Special Moments in TN

The most special day of our vacation happened on a beautiful Sunday morning in one of the beautiful state parks outside Gatlinburg. The setting was simply breathtaking with the thick forest of trees and rocky riverbed with the gentle sounds of the water running through it. It was a picturesque and serene Sunday morning, perfect for some family photos and a riverside worship service.

At the conclusion of our family worship, Madison and Marissa shared with everyone their decision to commit their life to Jesus Christ - a decision they had been saving as a precious secret to reveal at this exact moment. Here, amidst the beautiful TN mountains, they were going to be baptized by their father in front of the entire family. It was the most beautiful blessing to witness this special occasion with my brother Jeb and his girls. We were all so touched and honored to be a part of this momentous and life-changing decision!

After happy tears and hugs with Madison and Marissa, the group decided to take a hike through the beautiful park. MeMe and Grandaddy came prepared with their walking sticks, and the rest of the group was just along for the adventure. It didn't take long for a couple of us to bow out - I was not confident in the trail and wanted to avoid reigniting my childhood inclination toward poison ivy, ha! The group had a nice walk before being the skies opened up and sent us a healthy rainstorm. It was crazy how fast the crowded park cleared out!

Cousin Shenanigans

Just like all of our Morgan family vacations, the cousins were always up to all sorts of shenanigans throughout their visit. It's the reason we work so hard to align our schedules and set aside this time each summer - to make sure these sweet cousins get focused time together to bond and reconnect amidst their busy schedules all year long. Of course, it's never long before they hatch all sorts of schemes and plans for their time together, and this summer was no different. First, the girls were kind enough to assist Connor on his search for a gift for his girlfriend Marie. After many failed attempts, they landed on a pink "Fur Mama" cap that Connor ended up wearing for several days to break it in before giving it to Marie.

At some point during their shopping trip, the cousins decided that a 4th of July celebration was in order to celebrate the holiday during our visit. Off to the Dollar Tree we went, looking for just the right items to make the parade special. There was no shortage of shenanigans and silliness as they planned the perfect celebration, and then we found a resale shop next door that the kids couldn't wait to explore. Connor found the perfect vintage t-shirt as part of his costume for the parade.

When the 4th arrived, the cousins were ready for their big parade. They went all out to decorate the cabin and bring the festive atmosphere to our group. Happy 4th of July!

Of course, they didn't forget the annual tradition for the cousins' talent show, which has become a much-anticipated staple event of our visits every year. This year, the talent show went on, but with a surprising twist. First, the youngest cousins Kaitlynn and Marissa performed a choreographed dance/routine for the group. It was obvious that the days of carefree performances were slipping away, because the passion and exuberance of these teens seemed to be far less than in previous summers. Sniff sniff.

What turned out to be the star of the show was the thespian performance by the full cousin clan - a scripted and recorded iMovie that they had all worked and collaborated on for the entire week. It was the main attraction for the talent show, but we all had to relocate to Uncle Ben and Aunt Charlotte's bedroom which had the only TV with working AirPlay. Once it was successfully set up, we all sat to watch the show - a dramatic but humorous tale of Karlah Dean's current antics amidst a criminal family history. Oh, the imagination and sense of humor... their shenanigans keep us all in stitches!

Mountain Coaster and Go-karts

For our 2nd day in Gatlinburg, we hit the road early to visit the Rocky Top Mountain Coaster. The entire family was ready for a fun experience and it turned out to be so much fun! We rode these single-person cars on a track that had been built into the mountainside, and we were able to go as fast (or slow) as we wanted using the brakes. Of course, my favorite way to ride was at full speed, ha! The funniest thing was that the kids figured out where their pictures were snapped during the ride and had a little fun with the camera. We laughed and laughed at their funny coaster photos!

After the mountain coaster, we drove into Pigeon Forge so that the kids could extend the fun by driving go-karts. They all turned out to be quite talented in the driving department, though Connor and Renee ended up getting tangled up in a kart crash with Uncle Jeb. They were all fine and laughed it off, though I think the impact was quite a bit more jarring than they anticipated, ha! Because of their crash, Kaitlynn managed to pull out a 1st place win on the second race which she was quite proud of!

After the go-karts, we decided to enjoy a nice lunch together and made sure the cousins had their own table together. We did some shopping afterwards, and by the time we made it back to the cabin, we were all pooped! It wasn't long before the kids passed out on their own - far different from years past when the Mommies had to rock those babies to sleep for their afternoon naps!