A Smoky Mountain Christmas Part 2

Teddy was our chauffeur!

I love the mountains!  The tops had snow.

A checker showdown while we waited...Dad won.

They took out the name "Dixie"...now it is called the Dolly Parton's Stampede. 

They may have removed the name "Dixie" but they kept Christ in Christmas!  The mc was very purposeful in his statements and the crowd cheered and hollered...and that gave me hope that there are still people all over the country who don't follow the woke-liberal-cancel culture- nonsense that mainstream crazies would have you believe.  

There is always a comic relief in the shows...and in our family...it is Teddy! He makes us laugh till we cry!

"Wait...that is not Santa...he is skinny and there are no reindeer!"

Alisa amused us on the way back from Pigeon Forge when Ashlynn found her glasses in the the back of the van.  "What in the world?"  They are to help me not get carsick when I read or crochet...and they work!

More resting and playing with the dogs.

We had snacks and played games later.

A new game called "What's that smell?" was on the game shelf...so we tried it!  Lots of laughter!

The bad smell was more than Ashlynn could handle.  And me...still had trouble distinguishing some smells.

Christmas carols and conversations and cuddles...

Our hearts are full as we sit with our young adults.  All the hard work over the years has brought us to this...and once again...there are tears!  And another reminder of why I did not want to take the chance on weather...my heart wanted and needed to be with our children!  This year was a hard year in some instances...Ted gone for ten months,  Teddy moved to TN,  Alisa pivoting toward changes,  Ashlynn working in TN, and me realizing change is a constant part of life right now.

I want to embrace the changes and savor the moments in which we share the changes.
 

A Smoky Mountain Christmas Part 1

Ted found another perfect place for our family to meet together in TN for our 2022 Christmas!  When Teddy and Ashlynn told us their schedule, we knew they would not be coming home this year.  So...we asked them about having a TN Christmas and they were all for it!

Beautiful home in East Knoxville with beds for everyone!

I loaded up the tree from my classroom and brought it with us to set the Christmas mood.  The ornaments...snowflakes.

The girls spent the afternoon together and waited till Teddy got home from work and they all came.

I just love this...all three of our children together chatting, joking, and laughing.

New Christmas toys for the puppies courtesy of Alisa.  Squeaking over the top!

Supper together...and we told them about the Christmas surprise for tomorrow afternoon...Dixie Stampede Christmas Spectacular! "SWEEEET!"

"We just want to spend time together."  We were able to meet that request!

Quiet Saturday morning...

Love the beauty of the backyard juniper tree!

 

I was influenced and emotional

We had been watching the news and the hype about an impending storm due to start Thursday afternoon and evening.  We were scheduled to leave early Friday morning to drive south.  Ted said he was comfortable to drive and leave Friday.  Alisa was to work Thursday.  I watched the update again and thought "what if it is actually bad and we can't go the whole way?"  We had the flexibility...why don't we just go?  We made the adjustments and left about noon.  Traffic was on and off heavy.  We drove through some light sprinkles...still watching radar...and never seeing anything happen. 

Ted went along with my crazy notion...and will most likely not let me forget it.

We tried something new this trip...Dramamine for the dogs...to calm Chica!  We had to adjust by giving her another half of a pill.  It helped.

I dropped the bag of Chex mix and of course it landed open side down!  Goes along with all the emotions of the day. Ha.

We made it to the hotel in Rocky Top and the rain came after we got unloaded and settled for the night.

We have always had a nice stay at this place which accommodates our pups.  We woke up to single digit temps and a very thin layer of ice...not anything like what the weathermen crazed everyone up about the last week.  We did get to hang out with Teddy before he headed to his work party and a couple calls.  Ashlynn didn't end up working due to frozen pipe and no water at her salon.  Ted and I got to rest.

I was influenced by the hype but more by the "what if" when "why take the risk when we don't have to".  It's the crazy of being an emotional woman who wanted Christmas with our children.  Ted was kind to indulge me...but it will be remembered as "the time your mom got rattled by a Christmas storm that wasn't and I went along with her crazy!"
 

I love vacation days!

I enjoy being home and resting in the comfort of our peace-filled home.  I delight in the quiet mornings with Ted and coffee.  I appreciate all the beautiful things that feather our nest.

I am grateful for gift cards for treats...honey ginger citrus tea warmed me up when I went to get my nails done in Christmas colors.

I love this picture...seeing Ted anytime I want as he continues to work hard to take care of ALL of us!