Quest for Snow

Well, we traveled to Gatlinburg this weekend in hopes of seeing some snow, enjoying a hot tub, hiking in the park, and eating some delicious rainbow trout.  We failed on most of those missions, but still had a wonderful time.  It is so great to get away as a family now - the kids are fun to be around and funny too, it is more relaxing since they are more independent, and being in the car on the way isn't usually torture (although I still have my anxiety issues - but at least the kids aren't piling on to that).  It didn't snow where we were, but did snow higher up and in the park which made us question whether we should chance Lance's car even more in the hills and snow and ultimately we decided to skip hiking this time.  We took Lance's car because of the 4 wheel drive (and because he really doesn't seem to want to get a new ride and wanted to prove to me that his could make it).  I am not itching for a car payment, but both of our vehicles have issues and I am really trying to talk him into replacing one of them before the drive to Disney in March.  When Katie became mesmerized with the sounds she could make along with the vibrations in the car - Lance did seem to admit that the 4 runner has seen better days.  He thinks, though, that with new tires he can get another year out of it and if he is good with that I am definitely good with replacing mine instead of his  :)!  That means I get to pick because his choice (Tahoe size) is not doable for me since I would never be able to get in a parking space anywhere in town!  We are still in used and cheap and high mileage territory, but something more family friendly (or even with locks that work and doors that open) would be a great upgrade!

The hot tub was as cold as ice when we arrived so we had to compromise with the kids since we had promised hot tub time the whole drive up.  They cabin did have, in the words of Tyler, "a ginormous" jacuzzi tub upstairs that we let the kids get in and they enjoyed that probably as much as they would have the hot tub.

On our second day we went to breakfast, explored the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, went back to the chalet to enjoy the hopefully fixed hot tub (not quite ready but getting warmer at that point), and went to an early dinner at one of my favorite restaurants where the whole family got rainbow trout - yum.

After dinner it was finally hot tub time.  We all suited up and got in and it was definitely hotter than when we arrived.  We were all (except for Tyler who sat on the edge and refused) trying to "get used to it" and decided to look at the thermometer only to find that it was really, really hot (we could tell that, but didn't know that it was "don't stay in" hot).  We gave up and got out, and went inside to watch some football.  The view at the chalet was wonderful, though and it had a wood-burning fireplace which is all Lance needs!

We have a fun weekend ahead.  Tyler has his first birthday party without Katie (and he is very excited since she has had two without him).  We are going skating on Saturday with some friends (I sure hope it is like riding a bike and I can get the hang of it again), and if weather permits we are going for a bike ride on the new Greenway, too!  That should be a good way to end a busy school week.  Tyler is supposed to have his sight word test today that he is been looking forward to since if he gets all of these he will be on the Super Kid board, they have gymnastics tonight, we are going to put them in an after school study session with Katie's teacher on Wednesdays (expensive, though, so we will see how it goes to figure out if it will be an ongoing thing).  We should hear soon when their soccer practices are and get their soccer schedule so that might throw a wrench in plans for afterschool, anyway!  We are going to get their soccer gear the first weekend in February and I guess practices should start soon after that - can't wait!