Summer with the Fam

Here we have some pictures from the family trip to Pigeon Forge, including a trip to Dollywood, the Dinosaur Museum, and the Smokies. Then we have some lovely pictures from the family birthday celebration. Enjoy!


The boys packed up and ready to embark on the amazing day at Dollywood!

Rachel being absolutely thrilled to be going to Dollywood! No sarcasm, she was just really excited.

One of my favorite pics. Please just take a moment to let this sink in . . .

Jake and Will on the Bee ride. Will had a good time steering and pressing the buttons as Jake sat back and watched.

Another ride in the kids section of Dollywood. The duck ride was a fave, especially since Jake kept referring to the ducks as Donald Duck.

Will and Gramps, havin a good ole time in Dollywood!

Jacob had a good time playing in the water, fully clothed. Funny while we were up in the play place thing we just kind of wandered into the water section and next thing you know Jake and I are both soaking wet and having 5 year olds shoot at s with water guns. It got intense out there.

Will wasn't so sure about the whole water play park thing. I think he was a little baffled.


Right across from the kids playplace there was a store that sold fun hats, and since the Veggie Tales Vikings were pretty popular that day both Will and Jake got viking hats. And Daddy decided to wear the hat as well.

After purchasing the viking hats we saw several kids inthese hats that looked like dragons, so Jacob had to have one. He absolutely loved it and kept roaring like dragon.

Passed out after a long, hard day of playing at Dollywood.

On the way to our place in Pigeon Forge there was a Dinosaur Museum, almost right across from where we turned to get to our cabin. So, of course, Jacob really wanted to go. This would be him digging up fossils, more like playing in the sandbox, in the museum.

I love this picture because Daddy is like "Look up here Jacob," and Jacob is like "What the heck are you talking about?" Add your own captions if you so choose, I just found it amusing.

At the dinosaur museum most of the dinosaur replicas looked pretty cool. But this one dinosaur's teeth cracked me up. I just thought they were really . . .special.

This would be Jacob frolicking along the trail in the remains of a fireplace. He had a pretty fun time on that mini hike. Oh, and notably creepy fact: There was a creek alongside the trail so we went down to it to explore. Well, when we got down there, there were wet footprints on some of the rocks, and I mean like barefeet footprints. And there was no one around in barefeet. CREEPY! Moving on . . .

I just love this picture because James looks like he's taking orders from a drill seargent. Too funny . . .

This would be Jacob "climbing the mountain." He wanted to go to the mountains the whole time we were up there. I'm not quite sure he got the concept that we were actually in the mountains. But at least he had this little romp and afterwards he said he climbed the mountain.

Me and Will during our little excursion in the Smokies.

Rachel and Jacob overlooking Cumberland Gap in the Smokies.

This would be me with Will and Jacob enjoying my delicious 19th birthday cake! Momma never lets me down with my birthday cake :-)

I think that Jacob firmly believes that any cake that he has should be eaten like it is at his birthday party and he can just rip into it and get it all over his face. But, hey, at least he has a good time doing it right?

Will found a new buddy at the b-day party. This picture was taken right after Stan pulled up in the driveway. Will saw that it was him and automatically reached for him. They enjoy the quiet moments of just observing the action.

I think Jacob enjoyed the whole chillin on a float thing better than actually swimming.

Post-swimming extravaganza. Good times were had by all, even if Jacob wouldn't jump into the pool.

A very awkward looking picture, but cute nonetheless. JP, Will, and Anna Grace at the summer birthday gathering.

This would be from a little swimming trip I took with Rachel and the boys. Fun times in the swimming pool. If only Jacob would let go of us and swim on his own . . .