Family weekend in Kentucky

We went to Bardstown for a family wedding this past weekend. My youngest cousin that is in my generation, Katie, was getting married. We drove to Clarksville on Thursday night to spend the night and we were able to visit with Nannie and Tom/Pa-Pa before we left for Kentucky. Caroline is in a stranger-danger phase so I wasn't able to get any pictures of them together, but they enjoyed seeing the kids since we hadn't been home since Christmas.

The drive to Kentucky was pretty easy. The kids were good with "Frozen" on repeat, though they didn't really nap. We checked into the Hampton, where we had hoped for adjoining rooms with Granna, but they were sold out. This was our first trip attempting to sleep all 4 of us in the same room, so having the adjoining rooms would have been nice. We tried to get the kids to nap, but no such luck...they were wired! We got dressed and headed to the church for the kids' first wedding to attend. They sat with us for about 15 minutes before I took them to the back...they were just too loud. You definitely have to teach kids to sit still and be quiet and since they go to the kids area at our church, they were not trained. Ha! Katie was easily one of the most beautiful brides I've ever seen and she and Charlie seem to be a perfect match.

They had fun playing on the luggage cart.

And there was a lot of running up and down
the hallway...I'm sure our neighbors loved us!

The reception was at My Old Kentucky Home...it is pretty much the only place in Bardstown big enough and all of my cousins have had their receptions there. It is always so beautiful. Katie and Charlie lucked out with a perfect Spring night for sitting, eating and dancing outside. Both kids had an absolute blast and partied hard. Tyler had a blast running around in the grassy area chasing cousins and new friends he had made. Once the dancing started, he and his new friend "danced" by jumping on the all the lights on the dance floor. Caroline was the hit of the party and LOVED dancing. She would go up to random strangers on the dance floor and pull at their skirts trying to dance with them. She became buddies with a couple young girls who danced with her all night. Tyler fell asleep on my shoulder so we knew it was time to head back to the hotel. Both kids crashed out.

First dance

Blurry, but shows the pure joy and fun she had!

Dancing with Granna

Dancing with Daddy

Tyler dancing with his new buddy.

Caroline worshiped this young girl.

Tyler dancing with cousin Hayden.

He's got moves!

Clapping during the toasts.

Dancing with little cousins!

These 2 are about 1 month apart.

One passed out little girl.

With rips in her stockings from too much fun. Ha!

The next morning we woke up to a frozen AC in our room which meant it was HOT! Since the hotel was sold out the night before, no rooms were available for us to switch right away. Grrrr! Russ went ahead and got ready so he, the kids, Granna and Uncle Brian could head over to Frankie and Margaret's for the day while I got us settled in a new room and took a shower in the new cold room!! The Hampton lost a lot of brownie points from me on this trip. The kids had fun exploring the farm and Tyler got to check out the tractors. He was too shy to ride on the big one, but he and Frankie drove the small one.

Frankie and Caroline

Margaret and Tyler watching the tractor.

Frank brought the big tractor over.

Frankie and Tyler heading to the barn to get out the small tractor.

The rest of the family came over for a cookout that afternoon and it was really fun. It is so nice to see and visit everyone more than just at Thanksgiving. Frankie and Margaret are the absolute best hosts and they have transformed their backyard into an awesome entertaining space. We always have a fun time when we are visiting.

Cousin John Franklin and Caroline

Giving hugs

He is the sweetest kid ever. And is addicted to hats!

Cousins playing in the rocks.

Cousin Adelaide playing ball with Caroline.

Fagan is always the baby whisperer.

Taking rides on the mule.

A little corn hole action.

Cousin Jeff was smitten with Caroline.

Tyler took a turn riding too.

Roasting marshmallows at the end of the day.

She was trying to climb out the back!

Showing off his finished marshmallow.

Eating his first s'more.

John Franklin tried a marshmallow, too.

And so did Caroline!

She LOVED it!

Sticky fingers.

Both kids took good naps at Frankie and Margaret's. Tyler slept for 4 HOURS before we
finally woke him up. He slept on the couch and had rolled off in the sheets...it was hilarious!

That night, it was a little more challenging to get the kids to sleep as baths were a must and they re-energized them. They kept making each other laugh and "talked" to each other for a solid 30 minutes while I was shhhhing them and telling them to be quiet. Russ went down to the lobby to watch the Grizzlies game and the kids finally fell asleep.

The next morning we packed up, ate breakfast and headed home. We drove straight through Nashville so that made the drive a little shorter. All in all, it was a super fun trip!