{December 24-29, 2016}
The holidays are always filled with warmth & laughter, lots of yummy food & family gatherings. However, this was the first year we no longer lived a few miles down the road from family, and so we decided to just do something entirely different. We planned to celebrate christmas out of town! I know, I know, how could you skip all the family festivities?? Well, to be honest it was a tough decision, but we both agreed we really wanted to spend Christmas in the mountains, just the two of us. I mean, this year has been hectic. We sold our first home, the one we built together, moved away from the town we grew up in, and started new jobs! We needed this little getaway to take it all in, appreciate the journey, and just relax together. We decided to stay in the cutest little cabin in Tennessee, called Two Peas in a Pod. It was perfect; cozy, warm, and just snug enough for a romantic getaway! If you know us personally, then you know sitting in the cabin by the warm fire wasn’t all we were going to do. NO, we are not the type of couple to sit still for too long. Instead, we packed our vacation with tons exploring. We went to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Knoxville Tennessee. We also made a trip over to Ashville North Carolina & did a brewery tour. We hiked the smokey mountains, found a beautiful waterfall, and observed the areas that were hit by the fires a few months back. We did also spend some time snuggled up by the fire, sipped champaign in the hot tub, and enjoyed our morning coffee on the porch while taking in the spectacular views. The cabin had everything we could have hoped for! The overall experience was incredible. I loved waking up to the cold crisp air on christmas morning! And the whole town was covered in christmas cheer & colorful light displays to get you in the holiday spirit! I can’t wait to go back again! Lauren Bates Photography 
