Well, our month of craziness is over! We had a lot of fun in September traveling and spending time with friends and family, but we are glad to be back home and getting back into a routine.
We started off September with a trip to Cincinnati. Todd's brother and sister-in-law and their family were in town for a few days, so it was good to spend time with them. We made it to King's Island for the first and only time this year, but we're excited that we got a great deal on season passes for next year, so if you want to go with us, let us know! We stayed in Cincinnati for over a week, golfed a little bit, and made sure to eat Skyline and LaRosa's!
Not much more than a week after we got back, we left again, this time for a week in Gatlinburg with some good friends. It worked out well because Todd was able to go backpacking with Arakai for 3 days, while Korie and I scrapbooked and watched the kids. Since we could drop the guys off and pick them up, they didn't have to backpack a loop, so they were glad about that. I think we all enjoyed our time apart, and the kids played great together! Once we were all back together again, we did some day hiking in the Smoky Mountains, walked around Gatlinburg, got hooked on taffy (thanks, Korie!), and just had a really relaxing time. We also rode some go-karts for Jack's birthday. He and Ayden were so excited to be able to drive some little go-karts all by themselves! We can't wait to go again!
On our way back from Gatlinburg, we stopped through Cincinnati for a few days to celebrate Jack's fifth birthday. Diana had Jack's cake baked and ready to go, and then my parents and I trimmed it and decorated it to look like a racetrack. It turned out pretty well! Jack got the playmobil pyramid for his birthday, plus several planes and a very cool pilot's jacket with patches and everything. He was pretty excited!
So we're back in Anderson for the next several months, and we're happy to be home. It's always good to get away; if nothing else, it helps you appreciate home a little more! This will also be my first holiday season not working, so I'm really looking forward to enjoying this time with Todd and the kids. Hopefully I won't eat too many cookies and sweets!