06/21/08

We are back!!!

I cannot believe that just this morning we were in the mountains continuing to see the glorious sights all around us and now we are back home. We have packed in A LOT this past week. I am needing a vacation from our vacation!!

I will be sharing lots and lots of pictures. I just went through them very quickly and am still amazed at the beauty I was able to capture. I didn't take over 1,000 but did take over 500. :)

The ones I am posting today are from when we got to Tennessee last Saturday night. It took us FOREVER to get there, it seems, between road delays and Daddy's Garmin Satellite whatever you call it taking us around our elbow to get to our thumb. lol When we finally got there we had been on the road over 7 hours and we were quite pooped. We ate some supper and then went for a walk around our hotel. It was such beautiful views. Here are just a few of what I captured that night. There are also some of me and the kids and me and Steve. Excuse them... they were taken by me and I was in them! ha!! I had to get one in there of me and my sweet man.... we were watching GOLF. How shocking. I know y'all are loving my glasses. You don't get to see me like that much. ha!!!!

I will go over each day as the week goes on. We did too much for me to talk about in one post! Plus, it will allow me to show you the beauty each day. We had a great trip, though. I fell in love with many places we visited. I hated the end of each day because I knew we were leaving behind something I had come to love and felt like a part of me was being left there.

I could not get over seeing mountains all of the time around me. I have visited the mountains a couple of times as a kid but never fully appreciated it. We went up with Mom and Daddy about 2 or 3 years ago, too, but that was a quick weekend and we didn't really get to see as much. This trip truly gave me an appreciation for the mountains in a way I have never experienced. To think, I have lived here all of my life and never fully experienced them before like this. The beauty of God's Creation was all around me and I was in awe.

We did Cades Cove and Dollywood in Tennessee. Then, Monday night we came into NC mountains to Waynesville. Tuesday we were in Bryson City riding the Smoky Mountain train and also went to see the Fontana Dam which is owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Then, on Wednesday, we went to the Cherokee Reservation and stayed there all day. We got to see the museum as well as visit a "working" village. That night we got to see Unto These Hills, and outdoor drama about the Cherokee Tribe and their "Trail of Tears." It was very moving and wonderful. Thursday we went to Biltmore Estates! WOW.... I'll say more about that later. Friday, which was my birthday, we went Gem Mining and I got myself in a LOAD of trouble by having jewelry made out of some of the stones we found. I also had some made for Mikayla Girl because I figured it would be a wonderful momento of our trip... well, wish I had put them in my pocket and taken them home that way! LOL I'll take pics of them, if I remember, when I get them in a couple of weeks. Then, we went to Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, NC and also went to see Horn In the West, another outdoor drama about Daniel Boone. (In all my years, 37 of them now, I never CLICKED that BOONE was named after DANIEL BOONE!!!!!!! DUH!! How stupid did I feel??? Well, let's just say I learned many valuable things this week to help me help my students. ha!) Today we went to the Ashe County Cheese Factory before heading home. A whirlwind of a trip that will give you lots to look at in the next few days.

I had 136 emails when I got home. It took a while to get through them. For my friends whose blogs I read, forgive me for not commenting... I have tried to look at all of them since we got home but haven't had enough time to respond like I wanted so I will do it here: Sal and Morgan.... y'all know I am excited about what is happening with you all and moving back here in the next year. Casey.. LOVE the pics of Gillian and can't wait to hear about your trip to NY! I can't believe Gillian is five months old, either... didn't she JUST arrive? Gretchen.... loving your mantle and your new front porch. You have such a knack with that kind of thing!!! Amy.... Oh, goodnesss... loving the NYC pics. Your fisheye lens made those pics look AWESOME!!! Can't wait to see more.

OK.... enough rambling since we are now back. :) I loved being on the trip but I love being back home too. Off to relax a bit and finish washing some clothes.