DollyWood with Aunt Bunny

My kids are lucky to have really great uncles and aunts on both sides of the family. They very lucky that they get to spend a lot of time with them whenever we are visiting family. They are the luckiest because their uncles and aunts come with us, or take them on outings. Have I mentioned how lucky they are? I preface this post with this, because I am really grateful for all their aunts and uncles. It takes a village, and my kids are lucky to have theirs. 

One aunt outing we have to highlight is out afternoon to Dolly Wood with Aunt Bunny (the kids pet name for my sister Bethany, which is possibly the best aunt name). Dolly Wood, if you love food, country music, amusement parks, or one of the above you will love Dolly Wood! Best of all those worlds. 

The kids were beyond excited to get to ride all the rides. Our first ride was the Smokey Mountain River Rampage, just a big inner tube ride. I was worried about Henry, because he does not like going to fast. We held each other's hands really tight when we went over the first hill. To my delight he screamed with joy. He was laughing and screaming and thought it was the best thing ever. I was beyond grateful that our first ride was a success, which set a good tone for the rest of the day. 

My kids are getting bigger, which means they are tall enough to go on a lot of rides. Some even by themselves, even Henry could go on certain rides by himself. The first one he went on by himself was the car ride, where you just sit in the car as it goes along the track. I was not expecting him to be able to go by himself, but he was tall enough. We sandwiched his turn in between mine and Bethany's. As I left the "garage" I could see the worker giving him really good instructions about what to do. Then he took off. I could see his little yellow head above the dashboard. I was really nervous/excited for him. Nervous that he might get scared, but excited because this was his first ride to do all by himself! He was so excited for it, how could I not be? Whenever we passed on the track I would wave like a maniac to him. He would grin and wave back. It was a big moment in his life. Those moments would continue through the afternoon. 

Cosette loves roller coasters, and going fast. So she was ready for this. She is fiercely independent, and because she is so tall able to ride everything. She wanted to go on every roller coaster. She went on her first upside down roller coaster, the Tennessee Tornado. We sat in the very back, so to have the fastest seat. She screamed and whooped for joy the whole time, yelling "this is awesome!" as we went upside down. Bethany said she could hear us all the way down below, haha. 

Henry surprised, and shocked us all by going on his first three or four roller coasters. He went on the Blazing Furry and did not like it, but said he would do it again. I thought for sure that he would be screaming and crying. He went with Aunt Bunny, and clung to her the whole time. Then the next roller coaster we went on he asked to go with Aunt Bunny again. I am incredibly proud at how brave he was. If you know Henry, doing something like this is a big deal. He is the energizer bunny, but at the same time he is a very cautious soul. Him going on roller coasters and asking to go on more was huge. 

I love whenever the kids take pictures with these window things, Henry always has his hands in the face hole. 

I love these two pictures of Bethany and the kids on the Lemon Drop. I love at how much fun they are having, and that she went with them because I am getting old and could not handle a round two. 

Right after Henry's first roller coaster. And we were those people carrying around obnoxious stuffed animals.

Thank you Aunt Bunny for the fun day. The kids keep asking when we can go again.