A Tweetsie Trip

I love that going to Hickory and Tweetsie is now one of our regular summer traditions. The girls know to expect this trip and that gets them very excited! We set off for Hickory the weekend after July 4th with high hopes for some relaxing family time and for some crazy spinning on the Tilt-a-Whirl.

We made it to Hickory in record time. My three sweet babies were so good on the car ride! Not a peep from any of them; I hardly could believe it. I don't give them enough credit!

First things first...pool time! We brought our suits so we could go to Mimi's pool, and we had so much fun...

especially when the lifeguards brought out the world's longest pool float. You ran down the length of it...

and then heaved yourself off at the end. Who came up with this awesome idea?!?

 

We had dinner Friday night with Baba, and look at the sunflowers in her and Mom's garden! We gave these seeds to Mom for her birthday last August so it was neat to see them blooming almost a year later.

Baba was so excited to get her hands on this little baby boy...

The next morning we set off for an adventure with Dad and Heather....first Greek food in downtown Morganton and then...

blueberry picking! We had never picked blueberries before and turns out it is very hot...

but very tasty.

 Collins picked the one ripe peach on the peach tree and took special care of her prize...

 

and then we headed back to the barn with our fruit. Thank goodness we got a lift to the top of the hill.

 But turns out when you're in the shade with a swing, you kind of don't want to leave...

especially when popsicles and farm animals are involved.

 

Alli got some good ones...especially love the last one of Collins running wild and free!

The whole afternoon felt very summery. We really enjoyed it. Then back to Dad and Heather's for some relaxation and a pizza dinner!

On Sunday morning, we challenged ourselves to be out the door by 8:30 a.m. We came close. We wanted to beat the crowds to Tweetsie. Turns out that was not a problem. There was hardly anyone there, and this year we had picture perfect weather! It was 75 degrees and sunny...we could not believe our good luck. There were no lines...so we rode the Tilt-a-Whirl first and then again and again! This is Collins's favorite ride, but turns out Addie was a fan too...I was surprised the crazy spinning didn't scare the 3-year-old but it didn't.

 

Mimi overcame her fear of heights on the East Coast's fastest Ferris Wheel...

and again, Addie was not scared!

 

Next we challenged our driving skills...turns out we are not very good drivers.

  

Luke  was so sweet all day as his sisters drug us all over that amusement park...he did get to ride the chair lift...

 

and the mouse train.

 Brian decided to brave the Scrambler because surely it doesn't cause motion sickness...

 

and he did just fine. :)

 

And then it was time for the grand finale...the train ride.

Addie would probably tell you that the grand finale was actually the ice cream we got in Blowing Rock on the way home...

Here's what Tweetsie looked like from the official photographer's perspective...

 

We love going to Tweetsie! It charms me every time with its pretty mountain backdrop, its simple but fun rides, its friendly people, and its gorgeous weather. This year was no exception...we had a fantastic time. Addie summed it up best, "Can we go on that Twirly Whirl again?!?"

Upon getting back to Hickory, there was only one thing left to do before heading home...seeing Carrie! Carrie Brockway is one of my oldest, dearest friends and I don't see or talk to her nearly as much as I want to anymore. She happened to be in Hickory after stopping in from the beach before heading back to her home in Tennessee. So we decided to catch up and let our kids play at Hickory's newest splash pad...

 

Spending time with Carrie and her kids meant so much to me. I miss her terribly, and seeing her made me realize that. If only we lived closer and our lives were not so busy! We had a great time at the splash pad and then went to one of their favorite dives for lunch. The whole morning was very special and the perfect way to finish off a memorable Hickory trip!