The 2nd of Many Chattanooga Trips

The first one was for the tour. But we literally just drove up there that day, did the tour, and drove home.  So this is sort of the first official trip to Abby's new home? 

On our way that morning to orientation.  Jon dropped us off.

 Even though I know I am in for a BORING day, I am pumped at this point in the morning to receive my goodie bag of *free stuff.

*I think we all know I am paying for this crap somewhere...but still, it was fun.

Abby was just about to leave for her student stuff.

We found the bookstore!  Moc's Nest!

Which is where we bought Jon a hat.  Abby is wearing her *free t-shirt....

 Meanwhile, back in funville, Jacob and Jon visited Ruby Falls, which are inside a cave...

 They rode go-karts and went to the top of Lookout Mountain...

 They ate at Logan's and panned for gold and precious gems.

Perhaps I should put an asterisk next to 'gold' and 'precious'??

 Oh, and they went zip lining...

Here is what I was doing while my child dangled 50 feet above the ground--fighting sleep, that's what.

At one point Abby and I ventured out and explored a little.  Oh, and we went looking for a convenience store to buy her some deodorant.  Because she didn't pack any for her over night stay at the dorm that night.  She also didn't pack shampoo, conditioner, or soap.  But we had discovered those things before we left that morning.  I guess she thought I was going to spend the night with her??

Anyway, our adventure took us down a road that featured a restaurant called "Champy's."  And when I say restaurant, I mean bar that serves some food and lots of half naked people were hanging out. We made snide comments. 

Then, that evening when Jon, our nephew Joe & his wife Jessie, and Jacob picked me up for dinner, guess where they took us to eat? Yep.

It was actually thoroughly delicious, and it turns out not as trashy as it looked at first glance.

We stayed at our nephew's and his wife's house.  They live 30 minutes from the campus.  It is quite convenient.

Joe and Jessie have two dogs-Rocko (above) and Layla (below).  Both are awesome dogs, except that they bark when someone walks in the house, and then every time that same person walks into the living room from another room.  Regardless of how long those people have been staying there and how much they, the dogs, have warmed up to those people.

I snuck this pic.  Abby would probably kill me, even though she looks adorable.

*side note-spell check is telling me that "snuck" is not correct.  I am sorry, but I just can't put "sneaked."

Yearly summer trip to Mud Island!

 Holding the bridge up!

The legendary stick race.

 Giant children standing on a bridge.

Jessica was babysitting a friend's daughter-Ellis.

 Look closely, her toes match her swimsuit. Of course.

The girl on the left is Morgan's cousin Gracie.

 This is Morgan's brother Adrian.  He was too short to reach the peddles when he sat in the seat of the paddle boat, but he was determined to make it work and not have me do it for him.

 This is at the very beginning of the day.  Morgan quickly took the opportunity to make fun of me and tease me about magnets.  Gracie wanted to know what she was talking about, and once Morgan explained, Gracie excitedly asked, "Aunt Shae! Will you make me a magnet??"  Haha.  Take that Morgie Porgie.

The car ride to Mud Island.  I got the boy car where there was much talk about Minecraft.

 And we can't go downtown without stopping by Jerry's on the way back home!

Josh was out of town this week which explains why Hallie jumped at the chance to meet us at Jerry's-a place where there is no seating inside or out, with her newborn, in the middle of the Memphis summer heat.  A.K.A.  boredom.  

 Jacob has been wanting a Vineyard Vines shirt for a while now.  But he made this decision right after school had let out, and the brand is really expensive, so I told him no.  But then we went to Florida where Amanda told me that if I sign up on their website for email, I will get coupons which are good toward their clearance.  

He was really excited about it and wore the shirt the day it came in...to Office Depot.  

Please excuse the "I'm a boy so I never take a picture seriously" face.

 

And when we got home from our errands, Jacob's birthday present from Grammy had arrived.  6 weeks early.  And she told him he could open it now.  #ofcourseshedid

Oh, and that is a keyboard for his iPad so he can set it up on his desk to "look like a laptop." And a chrome Xbox controller.  Obviously.

 You know, just some cuteness.

4 generations!