Our family trip to the smokies 2010!

Ah its nice to be home. Our trip was just awesome, the kids were great the weather was o.k and the places we seen were beautiful! Our first stop was in Kentucky, Cumberland Falls I have been going there since I was a kid. My parents took my bro and I for about 7 years straight.
We did some hiking which I know I had to have lost some weight because when you walk its not straight path its what they classified as mildly strenuous and yea they were right I am so out of shape!
Anyway we seen the falls did the hiking then left the next morning oh by the way the very first campground was a last minute idea, my all powerful husband thought we could make it without stopping and the kids would be fine and even though I told him we just went to florida and I know the kids will not make it that far he insisted well the kiddos won! The point this campground was so in the boonies we were the only family NOT living there and the next morning they had freakin roosters cock a doing at 430am not cool! So back to us leaving cumberland we headed to cleveland tn to my aunts house and we stayed there for 2 nights and went to chatanooga and seen Ruby falls in the caverns Leah did not know what to think as you see in her picture she was a bit freaked with the darkness, Jonathan being ALL boy loved it and was so happy!

Jonathan inside the camper

Grams and papa taking the kids for a walk


Then it was off to Gatlinburg tn to sum up our time there I am ready to move in a second! It was so beautiful we did some hiking, rode a sky tram (in which Leah let out the most horrific scream and scared everybody on the tram this guy with the most southern accent you can imagine said"I really thought something seriously terrible happened"!) into the mountains and there were people sking up there and when we left the ground it was a nice 65 degrees, crazy! We ate at almost every bbq place my hubbys idea not mine I am a bit sick of bbq. We went to Ripleys believe it or not museum, aquarium, house of mirrors and did as ski lift I did not enjoy that just a flimsy bar holding you all the way into the mountains!

We drove to the peak of the mountain again it was about 70 that day and when we got up there it was a30 degrees and ice all over the trees. Our last day we went to Dollyworld for opening day what a blast the shows were phenominal Jonathan loved all the dancing, music and lights and Leah was quiet a very rare thing for her these days! We did see Dolly Parton too!
We bought the greatest fudge in the world, snickers and yea so much for that hiking we did! Jonathan got to go on this dinosoar ride sitting on daddys lap and it was pitch black in the begining so I was a little scared but I don't know why cause he did great and of course loved it! This was by far our greatest family trip yet! Did I mention I want to move

Leah telling us ALL about it!

I just thought I'd share with you a little bit of Leahs conversations she has with us lately. She has been babbling so much these past couple days its become routine for her to start her conversations in the morning and of course right before bed.

Family

Great Grandma(gg)



We went and visited family yesterday. We went and seen gg and the kids great aunt and uncle. I feel so blessed to still have family gatherings, you know I think in a lot of families not just mine you can remember going over grandmas and have all the cousins over and just having fun. Well my dads mom passed away a couple years ago she was quite young I think 72 she kept the family together now I feel its my duty to uphold this "duty" she used to do. So Christmas this year was at our house. Its still not the same everyone grows up and goes their own way and you see each other when you have a family reunion every 5 years! Well I want it to go back and I will try my very hardest to let Jonathan and Leah be raised around their cousins, grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles, I loved it and I think they will too! Simply said "there is NOTHING like family!"

Leah is 4 months old!

I took Leah to her 4 month well baby visit last week. Leah is doing everything "perfect" she is right on with her peers even though she was 5 weeks early and get this she is probably about a month ahead of her peers in regards to her head control, she does stomach crunches that are envied! She is sitting very well in her bumbo seat I should take pictures of that. She is out of her 3 month clothes and into 3-6 months she has such chunky thighs I love em!!

Right now her stats are
12 lbs 2 oz
23 3/4 inches
39.7 cm head cir.

she is growing great the only thing is she prefers to look to the right so we have to do some stretching to correct that. She rolled from front to back in the dr. office for the first time that was super cool! She babbles and coos so much I think she might like to talk like her mommy:-) Jonathan still loves to "hold" Leah, he can be having a bad day and all I have to say is "can u help mommy and hold Leah?" I get a super huge smile and when I put her next to him he "talks" to her, it would melt any moms heart!
I have to admit though Leah isn't to fond of any one holding her except mommy but she is now letting daddy hold her to but at night she only wants to snuggle with me, I secretly LOVE it but don't let Justin know, hehe

Just Chilling!

The last week has been pleasant. We have been resting up for a very busy summer that we are extremely excited for! The kids have been chilling, enjoying the winter wonderland, Jonathan loved making snow angels.
We have been trying to be as "normal" as possible with Leah, we have gone to frankenmuth and spent the night so Jonathan could get some swimming time in and see the lights at Bronners, then we went to the outdoorama in Novi Jonathan was giving lots of attention by ALL. Every booth has something to offer about the outdoors, Jonathan got to pet lots of hunting dogs, and a bobcat. The exhibitors we're very kind to Jonathan going out of their way to show him the animals, it was nice. Of course Leah was oohed and ahhed at and a lot of she really looks like mommy, which I loved!

We will be leaving for our family vacation in the next 3 weeks we plan on going to Smokey Mountains and visiting family. We are going to Hyperbaric oxygen therapy the whole month of May in North Carolina and then starting Europeds with Jonathan in June its a pretty intense therapy that is 2 days a week for 3 months, I 'm really excited to see what Jonathan will do! Therapeutic riding will start up again we will be going some where new this year. We have 1 camping trip so far, set with our friends the Buckleys to Mackinaw thats is going to be lots of fun, I love their kids!! We plan on going white water rafting in July/August we're taking the parents so they will watch the kids:-) many cedar point(amusement park) zoo, and up north trips to the cottage! I LOVE SUMMER!!!!