Trip To Tennessee

T e double n e double s double e, TENNESSEE!!  I remember learning this little chant with my cousins, many years ago and I was excited to head back for Ross and Elise's first trip!  Amelia and I went with Mom and Dad when she was one for a quick trip, but this was our first journey as a family of four. Here we are before heading off.

The girls did amazing on the trip.  We are NOT a family that loves to travel with kids.  Ross and I have really never gone anywhere over two and a half hours because our girls were horrible travelers as babies.  It was a stress we did not want to endure and we had so much fun at home that we officially became the staycation family that looked at pictures on FB of others at the beach with their two day old.  Haha. 

However, I had loads of snacks and games and color sheets and stick balls and the girls needed NOT A THING.  They just watched their movies and chatted and dozed a little.  Sweet, angels!

 

When we got there, they wanted to see Vayda, immediately.  They talk about their cousin a lot and look at pictures of her, but have never played with her.  The girls all hit it off right off the bat and Kathy had the best toys to play with at her house.  Elise found a baby right off the bat, so she was set.

 

They played dog and family and created all kinds of games during the three days we were there.  And, they wasted no time swimming as soon as the sun came out.  I had barely said hello to everyone and they were finding their bathing suits.  The pool deck was carpeted and they played out there a lot when they got tired from swimming. 

 

Mom and Dad arrived that evening and brought Pizza on their way, YUM.  We had some more playing and fun before heading to the motel.  The girls slept great and were so excited to go down to the breakfast room.  I'm not sure what it was about the lobby, but it excited them to pieces. 

 

We headed back to Nick and Kathy's for some more playing. 

 And more pooling.

 After a delish dinner that Kathy made and some awesome grilling by Uncle Nick, we ended the night with a dance party and a sleepover.  Um the sleepover was the girls' first one and it was interesting to say the least, haha.  They had a great time and Ross slept like royalty in our King bed in the motel. 

 We also had a great mall day the next day. Vayda and Amelia like to shop and got matching cousin necklaces.  Thankful Mom was with us to help out, as they all stayed pretty hyper, ha. 

 After naps in the car on the way home, they were ready for more swimming!

 This was the only night the girls weren't perfect.  They both started getting cranky and kind of picking at each other and then in turn, not getting along with Vayda.  We just cut our losses and headed back to the motel for some rest before heading back.  I think it was a good decision even though we would have loved to stay late and visit that last night.  The trip was so fun.  

Huge thank to Nick and Kathy for providing all the fun and to Nikki for coming up from Alabama to make sure Vayda was there.  Loved seeing Grandma Cates and Tyler and Andrea and Randy and Alsten.  Great trip!