Chattanooga Nature Center & Incline Railway

Had a little family outing recently. First we stopped at the Chattanooga Nature Center. It was fun seeing the little reptiles they had inside. Then we went for a walk on their boardwalk. Ran out of time before they closed to walk the whole thing - but we got a good start.












They have this 'Tree House' in the back. An actual house built in a tree. It is so cool looking!











Then we did something we've been wanting to do for a while - to ride the Incline Railway. It's a mile ride straight up the side of Lookout Mountain. It was too cool.















Yup, we had fun!


















The view on the ride was beautiful looking into the Chattanooga valley.















We were watching the train leave from one of the observation decks.

It was a nice little family excursion!

More Family Reunion Fun

Here's the room with the tables all put together for us to have lunch. Yummy!












A serious (See next post for the lighter side. LOL) photo of grandma with her oldest daughter's family.












The next day everyone still here went to the TN Aquarium. They had enough people to get a group rate and here's Doreen with all the stickers everyone had to wear.









My precious Natalie and Joelle posing in front of a pond there.












After the aquarium everyone did a picnic and then the kids, and Aunt Becky, played in the awesome water fountain in Centennial Park.











The next morning, the final few of us had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. Here's Cousins Laura and Natalie as 'hip chicks!' He, he, he!












While we waited Grandma Joelle and Natalie were playing a bit of the mind game the have there!












We all got a HUGE laugh out of Grandma's reaction to her 'pancake' order, when went it came out loaded with Cherries and Whipcream.












Of course we had to take the cursory photo of everyone in the rocking chairs out front before we left.


More good memories!

Fun Family

We all had a ball together. Normally Grandma HATES - I REPEAT - HATES having pictures taken. She did great as we snapped away with all the family standing together. She even smiled! He, he, he!

So on one shot - I had to have a little fun with her! Ha, ha, ha!

F A M I L Y

Wednesday we had a 'mini' family reunion on Doreen's mom's side.

Doreen's cousin Ryan and family have been working in Thailand at our Mission College. They came back this summer for furloug and worked out a time for us to get together. That, thankfully, snowballed into a mini reunion where a bunch of Doreen's mom's side of the family got together for a lunch and an afternoon of visiting.

It was lots of fun - but hot!

I'll post more on it later. Gotta go for now!

"And the Smartest One in My Family Is..."

...Me! (According to Aunt Debbie.) ***GRIN***

Yesterday we were playing the game 'Set' at my In-laws house. Aunt Debbie was telling me that Joelle and Natalie played with them on Thursday and were finding actual sets and doing a good job. She told me that I had two very smart little girls.

I replied that I knew and pointed to my wife and said "they got their smarts from her!"

At that Aunt Debbie replied and said, "that makes you the smartest in your family because you chose her."

Oh yeah! :)

He, he, he!!!

"3 Sticks" Followup

Tuesday a Blood Assurance mobile came by work and so I gave.

When the lady stuck me to start the withdraw, I asked her if I was 'a hard stick?'

"Nope."

Hummmm.

Maybe the clinic I go to, to get lab work should train their personnel better! :)

Hummmmmm!!!!!

3 'Sticks' and You're OUT!

Today I had an experience that really sucked.

Here's the scoop. I have to go to my Dr in 4 weeks after starting my cholestrol medication to make sure it wasn't freakin out my liver enzimes. That requires a blood draw for the lab to analyze and to send me a report. Then I meet with my Dr and we go over the results and hope they everything is working the way it's supposed to.

So today I go in to the MRC lab to get my blood drawn to take to my Dr appointment next week.

Typically when I get my blood drawn for a lab test or a donation at the local blood clinic - it's a one stick deal and they get what they want and I'm done! I'm an easy stick.

NOT Today! The gal missed the vein in both arms and had to get the Nurse Practicioner to come in and get one on the back of my hand.

OY VAI!!!

Now I have to give props to my wife, because each time she gets her blood drawn she typically has them miss once and maybe even twice.

Three sticks for me and I wasn't sure about that third one that was eventually successful - she poked around a bit before finally striking red! Oh My Word!

Today, I came home and told Doreen that even though it may cost us a bit more for her to go to our Dr's lab - vs the clinic at my work, she definetly needs to go because it ain't worth it!

No siree bob it surely ain't! Maybe I'll take my own blood sucker in and have her show how it is done - competently!

Not a fun start to the day! The rest was great though! Thank goodness!!!

Going Bald

Before we left on our trip, Joelle asked me the next time I get a haircut if she could do it and shave it 'bald.'
So I said yes!










Natalie got in on the act too.














Every time I take a trip for work I have to be clean shaven. So on our vacation I put a moritorium on shaving and grew a bit of a beard. Joelle wanted to shave that too. So she did!








Here I am with no hair at all! I kinda like it! May keep it that way during the summer!

Strawberries

On the way home from the airport on Sunday a friend called and asked if they wanted to come out to their place and pick some strawberries. So we said yeah!











We got out there early in the morning to avoid the heat of the day. We're back in TN and it gets hot here! :)












My girls got into the job. Of course they ate a few...

















... but then so did I! They did fantastic and filled their little baskets full.


















Joelle and her friends real proud of their pickins! :)













Doreen and her Grandma gettin' em ready to freeze to eat later!

Yummy!

Sunset on our Colorado Vacation

Had to take one more picture to end our trip. As we were coming in for the landing in Nashville, TN on our return flight home, I looked out the window and caught this sunset shining off the wing of our airplane.

So peaceful - kind of a fitting end to our trip!

It was a really nice way to wrap up our vacation.

Thank you to all involved. We thoroughly enjoyed most of it! :)

Until next time - blessings y'all!

Signs of our Trip

This was our destination for our vacation, Montrose, CO. Home of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and my folks!
It'd been almost 3 years since our previous visit. That is definetly too long! It was good to be back.

Funny story about this sign. Stopped to find a 'geocache' here and get a photo. Unfortunatly my youngest daughter just as we were going to snap another photo got stung in her hand by a wasp guarding it's nest that was right behind them - in this photo. Poor little girl!

She cried for a bit, but bounced back like a real trooper!


Before our trip, we spend the day in Nashville with my in-laws. Here my father-in-law is taking a picture of a speed limit sign of 24 mph.I show you this picture...











...to share this one with you - a speed limit sign in our campground next to the Arches National Monument of 5 1/2 mph. Odd eh?! :)












We all enjoyed this park and the indian ruins.













A sign helping us to find the Bar-D chuckwagon. "That-a-way!" :) Yup we found it!







They didn't have your typical 'Stop' sign at the Bar-D either! :)







An amazing park that most of us had never been too before.













Beauty and heat combined for an interesting day here!













A Mini grand- canyon that isn't so mini!

Beautiful Sights!

Can you believe this beautiful view is in downtown Nashville?....



...yup right in the Opry Land Hotel!



Our first outing in Colorado - Ouray. This is Red Mountain and beautiful!



From the top of Flat Top in Montrose. I love those Adobe hills.



Telluride - this is Telluride at its best!



So MUCH history in this canyon where the indians built their home in the cliffs. Awesome!



We had ALL four seasons while on this trip and here's a photo of a tree at Mesa Verde with a hint of snow still at the base. Yes in at the end of May we had snow.



Early in the morning at Mesa Verde, it was beautiful how low the clouds came down on the mountains.



The first waypoint one can stop in the Arches National Park, is absolutely beautiful. I just had to stand there and take in the vastness of it all.



While at the Arches we had the opportunity to climb around them and heres a photo I took looking through the North Window Arch at the Turret Arch. Yes!!!



Snapped this photo as we headed out of the Arches park the last time towards sundown. Man it was beautiful!



Taking ATV's and a motorcycle up to the top of a mountain in Colorado Rockies was one of the most awesome things we did. I loved this view and had to stop to get the Aspen tree in the fore ground with the open fence and the snowcapped mountain in the background. Awe inspiring!



Who says that Dandilions can't be pretty. I definetly thought they were in this field.

We got to see so much more. Didn't always take a picture, but I have the view in my memory to enjoy forever!

God done good at His creation!!!