Pop-up Camper Maiden Voyage – New Nature Adventures Begin!

(A video tour of our pop-up camper)

About nine months ago, Lisa and I bought a 2000 Coleman Fleetwood Westlake model pop-up camper. This pop-up model includes an indoor toilet and shower. While we will probably use the indoor bathroom sparingly, the potential option might work to our advantage with our two tiny humans. I took the camper on its maiden voyage this past Memorial Day weekend. Thankfully, to support me with the new hobby endeavor, my father (now known as JayJay with Annabelle’s nickname) helped me with this brief camping trip. We camped at Panther Creek State Park on Cherokee Lake near Morristown, Tennessee. Panther Creek covers approximately 1,444 acres with seventeen hiking trails. Annabelle was fascinated with the playground at the state park, which continues to be one of her favorite recreational activities, specifically with the slides and swings.  

My mother (known as CeeCee by the grandkids) hosted a picnic for the entire family on Saturday. Annabelle was fascinated by the new toy (the pop-up camper) that she self-proclaimed was "Annabelle's." Her favorite words these days are "No" and "Mine." A two-year-old's life can be confusing and turbulent for a new parent. Concerning the camper, Annabelle was most intrigued by the door with all of the modern-day features offered. 

While I do not mind the labor involved with the pop-up camper, it involves a lot of work to set up. You practically unfold the machine like an accordion. The roof rises. The beds slide and extend outwards. The camper reminds me of a transformer robot (the weaponized machines in cartoons and movies that turn into common vehicles). While many new RVs involve a button that balances the trailer without much labor-intensive work, everything on this trailer is manually geared. There are no shortcuts or easy fixes.

The campground was covered with luxurious, multi-thousand-dollar RVs. There was only one family with a traditional car camping setup. Perhaps they were the only real outdoors enthusiasts who knew what “roughing it” truly meant. In a few conversations, some of the supposed other outdoors enthusiasts looked down on pop-ups by saying negative comments. It gave me the impression that the less expensive rig was beneath their standards. I never saw some of the millionaires even walk outside. In other words, many people visibly stayed inside their RVs without ever taking advantage of the many amenities at the state park. This observation seemed a little sad…. maybe you should watch television in your real home and save yourself the hassle and investment of an outdoor recreation vehicle.

I want Annabelle and Jace to enjoy the outdoors and grow accustomed to activities in nature. I desire for them to grow up without being glued to a screen for every waking hour of the day. Being outside is fundamentally beneficial for children, whereas inactivity through technology usage seems rampant in society these days.

The one major downside of a pop-up camper involves rain. If rain appears and you fold up the camper, it can quickly build up mildew and easily damage it. This impact factor does not affect a traditional enclosed RV, where rain bounces off these vehicles like driving a car through a mellow storm.

I plan to take the camper out three to four more times this year. Hopefully, the kids will be sleeping under the stars in the beauty of nature soon. While a pop-up camper might be another version of glamping, these nature activities become an excellent opportunity to spend time with my family and make memories we will cherish for many years to come.     

Please enjoy these pictures from this camping trip and other miscellaneous cute moments of Annabelle and Jace.

(I stand proudly by my pop-up camper for her maiden voyage.)

(Annabelle loves to eat various types of meat with protein and her daily vegetables. I sometimes wish these details were a true reality.)

(Jace loves to eat more than his sister and will ingest anything in front of him.)

(Jace is such a handsome boy!)

(Annabelle swings on the playground at Panther Creek State Park.)

(Jace enjoys swinging on the playground at Panther Creek State Park.)

(Annabelle sneaks a peak through a crawl tube at the playground.)

(Annabelle and Jace interact with this monkey at the Knoxville Zoo. The monkey was very interactive as if participating in a real conversation.)

#daddydestinations #daddy #dad #blog #family #DaddiesAndDaughters #destinations #memories #story #narrative #inspiration #JamesCartee #lifelessons #nature #camper #RV #popupcamper #camping

The Creation of Life versus the End of Our Journey – Miracles All Around

 (Annabelle and Jace hang out in the crib together.)

As I read previous blog entries about the births of my children, the creation of life is a beautiful memory! Many years ago, I vividly remember visiting my grandmother, who at the time suffered from cancer, coming to the end of her life journey. Put simply, I have often come to the extremes of individual life spans…the start and the end. I see the newfound energy of Baby Jace, my son, with his cuteness exposed in his plush red cheeks. Each family member cuts in line and argues over who will hold him next. This imagery of Jace is a drastic comparison to the grandmother I saw run a marathon for almost eighty-five years until diagnosed with cancer. She clearly struggled with the challenges of the illness. As I have experienced miracles in my life through my own survival, I have become a miracle by persisting to live. I choose to get up each day, and I choose to keep moving forward. If I can live daily without giving up the fight, then anyone who believes in this same positive mantra can do the same.  

If I am not feeling happy all the time, I sometimes look down on myself. This is neither healthy nor productive. In my day-to-day routine, I do not always feel like the character, Tigger, from the famous cartoon, Winnie-the-Pooh. In fact, I sometimes feel drastically different than how Tigger is portrayed in the show. Some days I am definitely not bouncing off walls with contagious enthusiasm.

Recently, I have witnessed that my lows are really not that low at all. Many exist in worse predicaments than all of us, even if we face adverse circumstances. I expect my daily moments to constantly feel like holding a newborn baby, fresh and exciting. This perpetual feeling thus becomes never-ending with good days every day. However, for most of us, that is not life or our own experienced reality. As the reader, please do not mistake the feeling of being down versus choosing your daily attitude, especially in hard times. These mentalities are distinctly different. Those who feel down may also choose the attitude they personify, positive or negative, for better or worse.

Most believers consider the birth of life to be a miracle. Much like birth, God consistently performs miracles for those who need healing from diseases and serious injuries. I believe the occurrence of a miracle transpires from a prayer request and in the confidence that God will answer that prayer request.

I recall asking for past miracles of healing that God may or may not have answered. These prayers resulted in emotional pleas of sorrow, confusion, and frustration. On the other hand, in the next moment, I experienced the miracle of birth that resulted in emotional prayers of gratefulness (a healthy baby). On one hand, the dualistic relationship serves as a spiritual high through the creation of life. On the flip side, I then experience down feelings of what eventually becomes inevitable for every human, death. The celebration of life mixes with a sad feeling to see one eventually go to a heavenly home.

As I have seen many times in my journey, life comes and goes with miracles through the in-between periods. Some miracle prayer requests are answered, while some remain unanswered.

If you experience misery and loathe each day, life may pass you by. And amidst the grief, you become discouraged as I have in my own past experiences. One might consider these feelings normal for human beings at certain times in life. In other words, we all feel these mixed emotions.

When you give your very best to change whatever creates this experienced misery, the miracle of God's Glory becomes magnified. If you do not give in, if you do not give up, if you do not quit, your spiritual heart knows that God has more for you. In the daily decision a person makes to get up and never give in, good things will start to come. Give God everything you got in the goals and directions that you pursue, and a favorable blessing will eventually emerge. In this pursuit, enjoy the breaks to create, celebrate, and dedicate time to those you love.

This mentality becomes vital at the beginning of one life with birth and the end of another person's life with death. Even if you do not enjoy what you do in your day-to-day routine, you will at least enjoy these precious moments with your loved ones. That may be where the real joy always lies – encountering those cherished few people you leave in the morning and those you return to in the evening. The in-between times during work hours may only serve one purpose for now - to pay the bills. Then even in a day's time, we realize that miracles come at both the beginning and the end of our days, much like the birth and death of a life.

With the experience of these beginning and end miracles, we can all become a Tigger! We can glorify God with the attitude we choose to possess by observing the good around us at the beginning and end of a hard day’s work.   

These tiny humans bring me daily joy at the beginning and end of my many hectic days. Enjoy more pictures displaying their incredible cuteness.

(Jace’s smile brightens my day.)

(When asleep, Jace is so quiet. He is not quiet most of the time while awake.)

(Annabelle rides the rhino at the Knoxville Zoo. Much like her mama, Lisa, Annabelle loves animals!)

(Annabelle was seriously tired after a half-day at the Knoxville Zoo. She clearly had a good time.)

(Jace’s feet are still so small. I try my best to cherish these moments.)

(While visiting the grandparents, G-Daddy reads Annabelle a book before bedtime.)

(Annabelle drives the firetruck at the Discovery Center Children’s Museum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

(Annabelle places G-Daddy’s famed headband on Jace’s head for a photo opportunity.)

#daddydestinations #daddy #dad #blog #family #destinations #memories #story #inspiration #JamesCartee #goodness #lessons #family #blessings

New Destinations, New Memories, and Our Finest Farewells

 

(Annabelle and Jace dance at Dry Falls Brewing Company.)

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

-James 4:14 (NIV)

My family often ventures for a weekend away to spend time together as a family. Lisa and I recently visited Easley, South Carolina, the hometown of my grandfather, James Louie Cartee, Sr. As many of my acquaintances know, my grandfather was an avid fan and supporter of the Clemson University Tigers sports teams. Easley is located very close to the Appalachian Mountains and some of the most beautiful state parks in the United States (i.e., Table Rock, Caesar’s Head, Paris Mountain). Easily is also positioned between the cities of Greenville and Clemson.

In addition to stopping in Easley, Lisa and I had long been wanting to visit Brevard, North Carolina. This small mountain town is known for white squirrels, mountain biking, waterfalls, and is the home of Brevard College. Brevard involves an active Main Street scene with family-style restaurants, art galleries, and other quaint shops. Our family ate lunch at the Brevard Diner, and I ordered the grilled trout as my lunch entrée. It was delicious! It tasted as if it had been freshly caught that morning in the cold mountain streams. Our waitress was fantastic! I drank all the water and coffee my bladder could hold. The décor of the restaurant was a classic diner like you might see in a movie, simplistic but still local.

We spent most of the afternoon on Main Street, including a visit to Rocky’s Grill and Soda Shop, where we were treated to delectable ice cream desserts. Rocky’s is a known establishment that has resided in Brevard since 1941. I ordered my usual two scoops of two different flavors. Lisa, on the other hand, ordered the largest ice cream Sunday on the menu. Annabelle (two years old) has not yet learned the crucial lesson of sharing. She claimed Lisa's Sunday as her own, however, we limited her intake of sugar. As a youngling, Annabelle loves ice cream, a treat she might eat once every few months.

We arrived at our Airbnb in Easley late Friday evening, where we quickly prepared both kids for bed. It was a long day traveling but a good one for many reasons.

The next day we slept in as long as Annabelle would let us. We drove to Greenville, South Carolina, another beautiful area that incorporates an active lifestyle in the residential scene. For example, we decided to visit the Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery. In a utopian mindset, Lisa loves grocery stores! This place was the most extraordinary grocery store I have ever been to. Everything is locally sourced in South Carolina from other family businesses. On the grounds, there is a café with several wonderful fresh offerings that make for a good lunch. A nearby building was an old bicycle shop, which had been turned into a community space with ping pong tables and arcade games. Imagine a large green space that resembles a beer garden for families, friends, and couples. This establishment neighbors a city greenway where bikes run rampant.  Riders often take a break from long distances at the Swamp Rabbit. Among multiple outdoor picnic tables, over a hundred people hung out while enjoying the pleasant weather. While the grocery store carried unique gifts, like candles and labeled t-shirts, the amount of fresh produce and selection of beers was immense.

After stopping at the Swamp Rabbit, Lisa and I wanted to visit the Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, North Carolina, situated about an hour from our Airbnb. The orchard was massive and resided on the top of a mountain where you could see local views in every direction. Apples were still being picked here in mid-November, which is typically a little late in the season. Lisa drank apple cider. I drank an apple slushie and ate several apple donuts. Like the ice cream Sunday, Annabelle possessively claimed a half donut from me, stating “Mine.” All four of us took a tractor ride around the orchard. I also shot an apple cannon at targets across a lake on the property. The canon was loud and resembled the force of a potato gun. These products and services were available for a modest price. The orchard provided a place for families to have a good time in a safe environment.

After another lovely day in these beautiful surroundings, we decided to eat and drink at Dry Falls Brewing Company in Hendersonville, North Carolina. On another previous trip, I visited the area just before Annabelle was born. At the time, the owners of Dry Falls offered the opportunity to pre-buy a drink for a police officer in order to honor these public servants. I sponsored one beer like several other local customers. When off duty, a police officer could enjoy some beverages on the tab of others who supported their services. So, I immediately had respect for the business!

A food truck named Heidi Ho on The Go supplied our dinner with some gluten-free, meatless options for Lisa. I had a few beers, and Lisa drank blackberry cider (also gluten-free). We both agreed that the food and drinks were flavorful. Most importantly, Dry Falls encouraged families to enjoy the atmosphere with an emphasis on tiny humans, meaning Annabelle and Jace. The residents of Brevard, Flat Rock, and Hendersonville seemed especially patient toward young children. Annabelle can sometimes test the nerves of customers close to us. During the week before our trip, I had completed and passed four six-hour comprehensive exams in my Ph.D. program at The University of Tennessee. So, we used the occasion to celebrate this momentous accomplishment! Dry Falls provided a great environment to do so!

On Sunday morning, Lisa and I ventured to my grandfather’s gravesite in Liberty to pay our respects. Called Jace for short, James Louie Cartee, IV is named after my grandfather. Since Jace did not get to officially meet his Great Grandad before his passing, we took a few pictures of Jace next to the tombstone. Lisa was not surprised that Grandad’s tombstone looked the “biggest and shiniest” in the cemetery. Grandad certainly possessed a BIG personality! Watching Jace and Annabelle, Lisa was not able to attend the actual funeral services. As a result, Lisa wanted to see the gravesite. We said a prayer and made our way home.  

Lisa and I enjoyed Brevard so much that we decided to take the same route back to Knoxville with a few more stops along the way. We would drive back through Brevard from Easley, which unfortunately involved many curvy mountain roads. We first stopped at Connestee Falls, a landmark we wanted to see Friday, however, rainy weather prevented us from doing so. Brevard borders the Pisgah National Forest, where several more beautiful waterfalls add to the scenery. In this national forest, we next visited Looking Glass Falls. Both these waterfalls are easily accessible for those with families and troublesome toddlers who have strong personalities. When I walked down to the bottom of Looking Glass Falls, Annabelle decided to lie down in a huge pile of leaves, like she was sleeping in a bed. She was blowing a gasket in her collision with nature. Thankfully, she had no spiders or ticks on her body afterward. She did not seem like her usual joyful self. I wondered what was wrong. Lisa and I would soon find out.

On the final leg driving up the mountain from Brevard through the national forest, Annabelle’s face turned a little greenish. After crying with a moan, she proceeded to vomit all over herself and her car seat. We stopped the car to clean up the mess and change Annabelle’s clothes. It was probably about forty degrees on the top of the mountain with a strong gust of wind. This freezing weather made Annabelle cry even louder on the side of the road. Lisa decided that Annabelle must be hungry after literally losing her lunch in our Honda Civic. No more than twenty-five minutes later, Annabelle threw up again with the recent crackers and goldfish Lisa decided to give her. We stopped again to change Annabelle’s clothes a second time. I had to unpack the entire trunk to get clothes out of the suitcase for this next change. While Annabelle was obviously carsick, we still had another twenty miles to cover before reaching Waynesville and straighter roads ahead. Annabelle’s hair was styled with vomit and leaves from wrestling with the dirt at Looking Glass Falls.  

While our last adventurous afternoon was eventful, I still found myself grateful for these messy spillovers. While probably cussing under my breath at that exact moment (especially after going through the vomiting scenario twice), I realized that God gave me a marvelous tiny human to clean and care for. In my younger days, God also gave me a dedicated Grandfather who often cared for me in some difficult situations. Lisa tends to be the champion with our kids and quickly cleans up decorative puddles of puke quicker than a transformer.

Annabelle gets sick occasionally. However, in a positive light, she cries a sweet quiver when she thinks Lisa or I plan to suddenly leave the apartment. She desires the family to always be together with her Mom and Dad by her side.

When I pick up Annabelle from daycare, she runs into my arms. When going to bed, Annabelle eagerly requests kisses for her and all the stuffed animals that accompany her nighttime sleep. Jace even now smiles when you kiss his cheeks fervently, caught between the love given by Lisa and me. If framed in a positive mindset, the frustrating moments still lead to smiles and remembering these mentioned blessings. Emotions might take over in the seconds of messy situations. However, God instills joy through these tiny humans, even amidst the grossest of moments in a vomit-filled car with a filthy kid who needs a bath. The following Bible verse reminds me of this observed truth.

“Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court.”

 -Psalm 127: 3-5 (NIV)

*Please view these pictures from our recent weekend getaway. 

(Dry Falls Brewing Company was converted into a microbrewery with what was once an automobile body shop.)

(Lisa and Jace eagerly await the orchard tractor ride.)

(Sky Top Apple Orchard near Flat Rock, North Carolina)

(Connestee Falls, near Brevard, North Carolina)

(Looking Glass Falls, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina)

#daddydestinations #daddy #dad #blog #family #DaddiesAndDaughters #destinations #memories #story #narrative #inspiration #JamesCartee #Thanksgiving #goodness #lifelessons

The Engaged Grace of Gratitude

(Annabelle and Jace relax on the couch with full tummies and maybe full diapers.)

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.”

Psalm 95:2 (NIV)

Almost every night I enjoy my daily cuddle times with Jace (now two months old) as I watch the CBS television hit, Blue Bloods, on Paramount Plus, starring Tom Selleck as New York City’s finest Police Commissioner, Frank Reagan. Jace now smiles at Daddy with some gentle coos of “Oow’s” and “Awe’s.” Slowly, Jace falls asleep in my arms, and he just so happens to snore with a pacifier in his mouth. The pacifier acts like a musical instrument as Jace whistles a song inhaling through his mouthpiece to then let out a huge sigh through his nostrils. When I embrace Jace in my arms on the couch at this moment, I pause the greatest cop show of all time. Then I imagine the gentle feel of my son’s skin and his stellar small body protected in a moment of solitude. We sit there in stillness with expressed thanks to God for these fleeting thoughts of a young father’s real-time joys.

In the quivers of a woodwind musical symphony quartet, the sounds of a baby’s whispers settle into my own breathing patterns as my heart practices songs of gratitude. There is grace in the practiced presence of stillness that a busy society so often neglects to pay bills, thus orchestrating the false identity that more of everything brings some form of satisfaction (i.e. more money, bigger houses, luxury cars, etc.). This endless pursuit of more busyness pushes the threshold of sanity only to take away from the relationships that bring true sanctity to the meaning of fulfillment.

Children naturally bring gracious moments of gratitude into a parent’s life because these previous memories seem few and far between. I only have time to focus on my two tiny human children rather than the selfishness that pursuits of grandeur usually bring, meaning self-accolades of accomplishment to pat myself on the back. While career goals and the personal achievement of success warrant their own merits of fulfillment, these aspirations compare little to the moments previously described.

I experience gratitude by taking the time to remember the preciousness of today. I seize the moment by sensing where I am when the Spirit moves me to do so. I choose to engage in conversations with my son and daughter rather than typing one more research dialogue that incorporates a reading audience of five people.

In other words, I enhance my feelings of gratitude through the taste, touch, smell, and sounds experienced in the miracle of being alive and knowing I am human right now.

On another facet, if I forget the blessings before me, I make it a mental point to remember previous hardships and how God provided the grace necessary to survive those lowland adversities. By remembering the bad times, I further appreciate and embark on the good times of today.

On a final note, I try to share my gracious thoughts of gratitude with others. By speaking good into existence with familiar friends and family, positive vibes thrive into future positive feelings of remembered and celebrated goodness. That is the true nature of the fall season and the destinations we journey to with our Thanksgiving holidays. Being preemptively proactive to affirm the blessings received, I end this year and begin the new with a fresh outlook that keeps my soul youthful, fresh, and wise.

Jace and Annabelle make me a better person when their needs far outweigh my own. There is no time to complain about the small worries of my own nothingness. There is only time to celebrate the small wins of the present victories of musical snores, sleep, and slumber while Tom Selleck quotes some of my favorite inspirational words of fatherhood in the background.

Below you can witness some of my favorite memories I daily reminisce and dream on.

(Lisa and Annabelle enjoy the high and very long slides at Unity Park in Greenville, South Carolina.)

(Annabelle smiles in the marvel of the splash pad at Unity Park in Greenville, South Carolina.)

(We tried for a successful family portrait of CeeCee and G-Daddy with the four grandchildren, however, Jace snoozed the entire time.)

(Annabelle crashes with cuddles for nap time on G-Daddy.)

(Jace is such a cute baby with those precious smiles!)

(Jace is, indeed, the cutest Tennessee fan of all time!)

#daddydestinations #daddy #dad #blog #family #familylife #sons #DaddiesAndDaughters #destinations #memories #story #narrative #inspiration #JamesCartee #goodness #lifelessons #Jace #Annabelle

Annabelle Turns Two Years Old and Dares To Be Bold! (A Proud Father)

On Sunday, August 14, Annabelle turned two years old. Older generations, including my Grandfather Cartee, remind me that “time flies by” and that “you must treasure these small moments with your children.” There will be a day when my little girl does not always jump into my arms with a hug when I pick her up from pre-school. She may not always want to wrestle with Dad on the floor or ride on my back as her favorite horse. I will not always be able to watch Frozen 1 and Frozen 2 one hundred more times with her request to “sit down” next to her. The moments are fleeting, and if not careful, we can miss the joyful ages of our children in front of us.

With an industrial personality, I tend to thrive on being busy and productive with completed tasks in an overwhelming fashion. I truly get lots of stuff done! While this trait might be good for a Ph.D. program, a job, or owning a business, it can also sometimes be detrimental when I miss the obvious blessings in front of my face. Family matters most! My time with Lisa, Annabelle, and Jace (a.k.a. James Louie Cartee, IV) remains limited, and they truly will be my source of lasting joy and fulfillment. For the layperson, as I grow old, it remains vital to remember the difference between the fleeting matters of business and the relationships that make life worthwhile!    

I am proud of my kids simply by their existence in my life and how they have taught me to be a better person and father. If you are a parent or one day become a parent, you will understand what I mean when I express these words. There is no better feeling than the satisfaction of being proud of a child for doing good and for being good, just as God created them to be.

Remember to sit still with your precious loved ones in the present hour. Enjoy the moment. And count your blessings!

You can view some of my favorite moments with Annabelle’s second birthday below. Maybe not surprising to some, we had a Frozen-themed party. I love watching Annabelle's reactions when she opens gifts!

(Aunt Allison meets Baby Jace for the first time, and she was also present for Annabelle’s birthday party.)

(Ayden meets his cousin, Jace, for the first time. These smiles are contagious!)

(I am not sure this seat is made for a grown toddler to sit in. We’ll give it a try anyway.)

(Notice a proud father’s facial expressions!)

(Annabelle enjoys Mom’s homemade cupcakes.)

(Annabelle loves her slides at the many playgrounds we frequently visit.)

#daddydestinations #daddy #dad #blog #family #DaddiesAndDaughters #destinations #memories #story #narrative #inspiration #JamesCartee #firststeps #babylife #friends #baby #JaceCartee #Jace #Annabelle