I'm Drowning Over Here...

There seems to be a time each year when I fall off the map.

I’ve just been here existing trying to make it through, sometimes just day to day.

Nothing tragic or major is wrong. Everyone’s strong and healthy.

Autism with the nice mix of puberty has landed here and so we are all trying to muddle our way through new attitudes and uncontrollable mood swings. It’s been a lot of fun.

The nice thing is that we have been approved for new insurance for Cal’s autism. This is such a gift. However with the gift comes countless intake appointments, things to sign, documents to get back from the doctors, and on and on. It is such a blessing but for now it is also a lot of extra work.

I got a job! Well, another job. In the wild world of being a stay at home mom this now makes 3 jobs I have. It’s a bit crazy. I am starting next month and am looking forward to it. I am excited to be able to put another hat on besides mom and reclaim a bit of my old self that I was before I started staying home. On the opposite side of that however is the fear that my children will feel neglected, that I won’t measure up, that I will stink at everything I do, like I always do. And that right there is a foothold for doubt to come creeping back in. If you read this post of mine before you know that I can develop quite a flair for loathing Lindsay. But hey, I am working on it. This is a work in progress! “‘Cause he’s still workin’ on me! “

All of that to say, that everything is going well for us. We’ve opened up the cottage for the season and praise the Lord, nothing was leaking or burst, or broken! Now it’s just dragging all of the new stuff I’ve purchased down there to begin settling in for the season. I’m trying to find a time to get everything moved in and cleaned so I can take pictures for you guys! It’s come so far, trust me.

We recently got back from our latest trip out east to Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland. It was so much fun and we were able to see so many things!

Yesterday was a lovely Easter. We celebrated with my family and had a lot of fun at my Grandma’s house. I’m trying to cherish all of these memories! He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

When I look at Easter pictures it reminds me how so often we all look all cleaned up and polished on the outside, either the outside of ourselves or maybe our family looks together on the outside of our home but on the inside, well, the inside is where we are hoarders: keepers of overwhelming emotions and big situations. Floods of problems that we try to keep at bay while all the while we don’t know if we are going to make it. And yet, in Easter pictures we look great. This is just a reminder that things are not always as they seem. Be kind to everyone, you never know what battle they are ensuing.

I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the gorgeous weather this spring is bringing. It is promising to be a show stopper with all of the flowers and plants!

California Day 3: King's Canyon & Sequoia National Parks

I’m just going to be brutally honest.

Day 3 was rough.

Going into King’s Canyon Emma and I became horribly, horribly carsick. However, it was worth it because King’s Canyon was gorgeous! We arrived first thing in the morning, I mean, the Visitor’s Center wasn’t even open yet. So we were able to walk through a loop that showed us the General Grant tree. It was magnificent. The air was cold and crisp and invigorating. It was an amazing sparkling day. It’s hard to describe the dazzle that was in the day there.

There were hardly any people around the walking loop and it was so nice to be able to take our time. We were able to study the bark, the foliage of the sequoias, and just really take in all of the details of God’s creation.

Part way around the walking loop we came to a hollowed out felled sequoia that had even been used as a worker cabin back in the day! Nick and Cal enjoyed exploring and walking through it while Emma and I continued walking and taking photos with our cameras. Emma is turning into quite the shutterbug which is so fun to watch and encourage.

I should clarify that we walked and skated around the walking loop because half of the thing was downhill and complete ice. That’s always fun. Not. It was so icy we literally walked down it with Nick going before us and then saying “okay not put your foot there, now over there, now on top of that pile of snow and pivot to over there.” I’m sure years from now we’ll laugh at this. We made memories for sure.

After our near death experience on the ice (not really) we went to the visitor’s center where, you guys! The whole entire building was covered in snow. COVERED! It was a lot of snow. It made me feel like a wimp when I was back home complaining about 6 inches of snow back in Indiana. Yeesh.

Day 3 was slated for King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. They are connected and you can go from one park to another.

Except the road was closed due to snow.

This caused us to have to drive and hour and a half out of the way to get to Sequoia.

Then when we got to Sequoia we weren’t really AT Sequoia. Meaning that the Foothills Visitors Center is just that, in the foothills and then you drive for about an hour to the Giant Forest.

Once we hit about 4000 ft elevation it started to get foggy. Then about 5000 ft it got really foggy. And about 6000 ft it was scary foggy. We were driving on a one lane road around the mountain, winding and steeply rising. But we couldn’t see. Like at all. At all, at all. Zero visibility. It was the scariest thing ever. Couldn’t even see the hood of the car. Thankfully we crept on and saw a parking lot sign and dove into that area to wait out the fog. Or so I thought. Nick parked the car and said he thought it would be best if we just went back down the mountain since we couldn’t see the sequoias anyway.

I got out of that car.

There was no way I was going to be strapped back into that metal death trap to be dragged back down the mountain in zero visibility fog. Friends, your girl had a major anxiety attack. It was bad. I at one point told him he was going to have to just go back down without me, I would stay there and live on the mountain and wash my hair with rain water or something. I didn’t have a solid plan but at that moment I was legit serious, just leave me here, I am not going back down with y’all. Lord have mercy!

The trees looked so eerie and cool all at the same time with the fog.

I love this girl. This is her look when you tell her to touch the tree and to be in awe of nature. So funny!

Thankfully there was a museum right there. I felt like Bilbo Baggins walking along the mountain and stumbling upon a door. We were able to go check it out and while we were talking to a park ranger the fog lifted a teeny bit. Enough that we decided that since we were that close we should continue to drive higher to go see General Sherman, the World’s Biggest Tree. Sure enough by the time we got up to it the fog had lifted completely and it was a gorgeous crystal clear blue sky. It was so much fun to walk through the trees.

And then it was back down the mountain. It was getting lateish and we had to get going since Nick was to start working the next day…our fun days with him are done but it was so fun to have a little bit of time with him.

Side note here, the kids just love hanging out with him. I’m so proud of my guy. He works so hard to provide for his family and has the most integrity I’ve ever seen in, anyone! I just love him so much.

I did remember that on the way down the mountain we made a stop at Hospital Rock and saw the petroglyphs on the rocks. I barely remember this because I took a dramamine and felt like a tranquilized bear when we got to the rocks, ha.

On the way we came across a town called “Lindsay” and I was so excited that I made Nick get out and take a photo of me with the sign. My whole life I have had my name misspelled so it was so great to find a town with my name!!!

We headed back to LA and then to Ranch Cucamongo where we are to stay for the rest of the trip. After we unloaded the car (or minivan rather, the kids think it is the coolest thing ever to be driving around in a van) we went to eat at Lazy Dog Restaurant which was just what the doctor ordered after a long day of driving and hiking and exploring and freaking out! I had a margherita pizza, everyone had fish. WHICH by the way is the weirdest thing ever that our kids now all eat fish. God is good, y’all! I never thought that would ever happen but here we are.

Our last stop of the night was to the grocery store to pick up some food for lunch the next day. Do you know what our kids love to eat more than anything? Rice and Beans!

It was a bad day. It was a great day. I guess it’s all about perspective…and not getting stuck on the top of a mountain.

Onto Day 4 and whatever exploring we are able to do!

You can read all about our trip to Yosemite and you can read all about our first day in California! I hope you’re enjoying reading about our journey. Travel with family is one of the most rewarding things we can do in life!

California Day 2: Yosemite!

If you want our kids to successfully wake up at 6 am, I guess you have to be in a time zone that is 3 hours behind our time back home. This was the first time I’ve ever been able to wake them up without kicking and lots of yelling.

We all woke up and got ready. We ate breakfast in the hotel (can we all just say an Amen to how great it is when hotels have free breakfast???) We filled up our water bottles, loaded up our Trader Joe’s groceries into the car (for picnics) and headed to Yosemite!

I’m still kind of in awe that we are here. That all the way from Indiana we were able to come here to see Yosemite and California and all of this greatness! Yosemite is iconic. It’s the National Park that is on all the posters and park whatever you get. It was the first one, it is incredible. However because of the distance and the expense I never even considered planning a vacation out to here. But God did. ;)

Emma said “I’m very enchanted by California”. She thinks it is terrific. She loves the air and the weather and all of the rolling green hills.

It took us about an hour to get to Yosemite from Fresno where our hotel was. It was a nice drive. We were surprised by the amount of snow there was since in Fresno it was about 50 degrees. A huge change to say the least.

Then we had about another hour of a drive to get to the visitor’s center in Yosemite. We took our time and meandered along. We stopped and took pictures, we enjoyed the views.

The first place that we stopped was my absolute favorite and it wasn’t even anything nature! It was the historic hotel, The Wawona Hotel. It was amazing you guys and it wasn’t even open! It was so cool to walk around and to look in the windows (yes I’m a weirdo like that!). It reminded me a lot of the resort in Dirty Dancing. You know the one.

After that we kept going and stopping along the way. We stopped at the Wawona Campsite to stretch our legs. The kids LOVED playing along the rushing river and climbing over huge felled redwoods. There is nothing better for a Wild and Free Momma then to see her kiddos playing in nature.

We did see lots of aftermath of forest fires. It was sad and very desolate looking. It reminded us a lot of the way the Smoky Mountains were looking last year when we visited.

As we traveled on and on it kept getting foggier and foggier. When we got to Tunnel View we were so excited! We drove through the Tunnel, the view opened up and…

There was nothing.

Nothing.

It was just fog.

Fog, fog, and more fog. Oy.

We got out to take some photos and then back in the car to keep driving. I felt a little bit like we had driven to Walley World to find it was closed…

Our next stop was at Bridalveil Fall. It was a gorgeous waterfall. We made the hike or skating up to the falls and everything was frozen from the spray. It was a slippery trek but we all had lots of fun and lots of laughs along the way.

Once we reached the Yosemite Valley the fog had cleared and we were able to see more.

We stopped in the Visitor’s Center to get the kids their Junior Ranger books. Their Ranger program is intense you guys! The kids had to go to a Ranger talk, pick up a back of trash, go on a scavenger hunt, and fill out the book. Whew! It was a lot to do but the kids learned a lot. They have two museums to enjoy, one is in the Visitor’s Center and the other is on its own called Yosemite Museum.

Before we went to that one though we went and had some lunch. We took our picnic lunch to the Majestic Hotel. It was, well, Majestic. It was quite fun to walk around and see what we could discover. They have some beautiful decorations and furnishings. Gorgeous, you guys!

In the Yosemite Museum is where we met with a Ranger and she was making a beaded necklace. It was super fun to watch. There was also an Indian Village to go through. We learned so much just through reading the signs, particularly about the foods they ate and the way that they prepared them.

By this point I thought Yosemite was nice but I couldn’t say that I was in LOVE with it. You know, what I mean? I mean, we went to the gift shop and everyone was grabbing items like it was Super Market Sweep and I was just kind of “meh” about it all.

But then we kept going!

We took a shuttle bus to the Lower Yosemite Falls area and walked down to the falls. It was amazing you guys! It was incredible. Breathtaking,

And after that I was in love with Yosemite. And fairly certain that our kids are weird.

From the Lower Yosemite Falls we took a stroll to the Yosemite Valley Lodge area which was really neat too. There are lots of outbuildings to stay in and then there is the lodge with a cool place to eat, Base Camp Eatery. So neat! And they had a Starbucks, praise the Lord because by this time ( I think it was about 4) this Momma was fading fast! That cup of hotel coffee from breakfast had worn off a long time ago.

The Lodge is on the shuttle loop stops so we were able to hop on the shuttle to go back to the Visitors Center to our car.

We then started back towards Fresno. On our way back out the fog had lifted enough that we could take in El Capitan and then we stopped at Tunnel View to get a better, well, view ;) There was a little funny thing at El Capitan. We stopped to get pictures and the face of this mountain just goes straight up, it’s incredible. I said “look you guys, there are people on the top! People climbed it!” There was a brief pause and then quietly from the backseat Cal says “um, those are trees”. And he was right. They were trees. ha.

On the way out of the park we came across 4 deer that were grazing next to the road. They were so pretty! I am pretty sure these are mule deer that we had learned about at the Visitor’s Center. We only have white-tailed deer in Indiana so it was very interesting to see another type of deer. They are so cute, especially the little baby one! Can I just take it home? Will it fit in my carry on? Please?

There was a ton we didn’t get to see either because of the weather or because of our lack of time. The Mariposa Grove was closed. Glacier Point was closed. There was lots of roads that were closed because of the snow. But we’re so happy with what we got to do. We feel like we got to see quite a bit and experienced the grandeur of Yosemite. And that, right there was the point.

By the time we reached our hotel back in Fresno we all were pretty beat and decided pizza in the hotel room while watching an American Pickers episode sounded pretty great.

We are having such a great time. Every place we go we are able feel this sense of awe and thankfulness that we are there.

California Day 1

California!

You guys!!! We are in Cali! I cannot believe that I can even type that.

Y’all know we’re trying to get the kids to all 50 states. The kids also had never been on an airplane. We always knew we would get them on a plane but had no idea when we were going to do that.

Thankfully (Thank you, Jesus!) this all came together seamlessly so we could all go to Cali with Nick for work.

How amazing is God that He gives us the desires of our heart? I am in so awe of that.

So Day 1 was incredible. I was so worried that traveling with the kids would be stressful or something would go wrong but it all went really well.

We drove to Chicago to take a non-stop flight from O’Hare to LAX. So right there I said it…we were traveling in 2 of the biggest and craziest airports in the world.

We also packed everything in basically carry-ons. We had one bag that we checked but other than that we all had one carry-on and one personal item.

We did have a tiny delay when Calvin’s backpack got detained for security to look through further. We learned that nothing freaks out a Calvin faster than detaining his Hobbes for inspection. Thankfully we were on our way in just a jif with Calvin and Hobbes safely reunited.

When we got on the airplane we discovered the free movies that were offered. Nick sat with Emma and I sat with Cal so the kids could each have a window seat for their first flight ever! It was wonderful and so delightful to see his little face when we took off and when we got above the clouds. It was a very bumpy flight. So much so that the pilot got on at one point to assure us there was nothing wrong with the plane, ha. Even with that Calvin randomly said to me “I really like flying”. Little did I know that Emma was two rows behind us not having such a great time. She was one of those flyers that had to puke into a bag. Poor little thing. But other than that we all did great.

When we arrived in LA we retrieved our luggage, got our rental car (Hertz is amazing BTW!) and we were off! It was so great to be in LA after the dreariness of Indiana…even if it was raining when we arrived in Cali.

We quickly found a place for lunch…where else but In-N-Out? It was so yummy and the kids loved it! It was just what the doctor ordered after a long morning of driving and flying. We did have to eat in the car because 1) it was pouring out and 2) there were a kajillion people in the restaurant, so we decided eating in the car was the way to go.

That was Calvin’s burger by the way. We’ve entered that stage where boys can eat you out of house and home. Where Emma, Nick and I order at a restaurant and then we just tell them to double everything and bring it for Calvin. How one teeny little boy can eat so much food is beyond me.

And then we were off to Fresno! We were able to make some stops along the way to break up the 5 hour drive.

First we stopped in Bakersfield to get groceries at Trader Joes. The kids were so cute looking through planters at the shopping plaza. “Look Mom, a roly-poly! Ants!” You can tell we definitely were in the dolldrums of winter back at home for us to be amazed by bugs!

Then we stopped along the side of the road to check out the amazing almond trees in blossom. It was so lovely to see that we just had to stop and get some photos. You have no idea how much I wanted to make Emma change into her Matilda Jane dress but I fought the urge to not be a spazz mom and didn’t make her change. Y’all should be proud of me.

After that it was back on the road for the rest of our trip. We made it to Fresno just in time for dinner. And where did the kids want to eat? Sweet Tomato’s. Have you ever been there? It’s a soup and salad buffet. We used to have two or three of them by us but they’ve gone out of business. The kids were like, spastic, when we told them there was one nearby. So of all the cool places to eat we landed on…Sweet Tomato’s. It was good though and we had a good time. It’s always fun to try new things and to see what varieties of soup they have or specialty salads.

After dinner we went back to the hotel and guess what? We went to bed. Yep, it was 8:00 and we all went to bed. But back home it was 11:00 so we were all tired since we had woken up at 5!

And we all decided it was a good idea to get a good night’s sleep since the next day we are headed for…Yosemite!

Can’t wait! Day 1 was fun and fairly stress free except for the fact that the children bickered and argued the entire day. To the point that Nick was using adages like “don’t make me pull this car over” We should earn some type of award for successfully traveling with preteen children who don’t like the others tone. Oh Lord. As you can see below, we look a bit frazzled.

Oh and last but not least we found where Halos come from! You can share with your kids that we found Halo Heaven! Isn’t it just the cutest?

And that was Day 1! I don’t think you can’t ask for much more out of a first day!

Now…onto Yosemite!

A State of Disaster on Our Bookshelves

The kids and I are on some form of Spring Break this week.

Our CC community has a break paired with us trying to get out the door for Cali this weekend equals not much school work getting done.

Instead I think we are teaching life lessons like how to blow your nose and how to pick up legos effectively.

That’s right.  This morning, I felt well enough to get out of bed, put on clothing that buttons and actually do something with my life. The cold to put all other colds to shame is moving on and I am starting to get some energy back. 

So today…today we conquered the third floor. 

The whole mess of moving everything up there has been something that has been avoided.  I've been in denial about it like William Hale Thompson about the presence of the mob.  I mean, I am really, really good at side-stepping the issue.  But alas, I’ve decided it would be nice to to be able to visit an entire floor of our home this milennium so I’m embracing the need for change. 

Today the kids and I were up there looking at it as though we were expecting to see the mushroom of the nuclear explosion that obviously caused all of the mess to still be in the sky.  Because, it was a legit mess.  How two children who are almost teenagers can trash a room to the degree that this room was trashed is beyond me. 

And I’m sure I am not the only one who has been in this situation but for real, what are they thinking?  I found things like food dye and a funnel among the rubble.  I mean, I know when I’m in the kitchen I think to myself.  I’m going to go and have some alone time so what should I take with me?  Hey look…a funnel. 

Right?

These people are weird.

Anyway, we made a good dent in the mess, there is no way I would classify it as done but we are getting there.  We did also amas some books that needed to be brought down to the new homeschool room.

I’m pretty sure that bringing anything new into a setting is what causes you to see things with fresh eyes for when we brought these books down I suddenly saw the state of our bookshelves with the apparent horror they deserve. 

This is what the bookshelves look like?  When did they get like this?  Who put that there?  How long have they looked like this? 

And so I am now off to purge and throw away and yell and purge some more in order to get the books from the 3rd floor to fit on the shelves.  I secretly have this battle within myself when I have to put something on these shelves... Having limited shelf space makes me have to make decisions and get rid of books we aren't using but geesh, I just hate that so much. There's no wonder in getting rid of books.

I feel the need to admit to you that I am in fact addicted to purchasing vintage children's books but that convo is for a totally different day.

I’m off to clean! 

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And here’s our finished product! It’s not bad! I did have to get rid of some pretty great books which always makes me sad but with CC this is our last time going through Cycle 1 with our kiddos (only with Cal right now actually!) so we won’t be using those books anymore.

Don’t you hate getting rid of books?

What do you guys do when you get rid of books? Do you donate them? Sell them? I’m kind of interested in selling them simply because a lot of them are living vintage books and I know there is a specific market for books like that. Otherwise people pass them by. Comment with how you get rid of books, I’d love to know!

I've Got the Rainbow Loom of Colds

i’m sick today. Which should totally not surprise me. After taking care of your sick family for a week and a half it’s inevitable that mom gets sick right? And this cold is like the rainbow loom of illnesses. Everyone’s already over hearing about it and no one wants to take care of mom. The little bands are already on clearance. This cold was a fad and everyone’s moved on.

Except me.

So it’s a fun party over here.

And when I am sick is when the to-do lists happen in my mind. Not just to-do lists but massive, you could change the world if you would just get off the couch to-do lists.

Can you feel me with this?

It could be partly because while I’ve been sick I’ve been watching Donna Reed re-runs. If you have never watched this show, trust me, you should! it is hilarious even though it is an old show. We love it. Anyway, being laid up on the couch watching what is portrayed as the world’s best housewife can certainly make you feel like perhaps you could be a bit…ahem, better at cleaning your house. And perhaps not have a massive pile of tissues on the floor next to the couch.

So I’m still over here taking it easy, feeling like if only I could get off this God-forsaken couch I could do something with my life…I would mop floors, be productive, have all of these creative and enterprising ideas. I would finally put up that piece of crown molding that goes behind the TV that drives me crazy everytime I see the spot. I’ve got goals, man, real goals.

So I share them with you here, ha.

Meanwhile my real goals should be getting my boo-tay in gear because we leave for California in 4 days. 4 days!!!! I need to pack and make lists and plan and make lists to plan and pack to dream and I don’t know what.

I am crazy, this is rambling, and eventually I will not be sick, rainbow looms will come back in style and perhaps once, once somebody will take care of the mom who gets sick at the end of all of the sickness.

Here’s to hoping.

Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village

Each Christmas we visit Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan for what is arguably the best holiday experience ever…Holiday Nights.

Last year, of course, was no exception. 

We could write so many posts about our experience there.  The weaving, the glass makers, the carolers, the model T rides, the food, the entire experience?  All worthy to write about.

Ringing in the Yuletide while walking along streets lined with greenery and lights is magical.  Add that the street is within a handcrafted village made of original historic homes and it is absolute heaven.

Upon our arrival we were greeted with free hot cocoa to enjoy in the line and a map of where to go once we were through the gates.  Once the event was open and we were through the admission gate we made our way to the Model-T rides.  Authentic Model T rides through the village are such a fun experience and it is such an amazing way to see the village bustling with holiday excitement.

After our amazing ride we walked along the streets to take in the sights and smells. Chestnuts actually roasting over an open fire piqued our noses.  Next to the vendor they were selling hot cocoa and hot apple cider in the cutest souvenir mugs in all the land (still using mine daily for my coffee!). 

And then we went ice skating!  That’s right, real life, ice skating!  It was amazing and fun and silly.  A huge bonus is the skates they have for you to borrow, for free!  It is so nice to go ice skating without having to lug around skates or to pay extra money to borrow a pair of blades.

After our ice skating experience (the only picture I got was the one above!) we went and got some food. After all, as much fun as we have ice skating, we’re kind of like a hot mess. Hats traded, gloves lost, who knows where Nick went. At least the kids had fun and we all had some laughs. And we earned that food! They have so many yummy choices to eat. Each year we’ve gotten a roast beef sandwich but this year we decided to mix things up and we got a ham sandwich! The roast beef and ham are cooked on a spit over an open fire and when you order it they cut the meat to order. It is so much fun. They also had a huge cauldron and we could not pass up the smell so we got a bowl of their chicken dumpling soup. It was amazing!

One of our family’s favorite areas is the Liberty Craftworks area. We were able to watch a lady weaving on a giant loom, watch glass blowing, and tin works. It is so fun to watch!

The whole night was cloaked in nostalgia as we passed groups of carolers singing while warming themselves around bonfires.  Each turn was another holiday moment we each talked about storing up for days when you feel blue.  So many things to be seen around each corner…like Santa reading from his nice list at Robert Frost’s home!

My favorite moment was touring Noah Webster’s home, decorated to celebrate New Years Eve!  It was so festive and fun to see how they lived back then.

The evening ends with a group of carolers leading a procession across the green up to the town hall with lanterns.  When they come to the town hall you realize that every single caroler is in traditional nineteenth century clothing.  All at once you are transported back to a place in time where everyone in a town knew one another and would gather for fun and memory making.  As songs are led and letters to Santa are read a camaraderie develops, not only with the carolers leading the event but with the strangers around you. It is a precious moment, fragile and fun, a time that you don’t want to see end, despite the cold..  The evening ends with Santa coming to say farewell and fireworks start from afar to show the reindeer where to land.  It all is magical and festive. 

To end the night with thousands of strangers singing “silent night” in harmony is a feeling that brings such wonder and honor to the Christmas season. 

We know you will love Holiday Nights as much as we do!

Our Wonder Collective’s Summary

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Pros

This is the most family friendly event. Despite thousands of tickets being sold for each evening there is never any drama... No skiving, yelling, or rudeness. Everyone is kind and friendly.  

This is an educational event as well as festive. Listening to Thomas Edison's original wax recordings on his own phonograph in his workshop and seeing the desk where the Wright brothers worked out their calculations is very wonder filled.  If you are homeschooling this can totally be counted as a field trip.

Cons

The Weather-there is nothing that can be done about this but this is an outdoors activity and it is Michigan.  It can be bitterly cold so make sure you come prepared!

There is a lot of walking. Although we see lots of people with their kids in strollers we have encouraged our extended friends and family to wait until your kids are a bit older before coming. To each his own but that is our opinion.

Additional Suggestions

• If you are going on a model-T ride we highly suggest you get in line when you first arrive.  The line seems to become progressively longer as the evening goes on. 

• Bundle up! I feel like I cannot say that to you enough. This year it was in the 40’s and we still bundled up. Don’t be deceived by warmer temps…standing outside in the middle of winter is still standing outside in the middle of winter no matter how warm it may seem when you are sitting in your hotel room.

• Budget extra money: Please be aware that food is not included in the admission ticket. If you are going to want to eat or drink while you are there then make sure you plan on extra money for the event. All vendors take credit cards/debit cards so you don’t have to bring cash. There are other things to purchase as well. One of our favorite purchases are the lanterns they sell at an open air tent just down the street from the Wright Brothers shop.

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We know you will love Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village! If you’ve gone, please comment below with what is your favorite thing about the event.

Dear Mommas of Autistic Babes...

There have been times in my life when I didn’t know if I would see another day. Seriously. There were days when having an autistic child would nearly kill me. I never knew it could get better. there were times when I wanted to run away and never be a mother again.

I get it. Mothering an autistic child, a “wonder” as we call our sweet son, was horrible. I’m not here to sugar coat it. Whether I was going through a bout of depression, whether it was simply the stage of our family life we were in, or whether it was a combination of the two possibilities, nothing felt easy and everything felt as though it were becoming progressively harder each and every day.

For years.

Years.

Then 10 happened. 10 was a wonderful year. Our sweet boy suddenly started becoming funny. Or funnier I guess I should say. Not just funny but hilarious. He learned joke telling and the art of having good timing. At the same time he learned to stop freaking out about everything and we one day found ourselves on the other side of things. We no longer found a need to give him medication. We were having meaningful conversations with him and we were able to go for long bouts with him not needing special treatment or aides. It was amazing.

10 years. 10 long years and I had forgotten what it was like to have a child who didn’t need my every waking moment. Who could have fun and have a willy nilly schedule. Suddenly everything was okay. I was no longer on pins and needles waiting for an outburst or a flair up or a meltdown. It was okay if I forgot his juice. We could get through lunch if I used the wrong kind of jam.

Since Cal just turned 11 and an entire year of our new carefree life has gone by, I am starting to exhale. I’m no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop or for things to quickly fall apart like they always do. I’m enjoying my family and our life and our love again.

This has been a long time coming. I want to tell you all this message. This is a message of hope in the journey and a message of redemption from the mess of life.

To the Mommas of Autistic babes: please, hang in there. Did you hear me? To those who are out there, hang in there.

It will get better. I promise. God will not overlook you. He has not abandoned you no matter how bleak your dark days may seem.

I write this because I wish I had known this. As a mother sitting on the floor of the bathroom sobbing, I saw no end in sight. I presumed this ebb and flow of bad days and horrible days was to be the making of all of my days. No one told me that we would have stretches of weeks that we would go without problems. That our only care would become our children fighting and bickering like typical adolescent siblings. I never thought we would come to a day when he would care what his hair cut was much less want to help pick out his clothes based on the current trend and not on whether or not his pants could have an elastic waist. No one understands quite like a parent of an autistic child just how nerve wracking the parenting game can be. Everything is up in the air all of the time. Everything is chaotic and yet somehow must be made orderly in an effort for the chaos to not overtake every day.

But those days have come. And oh, how blissful. I feel like we are prize fighters. We have fought tooth and nail to get to where we are today. I endured days that included eight hour stretches of blood curdling screaming, so I can have a little boy who assembles kiwi crates and tells me the differences between Yoda and Obi Wan. Cal fought tooth and nail to teach himself how to talk…to somehow get his brain to communicate with his mouth to speak the thoughts into words that he had formed in his mind. He endured this so he can tell funny jokes to his family over the dinner table. We still have our hard days, our difficult weeks, our weary moments, don’t get me wrong. But we have won.

We have gone back into our corners as champions. But there are some of you who are just coming into the ring to start your fight. Your battle. Your everyday. Please know this…it will be hard. There will be days you will want to quit, to run away and not face this anymore. There will be days you are tired and battle weary. But you cannot quit. You cannot be done. And it will get better.

I have sat down to write this letter to you so many times. Mommas please know you are in this to win this. This is not a meaningless battle. The days are long but the years truly are short. And maybe it will be years from where you are, but things will get better. I am here for you. The other mommas who have been through this are here for you.

Hang in there. It gets better.

Last Minute Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day with Your Kids

Let me guess…you’re like me and suddenly you’ve blinked and it’s Valentine’s Day.

Gulp.

Your wreath might still be up on the front door.

Or is that just me?

This is a no-judgement zone people!

I’m here to share with you some quick easy ways you can celebrate Valentine’s day with your kids.

Here goes…

Red Food Coloring

I promise. this makes you look super fancy. Milk becomes pink milk as seen above… Mashed potatoes look super festive. Just play around with it and use your imagination.

Cookie Cutter

Last year I forgot to do anything for Valentine’s (which is the picture from last year) so I cut a heart out of two pieces of bread. Jelly went on the cut bread, peanut butter on the heart, done.

Heart Plate

Putting anything on a heart plate makes it look more festive. Ours are melamine from Target. Super cheap but the kids love them. If you are short on time look around for anything. Pink plates or bowls are fun, anything red leftover from Christmas would work.

Sprinkles

You’ve heard me talk about these before but my kids LOVE muffin tin lunches. I purchased the 6-cup muffin tins from The Dollar Tree and use them for different foods. For this lunch I put things together that had red or pink. For things that didn’t have color, I added color, like to the milk. To the yogurt I added sprinkles. Strawberries, tomatoes, done. Oh and don’t think I am super fancy schmancy…that whole thing is sitting on a dish cloth.

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My point here is you don’t need to spend a lot of money and you don’t have to freak out if you don’t have a lot of stuff to celebrate Valentine’s with your kids. We just like to show we remembered and we look for ways to show love to one another. Be creative, have fun, and enjoy!

Indianapolis for Free: Fun and Educational Destinations

There are times when you go to a city with kids in tow and you find that quickly, your spending sky-rockets! I know if we are not careful the price of gas, hotel, the valet, all of the eating out with the fun extras (hello milkshakes!), the souveniers, the justified educational purchases from gift shops, and all of the parking fees can really start to add up to an eye popping amount that will shock and surprise you when you get home.

In our home state of Indiana, Indianapolis is just a hop, skip, and jump away. With Nick and I having lived in Indy, it is fairly easy to find deals or know where to go for bargains. If you’re needing some pointers on how to save money, here are some of the places we go and things we do:

The City Market

Located on Market street, this cozy brick building is a historic market which is now filled with food vendors of every imaginable food. We love this place because everyone in our family can find something they want to eat. Also, because everything is purchased a la carte you can find some great deals on meals there.

Be sure to check outside of the market for a super fun free library that has revolving shelves of books. Kids can push the button and watch the machine spin around. I think our kiddos would have spent an hour at this thing if we had let them.

Soldiers & Sailors Monument/ Circle Center Monument

If you are looking for something to do with your kids be sure to check out the Monument in the middle of the city. The monument also serves as an observatory of the city. It is free to go in and climb the stairs, there is a small fee if you want to take the elevator instead.

Holliday Park

The Holliday park located on the north east side of town is a great place to spend some time. With ruins to explore, trails, and a great playgound, you’re bound to be able to make some memories at this place. Admission is free and the park is open from dawn to dusk.

Farmers Markets

Indianapolis has so many varying neighborhoods and communities tucked in around the city that it is easy to find a farmers market going on. With laid back vibes and live music these community events always keep us entertained.

Monon Trail

The Monon Trail can seem never-ending…in a good way! Winding throughout the city there is lots to do along the trail in addition to simply enjoying walking the trail. When we lived in Indy we always enjoyed the Broadripple Village neighborhood which has an eclectic vibe and friendly atmosphere. The trail also has a lot of playgrounds dotted along the way which is so much fun for kids.

Other places I’ve read are free but we haven’t visited (yet!) are:

The Indiana State Police Museum

The White River State Park

Indianapolis War Memorial

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If you have other things you love to do in Indy that are cheap or free, let us know by commenting below! I am sure all of the other readers will love to know your secret destinations as well!

How I Keep My Cotton Picking Mind While Traveling with Kids

y’all.

Y’all…

It is 9:12 pm and I am writing this from the Wonderland of Alcoa, Tennessee after a car ride that started at 7:30.

In the morning.

That’s right. That’s almost a 14 hour difference if you are exceptionally good at the math.

There are times that writing is therapeutic to me. When I find myself in a Courtyard by Marriott on the edge of an airport is one of those times.

When I opened up my laptop and took to writing I had no idea what to tell you all but then it hit me that perhaps the fact that I am avoiding my children right now is precisely what we should talk about. For while I am typing away the kiddos are down at the pool presumably practicing their back stroke and having a truce from the grievous acts that occured in the car.

Don’t get me wrong, I know we have good kids. I know one of them has autism and I know they both are in those awkward preteen years. I get it. But in the midst of the fighting and the attitudes and the rule for spacial domination, I can forget and can’t for the life of me remember why exactly we wanted to take this trip? Not to Tennesee but the journey of parenthood altogether. Was life really more horrible than this?, this exact moment seemed more idyllic in my mind back then? Someone, please fill me in. I think I need a reminder.

There are times in traveling with children that it is hard. Scratch that. Go back. Replace hard with excruciating. I know that Instagram or Facebook or this blog can paint some picture-perfect images of family life on the road.

But perfect is hardly the case. We argue. A lot. We have some attitudes that are hard to contain. We have bad habits, mean spirits, and hot tempers. We are human in need of grace. We are broken.

There are times being broken when I, as a mother, find myself especially broken. When I want to take names or wring someone’s throat or just scream. But I can’t because we are all together in a teeny car or a teeny hotel room and losing it just won’t fix anything.

Early on in our days of travel I knew that I was going to have to do something if we were all going to survive vacations and traveling together. Thankfully I have found ways to deal with the times that I need to collect my self. I am an introvert by nature and so many times I find myself overwhelmed with having to be with people (even if they are my people) and needing to be my best for them.

Enter Dad.

When I need a break I have Nick take them to the pool. Or to go outside. Or anywhere. When I have been with the kids all day while Nick has been working there are sometimes days when I need him to take the kids. We still have hard days even when we’re traveling and when we’re having a hard autism day it takes an even bigger toll on me.

Enter Videos.

During the day when I need some time to have a breather I will often plug in the laptop and have the kids watch something on Netflix or on Amazon Prime.

Enter playgrounds.

Finding playgrounds in the areas that we travel to has proven to be one of our greatest highlights. You get to interact with the people who live where you are and there are some serious playgrounds around the country! Fresh air and exercise always makes us all feel and behave better. Many times I will play with the kids or walk around the playground while they’re playing but if I have work to do I will sometimes bring a journal and sketch out blog ideas I have.

Enter the bathroom.

Of course this is desperate but if I need some private time I will sometimes just lock myself in the bathroom. It’s just like being at home, teehee. This at least affords me time to read the bible or a magazine or pretend I am not holed up in a hotel bathroom to try to fend off the little rascals outside of the door. I don’t exercise this option but find I do use it more when we are doing homeschool on the road and we are butting heads a lot about work.

Thank goodness for the library.

If you are a homeschooling family and you are traveling. You should find the local library. It should be one of your first stops. I remember making this observation when we were traveling north of Chicago. Nick had a meeting and we weren’t allowed in our hotel yet so the kids and I had an entire day to roam around. We found a library and spent the better part of the day there. So many books with time on our hands to sit and enjoy. Games and puzzles and toys to play with. Interesting scenery and things to see that aren’t at our library. It was such a great time. Pair that with the fact you have to whisper, it makes it really hard to have a whisper battle with your sibling which is sometimes a big win for us!

Enter Working Out.

A lot of our trips we are traveling with Nick for work which consequently means that we do have a rental car but it is in Nick’s name and therefore I am not allowed to drive it. This is fine with me actually because having no where to go during the day means that 1) I can’t spend extra money just loitering around town shopping and 2) we have no choice but to get school work done if we are hotel bound.

On the days that we are hotel bound though it can frequently feel like a prison sentence. Not having anywhere to go when you have things to do and cooperative kids is not that bad. Enter day 5 of not being able to go anywhere with kids who really don’t want to be doing the same thing again and it feels like a life sentence.

I find that working out (with or without the kids) helps keep the peace, not only with my inner self but with the kids. Also, working out outside is an added bonus as we all get some fresh air and Vitamin D, we clear our heads, get out our wiggles, and all together feel better.

Things we have done to work out? Well, I will take the kids to the hotel gym either in the late morning or early afternoon. There is hardly ever anyone there at those times. The kids feel super cool getting to work out with mom in the gym and I get to get my workout in. Run. Most times hotels are on an access road making walking or running convenient. Also, we sometimes have relay races in the parking lot grassy areas or we find games the hotel has on loan. We’ve found hotels have things like frisbees, cornhole, tennis racquets, and other things if we just ask.

So those are some of the ways I have found to get even a couple of minutes peace and quiet to have time to settle my thoughts, pray, regroup, and then head back in to be a referee between the two while we are couped up trying to get school done or whatever adventures we decide to go out and have.

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If you have any more ideas for how to keep your sanity while traveling please, hook a sister up! I NEED them! <insert picture of a crazed Lindsay over here pulling out her hair">

Great Kid Friendly Places to Visit in Nashville

One of my friends was going to Nashville with her friends and asked if I could give some recommendations.

Having gone to Nashville a few times with our kiddos, boy oh boy could I make some recommendations!

I was able to quickly make her a list of fun places to go and thought I would share it with you.

These are fun places to check out and offer things to see, things to do with littles. for the most part they are free or relatively inexpensive. We also have only ever gone for a few days at a time so we never are involved in anything heavy or time consuming.

Here are some of our recommendations:

Five Daughters Bakery

These donuts are like anything we’ve ever had before and they are so scrumptious! A mix of a donut and a croissant, these cronuts are divine. Some of them though are about $6 and they are huge so if you have kids I highly recommend making them share. It is hard for an adult to finish one, they are so rich and filling, so to save money our family gets a couple to share and then some of their really good coffee to enjoy them with.

The only location we’ve ever been to is the one by Draper James. It has a great outdoor eating area and a little playground which is adorable! It’s a nice place to take a break and get some fresh air.

Draper James

This is Reese Witherspoon’s store in case you didn’t know!  Super cute, super girly, and super southern, you’ll be greated with the cutest little cups of sweet tea in their signature cups with their own little straws.  There’s a super cute wall outside to get your picture in front of and our kids loved the little drink treat while I shopped. 

Lifeway Christian Store

Housed in the ground floor of the bookstore’s headquarters, this store was so nice to browse through.  We were pleasantly surprised to find lots of hard to find items, tons of steals, and activities to do in the back of the store while parents shop.  Be sure to use the space age type bathrooms and don’t miss the stained glass on the way!

Antiques Archaeology

We have been to this store twice and amazingly it is never as busy as I always thought it to be.  While most of the “picked” items were way, WAY out of our price range, it was fun to purchase shirts, coffee cups, and the iconic bumper sticker that was on our flex when we sold it  (every mother wants their daughter to pick them out a bumper sticker that says “Junk in the Trunk” and have no idea why this is not appropriate, right, lol).  Also, if you watch the show at any type of frequency you are sure to see items in the shop that were found on a show you’ve watched. 

*Side note, be sure to go IN the building that houses the store. An old factory, it houses loads of old machinery that our kids love tinkering with, turning the knobs, pushing the buttons, basically being able to mess with. This type of hands on history is our fave! There are also several other shops to check out,

Gaylord Retreat Center

Waterfalls, photo opportunities, flowers, foliage, multi levels with walking paths to wander around and explore…the Gaylord Convention and Retreat Center is something you have to see to believe. With multiple atriums to explore full of shopping and restaurants (they even have indoor boat rides, seriously, huge!) this is something that will be fun for your family to explore even if you aren’t staying there.

Tip, parking can become salty (I can’t remember for sure but I believe parking was by the amount of time you were there). I recently read on Trip Advisor that you can park in the Opry Mills parking lot and there is a nice walking path that takes you to Gaylord so you don’t have to pay for parking. Just an idea if you are trying to save some money.

Aquarium restaurant

Okay this is one of those T Rex, Rainforest type restaurants where the food is terrible but really you’re paying for the experience to sit next to a massive aquarium and eat. If you have kids who love fish and sharks then this is perfect for you. If you want to save money, find a free appetizer rack card at basically any hotel in the area. The nachos were massive so I got the nacho appetizer as my entree which at least saved us some money. Nick and I have even shared the nachos as our meal before and just paid for the kids meals. Win, win!

Grand Ole Opry

So the weirdest thing to me is that the Grand Ole Opry is now right across from a mall but it’s the mall with the Aquarium restaurant, Opry Mills. Even if you don’t take in a show it is a cool place to visit and they have a really comprehensive gift shop. It’s nice to snap photos and say you’ve been there. At any given time there could be singers, performers, and various types (country and western) of dance troups and shows in the courtyard of the Opry.

Nashville Zoo

I sometimes say this to you about certain attractions so here it goes…we have been to a boat load of zoos. The National Zoo, the iconic Fort Wayne Childrens Zoo, the Chicago zoos, zoos on the east coast, zoos out west…there have been a lot of zoo experiences.

All that to say, the Nashville zoo is the second best zoo we’ve ever been to, second only to the Indianapolis Zoo but they have the huge Dolphin show so there’s that. The Nashville Zoo houses the most amazing playground. Appropriately named “Jungle Gym” ha! It is a massive structure with so much to do. We enjoyed that there was something to do there aside from look at animals as it really helped to break up the day and gave the kids something to do on their own.

There are extra things you can pay for…we let the kids go on the Eagle Zip Line and it was so much fun! The kids were scared at first but then they were excited to go on it and then really happy they had the chance to go. It is a massive zip line experience and it is a fun ride down.

If you have a reciprocal membership from another AZA zoo then this zoo is half off for you, friend!

Adventure Science Center

This Science Center was a lot of fun. Our kids enjoyed the space exhibit the most, with their anti gravity experience, Test Bed. I really, really appreciate when the kids can experience things like this and it is included in the price of admission. On the flip side of the coin I hate when places nickel and dime you for every cotton picking thing they offer…it gets confusing and expensive. This place however did not do that and it was great.

Just a tip though, this place was a bit out of the way and was hard to find but be patient…if it seems like you are going the wrong way you are probably almost there, ha.

Other things there that the kids loved were the gigantic light bright exploring the physics of light, the indoor playground, Adventure Tower, that is multi-level structure and at the top has a Willy Wonka type experience where you can poke your head up and look over the whole city…very cool.

So there you have it, some fun things to do in the Nashville area. I know that most people think Country Music right off the bat when they think of Nashville but if you’ll notice, hardly any of my recommendations had to do with music. It is a bustling, fun city that is up and coming.

If you are interested in country music you can find a lot of hotspots on Broadway which is fondly called “Honky Tonk Row”. We’ve driven through the area but each time we decided there were too many people to get out and walk around so we just drove through. If you are going with kids just be forewarned that this is a huge party area…think bachelorette parties and large groups of people. Everyone seemed to be pretty chill and it didn’t smell of urine like Beale Street in Memphis but still, it can get crazy. I’ve included the picture below for you to catch a glimpse of the people.

Oh and really quick, 2 more places! Brentwood is a cool area south of Nashville and Biscuit Love is an amazing place to grab a bite to eat! Be sure to check those out too!

Do you have any suggestions of other places to visit? Or any questions I can help you with? Make sure to comment below! Happy Traveling!

Smoky Mountain Fun: Our Dollywood Review

Dollywood has always been one of those pie in the sky destinations for our family. This fall our family spent a few nights in the Pigeon Forge area and while we were there we had the opportunity to visit Dollywood. Having visited the area a few times before we, of course, had seen Dollywood advertised everywhere! Since the kids are getting older (funny how that happens!) and have been begging to ride roller coasters we were excited to try it out with our preteen kiddos and decided this would be the perfect trip to visit the amusement park.

We are so glad we did! Y’all if you have never been to Dollywood you are definitely missing out. I can say that we had no idea what all there was going to be to see and experience. Our kiddos were 10 and 12 when we visited and they had so much fun in the park. Truly a place made for family with fun and faith interwoven, it is a haven where you don’t have to worry about inappropriate displays or if attractions will be too scary.

We arrived pretty much first thing when they opened. I enjoyed that they do not open at dawn’s early light because this momma always feels very bad if we don’t cram in as much as earthly possible. I mean, we’re paying for it so we’ve got to get our money’s worth, right? So I am right on track with Dolly’s thinking that we all need our beauty sleep so we should all go a bit later. They opened at 10 am and it was a perfect time to set out on our day’s adventure!

The main street is very disney-esque but the thing I loved is that you didn’t get the feeling that they were trying to be Disney. We’ve been to plenty of other places that are trying to be something they are not but this was not the case at Dollywood. They are their own attraction and they own their own unique identity and flavor. The main street was a great place for our family to get out sea-legs so to speak. We could tell when we walked in that Calvin was very overwhelmed by everything there was to do so it was nice to have a bit of a stroll before we jumped right into activities.

We walked down main street and found ourselves in the Craftsman’s Valley area, an adorable area with shops and craftsman galore. We loved looking through the glassworks store before deciding that we were ready for our first ride. We sat down as a family and became acclimated with the park through the map. They also have a very immersive app that Nick and I each downloaded onto our phones. Sometimes it was handier to look at the paper map and other times it was nice to refer to the app…I would say you should definitely use both when you are there. Also, one of my homeschooling mom tricks is I make my kids use maps. Things like directions, map keys, distance…so many things are understood and learned through maps and in these days a lot of kids are not learning how to use maps. It’s fun for them to practice using the map and being in charge of helping the family find our destination. *Okay I’ll step off my little cartography soap box now, but we just love maps!

Once we walked to the ride Calvin got scared but Nick and Emma had a blast riding the Barnstormer. Calvin and I remarked how it was almost as much fun watching the rides as it was riding the ride. Maybe not. but it was fun to watch!

I will spare you the joy of reading every.single.blessed.thing we did as you would be here until doomsday reading everything we did. Suffice it to say…we had an amazing time! To break it down for you there were three categories of things we enjoyed: the sights, the food, and the rides!

The Sights

Dollywood is for everyone which I love! I remember my grandparents visiting when Dollywood first opened back in the ‘80s and I can understand why now. Tons of seating including droves of lovely rocking chairs to rest and relax in. Older people were there, families, young adults, seriously…everyone. I’m guessing one of the reasons so many retired folks love this place is because there is so much to do outside of amusement park rides.

To be truthful, on a Dolly Parton fan-level we were pretty much non existent fans upon arrival. Then we came across her museum, Chasing Rainbows, which tells The Dolly Parton Story. It was so amazing to see her actual momentos and treasures from her journey to success, to see her story unfold from where she started to where she is now. Such an amazing story of God’s provision. And now we are huge fans of hers. If you want to see all of her awards, her gowns, her shoes, her purses, her magazine covers, then be sure to go spend time in Chasing Rainbows.

Another one of our favorite things was the train! A coal powered train from Alaska that was used during WWII, the beast has been at Dollywood since it opened and is so iconic to the park. It was so much fun to ride and see all of the sights around the park. A must-do if you visit.

Other fun things included a drum garden to make music, and statuettes like this axe to try to get out of the ground. Calvin insists he got it to wiggle ;). There were animals to see, shows to attend, concerts to listen to, you name it.. So many things to do!

In the Craftsman’s Valley area they had so many hands on projects and shopping to do. Seeing as we visited in the fall there were lots of Christmas ornament options. There were woodworkers to watch, iron forgers to get lost in their process watching, and you could even blow your own glass. The kids went to the candlemaker and dipped their own candles.

The buildings are amazing to see too! So many building are designed to look like historic Smoky Mountain buildings…the chapel and the mill were some of our favorites.

Something super surprising to find in an amusement park…Towards the tip of the park you will find an incredible sight…the Nation’s largest Bald Eagle Sanctuary. We’ve seen eagles several times….we have a family of eagles that live outside of our lake cottage but this was absolutely awe inspiring. This National Parks caliber sanctuary gives you a chance to watch multiple eagles soaring in their own environment. You simply must check this out!

Another aspect of Dollywood I would like to add is that they always seem to have a fun theme or something going on, on top of the already amazing selection of attractions. While we were there the Harvest Festival was going on. Craftsman from around the country were all around to watch and there were Southern Gospel Singers, Country and Western Acts with concerts every few minutes. Even comedy and dance based musical shows. The extra sights were so much fun to take in and enjoy as we walked along.

The Food

You guys all have to try the cinnamon bread from the Grist Mill! I’m looking at you. That was the number one thing people told us whenever we would mention that we were planning on visiting Dollywood. And it is as good as everyone told us it would be. A sort of monkey bread loaf, this pull apart treat was enough to feed our family of 4 as a snack. I believe it was $7.99 so it was a bargain for a snack for all of us!

Beyond the cinnamon bread, all of the food we had was amazing. We didn’t do any of the sit down restaurants but we did sample quite a bit of food throughout the day. Fried Green Tomatoes, Jumbalaya, Funnel Cake, Ice cream…incredible. My favorite though were the fresh made pork rinds. People like them so much you can buy them by the bucket. A large bag was enough for our family to snack on through the day. You can see Nick in the photo beside eating the said pork rinds because we aren’t a proud people…we can post our eating photos.

The Rides

I am not a ride person. I can’t say I’ve ever been a huge ride person, but I do remember being young and experiencing the thrill of going on rides for the first time.

It was such a blast to be able to experience that with our kiddos and to see the looks on their faces when they got off of rides. For the most part they absolutely loved them!

Emma started off the excitement because after riding her first ride with Nick I talked about earlier, she was really wanting to go on more rides. Calvin however, still was not having any of it.

We all decided to go on an indoor ride and we all had a blast…it was fun and thrilling but not too scary.

After that Emma found a fire ride that she wanted to go on. This is the face of a girl who went on her first official roller coaster. She was so cute talking all about it and being flushed at how exciting it was! After seeing Emma’s excitement Cal started to warm up to the idea of going on a coaster but still wasn’t sure. Which is why having smaller rides is just perfect! They rode a smaller “tween ride” (as they called it) and had a blast together. I love when they have fun together.

Another ride they loved doing together was this lumber jack ride where they had to pull themselves up to the top and then the ride would lower them in unexpected intervals before they would repeat the process all over again. If your kids somehow have pent up energy to get out after walking miles and miles around the park then this is the ride you need for them!

If you have kiddos who are younger or do not like roller coasters, there is still so much to do! It’s basically an amusement park where the roller coasters are not the center of things to do.

Calvin’s very favorite area was the carnival area. There were lots of games and rides for younger children. We enjoyed the bumper cars collectively as a family. Be warned though that these are not bumper cars where you smash into people going every which way, there is a track and you have to go the way they tell you. I wish I had known that in advance as it was a little bit of a different idea for Calvin to understand, but after the first go round, he was a pro.

The kids loved the carousel! I love that our kids seek our carousel’s to ride wherever we go. It is always such a sweet memory and fun to pick a certain horse to ride on.

We feel so blessed that we had the chance to visit. The special needs accommodations they offered were so helpful for our family (I’ll be writing about that in another post). In short, Dollywood has taken the sanctity of our great nation and somehow combined that with thrills and fun for an idyllic theme park experience.

Our Wonder Collective’s Summary

Pros:

• There really is something for everyone. They don’t just say that…it’s true.

• There’s lots to do…you won’t be able to experience everything in one day. You won’t get bored.

• It’s a foodies dream. Seriously, so much food. Good food, for good people. Southern down home food with culinary twists thrown in.

• I don’t know how they do it but it is the best taken care of, cleanest, most peaceful place. It’s amazing.

• The best value is found with their multi-day tickets that cut the price of each day way down.

Cons:

• The ticket prices are very expensive. Once we were in and experienced it I felt that the cost of the ticket was justified and makes sense. But when you haven’t gone before it seems like a lot of money. Plus it is a lot of money to pay if you are taking your entire family.

• You cannot bring your own food into the park. You can leave the park and re-enter with your hand stamped but seriously, the place is huge and the parking lot is massive. If you plan on leaving make sure you are ready for a trek (even with the tram) to get to your car and get something to eat.

• Perhaps we are a bit directionally challenged but even my husband who has a degree in planning out cities admitted that the layout seemed a bit wonky. It took most of the day for us to get our bearings and feel that we knew where we were going.

Our Wonder Collective Suggestions:

• Drink water and lots of it. Iced water is free at all food vendors. Make sure you ask for lots. Lots and lots and lots.

• Wear comfortable shoes (of course!)

• Make a note of where you are parked. The parking lots (mulitple!) are massive and you’ll take a tram from the lot into the park .

• They have a service to have all of your purchases waiting for you at the front…use that service! It was so nice to not have to keep track of who has what bag and to make sure Sue Ellen (there’s no Sue Ellen) still has her bag and on and on. The less you have to carry the better, right? I will also say that keeping your receipts all together instead of shoving them into the depths of your purse makes retrieving your items a lot easier…not that I would ever do that but you know, just in case, don’t do that.

• If you are thinking of going make sure you get on their website and sign up for their email list. I did and I am not constantly alerted of deals they are having!

• When you get the cinnamon bread from the Grist Mill, just go ahead and get more than you need. You’ll want to take some home or to snack on later on in the day. The later in the day it gets, the longer the line becomes so go ahead and only wait once.

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Enjoy Dollywood! Comment below with your suggestions or questions. I’d be happy to help!

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Welcome to Our New Project...Our Wonder Collective!

It has been so hard to not let the cat out of the bag about our new name…Our Wonder Collective!

Welcome to this new place. This new landing place for us to inspire and encourage you along your journey through our journey. We are so happy to be in this new space and to take the world by storm with wonder. I thought I would start this blog off with a brief description of our new site’s name because, you guys, I am in love! I’ll then answer some questions I’ve gotten about the blog.

“noun: a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
verb: desire or be curious to know something.”

— Wonder

We were talking as a family way back when about what binds our homeschooling and our adventures through travel together and the word wonder came sputtering out suddenly. It is so dead on it was surprising because wonder is what we are always after. We’re always looking for beautiful and unexpected things that will surprise us, cause admiration, and basically knock our socks off. And in it’s verb sense we always have a desire to be curious to know something. We’re always learning, always searching.

So Our Wonder Collective is our big bag of wonders we have collected. We can’t wait to share them with you along the way!

But why wonder?

I had a session with my friends where I asked them things about my blog (plying your friends with food and drinks is an excellent way for a panel discussion, btw!). Two of my best friends pointed out that the main thing that sets us apart from other people is that we are living life, homeschooling and traveling, and making it look normal while having to make adjustments and modifications for our autism family. See, our son has autism. Our son and daughter do things drastically different. To me that is just life but as I am realizing, sometimes things I see as easy or normal are talents God has given me that set me apart.

What happened to Super Busy at Home?

Eep! I have to geek out fangirl style because I had a chance for Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom to critique my blog. Eep! It was beyond an incredible experience and an incredible learning experience. The biggest thing she said was an issue was our website’s name. And she was right. It was just the push we needed to take the jump and start a new site. The truth is that I am not the busiest person in the world and it is hard having a site about being at home when you are traveling. It was a bit weird.

What will this site be about?

The wonder that we find along the way! If you love exploring, traveling, and a lifetime love of learning than you are going to feel right at home here. We love sharing new finds with our friends and can’t wait to share them with all of you. We exist to inspire and encourage others to find wonder in whatever is around, wherever they find themselves.

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We hope our search for wonder will inspire you to look into your everyday to see God’s wonder that is all around. Welcome to Our Wonder Collective!