The Redd's: Smokey Mountains

We decided to celebrate Crawford's 2nd Birthday in the Smokey mountains. Corinne, Cathleen, and I always talk about getting away and since this was convenient for us all we thought it would be a great way to spend Crawford's birthday. Brad's parents and brother and wife also joined us on Saturday for Crawford's actual birthday. The house was perfect. It had 3 stories so the kids could be on any of the levels while others were sleeping on another level. They had giant bathtubs in the rooms and a hot tub so the kids had a ball. Crawford just adores all his cousins and couldn't wait to chase them all over the house. When we first arrived we met at the world's biggest LED light show that is programmed to music. It was called shadrack and it was really neat! Ryan, Hayden, Cathleen, Crawford, Brad, and me drove through the lights and then stopped to watch the lights dance to various Christmas songs. Then we all got out and went and saw the petting zoo (llamas, ostrich, sheep, etc), said hello to Santa, and rode on a a kiddie train that they loved. Then we stopped to grab dinner and then went on to the house.

On Friday we got up and got everyone ready to go to Ripley's aquarium in Gatlinburg. I think all 4 of the kids had a ball. They would stop and watch the fish at the various places, then we got to go on a moving ramp to watch all the sharks!

Ryan was so sweet she wanted me to teach her about all the fish and so I would read her all the descriptions.

On the moving sidewalk looking for sharks.

It's a hoot trying to keep up with 4 little munchkins! Hayden's so sweet and always lets us hold her and love on her

Aunt Cat with Ryan and Hayden

Above: There was a kid play area where the kids could run through tunnels and stick there head through peep holes!

Oh look all the kids are trying to take a picture and there is Crawford thinking "yeah right suckers I'm not sitting here"

After stopping to pick up a few ornaments for keepsakes we went home and Cathleen started making dinner and I did crafts with the girls. We made Santa faces with paper plates and cotton balls and the girls loved it!

Such a fun weekend with my sissys!

Ryan is such a big girl now and takes her crafts seriously.

Craw cheesing having the best time with his cousins. He would pop up wide awake in the middle of the night while we were there saying "haaa-deen" so cute

                                        Ryan wanted to do more crafts after dinner so I pulled out sugar cones and
                                       we painted them with green icing to decorate them as "christmas trees" and
                                       then added sprinkles and M&Ms.

then Hayden and Crawford joined in on the fun!

Saturday December 15th was Crawford's birthday and I will do a separate post to highlight the day!

That morning the kids all piled into the hot tub and the girls just loved it and so we let Craw get in for a few minutes and he loved it just as much! Then we all got ready and waited for Nana, Bom-paw, Brian, Amy, Hope and Carter to come over.

On Sunday we all got up and packed up and Corinne and Cathleen hit the road. We decided to meet Brad's family at Wonderworks which is like a science type museum. Below the kids got to experience an earthquake.

Viewing themselves in a giant screen with different types of imaging.

Next up was hurricane like wind simulation

We got to hold our hands in water that was as cold as the waters the night the Titantic sunk and you could time yourself to see how fast people had to drop due to hypothermia.

Crawford loved having Hope to share in all the fun with. Brad, Brian and I got to do a "space walk" aka a ropes obstacle type course and it was so freaky. I felt so scared of heights and nervous the whole time.