Vacation, The FlyLady, and The House Fairy...

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted on here in so long!! Vacation was almost a month ago, now, and I haven't been on here much at all!! Facebook is quite addicting, and I have a few things to share with you...

First off, Jodi already shared with you about the "towel" incident at the hotel...That lady...ARGH!! My Dad was ready to pick up & leave that night, and I did in my principles, but we had basically moved in...we had a pack n' play, 4,000 suitcases, a cooler & our snackies...practicality won out over principles...But my Dad was HOT about it, and even spoke with the officers that night while they were there, and also, while they were there, he walked up to the counter & asked (in front of the police, mind you) for some towels...and got them!! I don't think this was lost on the officers. Dad said all they told him was, "Hey, we're just the messengers..." I don't think they really believed her, either...

Anyways, we had fun...Reunion was great, although my very easy-going baby boy got very overheated right after dinnertime & was basically DONE being outside...He was crying inconsolabely, and we just had to go back to town...Abbey & Steve went to the pool, and I gotta tell you, I wasn't hating that air conditioning!! LOL Eli was a different baby after a good nap & laying down in a cool room :) We headed back out around 5/6ish & he was good the rest of the time :) Abbey LOVED digging in the dirt with all her cousins!! I think she dug in the dirt more than anything else, actually...

Vacation was SOOOO nice!! :) We had a great time, except for wanting to beat the tar out of Abbey!! (don't call child services, we did not actually beat our child!! Actually, we probably went too easy on her during vacation, because, God love her, she was a spoiled little Diva that week...There's something to be said for nap times & low blood sugar levels...). Anyways, Monday night we ate at Calhoun's (which was pretty good) & settled into the condo, then went for a night drive in Gatlinburg...it's so pretty & vacationy looking at nighttime :) We always remember Dad telling us a story of when he & his family took a rare vacation down there once after a reunion. You have to drive through part of the National Park between Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg & it's so neat...well, Dad's always told us that when he was little, he always wanted to stay in that little hotel/motel right as you enter Gatlinburg because when he was little he always thought it was so neat to come straight out of a forest & then POW!! there's a neato swimming pool!! I'm sure that when he was little, it was a pretty neato hotel, but I'd be afraid to guess at what's inside that place now!! LOL :)

Then, we went to Krispie Kremes...

Tuesday was a little bit of shopping...We did eat at a new (to me) breakfast place called Flapjack's...Pretty yummy :) We hit Lil' Dolly's, then dropped the girls off to Dad & Steve (who went golfing) to swim, then we took Baby Boy shopping...I have to say, Eli was the best behaved child we had along with us!! LOL :)

That night we ate at Huck Finn's fish place...YUMO!! We also took Katie & Abbey to this little tykes amusement park thingy...SO cute!! You can really start to see Abbey & Katie's different personalities...Abbey was afraid to go on much more than the train, the merry-go-round, and the swings, and Katie would've done every ride there if we had enough tickets!! LOL Just neat to watch them, ya know? :)

Then, we went to Krispie Kremes...

Wednesday, we all went to The Pancake Pantry for breakfast (YYYUUUMMMMOOOOO!!!), then met up with Jodi & the rest (LOL) @ The Aquarium...But she told you about that already!! :)

After that, Steve kept Eli, and Dad took the girls to the pool, and me, Mom & Chelle got to actually shop by ourselves for a while!! :) It was heavenly!! LOL We met up with them at the Applebarn for dinner (AGAIN, YYYYUUUMMMMMOOOOOO!!)...Here's something a little funny...We wanted to shop at the Applebarn before the gift shop closed, and then head to the farmhouse to eat...Well, to get to the Christmas store there, it's easier to walk through their Winery...And this lady at their wine-tasting bar stopped me (I really tried to walk fast & not make eye contact, but I wasn't about to be rude!! LOL) I told her I didn't really like wine...She says, "Oh, yes you do!" LOL That was a new one!! LOL I told her I was more of a frozen daqari kind of girl, and she says, "Then, you like wine!!" She got this frozen daqari mix they had & they mix it with their Apple Strawberry wine, and boy, it's yummy!! I almost bought me some!! She said, "See? I told you you like wine!!" LOL So, I kept walking & caught up with Mom & Chelle at the Christmas store...we browsed there a bit, then walked back through the winery & this guy stops us (the lady who had previously served us wasn't there anymore). So, we all 3 tasted enough wine to relax us a bit...he was very generous, and we tasted, like, 6 wines!! Chelle did buy her mil a bottle for Christmas, and if I had it to do over again, I would've bought a bottle & that daquari mix...It was delish!! :) We were laughing at ourselves because we are obviously not big drinkers, and I think the guy knew that...Actually, I think anyone who glanced our way would've known that!! LOL :)

We ate a very nice dinner, went to THE Incredible Christmas Store & got our ornaments that we get every year...Abbey & Katie loved that store!! :) I LOVE that store!! :)

Then, we went to Krispie Kremes...

We came home Thursday, just like Jodi & Jimmie, and have decided that next year we're going to try & stay through Friday or Saturday because we're tired of just hitting the highlights & not being able to do those "what we'd like to try sometime" things, ya know?

Anyways...we've been home for a few weeks now, and I just put away our last suitcase today!! LOL I've been getting back in touch with the FlyLady...and she introduced me to The House Fairy (www.housefairy.org). Abbey was pretty impressed with her!! :) So, we're having her start to visit our house...

I'm sure I've left LOTS out, but then you would be unbelievably bored instead of just bored!! LOL :) I'm sure this is a long post, but I had a lot to catch you up on!! LOL :) I'll have to share more about church, & other stuff like that next time, I guess...

Love you all, and am thinking about you!! :)