The End before the Beginning....

So, we just got back last night from a week of traveling. Our end of the summer trip, just before school starts again. Off we went, almost exactly as planned after Korey got out of work. We drove straight through to Louisville, KY to see his baby sister, Noelle and her family. Noelle's little girl has Leigh's disease, so I really felt it important to go and see them on our way down to Tennessee. Korey was a bit nervous, not wanting to see Taylor sick. We had a blast with them. I am so glad that we made this our first stop.




Our next leg of the trip was to visit Covie's brother. Covie is a "grandpa" figure to us. He passed away in January. Before he passed away, he told us how much his brother wanted to meet us. We told Covie we would visit him. We kept our promise and were able to visit and had a great time with him.



The final leg of our trip....2 more hours of driving to mom and dad's or "grandma and grandpa's". We got there late, but of course we stayed up later talking to mom and dad. Finally off to bed.....for a good nights sleep. We had a lot of fun while there. We went to Cades Cove...missed seeing the bears at least 2 times, by just minutes. The boys were disappointed. But we did see lots of deer and turkey. (Not just the turkeys I was travelling with....couldn't resist.) We also went to Gatlinburg, walked around, ate, took the ski lift up to the top and what a great view it was. Korey does not like heights, but he took it like a man, sucked it up and seemed to be having a good time.




On little Korey's 13th birthday we went horse back riding and into a cavern. It was a blast riding through a trail and then on the mountain. The cavern we walked in after the ride was the mountain that we rode on. It was really fun to do this as a family together. I knew that big Korey would like the cavern lots as well as little Korey. When we got back to grandma's and grandpa's we went out to dinner to celebrate lil Korey's birthday and had ice cream cake to top it off. We also went to Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. We went to the Nascar Speedpark. There my competitiveness came out and I was racing to win, no matter who I was racing against. I had to teach my newly 13 year old son, that I could kick is butt. Friend or foe, I was out to win. It was a blast. Racing against the boys and grandpa. I may not have "won" every time, but I was a TOUGH competitor. There were these other teens that were racing to win, and this was probably my favorite part of the day...seeing big Korey's face every time I would pass by him watching me race, him laughing cause I had 2 boys on my tail the entire time, trying to get past....they had faster cars than I did, but I out maneuvered them. Not allowing them to get pass me. Looking to my left, and quick to my right....trying to know their move before they did...oh, what a rush and what a blast! Korey could not believe that I would not just let them pass me. Had he not learned anything in nearly the 15 years we have been married. I am competitive. Yes, you may say that it is immature for an adult to go for blood on the track with a bunch of teens, but I wanted to let them know, I may be getting old, but not to count me out~ yes, Korey would have let them by eventually. I was going to,really I was, but then at the last minute, I couldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. I came in first, and then I retired. We all left that track laughing so hard, little Korey, proud of his mom for beating those boys. Giving me a high five, Jacob and Jordan waiting for me with the same high five of approval....that is how we roll. All for one, one for all. (Well, big Korey shook his head, laughing, but I knew what he was thinking.)


We had lots of fun with each other, and loved being at grandma's and grandpa's. It was sad to leave them, sadder to know it would be a while before we could see them again.