HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE BOWDRENS AND WILLIAMS!

I know....I know....and it's a Gene-Pool thing....but somehow these Grandbabies of mine have turned out like their daddies.....yes.... GATOR FANS..!!!!!!!...... But Rene is trying to convert them to the FSU FANS....

And now we bring in the FSU Reserve Team.....atta boy Johnny! And Rene and Scarlett try to outnumber the GATORS....but I think Bobby might be the 'swing-vote'.

and then RENE takes command....tackle those GATORS!

Yep...then Grandpa Chip comes in and overrides the vote....It's another FSU WIN!

Well...Mom (Great Grandma) is undecided....and you can just figure that Dad (Great Grandpa) is the Notre Dame vote.........we'll win those boys over yet.........just think, 9 years old..and already making badddddd decisions!

FSU Game Day in Orlando at Great Grandpa's..

And Uncle Bobby takes to the water to show them some strokes....Kross immediately learned how to dive in the deep end and swim to the shallow...under Unc Bobby's supervision....

naaaaaaa...no wedgie's allowed.....

just relaxing on the sunbaked concrete.....

the best kind of power nap....

'flip em over...they are done...!"

well the young Bowdren's enjoying hanging out at Great Grandpa's pool while waiting for the Seminoles Game to come on.....80 degree temps on the day had the pool calling loudly....
Kross is trying out his Olympic Diving techniques...

and his 'CannonBall' qualifications...

the boys try a 'pose' for the camera, of course they won't wait for their 'cue' from Grandpa Chip...

pondering....just pondering...

The last day in Gatlinburg..our 9th Wedding Anniversary!

Reflecting on our Great 9th Wedding Anniversary trip to Gatlinburg....

remembering the 12 degrees and icecicles....

and the Little Pigeon River just inside the National Park...

'Where's my Fishing Pole..??"

"What do you mean my hands are frozen to my pants..????"

WHERE ARE WE GOING FOR OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY..??? Ya just never know.....????????

The last day, we headed to the North of the Smoky Mountains... up to NewFound Gap, where President Roosevelt inagurated the Smoky Mountain National Park....these pic's are at the lower end....in Gatlinburg it was 19 degrees...and then the temp started dropping as we went higher, all the way to 12 degrees...

the higher we went...the more ice and icicles we encountered...

hanging out in lower Gatlinburg that day, we also went to the Crafts Villages and saw some of the local Flair.....

and we picked up some GREAT spices and mixes.......

The Last Day...saving the BEST for Last..!

Well..this is after we gratefully attended "The Miracle", which is a Broadway-type production put on my superb actors and actress's...in a professional broadway Theater in Pigeon Forge......this was definately the 'icing on the cake' of our Vacation.! And yes.........Tanis loved it Sooooooooooo much, that she 'Bought the CD..!!!!!' (inside family joke...)

here the women pose with the actors that protrayed Judas and the High Priest (his name escapes me now...that's what I get for missing Emmanuel Baptist Church for 4 Sunday's)

Angie hangin' with the ArcAngel

and believe it or not...this is NOT the favorite actor for Tanis and Summer...

THESE are......the actors who portrayed Lucifer and Jesus....

sidebar...if you are ever visiting Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg...don't miss 'The Miracle'. It plays only once a night.....and the 3 hour presentation is the most excellent I've seen (IMHO).

Day 4 in Gatlinburg...shopping and eating...

Ohhhh yea...after a long day of shopping in freezing temps...the girls settled down to the #1 Restaurant in Gatlinburg....

yep...the Alamo Steakhouse...for Steaks, Crabmeat with Salmon.....and lot's of veggies

The freezing temps were welcome to the 60's and 70's we've been having..

crusing...teenage style!

and of course hanging out at God's Corner...

Dancing with Frosty in 32 degrees.....CLICK ON THE VIDEO BUTTON

and crusing the strip with Freezing noses.....but just happy to shop... CLICK ON VIDEO

Video's of Skylift and Ice Skating...

A Gatlinburg Merry Christmas from Chip, Angie, Tanis, and Summer (and our little puppies at home....Tiny and Trinity) and of course...Santa Claus!
as the Princess's take their qualifying rounds on the ice rink in OberGatlinburg.....
gotta see the view of the Skylift taking us up to the Ski resort........ya have to be in the CableCar to experience the 'dip' at the highest point....
The 3 princess's have mastered the skates.....

Day 3...Ready for Ober Gatlinburg..the Ski Resort

Before we head to the Sky Lift to Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort.......we sit by the Christmas tree and open up the presents from Rene, Johnny, and Scarlett. Well, wouldn't cha jus' know it.....ski hats and scarfs! And a beautiful frame and potpourri for Angie....

And the Bible on Audio CD for me.... With our clothing and spiritual armor on .....we go out in the misty 60 degree weather to head to the ski resort.........

and arrive at the Sky Tram station ready to tackle any weather (of course it's forcasted for 20 degrees on Monday...but who is waiting...!)

and up into the Smoky Mountains we go...

and begin our ascent after a 20 minute lift in their newly renovated Sky Lift (redone in 2007 with new cables and cars)

The Ice Skating day...

Angie and the girls started out doing some 'qualifying laps' up against the rails...

But graduated to the "Ice Princess" status in a matter of minutes......I had a good time filming and taking pic's....but couldn't get them to 'slip' for some funny video's....

The Ice Rink ws crowded...there was no snow on the slopes...so all were inside at the inside mall and rink at the bottom of the slopes....

Day 2...Black Bear Jamboree...

Tanis says goodbye to the actors in the musical...

The Nativity Scene and musical was superb!

all paid honor to the real reason for Christmas........

To complete our adventure on Day 2, we went to the Black Bear Dinner Theater and enjoyed a GREAT show and Country Dinner...with the snow falling inside the theater while Raggedy Anne and Andy performed..

and the show included Great Christmas songs and Carol's....

a really professional show....all capped off to remind us of th True Meaning of Christmas with Nativity Scenes

so today we say Goodby to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, contemplating the awesome power of God...during this special season to honor the Birth of Christ.....

....now why would Wild Turkey's remind me of my past....hummmm