Tubing the Little River

Between round one and two. Posing on the river.
Flotaing along.
Adam floating near the rock wall.
Notice the creative putting style...

Move over Arnold Palmer!

Today was a beautiful day, so Adam and I decided to go inertubing down the Little River just 20 miles from our house. We needed some sunshine and some time outdoors, so this seemed to be the perfect escape. Since both of us are a little adventurous (maybe too adventurous), we chose the "adventure" route which is on a rough portion of the river. There are multiple sets of rapids on this course, and all were healthy in light of recent rains. We did the 90 minute flota twice. I managed to get "dumped" 3 times, while Adam only had the privilege to experience it once. Needless to say, we are both bruised up (mostly on the shins) and pretty sore! Despite the rough water though, we had a really good time and it was nice to relax for a few hours without worrying about work. We ended the day by going into Gatlinberg for dinner and 2 rounds of mini-golf. (We each won one game.) Now, it's time for bed! Here are a few photos of our day.

Cades Cove

Nice mountain views...Horses...
Large black bear crossing the meadow.

Well, since moving here we have enjoyed our drives out to Cades Cove for some "bear-hunting." So far, we've been 3 times since moving here and have seen a total of 5 bears! We never seem to remember the video camera or our good camera. We always have our "versatile" camera, which takes average photos during the day, pitiful photos at dusk (which is when we always see the bears), and useless photos at night. Here are a few pics of tonight's trip which included 1 bear, tons of deer, and some tame horses...

Our Home...

Adam's Geek Room (aka Our Office). Notice the 3 computers on 1 desk! Front of our house, with the gigantic rose bush

in desperate need of a good trimming!

The back porch (aka Lilly's new home). We'll have the grill and furniture from Jacksonville hopefully very soon...

Dining room with temporary table (waiting for the big one from Jacksonville)..

Even though the home we wanted to purchase fell through, we ended up renting a nice home in a beautiful and very convient neighborhood in Alcoa, Tennessee. We live 3 miles from the mall, 1.5 miles from Cracker Barrel/Walmart/Lowes, etc., and just 3-4 miles from the hospital and my office. Overall, it's a far better location that where we were planning to buy! The home we are renting isn't as large as the one we hoped to buy, but it's still very nice and plenty spacious for us and the animals. Here are a few pictures of rooms where most of the boxes have been unloaded...

End of the move...

Preparing to Cross the Mississippi River... Adam's just ahead of me.Memphis skyline.
EnteringAlcoa/Maryville, Our New Hometown...

Well, even thought it's been more than 1 week I thought I'd post nthe last day of the move. We left Carslyle, Arkansas (AKA mosquito-town) early Thursday morning and headed to Tennessee. We arrived before 4 pm, which gave us time to board the animals so that we could stay at Mom and Dad's place. On Friday, we signed our home lease and prepared to move in. Here are some pictures of the end of our trip, including crossing the mighty Mississippi.

We're Here!

Well, we arrived in Tennessee Thursday afternoon. The move went very well overall and we are happy to be here. The past few days have been hectic and today promises to be the same as we pick the dogs up out of the kennel and the moving truck is unloading as I speak. We ended up renting a home in a beautiful neighborhood that I know we'll love. Eventually, we'll buy or build once my practice takes off. I'll post pictures when we get home internet, likely this coming weekend.

On the Road Again...

Arizona/New Mexico Mesas.Adam with his New Mexico Cherry Cider and Abbey.
Adam with the Dogs.

Well, last night's post never happened because the hotel lost its internet connection just as I hit the "post on blog" button! Since Tuesday morning, we travelled from Flagstaff, AZ to Carslile, AK (just east of Little Rock). Our hotel experiences have been marginal, but I guess 5 stars isn't really required for the type of travelling we are doing. The scenery has gone from desert landscapes to beautiful green mountains. Tomorrow, we should make it to Maryville to start our new life... Here are some photos of yesterday's portion of the trip.

Night 1: Flagstaff, Arizona

Loading the truck.Hoover Dam.
More Hoover Dam.
Entering Arizona.
Arizona landscape.

Well, we made it to Flagstaff, Arizona tonight safe and sound! When we left Vegas, the temp was 105 and here, it's 55. Talk about a huge change in just 4.5 hours on the road. This time, we actually got to cross Hoover Dam (last time we couldn't because of the moving truck). Here are some pics of the moving truck, Hoover Dam, and the landscapes...

Moving Again!

Well, I guess we'll start the "moving" portion of the blog again. North American Vanlines will arrive in 9-12 hours and will take all of our stuff away. We'll then super-clean the condo, rest a little, and get ready to leave ASAP Tuesday morning after the apartment inspection. Here are some familiar boxes...

I'm Done!!!

Jessica and I.Cameron and I in the OR.
Leah, myself, and April.
Isaac and I.

Well, I finished my fellowship on a high note today! I finished strong, finished a great research paper (if I do say so myself), and really enjoyed my last day! It has been a long 14 years since leaving home, but very worth it to be where I am today. Adam, my family, and my friends have been wonderful and I cannot thank all of you enough. Without the support, encouragement, and love, I definitely couldn't be sitting where I am today! Here are some photos of my last day at the Smith Plastic Surgery Institute...