A Smokie Mountain Thanksgiving

Day One

Oh me! Last Tuesday, we headed out to Pigeon Forge for a mini-vacation. I had doubts about it because my husband and I have not been to the Smokies in fifteen years because it is just not our idea of a good time but my sister asked if we would like to go and we decided why not? Michael has never been and this would be a good time to take him. We left Tuesday afternoon and arrived at the cabin. It was clean and nice but a little small but that was no big deal. The minute we get in the door, Michael says, "Where is Michael's house?" I look around; his eyes are red and tears are starting. I tell him his house is where it has always been and that we are going to stay awhile. He is upset and I can't get out of him why he is so upset. (This is my first "I hate autism" moment of the trip.) We unpack the SUV and rest a minute. We are starving because we skipped lunch so we decide to grab something to eat. When "normal" families go on vacation, they plan great meals out. Us? No way! We drive through Burger King because Michael is OK with that. I am about in tears by this point because I am again slapped in the face by reality. We get back to the cabin and I am ready to eat. Yep, my food is not there! Now, I can sit here in the comfort of my house and laugh about it now but I was so upset! I thought, "I have four more days of this? Can I take it?" We ended the night on a good note by climbing in the hot tub. So relaxing and Michael loved it. We all finally relaxed and got some sleep.

Day Two

On Wednesday morning, I had the first cry I have had in a long time about Michael's autism. I thought I had gotten over the frustration and disappointment but I guess I was wrong. I told my husband that I just wanted to eat out one time while we were there and have a glass of tea in peace. I got the pity party over with and we went to get groceries and see how much Pigeon Forge had changed since out last visit. It turned out to be a very good day. We went to the Disney Story and let Michael get a few things then went to Kroger to get some groceries. Whew! It was crowded since it was the day before Thanksgiving. I will brag on Michael. He was very patient and good in both stores. We grabbed some Sonic and went back to the cabin. (Yes, I checked to see if my food was there before we left!) That afternoon, Michael learned to play pool from his dad and they played the old arcade games like Dig Dug and PacMan. It was so neat to see them interacting and hanging out. I still wanted my "tea and peace" so my husband asked what "would make me happy." I looked at all of the restaurant listings and we talked about several we might like. I asked Michael. "Hey, you ready to go out to eat?" His reply, "No! Happy smiles with no chicken!" (They are those potatoes shaped like smiley faces.) I said well, why not have that later? "No, happy smiles with no chicken, PLEASE!" The tears start. Crap. I get the happy smiles. Now, those of you who think I am just giving in do not have an autistic child! He calmed down and ate and I tried not to have a melt-down myself. My husband suggested that we try The Outback. Michael likes it and we know he can handle that. We wait awhile and then head to The Outback in Sevierville. Success! We have a great supper, go to The Dollar Store AND I finally get to see the Christmas lights. (By the way, they are pretty but who can tell with all of those big, flashing lights for the shows?) Anyway, we get back to the cabin and my sister and niece arrive. Yea! We are all finally here.

Day Three

Thursday, Thanksgiving day. What a beautiful day that was. Just gorgeous. We had breakfast and rested. Since my husband and Michael were happy staying in the cabin, the girls went to Gatlinburg to walk around and see if there were any stores open. We got so lucky. The streets were not crowded and we got a free parking place close to the street. We walked around and I found some toys for the kids and my sister got some candy and jam at The Chocolate Monkey. We just enjoyed the beautiful November day. It was really nice. We headed back into Pigeon Forge to go to Old Navy but dumb me had read the wrong time of their opening. They were opening at 7 pm not noon so we headed to the stores with the red roof. (I can't remember the name.) My sister got my niece some cute clothes so cheap! They had some great sales and again, it was not crowded. We headed back to the cabin for Thanksgiving lunch which my wonderful husband had cooked for us. It was so delicious! It was not traditional: He cooked chicken, fish and hamburgers on the grill. Oh, my! Just the smell was killing me! We hung out some more and I said, "Oh, I want to see the lights in Gatlinburg before we go back to Old Navy." Wrong idea! It seems that everybody was hiding when we went earlier that day! It was SO crowded! Bumper to bumper traffic and we wanted to be at Old Navy when it opened. We did manage to get to Old Navy at a little after 7 and wait in line to get in for I guess less than 15 minutes. I put my niece in a stroller and we power shopped! My sister went one way and I went the other. I got some great deals and so did she. The shocker was thirty minutes later when we saw the line to check out.

Look at the picture below. I took the picture where we were in line in the back of the store. You are seeing the front of the store and the man in green is in line as it winds its way toward the front again. I will give them credit. We had to wait maybe 10-15 minutes in line. After that, we headed back to the cabin.

Day Four

Friday, Black Friday. We had enough excitement at Old Navy so we hung out at the cabin that morning. Around 10, I went to a store with my sister and again got lucky. I got a parking place right in front of the store. (It is a little mall area off the main road.) We next went to the Hanes, Bali store and I got some stuff and we thought we'd see how crowded Tanger Outlet was. We started driving and the traffic got heavy the closer we got. It was finally at a stand still. It took me a mile of creeping along to realize that this WAS the line for the outlet! Oh, no! We were I guess five miles from the outlet. We got out of there and went back to the cabin. You can see below how we spent our time waiting for more shopping. (The weather was rainy and cold and the hot tub was so warm! We had a blast!) After supper, my wonderful husband agreed to stay with Michael and my niece while my sister and I went to Tanger Outlet at 8 pm. We thought that surely the crowds would be smaller. We were so right! I parked right in front of the Disney Store and we got some Christmas presents for the kids. We next parked right in front of Old Navy and my sister got a jogging outfit that they were out of the night before AND got it for 50% off! We then parked right in front of Coldwater Creek and just did some looking. So, the moral of the story is this: Unless you really want something in particular on Black Friday, don't go that morning. Go that night when they have had a chance to restock AND you still get the great prices. We decided to celebrate by stopping by Baskin Robbins on the way to the cabin. Overall, Black Friday was a great day for all of us.

Day Five

Saturday, time to go home. We had to be out by 10 am (9 am our time) so we packed up and headed out. Some reflections: I am blessed with a wonderful sister and niece. It was nice to spend some time with them. (Disclosure: I did learn that my sister is a saint because my niece can talk and at times it was just "Shhhh! Be quiet a minute!) :) I also was reminded that as far as Michael has come, we still have a long way to go and that "normal" is just a word. I learned that we should stick to the place that is perfect for us when we want to go somewhere: St. George Island, Florida. Last, I have always known I was married to a good man but I was reminded anew of how wonderful he truly is on this trip. What did I do to deserve him?!

Well, that is my Thanksgiving. It was a memorable one. Thanks for reading all of my ramblings.

Oh, what a Thanksgiving week in the Smokies!

I do not have time to tell the entire tale but we spent Thanksgiving week in Pigeon Forge with my niece and sister. Check back soon for the details. I will just say that we will NEVER go there again during a holiday! Oh, my!

Thankful

Of course this is the week where many of us thank God for many things. I will do like many of you and list a few of the things I am grateful and thankful for in my life.

1. A husband who stands by me no matter what. He has stood beside me through the best and worst days of my life since I was fifteen years old and I cannot think of anyone I would rather walk through this crazy life with me.

2. Michael - I asked God for a son and He blessed me with an all-boy boy!

3. I am thankful for God blessing me and allowing me to LIVE. What a gift God has given us through his Son.

4. I am thankful to my church family especially our praise band which allows me to try and sing with them! They are such good friends and have been a great source of comfort for me.

5. I am grateful for friends but especially my friends Bobby, Ed and Brad. We don't see them much but I know they would be here if I ever needed them and I hope they know we will always be there for them.

6. I am grateful for family. Our family is not the mushy, lovey kind but that is OK. We are what we are! I am SO proud of my wonderful nieces. What sweet, smart and beautiful girls they are!

I am especially proud of my sisters who have overcome some major adversities and have triumphed over them.

7. I am thankful that Michael can talk and is becoming more independent. I hope and pray that he continues to improve so that he can have a job and live by himself some day.

8. I am thankful for the weather no matter what it is! I love our state because we get it all!

9. I am thankful for a job that allows us to be comfortable in a home with too much to eat. It breaks my heart to think of people who are homeless or hungry or in a horrible situation.

10. I am grateful that I live in this country as imperfect as is it. We live in the greatest country and have great people IF we could all learn to work together.

Well, there is more but I am sure you get my point. I truly hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, eat some good food and get some great deals on Black Friday!

Happy Thankgiving!

Oh, I love a royal wedding!

Oh, I love, love, LOVE a royal wedding! I am so excited about Prince William and Kate getting engaged. You would think I know them personally! I remember being 16 and getting up at 5 am to watch Lady Diana and Prince Charles get married. What is it about a royal wedding? I guess every girl wants a Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. Wouldn't it be nice to be a princess and have servants and lots of money? Wouldn't it be nice if Prince Charming were real? Sadly, we have to live in the real world but I like visiting in the land of make-believe every once in a while! I hope William and Kate have a wonderful life. I hope Kate has been blessed to find a man who respects her and helps her like I have. My husband is no prince but darn it if he doesn't make me feel like a princess a whole lot! Oh, me. Time for the carriage to turn back into a pumpkin and for me to get back to work!

Beautiful November Day!

What a beautiful day! I love these days when it is in the 70's and the sun is shining. We got to sleep late this morning. (Late for us-7:30 am!) In the morning, my husband helped me put out Christmas lights on the outside bushes. Even though I won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving, I thought it would be better to put them out when it's warm instead of when it is freezing cold and my fingers are numb. Around noon, my niece and sister went with me to Big Lots and the consignment sale so I could try to find some Christmas gifts for Michael and I had success! Tonight, I am watching a show about the Christian band Third Day (Love them!) and just RELAXING! The laundry can wait!

I am getting excited about a trip we are taking to Pigeon Forge this month. My husband, Michael, my sister and niece are going with me. We have a cabin and I think it should be fun. Michael has never been to the Smokies and we haven't been in I bet 15 years. (I remember the last time; it was the weekend that Lady Diana was killed. Wow! That has been a long time!)

I think it should be pretty with the Christmas lights on. I am not much of a shopper but I think I better start to love it since there are so many good shopping places. I will give a full report about we get back.

One more week of school and then Thanksgiving break! Whoo hoo!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Oh no! Not "The Change!"

Oh, I am too young for menopause! Actually, I guess I am experiencing perimenopause to be specific. It has snuck up on me, to be honest. The symptoms came on gradually. I am 45 so I expected it to happen but I didn't know when. It is hard to know what is hormonal or what is just a bad mood because I had a hystectomy several years ago so no more periods. (No, I haven't missed them!) Anyway, I still have ovaries so I still have monthly mood swings sometimes, no big deal. Well, in the last few months, I have been moody and just didn't feel normal. When I went to the doctor for my breast-lump scare, she asked me if I had any menopause symptoms and I said no. A few weeks later I had my first hot flash. Just great! Now I am officially old! I have only had two of those but I am sure they will get worse. (What is it like? I imagine it's like having a red-hot curling iron being shoved into your body. Really!) I think it has helped just knowing what is happening. It will freak you out until you figure out that you're not going crazy! Thank goodness I have an understanding and patient husband who is trying to help. When I get really moody, he is brave enough to remind me that it's hormonal. Bless his heart!

I think I need to consult some experts on this. You know, some women who have experienced it. Until then, I will try to be good and not drive my family or my students crazy! Wish me luck!

Happy Halloween!

We've had a great week! Thursday night was Parent/Teacher Conference from 3-9 pm. I met many sweet parents but was so tired by 9:00!

Friday, I took off from school and my husband and I went with Michael's class to Cumberland Caverns. We had such a good time. I didn't know how Michael would react to being in a cave but he said he loved it. After we got back from the cave, we rested up and went to Murfreesboro so we could make our semi-annual Sam's Club trip for toilet paper and paper towels!

Saturday started with haircuts for the guys, watching the Rally to Restore Sanity coverage then later on trick-or-treating. Michael and my niece Lucy went around the neighborhood together. Michael got into it more this year. He kept wanted to go to more houses. After three streets, he was ready to get home and see what he had gotten. Right now, I am watching the front door for little spooks. I don't like it when Halloween is on Sunday. I have not seen as many trick-or-treaters. I am wondering if they will come tomorrow. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Tomorrow is church, getting groceries and more clothes washing and then Monday will be here again.

Hope all of you are enjoying this beautiful Halloween weekend!

P.S. Our bathroom is done and looks great!