Friday, November 15, 2013

Davy Crockett

   Monday, November 11, 2013
   We made plans with our homeschool group to visit Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park in Greene County. According to weather forecast, the rest of the week was going to be rather cold and we wanted to take opportunity to enjoy the fall weather before the cold front comes through. Over the weekend, we learned who Davy Crockett. To be entirely honest, Stevie was not quite interested. Hannah was excited to color a Davy Crockett coloring page and she also watched clips from movies about Davy Crockett with Daddy.
   Kelly and Alex were the only ones who could make it to this trip. We had a nice picnic by the Nolichucky River and then went to look at the replica of the cabin where Davy Crockett was born.




   Behind the cabin was another smaller structure that the kids loved playing in. We were not quite sure what was its function but it made a great play place. Once we managed to drag the kids out of the log building, we went to the small museum in the park. We watched a short documentary about Davy's youth and then looked at the items on display.
   One of the texts in the museum described what a typical household in the late 18th century owned. It was quite amazing to read that. This was the estate of a Nicholas Gentry who died in 1784:
1 cow, 6 sheep, 1 pot, 1 pound and 3 quarts of pewter, 2 small hoes and an old mattock, 1 ax and 2 plane bits, 1 drawing knife, 1 pair of snippers and a razor, 2 bridle bits, 1 pair of bullet molds, 1 weaving loom, 1 sow, 1 flax wheel, 2 small piggins, 7 table spoons, 1 bedstead and bedding, 1 Bible, 1 spelling book, 1 fat tub, 1 heifer and 1 horse. 
   After the visit to the museum, we walked over to the playground. The kids had a blast and played hard. When we finally got back in the truck, Hannah was very tired and cranky. Luckily she fell asleep pretty quickly.
   Even though Stevie was not interested in learning about Davy Crockett before our trip, when we got home, he spend all evening pretending to be Davy and hunting bears.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Jana and Jana

   We have not had much new to report over the last week with the exception of Jana's and Jana's visit. Jana's cousin Jana from the Czech Republic is visiting for a couple of months and the girls went on a big road trip through out the eastern U.S. We were happy they made our place their first stop. Jana and Jana arrived on Monday, November 4th. They drove all day and when they got to Johnson City they were pretty tired. It did not help that Jana worked all night the night before. We figured that the kids can sleep with us for a couple of nights and Jana and Jana can sleep in their room.
   It never occurred to us to discuss this with the kids ahead of time. Both kids were very upset and despite the fact that they always migrate to our bed some time during the night they insisted on sleeping in their own room. Stevie was especially upset. He finally fell asleep around 10:30 PM and was up at 4 AM the next morning. Of course, since he did not sleep much, he was pretty cranky all day on Tuesday.
   We planned a little outing to show the girls around. First we stopped at Sycamore Shoals Park and Hannah explained to her guests that they had a big fight and the guy died. Her presentation is very dramatic!
 Jana and Stevie are ringing the bell

 Leaves, leaves everywhere

Siesta time

   After visit to Sycamore Shoals, we stopped for lunch at Creeker's BBQ and then we drove by our house on Estep Hollow Road. From there we continued towards Shady Valley and stopped at the parking lot for the Appalachian Trail. The kids were cranky due to lack of sleep so we returned to the truck while Jana and Jana went for a short hike on the trail. 
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Our attempts to take a family picture were rather unsuccessful

At least Jana and Jana got a nice picture on the trail

   Next we drove back towards Elizabethton and stopped to explore a place called Blue Hole. We have seen a sign next to the road and have been wanting to check it out. We found some photos on Google Earth that showed a little waterfall and little swimming hole. Here are our pictures ....







     When we returned home, we watched the Croods and just spent time "hanging out". Jana and Jana got ready to leave first thing in the morning. They had a long drive ahead of them to Washington D.C.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

New Recliners and the Big 40 (four-0)

Well, the last few days have been busy and sometimes slow as well.  We received the contract on our property in Elizabethton, read it and then forwarded it to our attorney for review.  Our tentative closing date is on or before December 11th 2013.  This means that we will be in the house and spending Christmas there.  We can't wait, the apartment is nice but it is only a temporary home.  Kat and I have had enough of sitting on the beanbag chairs that we bought as temporary furniture so we purchased a couple of nice matching recliners to give our bones a rest.  As you can see below, the kids think that we purchased the chairs for them.  They own our Ipad as well.

 
 
 
Stevie and Hannah love riding their bicycles/tricycles.  We try to take them to the park as often as possible.  It has also been nice to be able to go swimming at the indoor pool once or twice a week. 
In between these activities there are field trips and home schooling Stevie.  He has really shown a lot of interest in math this week.  It feels great to be retired in the respect that it is November and I have not been at work since August 7th.  It has been great to be home with Kat and the kids and be able to more directly involved in the kids upbringing.  Here we are on one of our park trips just hanging out.
 


 


 
 
We had another huge, I mean really huge event occur in our lives in the last four days.  It was not as traumatic for me and the kids as it was for Kat.  On November 1st, a day that will live in infamy, Kat turned 40 years old.  I have to give to her, she is taking it well.  I tried to cheer her up on her birthday by telling her that she didn't look a day over 39 years old.  She did not seem impressed with the compliment.  Anyway, my lovely wife has not changed a bit since we were married 5 years ago.  She is still as charming as the day I met her and still has that spring in her step.  We are thinking about getting the spring fixed though, lol.  For Kat's birthday, she got to sleep in a little bit, I made two of the three meals that day and the kids gave her lots of extra hugs and kisses.  Kat and I have deferred buying expensive presents for ourselves in lieu of buying this home and planning a trip to the Czech Republic next year.  She is a great person and a wonderful wife.  We are a blessed family in many ways.