Mountains and Milestones

Bob and I went to Gatlinburg, TN, last weekend. Part business, part pleasure. We honeymooned there and we've tried several times, unsuccessfully, to go back since then. Well, 9 1/2 years later, we made it! We decided to stay "in town" this time to avoid the awful traffic and big parking fees. It was okay...I think we just had a not-so-great condo. (if you go to Gatlinburg, don't ever stay at Summit Manor Condos!). The mountains weren't nearly as pretty as they are in the spring or fall...but nevertheless, they are still majestic and all the half frozen mountain streams were gorgeous!


We did everything we wanted to do - eat a big country b'fast at The Log Cabin, eat a nice dinner at The Park Grill and get a new wood sign with everyone's names on it. We attempted to find the art studio where we bought a print on our honeymoon. It no longer existed. We were a little sad about that, but I think I can still find the artist's prints on the internet! We came home tired and sore from all the walking, but re-energized!!

Secondly, Sarah finally got her "big girl" bed yesterday. Her crib converted to a toddler bed, so tht was done yesterday. She was SOOO excited, but as bedtime approached, she wasn't so sure about it anymore. Honestly, I'm not sure why we chose yesterday to change it - probably because her new toddler bedding had arrived and she was having a FIT to use it. However, she NEVER once said she didn't want her crib...she liked it...it was cozy to her, I think. She never once tried to get out of it. Anyway, I knew last night would take forever to get her to sleep, based on past vacations when she didn't sleep in a crib. She was "in" bed at normal bedtime - about 7:15 and at 8:45, after 2-3 times trips back into her room for reasons ranging from a "wet diaper" that she had so nicely already taken off and discarded for me to her playing with books dressed in her dress-up clothes sitting in bed, I finally got her sleep by rubbing her back for about 10 minutes! Perhaps we have given her too much freedom? EEK! I figure it will take 3-5 nights for the novely to wear off and then maybe she'll settle down and into a new bedtime routine!! Whew!! She's awfully tired and whiny today! Wonder why? hum.....

Here are her new digs:

The room still needs to be rearranged a tad, but I think it works okay for now. She LOVES the mermaids, and frankly, I think they are rather cute, too!! Lots of toys needs to find new homes, too!!