November Happenings

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us the Christmas season is in full force. We had a lot of good times in November so I thought I better recap before the holiday craziness begins. 

Living Wax Museum

I'm not joking when I say I dread this project (I'm sure Ella does too). It is only for third and fourth grade so luckily it's now behind us. This year, Ella picked someone from Indiana, wrote a paper about them, and prepared a small presentation. The day of I was SO nervous for her. Ella is not big on speaking in front of people so I knew it would be hard for her. 

Ella chose Katie Douglas who is a former Purdue and Indiana Fever basketball player. I was so glad she picked her, because I knew it would be an easy costume. Last years project was a little more complicated!

 Ella had her entire cheering squad behind her. Since she was so nervous I knew she would appreciate the support, and she did. Overall, it went pretty well, and I'm glad it's over for her! :) I am so proud of how far Ella has come over the years!

Once we put that behind us it was time for Thanksgiving break!! 

We did Thanksgiving with Adam's side of the family the Sunday before, and spent Thanksgiving Day with my family. It was such a pretty day. Once we ate we were outside a lot. The girls (and some of the adults) played in the leaves. I do enjoy Thanksgiving and the good lunch we had, but I get more excited that it's the kickoff to Christmas season. :) 

Adam LOVES pictures so much!!

Friday morning we headed to French Lick for the Polar Express. I absolutely love going to French Lick the day after Thanksgiving. We haven't gone the past few years, and it hasn't been the same. 

We stopped by the train when we got there to get some pictures. 

Once we checked in we hit up the bounce houses in the ballroom. Paige was in seventh heaven. The big girls walked around the hotel looking at the shops and decorations. 

I didn't think we would ever get her out of here. 

We have been doing Polar Express together since 2011. We have racked up so many good memories together! 

From our first Polar Express together...

Until Now... I'd say these kids have aged us. :) 

This guy has been at Polar Express since we started going.

Paige was a little unsure of him and all his hair...

This is the first year we were actually given golden tickets. 

Picking up Santa at the North Pole...

Paige got into the singing and dancing but was terrified when Santa came through. 

The French Lick hotel is magical at Christmastime. 

The lobby is gorgeous and decked out in Christmas decor. 

After the train ride, we ate dinner and hit up the pool. It was a long, fun day. I don't think I have been that exhausted in a long time. 

The girls slept in my parent's room, and the long day didn't seem to bother them at all. 

After a recovery day, we headed to the circus on Sunday. It's fun being able to experience all this again. Ella has grown out of the circus, and Paige is now at the age where she is ready for all these fun activities. 

I was able to get us front row seats, and it was so fun being so close to all the action. The Hadi Funsters were all around which would have been fun if Paige liked clowns. One gave her a balloon dog which she loved. 

My mom came along with us, and I'm so glad she did. 

When I took this picture a clown came up behind me to try to get Paige to laugh, and it obviously backfired. She was TERRIFIED. I think they had won her over by the time the circus was almost over. 

A clown handed Paige this flower balloon when they were doing the clown parade. I think it made her day! 

Bello Nock (from America's Got Talent) was there, and he was very entertaining. I enjoyed this circus a lot more than I have in the past. 

Paige loved the bubbles!

It was such a fun, busy November. We had a great kickoff to the Christmas season. Stay tuned for December happenings. Hopefully, I can get that out before Christmas is over! 

Fall Break - Gatlinburg 2018- Part 2

On Tuesday we headed to the Ripley's Aquarium. We were up and out of our cabin by 8:45 that morning which is a record for us. We are usually not morning people, but things aren't as crowded in the morning. I love getting an early start on vacation.. the rest of the family would disagree. :) 

Paige loved the "fishies". 

This is my favorite part of the aquarium. I love walking through the tunnel and seeing the fish through the glass above. 

The left is Ella just before starting kindergarten and on the right is Ella in fourth grade. She is growing up so fast!

The sting rays were my favorite. 

This penguin reminded us of one of our dogs. He could not keep his eyes open!

After the aquarium, we walked to the sky lift. Gatlinburg is so pretty in the fall but it was definitely unseasonably warm. The leaves were just beginning to change color.

Adam and Ella rode the chair lift while Paige and I watched. I wanted to go again, but she was not having it. 

We ate lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Gatlinburg, and then headed back to rest before our dinner show. 

That night, we went to Dixie Stampede which is a dinner show. It was SO fun. We all enjoyed it. The food was really good (minus having to use your hands to eat), and the show was very entertaining. Paige was so engrossed she didn't eat a thing but was ready to eat at the end once they had cleared all the food. 

They take your picture before the show, and I couldn't resist buying them. It was a good family memory! 

The show included horses, ponies, bulls, pigs, and chickens. My favorite part was watching the piglets race.  

Paige still talks about these "princesses". She loved this part. 

The smile on her face says it all!

On our last day, we rented a Can Am open air type vehicle to drive through the Smokey Mountains National Park. 

It was really fun but really LOUD! You couldn't even hear yourself think. Besides the noise, it was the perfect car to ride up those windy roads!

We pulled off quite a few times to enjoy the views. It was so pretty. The further up we went the colder it got, and the more fall like it was. 

You would never know by looking at Paige, but it was so cold. We were not dressed for the occasion since it was hot in downtown Gatlinburg. 

These views were incredible. I could have pulled over every few minutes to enjoy them!

Ella was the only one smart enough to bring a sweatshirt.

Enjoying the fresh air!!

We had a great trip. I wasn't sure what to expect from Gatlinburg since we hadn't been in almost five years, but we had a great time. It was nice a break from work, school..life in general! I can't wait for our next adventure!