Well, the yesterday started out with DH asking if we wanted to go to Dollywood. I had to remind him that they were closed on Thursdays (he thought it was Wednesday). So he asked where we wanted to go...and for some dumb reason...I said Laurel falls. I'm just not the hiking kind of person. I like nature, don't get me wrong. I just don't find it fun to walk up a hill that never seems to end. So, for anyone else out there like me, here are some pictures from our little escapade to Laurel Falls. (Side note: While we were walking we were also discussing a blog from another person that I had read. It's about life in the 1500's.)

DS1 lagged behind with me while the others 'ran' up the hill. Not sure what the big rush was..anyways..DS2 comes running back down. This time he was really running. He asked from my camera and then RAN back off. DS1 and I were wondering why would he want the camera NOW? So give me another couple of minutes and I catch back up with them and there is a bear on the trail. Here is the best pic that DH took. OOOOHHHH...excitement.

 

Well, after an exciting walk straight up a mountain (at least it was paved), we arrived at the falls. Several hundred pictures later, here is the only one I will post. Not that the rest weren't any good, I just don't feel like uploading five hundred pictures.

 

This one is from the littles and their daddy getting water from a spring on the way back down. (We had cups.)



This one my DD insists I put on here, since she posed and told me to put it on my blog. Here goes:

 

That's all the pics from Laurel Falls. When we left there we had to stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center for reasons we will not speak of, but while we were there we visited the museum they have inside. The kids love looking at all the goodies they have and they have lots. So, if you've never been and you are in the area, it is well worth the trip in because it's FREE! (so was the above hike) Not to mention, they have a BOOKSTORE and I love books.

After the center, we traveled into Gatlinburg. I have stopped by this one place that we went to a couple of times, but the road was closed. Not today!!! It's the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. You drive for awhile before you see a building (which is what I was after). Here is the cabin at Jim Bale's place. I only know that because that's what it says in the booklet I spent $1 on at the above bookstore. This stop also has two other buildings, a barn and a corn crib.

 

Here is a picture of some really cool grass in the backyard. I don't know what kind it is, but I loved it. Totally random, but better than the pic that DH wanted me to post. It's of rocks in the yard. He says that was a sign of laziness. I say there were just too darn many to pick up!

 

Apparently my kids will go anywhere I tell them so I can take their picture. Here they are on a huge rock in the middle of the river. Dh went with them of course. All I had to do was mention that I would take their pic if they got on that rock there. lol



Next stop was the Ephraim Bales cabin. This one housed nine kids. I reminded the kids that they thought our little four bedroom house was small...sheesh.

 

In front of the fireplace there is a hole under the floor. I guess they used to keep potatoes in it (again from the booklet). My DS2 had to investigate further. (I'm sure this was breaking some sort of law, but they shouldn't put it in a booklet that a 10 yo will be reading).

 

The kids were convinced that this was a chicken house. Until we read the sign that it is a hog pen. We are still trying to figure out how they would get in that small door.

 

This next place, the Alfred Reagan place, I'm truly jealous of. They have everything. I thought the last place was cool because they had a neat creek in the backyard. Well, this place has one in the front with a grist mill. Plus, this one is painted. It says in my little handbook that it was painted with all three colors that Sears sold. The colors would still be trendy today. The middle door goes upstairs to an attic that has 'two' rooms that join in the back. You just go up the stairs and step onto either side. Neat!

 

Plus, look at this really nice china cabinet/pantry behind the stair well. I've never seen one like this in any other old house. I want one.

 

Here is the backside of the house. It was built on later, along with the upstairs. I guess they ran out of paint. We were commenting on how it looked like some of the older houses that are still around today.

 

Later on down the road, you find another waterfall. This one is on the side of the road, Place of a 1000 drips. I guess it's better in rainy weather which hasn't been here for sometime. There is a cave looking place in the top of it. The boys were seriously wanting to go up and take a look...NOT!

 

Well, this concludes my tour. We are wanting to go back and check it out again sometime. I can't believe I've never been there before (that I can remember). Again, it was free all but that gloriously high gas. There is another waterfall in the midst of this trail. You have a 1.4mile hike to get to it. I guess we are going back to do that one. What have I gotten myself into?

Yesterday's classes at WWW were a hit and miss with the kiddos. DS1 stayed at my Mom's house (who happens to live shortly behind the hotel) for the first one. He showed back up for the guitar class. We weren't the only homeschoolers there. Amy Beth and her girls were there also. This will be the first time I had really seen her since high school. My family has just thought that I made her up until yesterday. They remarked after class that they were surprised she was real. When we got home and I told DH about the class and her being there, he asked me if I was lying. I'm not sure why no one believed that she was real. STRANGE!!!

Today's class was about rocks. Not just ordinary rocks, some of these glowed (with the help of black lights). I gave the camera to DS2 to take some pics. Boy did he ever, he took 47 pictures. He had the guy pausing in front of him to take the picture. After class, we had to go to the library to get some rock books. I figured they would come home and try to dig up some rocks of their own. NOPE. We are however going to make geodes at some point today. We've had that one planned out all week. After DS2 seen the big one the guy had, he wants a huge one. I'm going to have to order a huge quantity of alum for that one. He has this huge kickball he is willing to slice open and make one in. GOOD LUCK! I'll let ya'll know how that one turns out.

< Here > is a neat link that I've saved for times like this one. The kids are having a blast on it.

Here are some pics from today....

arsenic

big geode

The kids and I visited Wilderness Wildlife Week (day one, for us) today. We had a list of classes to attend, but the one that stood out the most was the dowsing. DS2 was the most thrilled. I was so proud of him, he got up and participated in front of a big room FULL of people. There weren't that many kids there, actually including my three...the total was four. Charlie Monday, the speaker, and his wife said that kids take to the dowsing quicker than adults. I'm still a little skeptical on the whole thing.

Well, just as soon as we got home. The kids found some metal coat hangers and made their own rods. Off to the family cemetery they went. I think they were hoping to find some unmarked graves (he spoke of that happening). They even tried to sex the bodies in the marked graves. I'm sure of three of them. The other three buried there are babies that I'm not sure of. Even there names don't tell me anything....strange names. One of the others was also a baby, but I know that one is a boy.

After the graves, they were off to find some water. According to DS2, we have a river running all around our house. I sure hope we don't float away, we're about to finish the newest part of the house. Here's a picture of the upstairs living room. We'll have the one upstairs for everyone, one downstairs for DH and his friends to use, and the classroom will be in the one that was intended for kid use only. Oh well, I'd rather have a big classroom than a place for them to just play games.

We have classes lined up all week for the WWW. Tomorrow the favorite class seems to be Intro to Acoustic Guitar. Can't wait.

The kids and I visited Dollywood on Thursday to renew our passes. We lucked out and it wasn't busy at all.

For all of you homeschoolers, they have a homeschool day with all kinds of activities, at a discounted rate too.

Here are a few pics of our recent adventure:

This is a taffy/candy stove in the candy shop.

Here is something you don't see everyday. This is a 'water tree'. It has water coming out at the bottom.

While my older son rode the Tennessee Tornado, the other two kids played with this little friend. He was busy eating bugs.

My DD got a duck to eat out of her hand. My DS1 got to pet this little duckie.

WOW! They won the pie eating contest. At least now I don't have to cook them dinner.

My DS2 had promised his older brother that he would ride a roller coaster with him. Well, he ventured onto the Thunderhead no problem. Now the new ride, the mystery mine, was another deal. You can watch the riders go upside down and he wasn't going for that one. He did finally ride it two times.

Was anyone there besides us?  Of course, I didn't recognize anyone.  They didn't have their blog name posted across their t-shirts.  We met alot of interesting people though.  Here is our day.... well, some of it.

The kids started out by watching Tim make clay pots and bowls.  They found this the most interesting.  We stood here for a good 30minutes.  I guess they loved it because they got to play with clay the day before.

The kids were signed up for some craft classes.  Oldest had wood carving. <--not what I was expecting.  Middle had leather working.  He loved it.  Youngest had the cornshuck dolls.  She is definitely making more.

I was surprised to see the Beaver Creek area.  My kids do that exact same thing, just here in the yard when it rains.  We have a little ditch that runs around part of our property.  They make little "boats" out of whatever, and watch them go down stream.  Let me just say, they got soaking wet.  I guess that's what laying down in a stream will do for you.

We can't forget the wildlife.  This lonely little eagle who didn't have any water to drink.  The kids were worried.  This huge goldfish.  We were waiting on one to eat a duck.  We also got to see two turtles.  My youngest just had to have photo.  Gotta love him.  Thank God the pictures are digital.  You should see him with a disposable camera.  Finished in ten seconds flat.

Well, I am so glad to be back home.  We came back with two more stuffed animals and one huge ball, that no one wanted to carry.  It was a great experience.  I just hoped to put some faces to blogs.  Later days I'm sure.

Saturday was a day of fun without the sun.  The family and I all went to visit Tuckaleechee Caverns in Townsend.  That's not too far a drive from home.  We had recently went to Forbidden Caverns and we had not ever been to this cave.  The kids had fun.

I had gotten really excited when the tour guide mentioned a waterfall at the end of the tour.  I really didn't like it when he said that we had to walk back up the 80something stairs to get back out.  What a workout.  Whew.  I made it though.

This cave is something to see and touch.  Since it is a dead cave, you can touch the formations.  You even get to drink from the stream at the cave's own beach.  I didn't, but you can. 

This is a photo of the waterfall.  This picture just doesn't do it justice.  I am not a professional photographer.

Well, next time I go in a cave, I hope to go to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga.