So here I am, sitting in the family room while Randy is listening to the State of the Union...and I'd rather be blogging. I dread listening to our president speak because, even I must admit, he is a VERY polished speaker and even though our country is in the condition that it is in, I'm afraid he will make us all look like sparkling diamonds. The American people bought his lines during the election...the result of which is us now listening to HIM speak tonight. No, I'm not a democrat by any means...I'm a staunch, conservative REPUBLICAN and PROUD OF IT! Ok, now I'll get off my box...after I say that I hope our next round of congressional elections place more Republicans in congress! GET OUT AND VOTE WHEN IT'S TIME!
Christmas in the Smokies was nice. No, it wasn't everything I had hoped for it to be...the snow came the weekend before we left to travel up there but had mostly melted by the time we arrived. There was still some up in the higher elevations where we stayed, but it only lasted a day or so. Momo had sent a box to the girls of 'cabin fever gifts' and in it was a snowman kit...but it's currently sitting, unused, on the counter above my kitchen sink. Randy developed an infected tooth the day after we arrived. That Wednesday, the girls and I drove into Knoxville to our friend Michelle's, where her daughters made sugar cookies with Grace and Emily. It was great visiting with her while listening to our girls laugh in the kitchen over the funny shapes they were making. That day I also went to Carter's outlet store to buy the girls new pajamas...since I left their new ones at home with the gingerbread men and house!
We did a lot of cooking and even though Randy wasn't able to eat much of it, the girls and I enjoyed his good food! He made a pot of Hoppin' John's Chowder...a crock pot of black eyed peas with cajun sausage that was to DIE for! We also made pots of soup and chili...even though it wasn't snowing, it was COLD! I made a daily run down to the grocery store to keep myself from getting cabin fever...Randy discovered a SEGA Genesis upstairs in the cabin and a golf game with it that he worked so hard to master! (The room also had a pool table and it was hilarious listening and watching him try to teach Emily how to play!) I did take Grace out into town one day while Emily stayed behind to play with daddy...we went back to the Carter's outlet and also found a HUGE scrapbook outlet in Sevierville...I was in heaven!
We did make it out on the town the last day we were there and enjoyed dinner together. I also took a few pictures of the girls in front of the 'upside down' house...
...and in front of the Little Pigeon River that runs in between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg...
And yes, most importantly, our getaway provided an opportunity for all of us to rest, to relax, to enjoy time together as a family. When we came home, one of the first things I did was scrapbook pages to remember our trip.
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