Knoxville!

We went to Knoxville to visit family. It was a great end of the summer trip, and we had so much fun!

The poster Jacob made for Jon. We hung it up in the kitchen.

We rode on a Megabus there and back because it was so cheap. It was a pretty good experience...until we got in trouble for using wipe off markers on the windows...

When we first got on in Memphis

This is how high we were up on the double decker.

Life is rough...

This is on the way to Knoxville...this first bus driver apparently didn't care what her passengers did...

 

 

Truly, the best surprise of the bus. Outlets. 

 Oh the technology...

That first day on the way up we were able to spread out. It was a very pleasant trip. 

Jacob is actually lying on the floor...yes, it was gross. Did I care? No,  HE WAS LEAVING ME ALONE.

A semi is going past us. Our level was higher up than the cab of it. They thought it was cool at first...

I took this just because it was funny that when Morgan wiped off her window the wipe had her handprint on it. Now it just serves as evidence that we cleaned up after ourselves...

Morgan wrote this with the colored pencils that Aunt Debbie bought, on the notebook from Aunt Debbie. This was on the way home ;)

Before getting in trouble. Gee I'm glad we didn't mess up that top-notch cracked window....

Who wouldn't want this on their bus??? I think Megabus should just make it part of their slogan...

We were walking in Gatlinburg and saw an airbrush shop with this example in the window. It has a Halo man on it (Jacob's fave video game) and his name!! Oh the excitement.

Morgan found this shirt in a shop and had to have it. Even though the smallest one was an adult small. She tied up the side in a ponytail. It says "Rock Star." Goober.

We were going to go tubing but got rained out. As we were heading home, it stopped raining and decided to go for a helicopter ride instead!

Waiting for our turn.  The helicopter was taking off with another group. 

 

About to take off...she was so excited she couldn't look at me :)

 ditto....

In the air!

Home depot!

Hard to see but the Smoky Mountains are in the background.

Aunt Debbie and Grammy waving at us. 

Jacob was so funny because when Lily and Anderson were at Aunt Debbie's he would get quite annoyed with them for messing up whatever domino or Lego creation he was working on. But then Friday night neither one was there and he said, "I'm so sad that there are no babies here tonight..."

We are going to have to get Morgan over this shy phase she is going through...

 

Just as I was aiming to take a pic of the half moon Lily was sporting, I noticed my son's underwear sticking out of his pants. Sigh. 

Noah's birthday was this weekend and we celebrated by playing Pin The Tail On The Donkey when he wasn't even there...

But then he was there and we had cake. And brownies. And cupcakes. And ice cream. It's a shame how we deprive the children in our family.

Jacob found Uncle Vince's hats...

Lily wasted no time with Morgan.  They were having a Barbie party. 

The boys. Doing what boys do.

 

Mario balloon!

Mom got Lily a princess pig.  Yes, I said a princess pig.  She has clothes and talks. And snores, I think. As mom was opening the package and assembling the whole thing, Lily watched SO PATIENTLY AND WITH TOTAL AWE. Totally and completely opposite of how Morgan and Jacob have ever acted. I am sure Mom didn't know what to do with herself. 

Yea, I think Lily likes Morgan. 

One of my fave parts of the trip. As we were stopped at a gas station, Morgan spotted this magazine of homes for sale and grabbed it for her Daddy because he has been looking for a house to rent.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that the houses were in the Pigeon Forge area.

Morgan and I got matching hairstyles, courtesy of Aunt Debbie!

We went to a pizza place one night, and they had a game room where the kids could win tickets.  The tickets could then be traded in for crappy toys. Sort of like Chuck E Cheese.  But instead of having to wait for an employee to find the time to saunter over to the toy counter to give you your  crappy selections like at CEC, this place had an automated machine.  Awesome! No, not so much. Because when Jacob selected the yoyo, he got a plastic hippo.  When he selected a plastic rhino, he got a plastic fish. Oh well. I believe Morgan is trying to instruct us on how to do it correctly.  Note: Jacob is nowhere to be seen. This is probably because while we were stressing over trying to figure this machine out FOR HIM, his boy attention span caused him to completely lose interest.

At one point I got to ride in the back with Lily. We were in Aunt Debbie's car, sans technology, and embarking on a two hour rode trip. I actually thought to grab Jacob's DVD player and movies. I let her pick, and she said-in her COMPLETELY CUTEST SCRATCHY VOICE EVER- "I want that bug movie." (A Bug's Life).

 See, right here she is thinking, "cousin Shannon is my favorite."

Party boat at Nicole's house!!

Jacob and Noah

Jacob and Zack after Zack pushed him off the inter-tube. 

Zack, Jacob and Noah on the inter-tube.  Jacob learned quickly to go with the boys. Morgan liked it calmer...

 

 

Jacob watching Zack and Noah.

Lily took this pic (that's her little finger). I brought a disposable water camera which is set up like an old 35 mm camera. She looked at it like it was an alien specimen. After she took the pic she kept looking for it to pop up on the back :)

 Another pic by Lily! Pretty good job for a 3 year old I think!

Jacob chilling on the float.

 Morgan jumping

 Jacob jumping

Jacob and Morgan antagonizing Noah.

Jacob and Morgan jumping

Morgan jumping (I may have taken too many pics...)

Zack and Lily 

Jacob and Morgan getting ready for their first ride. Here's that famous chronological order thing...

When we first got to Nicole's, Jacob and Morgan first ran all over the house checking the inside out.  Then they ran straight outside to the dock. You know, just making themselves at home.  Love that even though they only see this part of the family a couple times a year they still feel comfortable  :)

 "Daddy I need the teys! (keys)"

Morgan decided it was best to go with Aunt Shae and have Hughes pull us slowly, and no circles. 

Jacob LOVED riding with Zack.  When I asked them what their fave part of the trip was, Jacob said, "getting thrown in the water by Zack."  (Morgan said hers was not getting stuck in the rain while tubing. Always the practical worry wart.)

Stole this from Nicole's blog because for once I was actually joining in the fun rather than just taking pics!! Nicole bought a ton of water balloons, which Zack and Amanda filled, and then we had a great fight. It was a lot of fun, and I was super thrilled about it because Jacob has been wanting to have one for a while. We haven't had one because it just isn't as much fun with 2 people...so this was perfect! Thanks Nicole!

I stole this from Melissa's blog.  The first pic is from last year. LAST YEAR. Look at how much they have all changed between then and the second pic, which is this year.

On the last day when Aunt Debbie was driving us to the bus stop to leave, we spotted a giant basketball on the Basketball Hall of Fame Museum.  Of course we had to get a pic.  So of course Aunt Debbie went out of her way to find a spot to park so we could do it.  Cuz she's awesome like that.

 And then we got to the bus stop where we realized we could see it.  So we took another pic. But one is giant and the the other is itty bitty, so both pics were absolutely necessary.

Videos!

Anderson's helicopter

Jacob and Morgan on the tube the first time

Random things overheard during the trip:

Jacob (on the drive to the bus station in Memphis): "OH! We should have gotten Aunt Debbie a purple present!'

Shannon (upon catching Jacob stuffing his face with Skittles one night around 10 p.m.):  "Jacob! Did you ask if you could have those?"
Morgan: Aunt Shae, you know he's not an asker.

Jacob (on the bus): "Morgan, wanna play Truth or Dare?"
Morgan: "We're on a bus. We can only play Truth."