'Secret City' Train Excursion

The air is crisp, the leaves are changing and Tennessee's football game is not televised, so it was a perfect day for a trip to the 'Secret City' (Oak Ridge) for a ride on the train.


Ava enjoyed the train's whistle as long as she was far enough away to not have to cover her ears.


Jason enjoyed the bumper crop of trailers nestled in the mountains with aluminum foil covering the windows.


And me, well, I just enjoyed the company. I'm still really worn out from my recent bout of bronchitis and have wanted to be in bed when I am not at work or cooking or baking.


So feeling the sun on my skin, watching the countryside as we rumbled slowly by, eating popcorn with Ava; it was the perfect way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon.

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Three is the Magic Number

The celebration began on Tuesday morning with Jason and I belting out a hearty rendition of "Happy Birthday to YOU!" and Ava opening three presents: two books and a big canister of Play-Doh with accessories.


At 2:00, I took a cake, cupcakes and cookies to Ava's school. She was proud of her Abby Cadabby cake but embarrassed by all of the attention. She hid behind my leg most of the time...

The big party was in Gatlinburg this weekend with our families. We rented a chalet with this view of the Smokies...
Jason's parents, my parents, my sister and my brother's son joined us for the celebration. We had a Cookie Monster cake with of course, cookies and tons of good food from both of the moms.





















Along with the good company and food, Ava enjoyed opening too many presents and thanks to help from her cousin, CJ, she was able to get through them all.




















Relaxation was the theme of the weekend and in between time in the hot tub, on the deck, and playing games, we took a few family pictures on the deck as dusk was setting in.