06/27/08

Now that I have finished with Cades Cove, I'll start on last Monday when we went to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN. Dollywood was great and I wish we could have had a couple of days to soak it all in. It was a very nice park and clean!!! We enjoyed the rides and the shows... the ones we got to see. There truly was so much there to do that we couldn't get it all done. Mom even rode a few and you'll see one of her below driving the cars around. That one cracked us ALL up. lol We saw a "Birds of Flight" show... those pictures didn't turn out great because I had to have my ISO all the way up and hold it steady because of the lighting. Not much you can do about camera shake!! I only showed one that was halfway decent. The show was neat, though. Loved seeing those live birds.

After Dollywood we had to head into North Carolina mountains but not before eating at the Applewood Restaurant. Good gracious, that was some good eatin'!!!! If you are ever in Pigeon Forge, TN... you MUST find that restaurant and eat at it. If you leave there hungry there is something wrong with you. lol

I have put descriptions above every picture below to help. There are not as many scenic ones but more "fun" ones since we were at the park.

I found I was still a bit "out of it" today. I just couldn't get up and get myself going in my normal pace. I guess that anesthesia stays in your system a lot longer than I realized. We got up early and went to a local park (Crowder) to walk around. I took my camera just in case I saw something I'd like to photograph. We walked around the whole park twice and then I watched as the kids played on the playground. I still felt like all of my energy was sapped!!

When we got home we worked on cleaning the office. I had a lot of old negatives and pictures from my 35mm film camera in a rubbermaid drawer type thingy. I have needed to clean it out for a long time and since I needed to "plop" for lack of energy, today was the day. I compiled all of the negatives and old pictures in that box into one smaller more compact box. It was nice to have that accomplished. Now I could get that out of my way under my desk. I was amazed as I looked back on pictures at how much the kids have grown and changed. It was quite sad as I looked at some of them when they were TEENY at how big they are now. They grow up too fast!!! Sometimes I don't realize it as much until I do look back on those pics. I also laughed at some of my photography. I know I said this the other night, but I am so thankful for how far I have grown in photography. lol There were some I can remember I thought were so good and now I just laugh at how they actually look. Of course, that is part of life... growing and changing. If we always stayed the same, how boring would that be? All of life is learning as I tell my students and the kiddos. I am thankful to have the ability to keep learning and improving.

We finally got the house cleaned by this afternoon and I actually took a nap! I felt more refreshed afterwards.

We are off to Mom's in a few minutes to eat supper. Steve is working late again tonight so she invited us up to eat. Enjoy Dollywood... tomorrow will be Bryson City, NC. :)

Typical tourist picture in front of the Dollywood sign. lol I am not in it, of course, because I am taking the pic!!!!!

These pots were made into people all over the park. It was the cutest thing. I loved seeing the different ways they made them to be.

We all rode these cars... an easy ride for Mom to enjoy. It was so funny! Check out Daddy with Mom... he is a hoot. Mom was a "wild driver!" I had issues trying to take this pic of Mikayla and me in our car. This one was the last one I tried and the one I love the most.

We rode the Dollywood train... it was a nice ride.

Mikayla touched this snake before Wesley! He was actually scared of it. This was the same little guy who the day before was so excited over the snakeskin and searching for the other one.

The kids standing by an eagle's nest!

Birds of Flight show

Waiting for the guys to get off the roller coaster.

This is the last rollercoaster we rode... well, the guys rode it. Mikayla didn't want to ride another one after the Tennessee Tornado... and she was my riding partner! I wish I could have taken a picture of her face after that ride. She cracked me up and said she didn't want to get on another one of those!! LOL

Mikayla and Wesley cooling off with the misting fans. It was hot but not unbearable that day. The fans were a nice refreshment.

The Apple Barn where the Applewood Restaurant is located in Pigeon Forge.. YUMMY.