Vacation in the Hills

We recently got to take our only vacation of the summer. We went to see some friends in Virginia. I had planned many times to go up there my self or me and the kids, but things just never really worked out. Well, Bryan and Amy outsmarted us (or at least Chester). They had come down to see family and happened to be heading home at the same time we were in Atlanta at one of Riley's doctor appts. We met and had lunch as they were going through Atlanta and by the end of lunch they were taking Regan with them with the plans of us returning home to get Tate and traveling to Virginia the next day. Pretty clever - kidnap Regan and then we have to go. Well, we had a really good time. We visited the church Bryan pastors (it is such a sweet place), the kids played, we went to see Despicable Me, the kids played, we went to the arcade, the kids played, and generally just relaxed and had a good time. (Did I mention the kids played?) The countryside is absolutely beautiful there, but I hate to report that the time we were there it was just as hot and humid as back home.

Bryan and Amy have joked many times that they lived in the middle of nowhere, well, they weren't kidding. It takes 30-45 minutes to get to a town of any size. We rode over to Middlesboro through Cumberland Gap National Park to watch the movie one day while we were there. While in Middlesboro it poured rain. Amy said that it might not even be raining on the other side of the mountain. Amy and I went to Pennington the next day and shopped at Family Dollar and Food City - aren't we the last of the big spenders! Also, FYI if Bryan or Amy have ever told you they didn't get your call on their phone they really didn't b/c they have absolutely ZERO CELL PHONE SERVICE. My freshly charged phone went dead the first night b/c it spent all night trying to find a signal. We had to leave our phones near the window just so they wouldn't go dead. Also, the only way they get Internet is by holding their laptop just right while sitting on the couch. We have made numerous jokes about our vacation in the hills, but the people are nice (although a little different), the land is beautiful, and the company could not have been better! We love our hillbilly friends!!!

Were you aware they had buffalo in Virginia? I wasn't, but they do.

Are we there yet?

Found out how to get Talmadge to sit still - tell him you'll take his picture!

Tate, Regan, Talmadge, Maddie, and Riley just before going to bed.

The view from the back porch

Regan doing a cheer

Maddie is pretty good at golf!

I know my golf ball is around here somewhere

Another view from the back porch

The girls are smiling pretty - the boys are showing us their multicolored mouths from the last candy they devoured.

Cheer Camp 2010

Regan has wanted to go to Cheer Camp ever since she heard about it last year. Literally this girl has asked about Cheer Camp every few weeks for that past year!! You see, her cousin Kodi is a cheerleader and Regan thinks anything Kodi does is wonderful (her aunt and uncle kinda think that too) so she just had to go to Cheer Camp. Well, her time finally came. She was so excited!!!!

One day they got to take pictures with the mascot, one day they dressed up like the 50's, and of course the last day they performed for the parents and wore their spirit shirts. She really had a good time and now Chester, Riley, and I are cheerleaders in training (whether we wanted to be or not) because she is constantly doing her cheers and requesting (read - demanding, whining til we give in)everyone do them with her. She is really a mess, but it is so cute.

My niece Kodi leading her group

The obligatory picture with brother - he's so excited. Can you tell???

She's wore out after performing.

Regan with her group - she is standing almost in the center behind the cheerleader holding the little girl.

Tate's 1st Big Boy Bath

My baby boy finely got to have a regular bath. Mind you he's been bathed these last 8 months, but just not like a big boy in the tub by himself. He came here so big (1olbs 2 oz - thank you very much) that he has always been too big for the infant tub (read- feet hanging over and head going above the cushion) but I still just couldn't bring myself to put him in the big tub. So, I tried a little bit of everything else - infant tub in the big tub, baby sling tub in the big tub, in the big tub with Regan, etc. Nothing seemed to really work for me, so I just gave him sponge baths like we have to do with Riley since he can't be submerged right now. Well once he was sitting up good on his own I decided it was time. I let the boy have a bath alone.....

and he L O V E D it!! What was I thinking? I should've done this a long time ago. Doesn't he look soooo happy? Oh well live and learn.