The Jackson Five visit the White House

This weekend, we traveled to Tennessee to visit old friends and we had a blast. It was so great to see Jason and Eisha and their kids. All of the kids had a blast having slumber parties and playing way too late in to the night.

We got to Gallatin about 12:30 and spent the afternoon playing out side with the kids. They have a huge backyard with a swing set and a trampoline. The girls thought they were in heaven. We pulled out the sprinklers for some water play...it was so hot and humid there. And the kids were smart enough to put the sprinkler on top of the slide to make it a water slide. After sliding off a slick slide a few times, Kelsey was scared to go down again, so Holland stood at the bottom of the slide to catch her. And when Kelsey got to the bottom, her lip found Holland's tooth. After they all came running to the house with Kelsey and her bloody face, we decided to take Kelsey to the ER in case it needed a stitch or two. We got there and waited for hours it seemed. They finally got us in to a room by 8:30 and then we waited some more for the doctor. Once he saw the cut, he said we had 2 options. We could opt for a dermabond cover with a steri strip to keep it closed or we could opt for stitches...probably 2 or 3. The dermabond would heal it, but the scar would be noticable for awhile until it faded over time. The stitches would leave less of a scar at the beginning, but would probably fade to be about the same kind of scar with the dermabond. We opted for the dermabond because we figured the emotional scars would far outlast the physical ones if we had to lay on top of our daughter swaddled in a blanket and hold her face completely still for them to put in 2 or 3 stitches in her face after having 2 big shots of stinging Novocaine to "help" with the pain. So...for now she is "glued" up and doing well. The band-aid and the dermabond are just starting to peel away from her face, so we should see her pretty smile real soon. After our night in the ER, we got home, put the kids to bed and hung out for a little while.
On Saturday, we went to the Nashville Zoo and had fun with the kids while Eisha was in class. We ended up at her school to pick her up for dinner. We headed to the Grand Ole Opry and Opry Mills Outlets to eat at Rainforest Cafe. None of us had ever been there, so I was glad to take the kids. The food was great and we all enjoyed the "atmosphere" around us...even the noisy animals and the rumbling of the storms. After that we headed home to put the kids down so we could hang out some more. And after a day at the zoo and a yummy dinner, we didn't last very long.
We got up this morning and packed it up to come home. The girls were quite sad and cried in the car for the first 30 minutes of the trip. They can't understand why Holland and Taylor had to move away. I'm sure we'll be talking about moving to Tennessee in the near future and how that is not an option for us.

Thanks White family for a great weekend!!! Can't wait to see you in October!!!

Kelsey and her boo-boo at the Sumner County ER.


At the zoo.





The Grand Ole Opry House - Carrie Underwood was performing there that night.

The Volcano Dessert at Rainforest Cafe.

A Weekend with Grandma

Grandma Nesler came to visit this weekend. And it was so good to see her. We headed to the airport on Friday night to get her and the girls were so excited. She got to meet Ian and Drew for the first time and that was great. The boys were all smiles for their grandma. We stayed around the house and relaxed all weekend playing with the kids, swimming at the pool, and enjoying lots of yummy food. At nights we talked, laughed and played lots of poker. It was nice to lay low and be a family this weekend. It was hard to have her leave, but we hope she'll make it back to visit soon. We love and miss her so much!! Enjoy the pics of our time together.

Hanging at the pool

Grandma and Drew

Feeding Ian

Playing veternarian with the girls


Grandma and Kelsey

Grandma and her boys

Boys Weekend

Bo went away this weekend with the boys as part of his father's day present from us. Some of the moms in our cul-de-sac got together and sent the dad's white water rafting up in Blue Ridge, GA. They stayed in a cabin up there for the whole weekend, rafted on Saturday, and came home on Sunday. They rafted on the same course the athletes used in the 1996 Olympics held here in Atlanta. From the stories I've heard in the few minutes we've had to chat about the trip, they had a great time and enjoyed every minute. I think this might end up being a yearly event for them. So glad you boys had fun...thanks for always being such great dads!! You deserved this trip and all the fun that went with it!!

On the boat from left to right...kind of...
The guide and his daughter, Jason, Bunky, Stefan, Bo, and Nate...riding the bull!!! ;)

Grandfather Mountain North Carolina

One of the places we visited while we were in Blowing Rock was Grandfather mountain. It is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Chain of mountains and only 2nd to Mount Mitchell...the highest peak East of the Rockies. We drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway to get to the mountain and it was a beautiful drive...the pictures really don't do it justice. Plus, it was a little foggy that morning so things seem a little blurry in the photos. Grandfather Mountain has lots of things to do and we tried to squeeze it all in.

First, we trekked to the top of the mountain to attempt the mile high swinging bridge. The wind was incredible and it was about 10 degrees colder there than farther down the mountain. The bridge is 228 feet long and spans an 80 foot chasm between the peaks of Grandfather Mountain. The bridge allows visitors to go to the other side of the mountain so that you can look down over the valley. It is the highest suspension footbridge in America. And, while the views from up there might be great, it isn't called the swinging bridge for no reason. Wind whips through the chasm and causes the bridge to swing as you walk across it. The bridge is made of steel and has safety rails that line the bridge. But, when the wind passes through the rails, it makes a loud humming sound...something like the sound of a 747 right in your ear. I must admit, my nerves were SHOT after going across the first time. I am sure if I only had myself to worry about, it would have been different. But taking Drew across in the Bjorn and holding Ally's hand was stressful for me. The kicker...once you get across, you still have to get back. Before we headed back for the car, Ally and Bo ventured out with Sean and Ryan on to the rocks that overlook the valley and took some great pics. Again, they don't do justice to the beauty and the height at which you are standing, but there as close as we could get. On the way back across, I managed to get a picture of the point on the bridge when you are standing 1 mile high...don't ask how.

After the exhilarating bridge experience, we went back down the mountain a little bit to the zoo and museum they have. The zoo is small, but very unique. They have otters and deer...I know, not unique. But, they also have a golden eagle and a bald eagle. I have never seen a bald eagle and I was quite surprised at how large they are. They also have black bears that you can feed. We packed a picnic lunch and ate at the zoo. We walked around the museum a bit and then headed home. We stopped at some picture spots along the way, but by then we were ready to get home. The kids had gotten very comfortable around the cliffs and ledges and it was more than us adults could handle.

It was a great day and we had a blast going across the bridge. So proud we could all do it, enjoy it, and without any drama or timidness.

Niki has a picture of the Jackson Five with everyones eyes open, but this one will do for now.

Grandfather Mountain - the bridge spans the distance between the 2 peaks...nuts, I know!!

The Bridge...

Before the walk across...

And after we got to the other side. Grandfather mountain is in the background.

1 mile high...Bo and I DID NOT join the Mile High Club!!!

Bo and Ally climbing the rocks.

Bo's view from the rocks back to the bridge.


Ally, Ryan, Kelsey and Garrett

Bald Eagle

Drew enjoyed the views through his eyelids.

Happy Independence Day!

We spent the 4th of July in the Mountains with the Srigley's this year. Sean's grandfather built a house in Blowing Rock, NC and they try to make a trip there each year. This year, we got to go with them and it was so much fun to spend time with them. Blowing Rock is a very small town outside of Boone and it was the perfect place to celebrate Independence Day. It is small town USA and the town did not disappoint. We took the kids to the park that morning and the town was already starting to celebrate with bounce houses and rock walls for the kids, a live band, activities and contests all over the place and it was decorated from head to toe in red, white, and blue. All of the people there were dressed to celebrate our freedom and it totally looked like something right out of the movie Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon when they have the town party and late night festivities. There was a parade at 2:00 which we opted to skip for nap time so that the kiddos would be well rested for the fireworks. We grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs in All-American style and let the kids play with sparklers to pass the time before the fireworks started. The house sits on the side of a mountain and just below the house is a resort area that does it's own fireworks. So, when 9:30 rolled around and the fireworks started, they were right in front of the house and we could sit there in our jammies, snack on munchies, and relax in the comfort of our own little place with no worries of driving anywhere or fighting the crowds to get home. It was the perfect way to end our vacation in the mountains. Enjoy our pics!!


My Girls

The Srigley Boys and The Jackson Girls




Ally and Ryan

Bo and Ally climbing the rock wall.

Kelsey on the Bounce House Obstacle Course