Sloooow Down

Things have finally slowed down a bit around here. I feel like we have been rushing non-stop since Thanksgiving. With the holidays, work, and everything else we have on our plates, the end of the year always seems like such a blur. Add to that, Claire’s birthday the weekend after New Year’s & Pookie running our van into the side of the garage and see my blood pressure rise (again & again). The weekend after Claire’s birthday party, we headed to Gatlinburg with 3 other couples from church. To be honest, going into it, I was more stressed than anything. With all of the “busy”ness that we’d been having, this would’ve been our first weekend to just chill, and we decided to go out of town. While the intention was only relaxation and fun with friends, for me, leaving the kiddos always results in a little extra stress (and guilt). My mom stayed with them & they prefer her over me most days, so there is no reason to stress…that’s just how I’m wired.

I worked ½ day last Friday, ran by the sitters and kissed the kids goodbye, headed home to pack & then we left for Gatlinburg. Along the way, I was able to catch up on my magazine reading. I get way too many magazines, but most of them I get for free or next to nothing. I LOVE magazines; I’m pretty much a junkie, but I have zero time to read them. So, I caught up on the last 4 months worth on the way down & back. I probably won’t get to read one again until May or so :)!

i snapped this as soon as we got out of the car at the cabin

We arrived around dinner time and went to dinner with the other couple that was already there. It was yummy & I made myself sick on the bread they had. It was soooo good!! It was pretty thick, but soft & it seemed to have some salt on the outside. They also had real butter, which I could've eaten with a spoon!

Saturday morning, we headed into Gatlinburg & ate at The Pancake Pantry. I opted for the Cherry Crepes (with a side of bacon for some protein :-), and they were awesome! After that, the girls hit the Outlet Mall, while the guys headed back to the cabin to watch basketball. We got back to the cabin just in time to head out to dinner at an Asian restaurant, which was also excellent! Back at the cabin, we hung out for a bit and then played a few games of Taboo. I laughed so hard that my stomach was sore the next day. It was hilarious!

Pook & I at dinner Sat. night

The foggy trail behind our cabin on Sunday morning

I had hoped to take some mountain pics while we were there, but the weather was pretty gray the majority of the time. Sunday morning looked promising for a bit, but then the fog set in and it pretty much got uglier as the day progressed. We headed back home around 10:30, and got here in time to meet the kids at a birthday party.

The whole crew before we headed out

It was really good to get away and not have to "take care" of anyone else for a few days. I felt totally rejuvenated for about 24 hours, but it's all worn off again now! I guess that's why we should do adult only trips more often :-)!

Looking into the "hills" as we headed home

This week has been really uneventful and just great for my sanity! We are planning on heading to the circus this afternoon. Claire has had a rough few days battling a cough & lots of snot, so I'm not sure she's going to be up to it, but I hope so!