few guard rails. Luke was definitely uncomfortable with the drive but we made it up (and down several times) without dying, so all good. The cabin was, quite literally, on top of the mountain.

arcade fun

It was a free standing little house complete with full kitchen, 2 large bedrooms (with king beds), 2 bathrooms, loft w twin beds, an old school arcade machine with Donkey Kong and Pacman, a porch and hot tub with amazing views, and firepit and grill. We couldn't walk anywhere from the cabin but we were looking for a week of relaxation away from people so it was the perfect fit. 

So, what did we do? Honestly, not too much. We went to Smokey Mountains National Park one day to hike and JD, Julia and Luke did a ropes course another day. Otherwise, we slept, read, played board games, hung out in the hot tub and did s'mores. It was a wonderful, relaxing week!

S'mores

So relaxing

March 22 - Chattanooga

dropped off dogs to the vet

Between JD and I working from home, Julia and Luke doing remote school from home, then being stuck in in said home without food and water for a few days in February, we decided we needed a break from our house. After our successful 'social distanced beach vacation' in July, JD and I were comfortable doing something similar. We decided on the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and rented a cabin for a week on top of a mountain. We stopped in Chattanooga on the way and went to Lookout Mountain for a few hours. 

You may be thinking...Lookout Mountain? Per Wikipedia: 

The Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought November 24, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker assaulted Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and defeated Confederate forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson. Lookout Mountain was one engagement in the Chattanooga battles between Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Military Division of the Mississippi and the Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by Gen. Braxton Bragg. It drove in the Confederate left flank and allowed Hooker's men to assist in the Battle of Missionary Ridge the following day, which routed Bragg's army, lifting the siege of Union forces in Chattanooga, and opening the gateway into the Deep South.

It was a beautiful day to walk around and learn some history!

Family Time!

March 10 - Tennis Tuesdays

Hannah & Julia

Forget 'Taco Tuesday', we now call the second day of the week 'Tennis Tuesday.' Julia's first tennis match was last week and she and her partner were doubles team #2 (out of 4). They did a great job and won their first match! This is how tennis works here (maybe everywhere, I have no idea as this was my first experience):

Total Courts: 6

Court 1: Singles #1 top players (8th grade)

Court 2: Singles #1 top players (7th grade)

Court 3: Singles #2 players (8th grade)

Court 4: Singles #2 players (7th grade)

Court 5: Doubles #1 team (8th grade)

Court 6: Doubles #1 team (7th grade)

They play to game 6 and the girls keep score themselves. Doubles #2 (8th grade) takes the first available court, then doubles #2 (7th grade). And so on and so on. I'd estimate that 95% of the girls there looked like they were playing for the first time at the match last week and everyone appeared to be having fun! The Brookside 7th grade girls all won their matches, which was pretty exciting!

The second match was yesterday. Julia and her partner were moved to doubles team #3 (they aren't sure why as they haven't played against the other teams in practice but that was the coaches decision and they respected it). The team yesterday was much more advanced then our girls and I think they won every match. Julia and her partner were only able to play to game 4 because they stopped the entire event at 5.30pm due to busses leaving. They still had fun though!!

March 9 - Playdate with "Lisa"

Jillian and I went to pocket park (small gated playground) last weekend and had the place to ourselves. She instructed me to call her "Lisa" the entire time we were there and in addition to playing on the playground and swings, we had an imaginary birthday part for "Lisa" and then took a rocket ship to outerspace for an adventure. She is such a little character!! Love her personality and zest for life!!

After our playground adventure, Lisa and I headed home for a scooter ride and tea party. She LOVES pouring tea (aka lemonade) and drinking out of the cup with her pinky out. "This is the fancy way Momma" she tells me. Uncle Chris, if you are reading this, a million thanks again for this tea set that you bought Julia years ago because we have gotten a lot of use out of it over the years. We do so many tea parties with "Lisa" that I leave it on the counter now, ready to go. :)

Our little Gator

March 2 - Unofficial Hair Challenge

Luke has amazing hair. It's thick, wavy and grows fast. He loves his hair and prefers it on the longer side. You may be thinking, where does he get this great hair? JD is insistent that his hair has a lot of wave to it and it's him. My hair is also pretty wavy. But I think it's safe to say he gets his hair from Uncle Bryan. In fact, I think they resemble each other quite a bit! Bryan even decided they were participating in an unofficial hair challenge and sent me this picture. HILARIOUS!! 

Luke's hair has been growing for several months now and it finally got to the point of "too long." What does "too long" mean exactly? It means Luke was constantly (nonstop) running his hands through his hair and doing some weird flip thing with it. Too long means we went for a mile walk at a park and it was flying into his eyes repeatedly so I had to put in a ponytail (oh he resisted but I couldn't take his complaining and hair flopping any longer. 

Too long means I could do this (he was pretty horrified)

Too long means he's one handsome little devil...

Who got finally has a haircut!

Love this guy!