200th POst - and quite possibly the longest post ever!!! lol

Howdy folks….Jodi here, checking in for my monthly journal entry…what is up with that? Sorry to all of you who might faithfully check my journal for a new entry only to be greeted by the same entry from last month…here’s an activity that will keep you busy if you see the same mundane entry time after time….grammar or spell check me (because I so do not practice my grammar writing skills in journaling) and email the corrections (to be used only when I’m slacking at the journaling thing)…that will drive me batty!!! Lol

Ok…I’m obviously in a goofy mood…I’m still a little out of routine because I was on vacation last week! And it was one of those vacations that you have to come back to your normal routine to rest from…lemmee tell you all about it!

Our vacation actually started the Friday prior to Labor Day weekend. Jimmie and I both took Friday and all of last week off. So Thursday night we were waffling back and forth about going to Reunion early and camping Friday night. By bedtime, we had decided that it would be silly to pack all our camping gear to camp one night, because we were also planning on going to Gatlinburg from Reunion. So there was no packing going on on Thursday night.

Friday morning we got up and moving around and I went out to the garden to pick some tomatoes to take to Reunion (which I forgot to give to my sister! Argh – sorry sis!). When I went outside, the weather was just so awesome. It was just a nice cool crisp morning – perfect for camping. So Jimmie was obviously of the same mind because he was digging around for the tent to see what sort of condition it was in since we haven’t used it in a few years. We had actually only used the tent once because we purchased it in the middle of our last camping trip because the tent we had was leaking so bad and it was just a rainy really bad experience that kinda put us off camping for a while. So anyway, the tent was in great condition so we began waffling again and finally decided that yes we’d camp and our goal became to have everything for camping, Reunion, and Gatlinburg packed and ready to go within a few hours….whew…so whirlwind packing went on Friday morning. We finally got away from the house an hour or so after our goal leave time but still in plenty of time to set up our tent before it got dark. All the other camping cousins were also straggling in on Friday night too…so when it was all said and done, we all sat around the campfire. One of the cousins’ friend (he and his family – wife and 3 boys- have been coming to Reunion for a few years now – that’s what is so cool about Reunion – it’s more of a family and friends reunion) anyway, he plays the guitar beautifully. So he was nice enough to just sit there and play guitar while we all vegged around the campfire…that was so relaxing!

Our intention when we went camping on Friday night was to play it by ear and see, by Saturday morning-ish, if we wanted to camp another night. It was totally a play it by ear plan….well when we woke up Saturday morning we decided that it didn’t suck to be camping so we decided that we would camp one more night – also it was a lot of work setting up camp and I wasn’t anxious to tear down so quickly…lol. But it definitely was a dilemma because I knew if we camped Saturday night, we’d miss Hotel Cousins’ game night. Jimmie offered to give me the truck keys if I wanted to go play…lol….so anyways, here is how I know that I’m getting old (other than the obvious having a birthday every stinking year way). Our Reunion sort of has an unspoken routine to it. Saturday evening everyone starts to gather up at the Reunion shelter house and we have a chili/soup bean/hot dog supper together. It was a really good turn out this year, I might add. And then later in the evening like around 10:30 ish, there’s a hay ride. Herein comes the I’m-getting-old part. I was actually getting ready to lay down in bed when the wagon went by our camp site (and in the past I’ve either been on the wagon or at least still at the shelter or at the hotel being sociable). So I made myself stay awake at least until the wagon went back by just to prove I’m not that old! Lol…

Sunday morning we got up and husband and I tore down our campsite. We decided since we were going to Gatlinburg the next day that we’d hotel it on Sunday night. It actually worked out really well because sister and bil were leaving Sunday night so they just didn’t check out and we took over the room. But anyway, the main event of Reunion is a big dinner on Sunday afternoon (we literally fill two hay wagon bed size tables full of food – we used to actually use hay wagons but since they built the shelter we actually have tables now). It was a really good turn out too!

So after the dinner we all just kind of sat around and visited. Well mom or someone decided that we should start the singing earlier this year because some of the older folks don’t stick around all day long (again with the unspoken routine, we usually sing in the evening prior to the evening hayride – isn’t everyone creatures of habit?! Lol). It was fine by me that they started the singing early because I’m like sister – I could sing with my family all day long. It’s hands down my most favorite part of Reunion. So we sang for a good while and then it was time to go to the cave – another unspoken routine…lol…in the holler (yep I actually used the word holler to describe a location! Lol) in the holler where we have Reunion, there is a privately owned cave and we’ve made a trip there almost every year. Now it has been a few years since I’ve actually been in the cave, but several people are diehards and also the kids love it too because there’s all kinds of cave crickets and cave spiders and sometimes bats in there (umm hence why I haven’t been in there in a few years – I’ve gotten soft! Lol) But a few of us like to go along on the hayride there and just hang out at the wagon while those brave ones go off exploring.

Let’s see, when we got back from that I think it was just more sitting around and visiting. Some people played volleyball but it was actually kind of warm to do much.

So husband and I were kind of anxious to get to the hotel to take actual warm showers and use an actual flushing toilet – there was an outdoor shower at our campsite but it was COLD COLD water so it was not somewhere ya wanted to linger lol – refreshing, but ya only felt clean for about a minute really) so we took off just as the evening hayride was taking off. Husband (and several of the outlaws that have joined our family) also has this funny thing about eating the food that has sat out all day long – we’ve done it all our lives and no one has ever had food poisoning, but whatever…lol…so we grabbed some burgers and headed to the hotel. The shower was soooo wonderful and I never appreciated an actual bed like I did that night lol. Camping wasn’t a horrible experience this year either though. We may do that again next year…I don’t know.

So anyway, Monday morning we got up and headed to Gatlinburg. I admit it, I slept most of the way there lol….poor husband. Anyways before we went and checked in to mom and dad’s time share condo/resort place we stopped at the Smokey Mountain Knifeworks complex. They built that place right because there’s this huge “artsy fartsy” home décor store there too. So dad and Jimmie went to the knife store and then the tool outlet and mom and I went to the home décor place. There was lots of pretty pretties in there. One section was like sensory overload, there was just some much prim stuff in one place I didn’t know where to look first (Mandy, I seriously thought of calling you to tell you to stop there but I don’t have your cell # in my cell phone for some reason – I need to get that and you need to stop there sometime if you didn’t already know about that place). Oddly enough though, I wasn’t in a buying mood – does that happen to anyone else? I might have just been overwhelmed – too much to choose from….Weird…but anyway so by the time we got done there it was time to go check in to the resort. We checked in, unpacked, freshened up and headed out to dinner and of course there’s always a visit to Walmart involved anywhere ya go…lol.

Usually the Friday after Labor Day, which is when we are usually leaving, the old classic cars start rolling in for a cruise in. Well apparently they were rolling in earlier this year because we saw all kinds of cars that first night and more and more as the week went on...that was so nice of them to come early for us to see them.

So Tuesday morning, Jimmie got up really early and went to some war plane museum and a muscle car museum (fun fun lol) so I slept in a little bit. Mom and dad got up and headed to Gatlinburg and I just enjoyed about an hour or so of just peace and quiet – nice. When Jimmie made it back to the resort, he and I headed out to lunch in Pigeon Forge and then we stopped at a few places like Lil Dolly’s and just whatever else looked interesting. (Jimmie sang “Caught in a trap” – some Elvis song- all week cuz Pigeon Forge is just such a tourist trap). I shopped and he walked around looking at all the classic cars – there were lots to see. At Lil Dolly’s, when I was there this past spring, there were two quilts that I had my eye on. I bought one then. Well the other one was on the clearance bed this time for half price so of course I couldn’t pass that up! So now I have too many quilts but oh well…lol. So we just sort of tooled around Pigeon Forge a good while and then made our way back to the resort to freshen up for the evening and meet up with mom and dad. We had tickets that evening for a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. It was very different from any of the other shows I’ve been too so far there. It was a comedy/murder mystery spoof of Gone With the Wind. And it was a lot more intimate than the other shows I’ve been to. There were only about 50 people there and the actors just sort of all milled around all the tables so they were right there. It was a lot of fun. They even incorporated the serving of the dinner in with the play…it was just a neat experience. Afterward we went back to the condo and played cards with mom and dad for a little while before bedtime.

The next morning Jimmie got me up really early and we headed out to breakfast by 9 am and then off to explore the Smokey Mountains. I learned that my husband had never been in the Smokey Mountains. So I was happy to go there with him. I’ve only been up to as far as Newfound Gap – which has breathtaking views. So we got up there and after looking around a bit there we decided to go further. I’d heard that Clingman’s Dome was cool…so we headed there. I wasn’t warned that it was a mile hike up to Clingman’s Dome however…lol. We were driving up to Clingman’s Dome and wayyyy up in the sky we saw what looked like to be cell phone towers and also this circular type structure. We wondered if someone had built themselves like a circular home up in the mountains to take advantage of the views. So we finally got to the parking lot of Clingman’s Dome and the views from the parking lot were even more spectacular than the views from Newfound Gap. Just gorgeous…it was a bright sunny and pleasantly cool day…couldn’t have asked for better weather….so we noticed people walking up a path…and Jimmie said he was game for walking if I was and then I noticed how far up the path went and then we both realized that people were walking up to that circular structure in the sky that we had noticed when we were driving! The sign at the foot of the path indicated that it was a mile up and it was steep uphill…we were climbing a mountain afterall…lol…so we debated for a little bit on whether we wanted to do it…and I noticed all these older people coming and going so I thought if they can do it I can do it…halfway through the uphill climb I was wondering what in the world I was thinking! Lol…but there were benches along the way to stop and rest and we eventually made it to the top. There was such comradery along the way. The people coming down were assuring those of us going up that it was totally worth it to make it to the top and all of us that were climbing up were sort of cheering each other on or sympathizing…it was just fun! And the climb was TOTALLY worth it….because once you got to the top…oh man…I just wanted to stay up there and absorb all that beauty all day long. It was just a beautiful sight. It’s the highest elevation in the Smokey’s up there at the top of Clingman’s Dome…so you feel like you are in a cloud looking down into the mountains…it was truly exhilarating. So when we descended I didn’t think I’d be able to walk anywhere the rest of the trip…lol…I was so bone tired. We got back in to Gatlinburg, had lunch and then returned to the resort. I was either going to take a nap or swim or both and Jimmie wanted to go to Pigeon Forge to look at cars. When we got back to the resort, mom and dad were eating lunch and mom and I decided to go lay by the pool and soak up some sun and Jimmie and dad headed to PF to look at cars. It was too hot to lay by the outdoor pool for very long and there were these people that were talking too loud for me to be able to nap so I decided to go float on the lazy river in the indoor waterpark – there were not very many people at all at the water park so it was very pleasant. I think I went around about 10 times….so relaxing.

So then we all got ready to go to dinner….there was a lot of waffling about where we were going to eat but we decided on the Great American Buffet (I would not recommend that place – it was like a bad Ryans or bad Ponderosa – because there’s a difference between a good or bad Ryans and a good or bad Ponderosa and apparently there is a difference between a good or bad Great American Buffet because mom and dad said they at one in Myrtle Beach and it was ok – but the one in PF -I was not impressed). We were halfway through dinner when we saw Chelle’s inlaws walk in…and they sat them (and Mandy and Chelle and parents and Abbey and Katie) at the table right next to us! We couldn’t have planned that if we’d tried! So that was a nice surprise! After dinner mom and dad and Jimmie and I went a parked for a bit at the place where there is a gazebo where people play Bluegrass music. Mom and dad stood and listened to the music while Jimmie and I went into a few shops there. He really wanted to walk and look at more cars but I wasn’t sure how long mom and dad wanted to park there…so we headed back to the car and then headed back to the resort. We played cards for a little bit and Jimmie and I packed some because we were leaving on Thursday morning.

Thursday morning, got up and on the road. We stopped at a few shops on the way out of town but then we were on the road…again, I slept a good bit of that trip too…it was sooooo nice to get home and sleep in our own bed that night. Friday I slept in and then we had to get ready to go to a wedding. We decided to spend the night that night at mom and dad’s since there was a picnic on Saturday we were going to with them. What we really wanted to do was call in sick to all that and just enjoy being home…but instead we got all fancy and went to the wedding…it was fun to dress up. And it was actually my first outdoor wedding ever so that was neat…the reception was really a posh affair with dinner and dancing etc….very nice…we got to mom and dad’s late and collapsed into bed.

Saturday Jimmie got up and did some running around (he can’t sit still, in case you haven’t noticed, and he’s very much an early morning person – me not so much)

MAN THIS IS A LONG POST….I SURE MAKE UP FOR IN LENGTH WHAT I DON’T ACCOPLISH WITH FREQUENCY OF POSTING HUH…lol

Anyway, Missy dropped off her girls and we all headed to the picnic….Michael was there and it was soooo good to hug him and visit with him. After Jimmie and I left the picnic, I just cried tears of joy. It’s so cool to witness the miracle that has taken place in his life. I just can’t say enough prayers of thanksgiving for God’s work in Michael’s life.

After we left the picnic, Jimmie and I had a birthday party to go to on his side of the family. One of his cousin’s kids’s sweet 16 b-day. They did the neatest thing…it was a movie star themed party so it was all glitz and glam décor – despite the torrential rains…ugh…they did have to postpone her movie star grand entrance because of the downpour but I was so proud that everything was almost ready on time! At the wedding the night before, she was expressing her concern that things wouldn’t be ready. This side of Jimmie’s family is notorious for scheduling something and not being ready for like hours after the scheduled start time. Anyway, after a bit the rain stopped and they were able to roll out the red carpet and drive up with the very glamorous birthday girl for her grand entrance. Another cool thing was that her mother had taken various baby pictures of the girl and sent off to some internet site where they turn your pictures into movie posters – very cute idea. So we socialized there for a while. The newlyweds from the night before made an appearance so we made them walk down the red carpet too…lol…it’s so good to have married into a family that can be just as dorky as my family! Lol

After a while we headed home….ahh home….it was soooo awesome once again to be home in our own bed….Sunday was a total veg day…and I was actually happy to come to work on Monday…

I’m still a little out of whack from just being off a routine for what felt like a month because we did so much…and I think Jimmie and I may have spent way too much time together…because I’d love it if he had a road job to go to…lol but he’s home this week…which is actually nice because he is working on his honey-do list, so I won’t complain.

We go to the information meeting about the adoption/foster classes next Tuesday night and then the classes actually start the last Saturday in Sept. So we’ve got that to look forward to. Please keep us in your prayers…I just think we need some guidance in this area….

On to a less important topic…..lol

BB RAMBLINGS...
I’m so over Big Brother this year…blah…Zack is so foolish for not getting rid of Dick or Danielle last week when he had the chance but he got rid of Eric instead. I can’t believe I’m actually rooting for him to win now though because I just can’t stand Dick or Danielle’s attitudes. Early in the game I actually liked Danielle, but in the last few weeks she has begun to grate on my nerves with her whiney voice and her bratty attitude. That being said, she is awesome in challenges and if she goes to the final two, I think she is sure to win just based on her performance in challenges…but we’ll see…as Missy said, it is just a game…I can’t wait til it’s revealed about Eric being America’s Player! I hope they let him play again or something because it would have been interesting to see him play outright. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “showmance” appear to be as genuine as he and Jessica seem to be – how cool for them.
END BB RAMBLINGS

Well, I think I’ve definitely blabbered on enough for this entry….I seriously need to catch up on journal reading too…hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the lovely snap of cooler weather…see some of you Sunday at Isaac’s b-day party!

If you’ve reached this point of the entry….I wish I could give you a prize for enduring my rambling….Thanks for reading! Toodaloo!