Day 2-Gatlinberg and Rehearsal lunch

My Mom asked me if I had a blue filter on my camera for some of my pictures. Well no- that is just because I still don't know how to use my camera. But last night I found out why I have that blue tint. It is because my white balance is off. The blue tint will come from the sun and a reddish tint will come from a tungsten light.

We stopped on the side of the road in Townsend, TN to get these pictures by the little waterfall.

It was just a little touristy area set up just for taking pictures, but it didn't cost anything and it was pretty.

This is Meggie- Nana and Papa's baby. She is adorable and we all really like her, but Nana spelled it out so she couldn't understand that she is kind of d.u.m.b.

I don't know if that is true, but she does like her privacy when going to the bathroom. She won't go where any other dogs have been. Call me crazy, but I don't think that dumb at all, she wants to stay clean.

Ashley hung onto Karley all week long. She loves her big cousin. And as I look at this picture closer, please note that Karley is giving the peace sign not the bird.

Here is cousin- Blade.

This was on our table for the rehearsal dinner.

Aussie

Daddy and Aussie

Daddy and Ashley

Everyone in our group on the bridge, I couldn't get a good shot.

Aussie bored because he doesn't want to walk around Gatlinberg.

cousin Shaina

Mason

Crazy Mason and Shaina

Tracie- Kevin's bride to be

Mason and Daddy

kiddos after the rehearsal lunch

"I've got chills....there multiplyin'"

"and I'm losin' control..."

I saw this building in Pigeon Forge. I really want to go there someday, but it was too expensive. It's an optical illusion museum or playground. If we hadn't just gone to the Space and Rocket Center then I would have asked to go. But $100 for all of us was a bit too much this month.

These were all taken from the window of my car as we were passing by. I thought this was a funny looking place as well.

And this looked pretty cool too.

That was day 2 of our wonderful wedding vacation.

More to come hopefully tomorrow.

Stunningly Beautiful

It was an amazing trip to Gatlinberg! This was the view from our cabin.

We went for Greg's brother's wedding. When we got there and met up with the cousins, Shaina decided to show us where her cabin was. So we started to walk to their cabin. Down the mountain, around the mountain, up the mountain..."OH this is not the right way.",she says. Down the mountain, around and up a different way. I said, "Would you please call Kevin and find out where the cabin is?" So they called and they weren't even there. So we walked all the way back to our cabin. Later that evening we got to visit their cabin. It wasn't even in the same direction as where we were walking and it really wasn't close enough to walk to. However, it made for some pretty photos.

Spring has sprung here. The trees are beginning to bloom.

It is just amazingly beautiful!

Our cabin was really nice. It was stocked with just about everything you can think of.

Greg got to catch up on some reading.

This hung from the front porch. Inside there were detailed directions on what to do if you encounter a bear. You should get close together with whoever you are with, raise your arms and look as big as you possibly can, talk very loudly and walk backwards slowly. If you run it might think you are prey.

The cousins say Mason has a Justin Beiber haircut. I haven't looked him up to see, but I know he is very popular. Greg told us all a really funny story. One of his friends who has 2 young girls took them to see the Justin Beiber movie. He ended up enjoying the movie himself and decided to post on Facebook about it. So when he posted he meant to say, I can't believe I'm saying this but I have Beiber Fever. Well...it autocorrected Beiber to wiener. So to all his friends he wrote,

I can't believe I'm saying this but I have wiener fever!

And Sunday when we went to Logan's with the grandparents, something else funny happened.
Blade is my nephew.

You know how kids make up jokes and they don't mean anything? Well Blade repeated a joke that Mason made up. When Nana heard it she said, "Blade WHERE did you hear that?" He told her Mason just made it up. When we realized it was completely innocent we busted out laughing.

Q: What did the peanut say to the man?

A: Where's your nuts?

We had to explain it to the boys and I think Mason was a bit embarrassed because he didn't mean it that way at all. But that joke has been told over and over again this week- not by the kids but by the adults. We are still laughing!

Ashley

Blade

Aussie

The kids love being around their cousins.

This is the end of day 1 in the Smokies.

Hopefully I'll put day 2 on tomorrow.

Space and Rocket Center Field Trip

Thursday we went to Alabama to the Space and Rocket Museum. We had a fabulous time. We will have to go back soon! Unfortunately, my big camera didn't make it into the car. It only made it to the garage steps. I had my little camera with me, but it was acting up. It kept turning off even though I had fully charged the battery the night before. So I didn't get very good pictures. This first picture- well it's Photoshopped. They had a wall climbing thing there and that was Aussie's favorite! They all liked it and did it 3 or 4 times. Aussie of course thought he was an expert. It had several levels 1-12. The easier ones were to the left and then it gradually got harder. Aussie conquered level 8 and got 1/4 way up level 11 and he was telling everyone he had conquered that level as well.
Mason almost made it to the top, but he looked down and got nervous.Hmmm...I'm not sure where the picture of Ashley went. She climbed all the way to the top on level 3.

When they built this facility they brought the spaceship in sections and they built the building around the spaceship. This is one of three rockets in the USA that is fully built and could be used if needed to go to space. We actually saw one of the other ones at Cape Canaveral the last time we went to Florida. I believe the other one is in Texas.

This little section below is actually where the astronauts sit. The whole rest of the rocket holds the fuel and is what makes them get up into space. I believe 3 astronauts can sit in here.

I actually can't remember how this clock tells time, but I thought it was cool.

This outside rocket is a model. It is the actual size of a real rocket that is used.

They had a little class about air pressure. Mason and Ashley were chosen to help demonstrate air pressure going into a 2 liter. Ashley went first and the experiment went as expected to the teacher. The little paper wad fell to the ground. Then Mason blew and the paper wad went into the bottle. That was not supposed to happen. But because she hadn't explained what would happen, I could tell Ashley felt a little embarrassed that hers did not go into the bottle.

Then they did a really cool experiment. And all of us got to try it. Everyone put a cup on their head and then one person blew them off with an air shooter thingy made out of a trash can, shower curtain and bungee cord.

I think we will need to make one of these on a smaller scale. We all had fun with this.

Then they got to make rocket fuel. They had to wear 2 pairs of gloves.

They each tried on this sleeping bag. It is attached to the wall of the spaceship.

And here is the group shot. This was a homeschool field trip. I'm glad my friend bought this picture. I wanted to buy it, but got there too late.

Be My Valentine

I can't believe I missed getting these pictures on the blog. The day after I took these pictures I got sick and the rest of the family got sick as well. We stayed sick for 3 weeks. It was so frustrating! Anyway, this is around Valentine's Day. Aussie wanted to get or make something for Kadence so bad. He told me he wanted to make a cake. So he helped bake it and told me how to decorate it.

We were supposed to go to a Girl Scout function where Aussie would give the cake to Kadence. But the meeting was cancelled because of the weather. So we braved the roads (which were perfectly fine) and went to Kadence's house to give her this special Valentine's gift. Aussie wanted to wear a tuxedo, but didn't have one. Kadence dressed up for the occasion as well.
He is so smitten!

And we just found out yesterday that she will be returning to co-op next year ! So they will get to see each other every week.

Mom's Bragging Again!

All of this for $2.17?

Yes, I walked in the house all giddy from my shopping trip. I cleared off the table and started the set up for the above picture. Mason says, "So you're going to brag about your shopping trip again, huh?" Aussie asked, "How did you do?" I wasn't sure until I sat down and figured it out, but I told him I practically got all the groceries for free.

I actually spent $102.17.
Now I know you are saying wait a minute THAT is NOT Free! Or even close to being Free! What I am not counting in my groceries are the two $50 Shell Gas Gift cards I bought with the groceries.

See Publix has a deal this week that if you spend $25 (before coupons) you can get $10 off a $50 gas gift card.

So tonight I split my groceries into two transactions. I really didn't need that much yogurt, but I had coupons to make it free and I needed to get my total up to $25 so I could get the gift card.

I suppose I ought to say I spent $22.17 on groceries, but I prefer to let the 2/ $10 off coupons for gas cards go toward the groceries. So I will say I only spent $2.17. Not too shabby!

I have a wonderfully busy day tomorrow. And I'm sure you will get to see other pictures besides my grocery trips in the next day or two. So I really really need to get to bed! But for those who are interested below are the details to my shopping trip.

Details:
2 Simply OJ- 2 for $6
Used 2 $1.00 coupons
=$2.00 each

6 Oscar Mayer Lunchables -$1.00
Used 3 $1.00/2 coupons
=$.50 each

1 Glad quart size storage bags and 1 Glad gallon size freezer bags - B1G1
No coupons :(
= $1.60 each

4 Cheerios 2 for $5
Used 2 Publix coupons $1/2 (Revised)
Used 2 Mfg coupons $1/2
Used Target coupon $1.50/3
= $1.13 each (The way we eat Cheerios I need to get me some more coupons and do this again!)

8 Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli- 50% = $.89
Used 4 Publix coupons $1/2
Used 1 MFG coupon $.50/2 (Kroger mailing)
Used 2 MFG coupons $1.00/3
= $.01/ $.02 each

6 Yoplait YoPlus yogurt- B1G1= $1.00
Used 6 MFG coupons $.50 (Publix doubles coupons $.50 <> =FREE

2 Eggo Pancakes -B1G1= $1.40
Used 1 $1.00 MFG coupon (Kroger mailing)
= $.89 each

6 Sargento Shredded Cheese- 2 for $4.00
Used 6 Publix coupons $1.50
= $.50 each

2 Publix Big Towel Roll (Wednesday Penny item)
=.01 each