More pictures from Tennessee

OK, so now the stream of consciousness on the blog is confused since I'm going back to our trip. But I have so many great pictures from vacation that it doesn't seem right not to post them and it's not your fault it's taken me two weeks to get back to the pictures!

Michael and Caroline really protested sleeping together at first. They insisted on being separated while we were in Bristol (instead of pushing two mattresses together on the floor since the beds were too high) and when we got to the cabin, the king sized bed they had to share was simply not big enough. They fought but were so tired at the end of each day that they gave up quickly. The ironic thing is that now that we're home, they are sleeping together again, now in Michael's full size bed. Every night, Michael gives Caroline her "emergency instructions": "If you wake up and you get scared, pray to God and then wake me up." Hysterical. This morning, Caroline woke up very upset with a nasty cough and Michael came running down to get me, so he is fulfilling his big brother role. I don't know that she's woken him up for any late night counseling, though.

One day we hiked a 2.6 mile round trip up to Laurel Falls. Michael and Caroline walked the entire way, which impressed us no end. Although the path was paved, it was uphill the entire way to the falls (and then of course downhill the entire way back). Michael had his water on his back and drank so much that he had to stop quite often for a bathroom break. Luckily he is a boy!

Michael loved playing in the streams. If we lived in the mountains, I can see that we would have to find property near water. The water was freezing to us Floridians, but that didn't stop him. Actually, Elanor loved the water, too--I seem to have a lot of pictures of her standing ankle deep (any deeper than that and she started to worry). Caroline, though... not so much. She enjoyed it for a while but was ready to stop earlier than the other two.

On Thursday, we drove east of Gatlinburg to a picnic area at Greenbrier. Before we picnicked, we went upstream to where the river was deeper and faster. The "boys" (that is, the Bechtel Boys) loved it. Adam's camera can shoot several shots per second for action sequences, so we have series showing some of them sliding in the water, as well as a couple of series of them dunking themselves (and sundry children). Again, Caroline did not care for the water temperature--in the picture where it looks like she's in the water by herself, she is actually the only one above water (Andy went under holding her above his head).

Again, sorry to drag you back on the trip--part of the reason was that I figure most of you are just checking this for pictures and I don't have any new ones. Maybe next time. Or not--I do have tons of cute old ones that predate the trip. I will try not to inflict too many on you. If you want older ones, email me and I can send you some via email.