So, for Thanksgiving this year, we packed up the kids and drove to Gatlinburg, TN where we met Eric's parents and brother and sister. We were able to spend the whole week and had a WONDERFUL time! Thanks Rich and Donna for everything!
While in TN we were able to spend Sunday with some old friends, attend the ward we used to go to when we were first married and before we had children. It was so great to see the faces of so many people who were like family to us and who we have dearly missed over the years. There are some wonderful people in TN!
The Smith's and Jim Ford are some of our favorites and we enjoyed every minute of their hospitality! Thank you! The kids had a great time feeding and sitting on Millie's horses. 
Rebekah found little girl heaven when we went to Shane and Mandy Smith's and she found their little girl Taya's room. All the big kids went out to jump on the trampoline so she had the room to herself - and she made herself at home! Thanks for sharing Taya! 
Apparently she thought this horse was "just her size" hahaha. 
Hiking in the Smokies was a lot of fun! 
Cool barn, huh? There was this old pioneer settlement up in the Smokies we checked out 
She didn't really sleep in there, but she could have! -and she enjoyed playing in it. She sure looks like she just woke up, huh?
Snuggling with Grams - it doesn't get better than that! 
We spent lots of time at the indoor waterpark. Way fun!!! 
At some point when no one was looking Rebekah found a pile of laundry and apparently took a liking to Pops' boxers. She tried them on and danced around in them. We all had a good laugh!
David is our little sweet tooth if I haven't mentioned that before. He came in our room one afternoon like this. I can't remember now if it was brownie mix or hot chocolate powder, but I guess he couldn't find any better source of chocolate for his craving. Of course when asked, he didn't do anything - too bad the evidence was ALL OVER HIM! 
It was a lot of fun! We wore them out!
Here's all our beautiful hands with our lovely drugstore fingernails - notice Kelsey's hand does not have fingernails on - well she did put them on, but quickly realized she couldn't text her friends and so they quickly came back off.
All the girls.
Shopping in Gatlinburg.
The resort we stayed in had a spa and so of course we checked it out. I didn't get pictures of everyone but here's what I have. Melissa got an Ice Cream Pedicure - so here she is enjoying a big bowl of ice cream smothered in hot fudge while she gets her pedicure.
Melanie got a facial (well actually two, but that's another story - it was her lucky day). She thoroughly enjoyed it. I was surprised she didn't want a pedicure, but she said she thinks its creepy to have someone mess with her feet. Hmm, interesting for a girl her chews her fingernails AND her toenails!
And I got a pedicure, my first one ever. I know its not a flattering picture, but I was in heaven. That chair was a massage chair -and it was AWESOME! I could've sat there all day! Everyone was surprised when I chose purple and blue with sparkle edges - I haven't painted my toes or fingernails in years so I thought I'd make it good! 
At the end of the aftenoon as we were heading back down the mountain we saw a bunch of people gathered with a park ranger pointing and taking pictures so we stopped and got out to see what was going on-knowing it must be a bear. It was a little disappointing because I guess the bear had laid down and so all we could see was a black blob, it was too far away and he wasn't moving around anymore, so we headed on down again. Then we ran into another group but this time as we passed, the bear was right there next to the road looking right at us! So we pulled right over and hopped out! It was a mother bear and her two cubs! They had just crossed the road - and when we drove past the mother bear was right at the road because she still waiting for her other cub to cross. We were in two cars and the cub crossed in front of Eric's parent's car behind us. They said it stopped and looked right up at them in the middle of the road! Cool! Once crossed they headed down the hill. I just got some film footage and pics of them heading out, but here it is. . .
