Ah yes! The world famous-- wait for it...wait for it...
We had our annual Pancake breakfast on the last morning before we leave. Drake really got into it this year!
Grandma and Grandpa in front of the fountain with the kids.
We did one final round of putt-putt golf!
Everyone kept commenting on the "Notre Dame" family. We enjoyed walking around on our last full day in Gatlinburg.
Drake isn't being at all ornery on this vacation! He has done everything we've asked and not run us ragged trying to keep up with him. Just look at this picture--it proves it all!
Today, we hiked a trail through the national forest. The kids had to stop at every section that allowed them to wade in the river!
Here is the family in front of the Smoky Mountain National Park sign. Actually, it looks like a nice family of five, with a preteen boy who doesn't want to sit right next to the family, and a young girl who thinks every time a camera is pulled out, it is her chance to practice for her stint on "America's Next Top Model"!
Yet another section of the river!
After hiking, we went back to the cabin, got cleaned up and went to dinner at the Hardrock Cafe. The kids liked the memorabilia, but asked if there was any "real" music stars---you know ones that weren't dead yet. The girls couldn't believe that the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber were not represented!
This morning there was a big black bear in the driveway of our cabin! This was not the bear! :)
We stopped for ice cream between the two shows we went to today. This is Drake on his second cup of ice cream!
We saw Dixie Stampede today--the kids liked it a lot, they were just a little upset that they had to use their hands to eat!
Here are the kids at the Waterfall we go to every year!
We also went to see the Titanic today. When you get there you are given an identity and you walk through the entire experience. At the end, you find out if you survived or not. It was very moving!
Today was our boating day on Douglas Lake. The kids spent most of their time on the giant hot dog. Here Uncle CJ is playing the role of "responsible adult" :)
Even Grammy and Grandpa got in on the hot dog action!
Drake did not like wearing the life jacket. He threw a fit for most of the boat trip until he actually go in the water! Then he wanted everyone to just let go of him so he could float on his back!
Dax was not quite as ambitious as Drake! He was scared for Mommy to let go of him! He kept telling Mommy that he needed to hold on to her to "protect her":)
We visited the arcade--I got to press the accelerator while Dax drove for us! Delaney still beat us!
Dawsyn and Delaney worked on their skee ball skills!
Bubba Gump Shrimp! I got the chicken! But I was the only one who knew that Forrest's football coach was Bear Bryant!
Tubing on the river--Three words-MOM-RIVER-RAPIDS. It just screams disaster! Surprisingly, Cassie was the first to fall in the water--before we even started!
We went horseback riding. My horse was called "Fling". It was a bad, bad horse that liked to kick the horse behind it! The best was my Dad's horse, "Squirrel". That poor horse asked to renegotiate his contract after carrying my Dad up and down those mountain trails!
We've only been here a day, but we've accomplished a lot already! 
The kids at MagiQuest. This was a two-hour scavengar hunt with wands--enough said!
The cabin has a hot tub again--I only stayed in for a few minutes because the girls think it is an Olympic-sized pool!
And, of course, the biggest event they look forward to--Gem mining!
Gem mining involves paying fifty dollars for a bucket of dirt. The kids then run this dirt through water and discover rocks, that if we would only be willing to pay another fifty dollars for, would turn into beautiful gems, which we could then pay another fifty dollars to have them put into a necklace! We'll get right on that!
