Tennessee Memories

12 Yankees in a truck. It's legal in TN to be in a back of a pick up truck and drink - Needless to say, Jenny and I took full advantage of that.

Faith and Jay eating ice cream before fire works. Faith has got to be one of the sweetest girls. Nick could have been the odd man out but Faith was always so nice to him.

Nick's best bud, Jenny. Jay loves Mike Ausili and Nick is all about Jenny!

My best girlfriend, Jenny and I enjoying our glass of wine!

Top 10 from TN (and I promise this will be my last blog about TN):

1 - When we crossed the TN state line, I announced to the boys that we were officially in TN. Jay says to me, "So what do we do next?" And Nick says, "Boy, you were right, mom, this is a long drive." Classical comments from my sons.

2 - The car trouble we had on our last day. We were filling up at a gas station in Pigeon Forge and when we went to turn the car on, it was dead. A week and $1000 later, this has turned into a huge nightmare. We got the car fixed and I swear all the prayers we were praying got us home. It was a miracle we got home without further problems. But picture it: a family anxious to get home, two little boys asking a million questions and the blistering hot sun - I was waiting for somehow to pop out and tell us we were being filmed for a comedy show.

3 - Watching my boys zip-line and seeing my husband doing it upside down!

4 - Our one-liners from "The Hang Over." Mike A. Jenny, Mike S. and I all LOVE "The Hang Over" - Rainman practically bankrupted a casino and he's a Ra-Tard!

5 - The huge steak dinner Mike Siebert made us on Fourth of July! It is a dinner we'll still be talking about when were old and gray in the nursing home.

6 - On our last night there I knew my kids had officially become part of the TN culture when Jenny's dad picked us up for our pick up ride and the boys fled out of the cabin yelling, "YE-HAW!"

7 - The drive down: four kids, a lot of snacks, the hum of video games being played, lots of movies = two happy moms

8 - Tubing in the river. Most people relax and let the river guide them, not Jay (I should have known). I was tethered to Jay and he practically swam the entire route which was kind of a bonus for me as he pulled me the entire way. Why I thought he would actually get in his tube and relax is beyond me.

9 - The toy guns all three boys got at Bass Pro Shop. Curtis, especially, loves gun! The boys couldn't wait to play with them.

10 - Going to bed super late and sleeping super late - It was heaven! My boys are finally at the age that this was the perfect vacation (minus the van breaking down and going into financial hell because of it).