To the Mountains We Go

We took a long weekend to take Grace to the mountains. The weather there was soooooooooo nice. I can see why people love it there. I was very excited, in addition to going, we were going to get to see our friends Sara and her family and then meet (finally) Patricia and her family.

We left the office around 330 on Thursday. We were packed and ready to go. The planer that I am, I had the directions all ready. Now let me just say, on one of the routes I had planned out, it said 8 hours, and for some reason that stuck in my mind. It should only take 5 hours to get to Seiverville from here. ( I didnt know that then) After we got off 40, and driving these dark, CURVEY roads, it was about 830, Pauls GPS on his phone is going in and out. He finally says are you sure this is the right address to the hotel. I had the info in my phone and printed in my car in addition to those directions we were going by. So I pull over in a location where I was imaging a man with a big bloody ax coming out to add me to his storage of bodies. So, I pull out the directions and guess what!!!!! I'm sad to say I dont know where the crap I got that address from, but it took us to the middle of timbuck two and nowhere. I kept saying there is no way they have a Bass Pro Shop in the back woods. I still dont know where that address was for. You can read my husband like a book when he is mad. I am happy to say, he handled it very well, or maybe he was just too tired to fuss. So its 9 pm and I'm driving on no sleep. (the night before I helped a little boutique from Columbia set up for their big sale in Chas, just so I could shop before everyone - didnt get home until 11:00, then I had to finish packing and then I couldnt sleep at all. I finally dozed off around 330) So we get back to where his phone has service. I was really unhappy to discover we could have stayed on a MAJOR highway the whole way! Our heads hit the pillow at about 11:45 am.

Sleeping Beauty.

We had plans to meet Sara and her family on Friday mornig for Breakfast. Sara is in our LID group, we have actually gotten together twice before this. I love spending time with her. She traveled before us to adopt a little boy, and he is too cute. She also has two other kids, who Grace really likes.

After breakfast, we headed to Dollywood! It really wasnt what I was expecting and dont ask me what I was expecting. There is so much to do in the mountains. SO MUCH!!!!!!! hope we can go back next year and stay longer. And the summer after than is the D R E A M > > > > > >

Dad, doing what Dad does, WORK!
On the Teacup, she got mad at dad for spinning it.

On the elephant ride, she would not let Dad push the button to go up

I just love this sweet face.

Riding the horses with Momma

Grace loved the PRINCESS as she called her, she wanted a dress just like this one.

By 3 we were exhausted. We went back to the hotel and took a family nap.

Saturday morning, we got up, had breakfast and then headed to the mountains in NC to visit Patricia. She has 3 daughters from China. They were so beautiful. Patricia (and I didn't even get a picture of her, Next time) is also in our LID group. She traveled right before us. I mean, we missed her by a day or so. She is an amazing woman. I enjoyed our visit very much. (I made Paul drive down the part of your road that was OH SO STEEP) . She loved the bunnies that they had. I think if we didn't have to go back to the hotel, we may have been coming home with one. Not sure how Neli would like that.


That afternoon we made our way to the Bass Pro Shop, and we were only there a couple of hours. I didn't have to call in reinforcements to get him out.

We also went to a knife shop, a 3 store knife shop, they had every kind of knife you could think of. What did we come out with you ask? One Black Stuffed Bear! hehehehe Paul Ray said there is something seriously wrong.

BIKES, Bikes, Bikes and I'm not talking nice looking bikes, everywhere we looked there were BMW bikes.

We stopped at a little place in Cherokee on the way home, and we all had coffee. They had a kids coffee.

We had to make sure Grace got to see an Indian, here is some dancing.


She wasn't too sure what to think

For as far back as I can remember, Paul Ray always take this same picture, everywhere we go. I think I do too much driving.I did however get him to drive 3 hours. Our total driving time, just under 23 hours in 3 days. So here is one of him. He got the hat at the BPS. Maybe I can hide it.

We had a good time, got some rest and some quality time with Grace.