A weekend FULL of memories!

Memorial day weekend was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time! We were home and Chase didn't have to work! So we got to spend all 3 'off days' together and it was wonderful! We had toyed with the idea of going to Jacksonville for the weekend but the idea of traveling was daunting...Gavin is not the best traveler. He gets bored and he HATES to be contained! We should have known...he moved so much when I was pregnant with him that when he wasn't moving for over a minute or two I would worry! Not to mention he came 2 weeks early--hence the dislike of containment! It ended up working out for the best that we decided not to travel. Chase didn't get home Friday night until almost 9! It would have been a VERY late night of travel!

Anyway, Saturday started off our wonderful, memory-filled weekend...

Our first adventure...The Tennessee Renaissance Festival! We have lived in Nashville for 6 years now and every year we say we are going to go to this thing! It is open every weekend in May and Memorial Day. If you've ever driven down 840 and seen the "castle" on the hill, that is where it is held. We didn't get to see the castle this year because we got there too late but we still enjoyed our time. The weather was perfect and the company of my family was even better!
 

 Chase the pack mule!

 He was happy here, but he didn't last long in the carrier...containment problem!

 Emory ready to go!

 Face painting.

 

 Is anyone surprised she picked flowers?! The orange ribbon is because her daddy's favorite color is orange.

 The boys!

 The girls!

 Emory riding on the man powered "Ferris Wheel"

 

 Gavin and I waiting on the jousting tournament to start (and for daddy and sissy to come join us).

 Chase bought Emory a headdress thing.

 Family photo...not the best but it was the end of our day by then!

 The knights!

 We were cheering for the "UAB" knight. You can kind of see him here, well the back end of him and his horse!

We had a great time. Our only complaint was that we spent most of our time waiting in line for food...I had to have a turkey leg, which I meant to get a picture of, but was too covered in grease to get the camera out! I can mark that off my list now though...not my favorite! We learned our lesson though, next time we will get there when the park opens and maybe not wait until the last weekend in May to go!

Saturday night we attended a party for a friend of ours that received his one year chip that weekend! We are so very proud of Bret and the man he has become over the last year!

Sunday we slept in and spent our time getting ready. We then loaded up and did a little shopping around Providence and ate lunch at a new restaurant in our area...Blue Coast Burrito! If anyone knows my husband, they know he has an obsession with burritos...it's his life goal to open his own shop one day.

That evening we attended the 5pm service at our church (I think this may become the service we attend on weeks we don't serve in the nursery). We like this service because it gives you a whole other "saturday" with your family. Plus there's no rushing around to get EVERYONE ready early Sunday morning so no arguments occur.  :)

After church, since we were already out that way, we drove to Watertown and saw a drive-in movie. The screen we were on was showing Epic and Iron Man 3. We had already seen Ironman but we're hoping the kids would fall asleep and we could watch it again (they woke up about 30 minutes in). It is 7.50 per adult and Emory is still free this year, for 2 new release movies...can't beat that! Not to mention the food out there is actually good and doesn't break the bank! (I forgot to take pictures dang it!)

Monday we drove out to the Jimmy Floyd Center in Lebanon to enjoy the pool. Memorial Day weekend is not complete without a visit to some body of water! We live within 10 minutes of 2 lakes but opted for the pool.

 They have one of those zero degree entrance pools and Gavin loved just sitting there and splashing. It was FREEZING but it was hot so it was SLIGHTLY refreshing...if you'd sat and baked for a while...I'm hoping the water warms up soon!

 He enjoyed the splashing until it got in his face...this was courtesy of his sister.

 

 Going down the slide for the first time.

"little momma" helping feed little man. This boy can eat!!

We ended our weekend by, of course, grilling out! Because what would a summer holiday weekend be, without burgers on the grill?! Can't wait for the next long weekend and time with our wonderful little family!