dollywood

2019 Tennessee Trip!

April 9, 2020 by Jensey Leave a Comment

Before we became parents, I had dreams of grandeur of blogging monthly personal photos. Every trip being documented within a week of returning from home.

The reality is I’m constantly treading water when it comes to our personal photos. Our bests are *incredibly* patient and never complain about getting our fall trip photos uploaded in March. *facepalm* I go back and forth on whether it’s even worth the effort to share them or if it’s just wrong to because we’re off season. I can’t wait until *next* fall to post, because I know I’ll have another load of memories I’d rather share but be behind on (and Oliver will be a whole year older!), so I’ll end up putting THOSE on the back burner, and the cycle just never ends.

BUT. I’ve decided this year I’m going to try to share more of these photos, even if we’re 6 months behind. Because this was my favorite trip of 2019 and Ollie in Tennessee just warms my heart. <3 And sometimes we get reallllllly cute photos of our favorite people, like this one that just begs to be seen! :)

If you’ve been following for the past decade, you may remember our best friends who got married in Africa. If you ever wonder what became of them, Lorie and Jon are happily raising their family of chickens in Nashville! We don’t get to see them often, but I’m always so happy when we do. <3 <3

All their chickens have fun egg names, like Scrambled, Sunny Side, and Deviled! They’re also a few tambourines away from being the chickens belting “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” at the end of Splash Mountain. <3

Ollie is *very* impressed and talks about them often. :)

Every fall or early winter we try to make a trip to Tennessee! I want to raise my Florida boy aware of seasons, and appreciating our favorite place- Dollywood!!

He’s already off to a good start and definitely appreciates a good carousel <3

On our way to Dollywood’s First Aid for a scary splinter!

Can’t you feeeeeel the bravery in this one?! <3

“Pooh Bear, is that you?!”

There is NOTHING like Dollywood at Halloween. We were so happy to share this magic with Tim and John!!

He’ll cry when he meets Mickey, but somehow this motley crew wasn’t scary to him at all!!

THE table at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort where I filled out our home study papers to adopt!! I’ll cry if they ever get rid of this special little corner!

Favorite part of the trip? Nate was taking the above photo of Tim and John when Ollie proudly announced, “I want to take a picture with my uncles.” <3 <3 <3

We met this sweet couple taking photos with their phones in wedding attire! Nate made some friends and took some with our camera, too. :)

We loved getting a little taste of fall and can’t wait to go back!! <3

Fall Tennessee Trip!

March 13, 2019 by Jensey Leave a Comment

Personal photo week continues!! <3

Now, on to our fall family vacation : Home sweet home Tennessee. :)

We started off with a visit to our best friends in Nashville for a few days! 3 days in Nashville means two visits to the Nashville Zoo for this little Junior Zookeeper! <3

The petting zoo was a BIG hit!

It’s not Tennessee without some creepy decorations!

My favorite thing about the Nashville Zoo : The Kangaroo Kickabout! It’s the coolest exhibit ever where you walk through a fence-less exhibit and can pet kangaroos! :)

My boys <3 <3

Then it was off to a Gatlinburg cabin weekend with the bests, and this little gent in sweaters!

Revisiting the most special table in the whole entire world at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort. Because three years before this photo was taken…

… This photo was. It was during a mini vacation to this special place that I started filling out our adoption paperwork. <3

Cabin weekends used to be so fun! Now they’re filled with constantly freaking out about different ways for Ollie to hurt himself in an un-babyproofed home!

Y’all- Dollywood in October. I cannot wait to go back!!

Don’t judge his faces in this or the last photo… I promise he had a good time, lol!

HE FOUND HIS SHADOW! And wouldn’t step on it! It was the cutest thing ever!!

Ollie burrito! A sight we never get to see in Orlando! :)

Toto, I don’t think we’re in Disney anymore…

I bought this little outfit before Ollie was even born! It warmed my heart to see it on my walking dream come true! <3

Until next time, Rocky Top! <3

Tennessee : Travel

June 30, 2010 by Jensey 19 Comments

This one’s gonna be pretty image-heavy, so make yourself comfortable! ;) So here’s the story- For almost a year (I believe), Lorie and I were planning a surprise trip for our guys. :) Nathan had never gone and stayed in a cabin before, or seen east Tennessee, let alone in the fall, so we knew where we wanted to go immediately! The whole trip was full of surprises (more than Lorie knew, even), so when we put the guys in the car, they had no idea where we were taking them! Our first surprise for them was a day at Dollywood, which none of us had gone to before. :) Being a total Disney snob, I thought we’d be laughing at it, but I looooooooved it!!

This was the front entrance:

Dollywood had to be the most beautiful amusement park ever. I mean, even waiting in line was gorgeous. :)

While part of Dollywood is rides and attractions, the other has an actual chapel, and a lot of craftsmen making furniture, guitars, brooms… A little of everything. It’s kind of like a permanent crafts fair.

Santa’s brother talking with a scarecrow.

I loved the gift shop up front. :)

Prettiest parking lot ever!

So after that surprise was done, we threw the guys in the car and headed to secret spot #2.

Ta-da!! Well, turns out we didn’t get a photo of the front of our cabin, but this is the bedroom Nate & I stayed in.

It was absolutely gorgeous- I can’t wait to go back. :)

The view from the kitchen window…

… And the view from the 3 back porches. (Yes, 3!)

Another view from the back porch- I love autumn leaves when they’re soaked. :)

The view looking down from the top porch.

I didn’t include photos ’cause we didn’t take any, but we also surprised the guys by taking them to the Dixieland Stampede that night. (Yeehaw!) After the show was a big moment for me- It was the first time in about 5 months that I had just sat down to watch a movie. Lorie and I watched Stepmom (one of my favorites to watch around Autumn), and the guys went downstairs and played pool.

Nate and Jon went for a hike around the cabin the next morning. :)

I loved taking these roads!

What it looks like from a car window. :)

The NEXT surprise was on Halloween, actually… We went to the University of Tennessee, where Lorie, Jon, and I went to school for a while. The 3 of us hadn’t been back since, and I loved having the chance to show Nate around my old stompin’ grounds. The next 2 photos are the most meaningful- The bench Lorie and I are sitting on is the VERY spot where I begged her to do the Walt Disney World College Program with me! I wouldn’t have done it without her, and she would never have met Jon, I never would have met Nate. How crazy! I thought the bench deserved a photo. :) The one on the right was my dorm, South Carrick. :)

The Quad where I spent most of my time. :)

Neyland Stadium!

We’d purposefully picked Halloween week to go because this was the only game Nate and I didn’t have a wedding booked. :)

I loved that it was the black out game on Halloween! The Pride of the Southland Band performed a Halloween medley. :)

Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas!

That’s better. :)

After the game- I can honestly say I’d never been so cold and wet for such a long period of time. I was miiiiiiserable, but we had fun, regardless. :) Oh, and UT won, too!

I love this photo of Lorie and Jon… It’s extra special, because while she and I were planning this surprise trip for the guys, she had nooooooo idea Jon was planning on proposing the next day! :)