Christmas in the Smokies

Christmas at Dollywood has always been my very favorite tradition, because it’s all the warm and fuzzy feelings about Christmas wrapped up into my favorite weekend every year. I told Brian at the very beginning of our adoption process that I would be happy once Gideon was home and we all went to Christmas at Dollywood together. And it finally happened! We spent the weekend with Mom and Dad in a really nice condo in Pigeon Forge, and Gideon LOVED the jacuzzi tub. Little man laughs hard a lot, and this was maybe the hardest we had ever seen him laugh! We also all enjoyed the huge wrap-around balcony, and I finished writing the text for Gideon's toddler Lifebook overlooking the Smokies.

 

And of course we got to take take our bud to Dollywood for the very first time! Gideon was not a fan of the rides (they had to stop the carousel and let us off, and the duck ride initiated full blown panic mode), but he sat excitedly through the “Christmas in the Smokies” show, dancing along with the music and signing “Jesus” with the Christmas songs. And I cried, because it was everything I had dreamed about for SO long. Gideon also took a 30-minute nap in the carrier (for the first time ever!), loved the 4 million Christmas lights throughout the park, and thought it was really cool to watch the roller coasters with Grandma and Grandpa too. What a gift!