Fall Activities and Thanksgiving !
Fourth grade has kept us busy. Kai and Sierra are hanging in there, but it has been a little more challenging this year. We did get a short get away for a beach weekend and spent Thanksgiving in Tennessee with MeMaw and PawPaw. Everyone is happy and healthy and going well!
A few of pictures from our adventures are below.
Kai's 4th Grade School Picture |
Sierra's 4th Grade School Picture |
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Soccer! (back to top)
We had a great soccer season again this fall. It is so much fun to see how much the kids improve every season. The games are so much fun to watch. We only lost one game this season, and that one was in the pouring rain. If it wasn't for the slipping and sliding around, we would have been undefeated!
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We got into some fun activities this fall. Kai and Sierra were brave enough to try a real haunted house (actually it was a haunted forest). Scared the bejeebies out of all of us but was a lot of fun.
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Annual Halloween t-shirt picture.
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Same one... with crazy face...
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Anxiously waiting for the haunted house to open...
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They still look pretty brave!
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This is the facade to the haunted forest.. creepy looking with the cloud coverage that night.
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Not phased so far...
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Don't think they would have posed with a clown or doll but this guy they were ok with.
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We'll definitely try this again next year. It was a good one!
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Wekiva's fall festival... creepy science fair.
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Sierra picking out a pumpkin.
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Kai posing for a pic in the pumpkins for Mom.
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We found a big Sierra pumpkin.
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He smiles when he's got rabbit ears over his sister's head.
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Crazy face...
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"Can this be the last one please?"
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We went to Leu Garden's Ghost Stories this year.
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It was fun to picnic and listen to the spooky stories.
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They look good in black!
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Time to head home.
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We have this same picture from the zoo every year since they were about 3.
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The leopard was beautiful. Wish there was a safe way of getting a pic without the fence.
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Awesome close up of a rattlesnake (the snake keeper got on the ground, laid down and got this for me).
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Our annual zoo picture in front of the Frankenstein blow-up.
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Ooh... spooky.
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"We're going to get you...."
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Halloween this year was the mask faces again. They both went as different phantoms (Sierra's eyes lit up and Kai had a mirror face). Miss the cute costume days...
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The masks lasted about 10 minutes before the "it's too hot" complaints came. The big "I told you so" didn't help.
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We ran into some gorillas while we were out trick or treating.
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I think Mendy is having more fun than the girls.
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Our pumpkin and blow-up Halloween.
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Longboat Key (back to top)
Jim ran a triathlon in Longboat Key. We decided to make a long weekend of it. We stayed a couple of nights at the beach. It was beautiful weather and a nice long weekend break.
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The view from our room.
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Kai and Sierra in the water where Dad will swim the triathlon. |
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Handsome Kai.
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Dad bought Sierra a Bambooty for her hair for soccer. Looked pretty cute on her.
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"Check out my leaf plate."
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Ready to have some fun on the beach...
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They were dying to get a little beach time even though the sun was going down.
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Love that smile...
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"How do you like my beach bath?"
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The condo from the beach view.
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Beautiful sunset on the Gulf Coast.
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Kai filling up the bottle with sand.
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There was a storm the day before we got there. It washed in a lot of sting rays. We had to shuffle in the water so we didn't step on one.
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After beach pool rinse.
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Triathlon morning... ready to take pictures.
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Dad is ready to go.
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He finished the swim with a good time.
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He did great on the bike too.
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By the time the run came around, it was hot and humid.
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Woohoo, he crossed the finish line.
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Congrats Dad!
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After the race, we relaxed on the beach.
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Dad was ready for a beer and a break!
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The water was so clear.
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Sierra liked to hide out in the closet of our room. She would leave us notes so we knew where she was.
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Our shell collection from the trip.
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Sierra's picture of our family
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Minnow hunting.
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"Get ready, we're coming."
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Right after this picture, a bonnet shark swam by us in this shallow water. They aren't supposed to hurt humans but we didn't take any chances. We decided to get out for the day!
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Reading by the pool.
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Kaz Cousins (back to top)
Jason, Keely, Anna and Jude came back for a long weekend in the fall. The Spin Doctors were playing at Epcot so we met them for the concert.
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Lobby of the Boardwalk hotel.
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Epcot stage.
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Spin Doctors concert.
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Kids dancing at the concert.
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The kids backstage with the Spin Doctors.
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Mr. Jude.
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Hanging out with the Kaz cousins.
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Anna and Sierra.
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The kids were mesmerized in at the acrobat in the lobby.
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Anna getting a hair wrap.
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Having fun on the boardwalk.
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"Jump."
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"Ok - now jump."
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Jude's caricature.
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Anna getting hers done.
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Kai and Jude.
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We went to Universal and ran into the Despicable Me characters.
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Anna and Sierra with Gru.
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Posing with Victor.
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Kai took Jason and Keely on the Hulk...
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... and the Rip Rockin' Roller coaster.
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Thanksgiving in Tennessee (back to top)
We met Memaw and Pawpaw in Tennessee this year for Thanksgiving. We lucked out and had a little snow (but not so much it was dangerous to drive in). It was a fun trip.
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The snowy view from our cabin.
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The living room.
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The kitchen.
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The master bedroom.
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The view from the loft.
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The loft bedroom.
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Kai in the hot tub.
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The vie of the sunrise in the morning.
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Kai and Sierra braving the cold.
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The steam was pouring off of them when they got out.
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Brrrr...
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Forrest was happy to be in front of the fire.
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Hanging out on the mountain.
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Cute door sign.
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Bundled up for a day of fun.
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We passed wild turkeys on the way into town.
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We ventured into Gatlinburg and played some indoor golf.
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"Check out my cool glasses."
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"Why am I all stretched out?"
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"Hey you!"
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Wooho... made it in the hole!
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Pretty girl in neon lights.
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"Check out the oldest man with the shriveled head."
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Pawpaw's shot.
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"Come on Dad... hole in one."
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"Check out my muscles."
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"Are mine bigger?"
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Ba-Boom!
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The house of mirrors.
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Downtown Gatlinburg.
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Hanging with PawPaw at the Dunkin Donuts (needed a coffee/hot chocolate to warm up).
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"We can fit in the big tire."
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Smile! |
"Tickle me Kai."
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Fun times at Texas Roadhouse!
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Let is snow! |
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It was cold....
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Pajama snowball throw!
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Watch out.. here comes another one.
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Chillin' out by the fire.
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Morning everyone..
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Cheese...
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Sierra helping PawPaw with pictures.
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"Watch out!"
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"We love the snow."
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The icicles are getting longer.
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It wasn't a ton of snow, but enough to have fun in. |
Now these are two happy kids! |
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"Watch your back."
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"Mom, can we eat out here?"
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"Incoming....."
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"I'm frozen"
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"Crash..."
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"Bombs away..."
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"Let us in..."
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The mini snowman.
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Pool time.
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Sierra's turn.
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We got lots of reading time in.
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We went to see Dixie Stampede (Mom made it in a picture).
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"Smile - we're ready for the show."
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"This chicken is as big as my head."
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Sierra meeting one of the cowgirls at the end of the show.
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Hanging out with another character from the show.
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Day 2 of snow. It's already melting but still had a little left to play in.
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We missed a couple of days of school so had to make up the work while we were gone. |
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Family hot tub time.
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"This is the life."
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"Come on in Mom"
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"Warming up..."
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The snow is melting.
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Happy Thanksgiving.
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Cheers!
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The snow is almost gone.
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After our big meal, we headed down the mountain and went on the Mountain coaster.
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It was a lot of fun. We would definitely try this one again.
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Waiting in line.
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We're ready to go.
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The girls coaster.
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The boys coaster.
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We stopped at the "Goats on the Roof" store and fed the goats (on the roof).
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Kai riding the cycle which carried the food up to the goats.
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Sierra's turn to feed the goats.
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We also mined for gems.
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Finding some good stuff.
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The water was freezing but Kai found some treasures.
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Pawpaw helping Sierra out.
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My last load.
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Check out this big Emerald.
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I got a big quartz.
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"We need to bring this home."
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There were lady bugs EVERYWHERE in the cabin (and stink bugs).
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We went to the the tallest peak in Tennessee.
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We hiked up to the top with PawPaw.
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Kai making snow angels.
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It's snowing...
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Quick pic with Pawpaw.
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Christmas card shot.
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We drove over to Cherokee, NC. Unfortunately, the reservation was closed for winter (and so was most of the town).
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We did tour the museum while we were there.
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"Good times."
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We spotted an Elk in Smoky Mountain National Forrest on the way back.
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There were very cool ice walls from the snow storm.
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Kai and Sierra begged to stop so they could play on them.
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They were pretty cool.
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"How's it taste?"
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Winter wonderland.
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Miscellaneous (back to top)
In addition to all the fun described above, we had lots of other miscellaneous adventures (see below).
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We enjoyed our Universal Studios passes this year. We definitely got our money's worth out of them.
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After waiting all year, Sierra was finally tall enough for Dr. Doom.
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Brave girl finally got to ride on the biggest "crab ride" there is.
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We had a good time at the Orlando Science Center for Kyle's birthday.
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Kai and Sierra got to play weatherman at one of the exhibits.
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Tornado machine.
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Some virtual reality action.
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Oooh... messy science experiment. |
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Mom and Dad chaperoned the 4th grade St. Augustine trip. Mom had Meredith and Sierra.
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We went on a fort tour.
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We got to see the canon fire at the top of the fort at the end of the tour.
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Learning about the different types of cannons.
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We also got to navigate through stations, learning about life "back in the day."
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Waiting for our "oldest school house tour."
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Meredith - Sierra - and Rachael sandwich.
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Kai and Paul.
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Kai, Paul, Meredith and Sierra.
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