Staycation--Day 3

Day 3:  Gatlinburg Day

We headed out to Gatlinburg nice and early!

First stop:  Ripley's Aquarium

Quite a few things have been updated at the aquarium.  We were very excited to see the Pearl Harbor exhibit.   

The jellyfish are my favorites...

 


Stop #2:  Donut Friar

We needed nourishment fast, so donuts fit the bill!  These were some awesome donuts!

Stop #3:  Guinness World Records

Oh my, what a workout!  We competed to see who could get the most baskets, speed tag, hulu hooping, drumming, punching, throwing.  Our muscles were sore for days!  (Well, at least mine were!)  It was worth it!  You get a wrist band that can be scanned to keep track of all your progress on the games. 

Stop #4:  A late lunch at Golden Corrall

Home after a tiring, yet wonderful day! 

Staycation--Days 1 and 2

The idea of a "stay-cation" has never appealed to me, because my home is my work.  I teach school here, volunteer here, work here, clean here.  I have never seen a "stay-cation" as a real vacation.  Well, this year I really didn't have a choice.  We needed a break and weren't able to travel anywhere for a week.  So, JP scheduled the week off and we made our plans!

I had everyone make a list of things they wanted to do.  Our lists ranged from kayaking to hiking; AMSE to Ripley's Aquarium; game nights to movie marathons.  I narrowed down the list and tried to pick things we would all enjoy together, making sure to schedule my introverted husband some alone time.  We unplugged the computers and tablets for the ENTIRE WEEK!  I was fortunate that my friends and colleagues guarded our time "away" and we took some much needed time to reconnect as a family.  I haven't had so much fun in a long time.  

Day 1:

Kayaking with Daddy while Mommy slept in!

 

Followed by a Robin Williams 90's movie marathon:  Jumanji, Hook and Aladdin.

Day 2:  We went to the gym in the morning for Daniel to try out a Tai Chi class and saw Secret Life of Pets at the movies.

We worked on a puzzle throughout the week, which is probably part of the reason why I have a stiff neck!

 

We took lots of naps!  Tera was the winner with the most naps taken in one week. 

Avicii?

I had never heard of Avicii until I was scanning through the stations on the radio and heard a song that caught my attention.  I came home and looked up the lyrics, only to discover this Swedish DJ named Avicii.  I cannot say I like all his music, but I found several that I really have been enjoying: