Whew...

Well, our time in Gatlinburg was so special this year! Here's the rundown:

We got there last Friday. The kids did amazingly well on the ride up there! Kate had run a slight fever last Wednesday night, and was coughing some. Brooks was starting with a runny nose. And, they were wonderful. We were amazed.

We did so much shopping! I know, I know, why do you go to the mountains and spend so much time shopping? Well, mostly because I don't get to. I don't like to shop alone, and with Angie, Mom and Scott there, I had so much fun! Plus, I did have a few things on my list to get while we were there.

I bought several books while we were there. I wanted to read the book "My Father's Secret War" by Lucinda Franks. It is the latest book on NPR that Dick Estell is reading. I have enjoyed listening to it, but don't get to hear it every day. It is really good (I'm only halfway through because it has gotten slow). I hope to finish it soon. I also got Little Women. Haven't read that since high school and thought I'd give it a real read this time!

We went swimming on Monday in the heated pool outside. It was wonderful. Kate is SO into "swimming" these days - she would be a fish if she could. It was 72 degrees that day... the rest of the week the highs were in the lower 50's.

We visited a beautiful old cemetery in Gatlinburg that we go to when we are there. The leaves are so pretty. It was very humbling to see so many babies buried there. One family lost every baby born for 5 years in a row. Each lived a day or less. How heartbreaking that must have been for that family. They were such poor people in those days (early 1910's). Check out the pic of the headstones - I was able to get all in one shot.

Chris and Angie came up on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday. We really enjoyed getting to spend time with them! Getting ready Sunday AM for church felt just like it did in the dorm - minus "Primetime"!

Mom was great and cooked all week. We only ate out once, and that was great. It is so much easier to eat at home with the kids being so little. The food was great - cube steak, mac/cheese, mashed potatoes, vegetable soup, baked ham - and incredible biscuits! Thanks for working so hard, Mom. Oh, and can I forget - Paul's Brownies! They are wonderful!

I also had some funny quotes from the week that I thought I'd share:

"Peace out, cracker" (yes, Scott taught that to Kate)
"Where's Miss Angie and Uncle Tim?" (she was just a little confused)
"Going to go back to the Mountains" (aka- going back to the condo)
"That man was Mister Magoo that got burned in a toaster" (you had to be there for that one)

OK - so this post is way to long! Sorry!