Day 41 Pictures

My camera is freaking out and I am to tiresd to mess with it.  Going to try again tomorrow.

Sorry.

Here we go:

Cammy & Zoe

The Grill Master

Rich and Cousin Jay

Garrett & Cousin Justin

Dad & Rich, loading up the toys

Hitting the open road

Going home!

Let's Go!

Home Sweet Home

Celebrating Dad's Birthday

Wishing for a happy, healthy & peaceful year!

Day 41, continued

Day 41 – July 8, 2102

Rose Hill, Va/Cumming, GA

276 miles/5 ½ hours

We left Rose Hill very early.  I’d committed to getting up at 4a.m., so we could hit the road at 5…at the latest.  But let me tell you, 4 a.m. HURT.  Rich had mercy on me and got ready on his own and I think started loading his stuff.  I finally dragged my you-know-what out of bed by 5.   Some coffee and I was ready to go.  As I’d loaded most of my stuff the day before – my big task was waking the crew, who’d become acclimated to sleeping LATE.

Lots of tears and moaning….ect….but after bittersweet good-byes with the grandparents – Willie Nelson was crooning from the car stereo….about being on the road again…as we drifted down Smith Berry Lane.

We stopped for breakfast, north of Knoxville and then continued on….mercifully missing all traffic, wherever we went.  We pulled into Ryan’s Bluff at noon and the kiddos went crazy when we saw HOME. 

Home.Sweet.Home.

I spent all day unloading/unpacking/doing laundry…before I knew it, it was 4p.m.  I’d planned to celebrate (belatedly) Rich’s birthday with a nice home cooked meal and presents….but there was no way.  Time got the best of me.   I ran to CVS for toilet paper, milk and breakfast bars.  We ordered pizza for dinner and Rich and I caught up on TIVO (as did the kids – on a different TV).

We did eventually celebrate daddy’s birthday – on Monday…I swear!

So, as a DebriefingJ and to answer what some curious minds wanted to know:

Miles Traveled:

6,545

Gallons of gas consumed:

* Still to be determined – but I do have the data…just haven’t got to it yet.

Countries:

2

States (visited…not just driven through)

17

Cities:

30

Presidential Libraries

3

Boat rides

2

Speeding tickets:

0J

Chance encounters with friend of dead parents:

1

Visits with family and friends:

6 (citiesJ)

Broken:

Blow dryer

iPad screen

Car-phone charger

Bracelet

Mom’s laptop

Camera – damage…still working…just not wellJ

Lost:

Bear’s backpack

Mom’s favorite pillow

Audrey’s camera

Countless things of Hunters

DS charger

More than one DVD movie

Favorite places:  (Speaking for momJ)

Philly, PA

Rehoboth Beach (kids too)

Cape Cod

Boston, MA…especially, Concord, MA

Burlington, VT

Kingston, ON

Chicago, IL

Des Moines, IA

Nashville, TN

Places we loved because of people we love!

Rehoboth Beach, DE

Boston, MA

Cape Cod, MA

Pittsburgh, PA

Columbus, Oh

Rose Hill, Va

Don’t need to visit again:

Atlantic City (what LITTLE we saw!)

Montreal, QB

Buffalo

Cleveland

Wheeling, WV

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Madison (liked it, don’t need to go back)

Hottest Place:

Des Moines, IA – (only place we broke 100 degrees)

Coldest:

Boston – 52 degrees

Highest gas:

Chappaqua, NY – $ 4.14/ gallon

Lowest gas:

Some little town NW of Nashville, just after crossing the KY/TN border $2.88/gallon

Best Memory – honestly, too many to list

Worst Memory – they’re already fading….but I’m sure the bookstore in Madison will haunt me for a while.

Bookstores visited:  soooo manyJ….favorite is Browse About Books in Rehoboth – a must seeJ

Thank you so much for your interest and sweet e-mails.   Y’all kept me laughing and at times, literally kept me going.  I have the best family and friends.  Thank you so much for caring soooo much about us!

 I think we’re done for the summer….but you never know…I may get the itch and head south to visit family and friends in FL, at the end of the month!  I’ll keep y’all posted!

Peace out….

Day 41 - July 8, 2012

We're HOME:)  I have so much to debrief....and still have reunion pictures to share....but a long day traveling/unpacking/laundry/getting some kids ready for camp tomorrow........................tired.

Promise full discolsure, tomorrow.  Then y'all will be done with me.

But we made it :)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 40 - July 7, 2012

Day 40 – July 7, 2012

Rose Hill, VA

Today was the big Garrett/Smith Family reunion.  We were up early and working….prepping food, cleaning, bathing kids, setting up tents, packing my car (I had 17 bags in the guest room!, had to clear them out so the guests could get to the bathroom).  Oh, and it was HOT today.   Once everything was done, and we were waiting for the first guests to arrive, I almost fell asleep in Dad’s Lazy Boy chair!

Anyway, before we knew it….everyone was here…it was crazy for a couple hours (and HOT).  It was very nice to meet so many extended family members, but also a little overwhelming. 

I’m happy to report the kids were very good.  Woo-hoo.

So everything’s cleaned up, and I’m packed….ready to go home.  One more drive tomorrow, and we will be!

I’ll post pictures tomorrow (my last blog of the tripL) of the reunion.  Very slow upload in the mountains!  Too tired to wait.

Day 39 - July 6, 2012

Day 39 – July 6, 2012

Rose Hill, VA

Quiet & HOT day!  Fortunately, the power came on some time during the night.  Rich was still up when it happened and woke his mom up and they transferred all the party food from coolers back to the fridge.  Blessedly, I slept through it allJ.

Quiet day.  Rich, Lance & Stan took all their “vehicles” for a trail ride on some ridge.  Mom headed into Middleborough & Tazewell to pick up last minute stuff.  I hung with the kids, by the pool.

Mom saw a bunch of damage on her travels….lots of debris & trees down.  Apparently, we dodged a bullet!

Nice dinner and the boys are all watching some race on the TV. Mom and dad are in full party preparation mode. I’ve asked what would best for me to do, to help….the consensus is that I should get the kids OUT of the house tomorrow…as it will be tension filled, leading up to the reunion. So I will take my road warriors to Kentucky –add another state to our journeyJ….find a book store and a McDonalds…that should keep us occupied for a couple hours.

Happy Bear

Aud & Zoe

 

Jena, Rich & Gabe

Cammy....ready to take off.

Baby Garrett

The kids table

Rich, keeping a close eye on Gabe!

Day 37 & 38 - July 4th & 5th, 2012

Days 37 & 38

July 4^th & 5^th, 2012

Rose Hill, VA

Happy (belated) Fourth of July everyone!  We had a relatively quiet 4^th.  We spent the morning visiting with Rich’s Mamaw and his Uncle Stan.  The kids picked blackberries, determined to get enough for a pie!  We’re in the mountainsJ now.

For the rest of the afternoon, the kids were in and out of the pool and everyone found their own personal entertainment/relaxation.  I read for a while and planned a picnic with Camden (for the next day…he wanted a “date”).

We had a surprise visit from Rich’s cousin Jenna, with her new baby (3 weeks old) and Gabe, her 2 year old.  My crew played with Gabe while I got a wonderful, much appreciated, baby fix!  I love me some baby time.

We had a great dinner, but while I was tucking the kids in, the reminded me, wistfully, that it was the 4^th of July…where were the fireworks?  I felt so bad.  We didn’t actually forget, but it was definitely a nontraditional 4^th. 

So Rich, Uncle Lance and I loaded the kids on the 4-wheeler and drove up to a higher perch on the farm, to watch Fireworks.  It was a bid dud….couldn’t see anything.  Not even sure if there was anything to see.

Everyone went to bed, except me.  I had a book to finish.  It was a page turner!  Mary Kay Andrews Spring Fever.  Loved it.  Anyway….trying desperately to see how things would wrap up, and the clock said 12:20a.m. and that is the last thing I remember, until…

“Allie?”…mom’s gentle voice woke me at 6:40 A.M.!  We were going to take Zoe, their dog, to Kingsport, TN, for her grooming appointment and get our nails done.  Mom & Dad are hosting a big family reunion on Saturday, so she also had a bunch of stuff to buy.  So the plan was for me to take Zoe home when she was finished, while mom hung back and shopped.

Long drive, but worth it to get my hands and feet rubbed for five minutes.  I successfully managed to get Zoe in the car and we headed home.   When I got there…everyone but dad was gone.  So I did what any sensible person would do….took me a nice long napJ!!!!!!!

As I type this, we are all finally under one roof, but we’ve experienced a huge, wicked mountain storm.  We are one hour and counting with no power.  Mom has a car load of perishable groceries, so it might be an interesting night.  My kids are going nuts….no power and no possibility of swimming…if things don’t improve, we may have to bail earlyL

***Update.  Okay…now it’s been five hours with no power or water (they’re on a well)…tensions are rising…oh boy!  Not sure what tomorrow will bring.

No pictures...limited batery and can't find my camera in the dark!

Day 36 - July 3, 2012

Day 36 – July 3, 2012

Nashville, TN/Rose Hill VA

265 miles/5 hours

Grandmom & Granddad’s home – Smith Berry Farm

Well the kids woke up very excited to get to their grandparent’s house, but not excited enough to get right on the road.  They begged to go swimming in the hotel’s (outdoor) pool, since it had been raining the day before.  In a rare moment of early morning benevolence, I relented.  They swam (and probably woke up more than a few guests) while I read.  It was already in the high 80’s at 8:30a.m.

Then we (ME) loaded the car and ventured to the Grand Ole Opry.  I really wanted to see it….and the kids, really did not.  They complained and moaned that they wanted to see their dad and their grandparents….grrrr.  So, I only got to see the Opry from the outsideL.  I need to go back to Nashville, what a cool little town.

 The drive was beautiful.  We are so lucky to live in this country.

Somewhere around Knoxville…Barrett had had it.   And boy did he let us know it!   Yelling and screaming (Audrey swears he said “homesick”) and crying a little.  I felt really bad, until he grabbed a bag of popcorn and literally showered the car with it.  What a mess.  You do not even want to see (nor smell, for that matter) the inside of my car.

Once we came up on Cumberland Gap and the kids saw the “welcome to Virginia” sign….all Hell broke loose.  They went crazy.  They screamed for the next 20 minutes, until we pulled onto the drive of the farm.  We were greeted by Rich, on the four-wheeler.  I couldn’t stop the car fast enough, as the kids were clamoring get at him.

Nice quiet night.  Dad made me a Rose Hill martini and all the road irritations fell by the wayside!  G-mom & G-dad hooked the kids up with a pool, so everyone was happyJ!

Excited to go to the Grandparents

One last swim!

Opry Land

Virginia!  We've come full circle...

Daddy!

Pool time, mountain style!

Rose Hill Martini

Granddaddy, you wouldn't believe where she made us go!

Audie & Uncle Lance