Vacation - TN Day 1

I can never pack ahead of time so this is what I was doing Friday night before we left on Saturday morning.

We were concerned about Keaton getting car sick. I prayed and asked for God to help him with this and thankfully he didn't get sick at any time during the trip. This is very unusual for him, but he fell asleep a couple times during the trip. He would wake up and want to know if we were in TN yet! :)

Tony - our chauffeur - Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg, TN....here we come! YEA! We made it! We stayed in Pigeon Forge at the Willow Brook Lodge. It was so pretty! Love all the fall decorations. The entrance to the Willow Brook Lodge. We made it to our room just in time to catch the second half of the AL vs Ole Miss game! Roll Tide! Keaton & Tony relaxing after a long ride and watching the Tide roll! After recouping, we went out to explore the town. I just love all the bears!

Isn't this the cutest thing? This was in the lobby of the Willow Brook.

The lobby was decorated very festive for fall.

Keaton & I sitting at the table in the lobby. Right behind me was a sign that said, "Go Vols." I told Tony to be sure he didn't get that in the picture. The lady behind the desk laughed.

Later in the evening we went to our favorite little store - 3 Bears General Store. We love to go in here and look around. They also have live bears that you can see and feed. Tony tried to get some pictures, but they didn't turn out.

Keaton posing with some of the "not so live" bears.

Keaton & Tony

We got someone to take our picture. Sorry, it's kinda blurry.

Loving those bears!

For supper we stopped by Burger King to get Keaton some chicken and then we went to Logan's Roadhouse for a delicious steak & baked potato!

Young Patriots Chapter Of The National Elementary Honor Society

Keaton along with other students in grades fourth through sixth were inducted into the Young Patriots Chapter of the NEHS of CCA on Monday evening, October 5th. Each inductee was given a certificate of membership. Their first of four projects is the "Operation Christmas Shoe Box" for needy children across the world.

At CCA...getting ready to go in for the ceremony

Drew & Keaton

A few of the 5th grade girls

Principal Gottshall speaking during the ceremony

Receiving their certificates

Giving God ALL the glory and praise for the way He has helped Keaton!

So proud of you, son!

Drew, Chandler & Keaton

After the ceremony, we were severed refreshments of cake & punch.

Look what I found in the monkey grass!

Look what I found in my planter beside the chimney! No, it wasn't a monkey, but it was Sam, the beagle, laying in the monkey grass!

He made him a nice soft bed.

Don't know if the monkey grass will stand back up again or not, but it was cute to see him laying there!

WMS Bible Study & Fellowship

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high..."Heb. 1:1-3

The WMS ladies met at Barbara Rush's house for a Bible Study on the book of Hebrews 1-2

and then afterwards enjoyed food and fellowship.

Some of the ladies...

Teresa (Donna's sister), Donna Bass, Sirena & Samantha Carter, Kathie Clark, Sis. Dorothy, Karen

back row -- Loretta Atchison, Juanita Harrison

Some more of the ladies....Rebecca Atchison, Lisa Drewry, MaryCharles Stewart Barbara & MaryCharles getting the refreshments ready.

Becca & Me!

~Making memories~

Samantha is one of my Sunday School girls~She is a sweetheart!

So glad she could come with her mom.

Everyone heading toward the kitchen

MaryCharles & Barbara

Isn't the table pretty?

We had lots of yummy food!

And lots of yummy desserts!

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We had a fun evening of studying God's Word and fellowshiping with one another!

So thankful for my church family!!

Some of my birthday lute!

When I got home from work, my sis-in-law, Sarah had this wonderful cake sitting on my kitchen counter. It was all I could do to get the picture taken before digging in! It was good!

Carole gave me this Alabama platter!

Keaton had to have his picture taken with it.

He said that he wanted to eat off of it every night!

Roll Tide, that's my boy!

Roll Tide!

I have this sitting in my kitchen. Sarah knows how much I love candles. She and the kids gave me this one with 3 different flavors to it. Smells so good. Love my Vera Bradley!

Kathie, Matthew & our friend Judy took me out for my birthday lunch this week.

We went to El Rancheros. I thought that was my birthday present, but then they surprised me with this Vera purse! I just love it! Also, had the id holder to go with it!

This basket of goodies is from my other sis-in-law Emily! I always love to see what see comes up with. It so much fun to go through the basket and see what all kind of goodies are hidden in there. She can just throw anything together and make it look like a million bucks! **************************************** I also got lots of sweet birthday cards, and birthday wishes from my Facebook friends too! Thanks to all my family & friends for making this another very special birthday!

Our great niece's 1st birthday!

Celebrating our great niece's 1st birthday!

Tony's great niece Raven was born on my birthday - Sept 6, 2008!

Of all the September birthdays in our family, she picked mine!

Her pretty high chair and birthday hat that her grandma Emily made.

Raven and her great-grandmother Sandra & Raven Proud grandpa Donnie!

Raven opening her gifts!

She is the first child that I have ever seen open her own presents at her first birthday party. Keaton didn't want to have any part of his gifts. But she sat right there and opened every one of them. She was so much fun to watch!

More presents!

Wonder what's in there?

She had to have a bite of cookie before her birthday cake!

The pretty little birthday girl!

Her birthday hat was pretty, but she didn't really like to wear it!

The birthday cupcake!

Yummy!

Happy 1st birthday, Raven!