festive fall fun part 2

On another detour this month, we made a pitstop in Noccalulu Falls, AL (Jess, this is where we always meant to meet up and camp when you lived here and we lived in Birmingham).

Practicing for his senior portrait

A subhead for this post could be "The Alabama Hat print collection". Tyler ended up at the store with me and decided Ben needed to represent The Tide in Tennessee territory. And represent he does - if this hat is in sight, or recent memory, it is going on his head (including while wearing his Halloween costume).

Happy times in front of the memorial of the Cherokee tribe's princess who jumped off the cliff rather than marry her arranged husband and bring peace to the feuding camps. Drama, drama, drama.

And there were lots of ducks to chase, I mean, feed.

Here's lil Katie Beth and her bright baby blues

this could be from any day, as this is her typical view on our outings...but it happens to be from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch on Signal Mountain. Interestingly, it's not a pumpkin patch at all, but a really cool playground decorated with jack-o-laterns!

Not sure it has quite the same effect in February or July, but in October, it's pretty much the perfect place to play!

the camera does not deceive, this was a mammoth slide!

He was kissing me on the nose and then cracked himself up.

another senior portrait

(but only if he goes to Alabama!)

Another day, another adventure...this one was Kettner's Mill, about an hour away. It's a real-working cornmill that holds an annual festival of vendors, food, animals and general rural fun.

After our fill of carnival food and Tyler getting stung by a bee, we headed home for naps. Katie Beth and I were the only ones who followed through, as it was at this point that the nagging ick-feeling I'd had all day was really taking hold. Tyler and Ben headed back out for a quick run around the city and an impromptu sledding adventure on the riverfront.

According to Tyler this was one of his favorite times he and Ben have ever shared. :)

Crash! And back up the hill he goes...Tyler said there was just no fear and the kid likes it fast! (Mommy's pretty glad I only get to see the still shots)

A very fun weekend, indeed! However, things went, ahem, downhill from here, as Ben threw up six times between the car and house upon their return. We wavered between thinking it was a stomach bug and motion sickness (can't imagine from what?!) all evening as he acted fine, but once we had to change the sheets on his bed at 10, we had our answer. The next couple of days left he and I both housebound, but thankfully the bug skipped over Tyler and Katie Beth. Ben seemed to handle it just fine - gatorade, medicine and movies all day...he loved being sick!

Me not so much, and I am very happy to be feeling better and back in a routine this week. Part 3 to include some homemade craftiness, Rock City, Boo at the Zoo and all the Halloween hoopla!