Nashville Day 2: Dunbar Cave and the Parthenon

Forgive me for the huge gap in posts...I spent most of this last week nursing sick family members. First all three kids were sick (and when I say sick I mean SICK... I spent my entire evening Monday running children and bowls to the toilet). Then the hubby came down with it, and yesterday it caught up with me. Anyway, we're all better now so here's some more pictures from our Nashville trip!

Wednesday evening we headed up to Clarksville, TN to visit some dear friends of ours, the Dittmeiers. We were stationed with them at RAF Lakenheath and hadn't seen them in about four years. They allowed us to take over their basement for a couple nights and we're so happy that we got to see them again!

Thursday, Dan & Mary both took the day off work to spend time with us...aren't they sweet? After a tasty breakfast, the hubby & Dan took all the kids (my three plus Dan's grandson Brayden) to the park at Dunbar Cave, while the women (myself, Mary, and her daughters Elizabeth and Kerry) hit up Hobby Lobby. Oh yes...did I tell you that I got the best surprise ever when we drove into Clarksville and there sat my favorite store ever?!

*Ahem* I'm sorry...where was I again? Oh...right...Dunbar Cave. *smooths shirt*

Then we left the Dittmeier's to head back to Nashville and check into our hotel. We made a pitstop along the way at the Parthenon...a life-size, scale replica of the one in Greece. It was really amazing!

This first picture is of a statue outside of the Parthenon...but I wanted to share because it was taken by my 8 year old. Methinks we have a budding photographer on our hands!(Those are full grown, adult women by the base of the statue...the thing was GINORMOUS!)

Nashville, Day 1: Adventure Science Center

We drove through the night and got into Nashville (or Nash-a-vayle according to Sophia) around 8am central time on St Patrick's Day. We hit up Cracker Barrel...YUM...and then since it was drizzly and chilly, we went on to the Adventure Science Center.

The kids (and the hubby, as you can see) had a blast. There was so much for them to do that they didn't know where to begin. They tested their reaction times with a hockey shootout scenario (not hard for my kids!), climbed up a huge spine, and even had the opportunity to see what it would be like to be in a wheelchair...they had to shoot a basketball, wheel up and down a ramp, and maneuver corners. It was a fun learning experience for everyone!

Favorites

These are my absolute FAVORITE pictures of our trip.

A Week in the Adirondacks. Part Two.

On Sunday, we headed up to Indian Lake, to spend the rest of our vacation with hubby's sister Debby and brother-in-law Mike. We had so much fun with them. The boys thoroughly enjoyed throwing their watermelon rinds over the bank behind the house so the bears could eat them (we didn't see any in person, thank God!). They loved roaming the woods by the house in search of the perfect marshmallow and weenie roasting sticks.
We did alot of swimming on the lake and in the river. (And when I say "we", I mean the kids and Debby. It was WAY too cold for me!)

Mike, Jonah and hubby skipping rocks across the river.

Sophia loved the water in the river until she fell over in it. She wasn't much of a fan after that.

We had a fire almost every night and we roasted weenies and made countless S'mores. Even Sophia got in on the action!

Hooray for nice weather!

It's been absolutely GORGEOUS here the last few days, so when the hubby got home from work this afternoon we headed to one of the many parks in base housing.

Hubby and the boys played some b-ball...

...while the Princess had a blast on the swing!

I tried to play some ball with the boys but was abruptly told by my oh so precious Jonah that I was "too old". Thanks son, thanks a lot.

Strawberry Pickin'

Today, the kids & I met up with some good friends and headed out to Boone Hall Plantation for their annual Lowcountry Strawberry Festival. We picked strawberries, the kids went on some rides, and we all had some deee-licious freshly churned, homemade strawberry ice cream.

As you can see, the kids were pretty worn out by the end of the afternoon, and fell asleep only minutes after we got into the car.

Five Years

My little man is 5 today. Last night as we were watching the Super Bowl, I kept thinking that five years ago I was doing the exact same thing (only a heck of alot later at night, because we were stationed in England then) only having contractions off and on during the game.

We had Jonah's party on Saturday at the bowling alley. He had a blast!

And I have to toot my own horn here, but I made Jo's cake and am so proud of how it turned out, that I just had to show it off!

Frugal How-To: Girl's Night Out

Here's my formula for how to have an inexpensive Girl's Night Out.

Dinner: Olive Garden-Endless salad & breadsticks for my meal, water to drink.Total after tip:$7

Entertainment: One ticket to see "Bride Wars" at the cheap theater: $4.75

Total damage done to the wallet: $11.75. Not too shabby for 5 hours out with the girls!

I did. What about you?

Found this on Vanessa's blog and thought it was fun! Play along if you wish- just copy & paste to your own blog, and bold the ones you've done, and italicize the ones you want to do.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (if playing in the band in high school counts I have!!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (Disney World)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Birth country, not birth city).
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (sadly, I did back when I was first on my own. Not a proud moment!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day