Celebrating Brodie

Nick and I decided we would celebrate the boys’ gotcha days with something fun as a family. Just us. Something they enjoy doing, somewhere they want to go, whatever…. no real rules, just family fun! Brodie’s gotcha day happened to fall on the first day of our beach trip, how’s that for a gotcha day?! But I didn’t want that to be it. That will be hard to top.

So I planned a family fun day to Chattanooga and spur of the moment yesterday we decided to go today. Nick could get off, it was my day off, it was a cooler beautiful day and we jumped at the opportunity.

The boys slept till 9 this morning. Yep, 9. Both kids. And I actually pretty much woke them both up so we could finally hit the road.

First stop was an old train tunnel. It was important in the fall of Chattanooga, some train chase happened through the tunnel with one train going backwards the entire way…. honestly the details are a little foggy… we were trying to listen but we had two excited toddlers because the nice man told us that instead of walking, they would take us on a golf cart. At the mention of a golf cart, the boys were too excited to listen to anything else.

Major bonus about our mid week trip, we were the only people at the museum or in the tunnel. We got a private tour. Super fun. The golf cart driver was the sweetest old man who said he just couldn’t stay retired and loved to study the civil war. But he did tell us 5 times (yes, we counted) that the big rocks on the bottom of the tunnel were brought down from Rock Face Mountain. That’s one fact I do remember.

After our tunnel tour, we needed some lunch. We headed up Lookout Mountain, and I mean up up up UP the mountain and had lunch at the cutest little café ever. Not to mention, I was in LOVE with Lookout Mountain. Man, I’d love to live in that little community, but the drive up that mountain…. not sure I could handle that!

The food was awesomely amazing! So yum. And the boys were really good. In fact, a lady walked out with us and said, “your kids were so well behaved. I actually did not even know you had kids with you until you stood up to leave.” Now, I’m so not saying that to brag cause honestly eating out is usually a challenge for us. It’s insane, it’s hard, and we end up not enjoying it and question why we even try. So I about jumped up and hugged that sweet lady.

And she was right, the boys were good. They were great in fact. They were so well behaved and easy all day. They honestly eat up this quality family time and I love that they love it so much. Makes it all that more important to be intentional with our time with them.

Then, time to head back down down down down the mountain as Bates read to us all about where we were headed.

The Incline Railway. The boys were beside themselves excited to ride on a ChooChoo (even if it’s not an exact ChooChoo)

Not gonna lie, I was a bit nervous on the up up up. Hello, this car is super old, we are on a 70 something degree incline, surrounded by only thin glass with two toddlers. But we made it!

Brodie was happy to chill in the cart and then stand up to get a better view of the sites. This child makes my heart race!

We explored the top of the mountain, with breathaking views (which again, with two toddlers made my heart race!) And the boys checked out the big machine wheels which brings the cars up the mountain.

Then, after a fun filled family day celebrating one whole year as a family of four, we headed back to home sweet home.

Happy Brodie-versary, wild one. You are a complete nut and we love your crazy, zany, dramatic little self. What a firecracker God blessed us with. Love you Juna!