Christmas (just a little late)

We had such a crazy Christmas vacation! (Think 'National Lampoons Christmas Vacation') It will definitely be something to laugh about one day (or if you didn't experience it, you can laugh about it now)

Most of the trip was spent getting from point A to B. And one big lesson we learned, never travel in the South when snow hits. You think growing up there I would have learned this lesson already, obviously I didn't. But since we had planned to spend half of the vacation at one cabin up in the mountains near Chattanooga and the other half of the vacation at another cabin in the Smoky Mountains, traveling was a must.

Here are the top ten of craziness (in order of events)...

10. snowed in at cabin A on Christmas day

9. spend Christmas day packing up quickly, digging out the cars (one car left behind, that's how are family works... the weak get left behind, haha!), and then clearing off 1/4 mile of steep mountain road with just our shoes and a dirt shovel (eat that McGuyver!)

8. Crazy hillbilly with his crazy driving decided to try running us into a guard rail coming down the mountain (in our new car mind you, I almost cried)

7. Christmas evening- witnessed some redneck beating on his girlfriend in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant. Chris and Dad had the joy of stopping that one. Dad almost killed the guy, seriously no lie. The redneck got lucky that night...

6. Listening to off keyed Hispanics sing to the table next to us at the previously mentioned restaurant. Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra, Ra Ra Ra Ra!

5. Next day, Tommy and Jen drive one hour to a car rental place only to find out that the company didn't actually reserve a 4WD vehicle for them at that location (it was at another location, 2 hours away of course). They came back with a sedan and 4 balding tires.

4. Spent that evening trying to get to the cabin B, only to get nowhere. The hotel that night was nice.

3. Chris, Tommy and I started are own ' spread 10 large boxes of ice cream salt on the road by hand' ice removal company the very next day. Which worked and got us up the mountain and to our cabin

2. Finally with two days left of the trip, we relaxed. Then headed to Dollywood where it was SO COLD but a lot of fun, especially the kiddie rides (everything else was closed because of the cold... go figure)

1. Head back to Oklahoma from Dollywood, only to go 1 hour in the wrong direction. Seriously who puts up an interstate sign with an arrow pointing one way only to actually have the on ramp an hour away. And seriously, who lives in an area for 20 plus years, only to get lost and not know the way!

We really did have a fun time, a lot of traveling and plans going wrong left and right but just being with family made everything all worth it. Next time though, everyone is welcomed to come see us. Not that Okies are any better at clearing off the roads during snow storms. But we did start are own ice removal business, remember ;)

Now for pictures!

Beginning of our 13 hour road trip to Tennessee. The kids did amazing in the car!

On the drive there we stopped at the Space Center in Huntsville.

We got to my parents a few days before Tommy and Jen so we played around in Athens for a bit.

We went running, played at the park, and visited Mayfields (best icecream, hands down!)

(The 'open mouth' look, it's a Kite thing)

Trying to get down from Cabin A

Nice Hannah...

The whole trip Cael was fascinated with Mason, and Mason was fascinated with Hannah...

Dollywood...

Hannah loved the kiddie rides!