BLINK: Spring Break 2010

Oh Wow! What a whirl-wind trip. We have been back home for 2 weeks and my head is still spinning.
Our first week of Spring break this year was spent with family and friends on the homefront. We enjoyed our first beach day of the year with the Sine family. The weather was beautiful and the waves were kind. Amongst the packing for the trip and R&R, we also squeezed in a trip to the movies and a day at Sea world.

Mom and Dad came down for Easter and we enjoyed the entire day together counting our Easter blessings. I was thrilled that the kids waited until the sun came up to before they made their way downstairs to check out their Easter goodies. Our typical Easter morning included the egg hunt, a treasure hunt and our traditional Easter BRUNCH. Yum.

OFF we go!

We got to see Stacey (Johnson) Bradley and meet her new bundle of Joy, Owen (4 mos old). It is always good to see old friends...and, boy, we go all the way back to Brownie Girl Scouts. Just picture us in our little brown beanies.

Leah and her kids Otto (7) and Britta (4) were out for a visit from W.VA. We had a great time, although brief, catching up with each other.

After a slight mix up with the rental car at the airport ( I reserved at Reagan.....we flew into Dulles) we were heading to the Ross' families new home in Alexandria, VA. We arrived at 11pm and ready for our head to hit the pillow. Kris and Clint waited up for us and we got to see the kids first thing the next morning. It was so nice to hang out with the cousins and we really just spent a lot of time relaxing and visiting.

Mason hung out with Kristi and the cousins while I took the BIG kids to Mt. Vernon. The museum was very hands on and kid friendly. We could have spent an entire day just in the museum alone, but, then we would have missed the amazing grounds and mansion. The kids loved touring the mansion. The "oh-no" walls and Washington's dentures were a big hightlight. Tom would have loved Washington's state of the art greenhouse and his gardens.

Uncle Clint gave us our own personal tour of the white house where he works in the military office. We got the inside scoop on the East wing and were in awe just walking the halls where our former president's once lived. We finished up our days in DC with a trip to the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. So much to see and so much to do. I do think that the mammals exhibit and the dinosaurs was a favorite.

Once Tom arrived at the end of the week we were able to spend some time with Jay and Gail and their boys as well as Grandma Suzie. We had a relaxing day playing with the cousins before we began the drive to Gatlinburg.

We arrived at our humble cabin in the woods in Gatlinburg, TN just before the sun went down. Standing on the deck with the my brothers and sister and their families, sipping on a cocktail as we looked out over the Smokey mountains we knew this was going to be a great week. Swimming in the mountain stream, hiking to the waterfall, picnicing at the historical cabin, Ripley's ...believe it or not museum, Bubba Gump's, Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, stitching leather, polar bear plunge, hot tub dips, and The sound of Music kids performance. So many memories, but nothing tops the time we had sharing a week in our lives with the most amazing family around.

Up in the Smokey Mts. of Tennessee

Grandma and Grandpa
11 grandkids and counting

The Girls

Gabbi, Kristi, Grama, Kerri and Niki

with Oliver, Claire, Lainey and Maddie

Kerri, Grama Tina and Kristi

The boys

Tom, Brian, Clint, Grampa and Troy

with Claire, MK and Mason below

Gabbi parked her double jogger on the front porch and within a matter of a day a little bird decided it was a perfect spot to create a home. Too bad the birdie had to most likely start from scratch.

Uncle Clint checking out our cool front door

Oliver, Granmpa Brian and Uncle Brian

Here is the Carrasco clan at the Dolly Pardon Dixie Stampede. The kids loved the fact that ALL the food served was to be eaten by our hands, no utensils were provided...kinda messy, but that's how they do it in Tennessee (: Uncle Clint got in on the action in the arena by participating and losing(sorry Clint) the toilet seat toss (think horseshoes). It was a fun night.