Wolly Worm Festival

Before I begin to explain our adventurous day in Banner Elk I had a couple pictures to post from the weekend. This was my kids all day yesterday...we only left the house to go to Wal*Mart for supper items. Why is it that my kids never want to wear clothes???? Is anyone else's kids like this??? BTW this is also what they sleep in...I stopped wasting money on PJ's years ago!

The other picture is of Daddy and Rylee...if you look closely you'll see a nice big knot with a bruise on it. This happened when Davis...even though he has been punished over and over for doing this...was pushing Rylee around on his desk chair (with wheels) and crashed her...she went flying out of the chair and onto the floor on her face! This was just after her other bruise healed up! One thing I can say is she WILL be tough.



So onto today...I attempted to get pictures of all three in their Sunday clothes after we got home from church but the boys had already changed...so here is Rylee eating her favorite thing...potato chips.



We came home from church, changed clothes, ate some sandwiches and headed over to the Clymens' house to go to Banner Elk. It never fails, if I brag about something then it fails on me.

I was bragging about my handy little Verizon Navigator on my phone that I was going to use and all it did was lead us on a tour of the countryside. It took us to Elizabethton but instead of driving through the town and then turning right to head to North Carolina, it had us turn before we entered the town. We thought maybe it was some short cut so didn't think much.

Duffer was driving and kept saying there were an awful lot of detour signs and signs saying "Road Closed" ahead but I insisted that the Navigator knew what it was doing. Well, next thing we knew the road was blocked off and sure enough it was closed. Tommy thought we could still drive through and eased up to it but then came back to where we were and informed us that the road had collapsed and was sunken in so we better not attempt it...hahaha. You think????

Laughing my head off...I told my phone to detour us to another route. Well it did alright...down the most backward country roads I have ever been on!! One cool thing is we were on this road and I just had to take a picture (yes I have a thing with street signs also...I have even confiscated a few in my younger years)...



So finally the country back roads led us to the Interstate...this was funny because we could have stayed on it and never gotten off! Then if that wasn't enough...just as we got on the Interstate, we were directed to get off the next exit, Erwin Exit, which led us right back to the road we were on before we jumped back on the Interstate! Duffer made the lovely comment that my navigator must take on it's owners way of thinking...or at least mine acted that way. HAHA he is so funny! (Note the sarcasm in my tone.) :O)

We did see some beautiful scenery on the long drive...

...and tons of Christmas tree farms!!! This is the first time I have ever actually seen where they grow them!


Two and a half hours after driving, we arrive in Banner Elk...the cutest little town ever. Here is Duffer...very happy to get out of the vehicle...he still is feeling bad and I offered to go alone but he didn't want to miss out on our family fun.


Tommy and Jayme just laughed at our mishap (mainly because they expect it from me).


Here we are...The Woolly Worm Festival...unfortunately we arrived just as the last race was ending. (Duffer said he would do the planning next year and we would come on Saturday and spend the entire day and actually race a worm!)


How cute is Roy??? Banner Elk's largest woolly worm. He was on the way into the festival.
Here is where the races took place. The worms race up a string and a little girl won....the prize was $500!


Davis was crabby all day because we wouldn't let him waste his money on junk at the festival. He pouted all day...does anyone recognize that look though??? I do believe I have made it a time or two. ;)
Miss Ashley


This was what my kids were doing the entire time...all three fighting over the kettle corn! I can't take them anywhere...
The Clymens Family
The Wallen Family


All the kiddos...and yes the sun was blinding them...


Allie and Ashley as woolly worms...
Davis, Jett and Rylee as worms....
Ashley and Allie


My clan...


The kids again...tried to pick a place less blinding by the sun...
Jayme and Tommy...not sure what the scarecrow's name was...
The hubby and me...and yes the scarecrow again...


This was amazing...a runway in the middle of this mountain!!! What I would have given to have seen an airplane take off or land.
Loved these itty bitty Christmas trees...Duffer says they take 5 years to mature so these have a few more to go...
Not sure what this was but it would make for awesome photos...all of these were taken as we were driving by...will have to go back one day just to take photos.

More Christmas trees...can you tell how amazed I was at these????


So we headed to Johnson City for dinner. They had served blooming onions at the festival and Jayme and I were craving one so we ate at Outback Steakhouse. It was good...I feel like a queen getting to eat steak two nights in a row!!

We were all exhausted and as soon as we got home it was bath time and then off to bed. Everyone is in bed except for me so that is where I am headed too! Hope everyone has a lovely work week...I know that is asking a lot. ;)