So, when I was in middle school I was a Sandi Patty fan. She is a Christian artist and I just loved her. I had this cassette tape and I can't find it or a CD of it anywhere. "Sandi Patty & the Friendship Company" was the name of it. There were several songs on there I loved. I still know them all by heart, strange since I haven't heard it in about 20 years~

"Forever Friends" is one that Amy & I sang at youth camp & in church. Someone should have STOPPED US and gently told us that we seriously could not sing!!!! But.... our hearts were in it and I'm sure God smiled.

There was another song on there I loved. The words & tune have both popped up in my heart this weekend and stayed there. For now, I leave you with a line from the song.....


"miracles can happen, to those who love the Lord. Blessed are they that believe in him, his kingdom shall be yours."



Big things in the lives of the Tanners and for now, just know all glory and praise be to God!!!!
He is so good!! (and obviously likes to shock our socks off)

Mountains Trip
Saturday

We woke up Saturday morning, MY BIRTHDAY, to over cast skies. Thankfully no rain most of the day, just yucky looking. We walked up the street to the FlapJack Pancake House and it was fantastic. You know it's an "off" travel time when you walk into any pancake house up there without a wait, strange! We couldn't figure out if everyone was scared of gas issues or they're waiting until October when the leaves were fully changed. After my REESE'S PANCAKES THAT WERE COVERED IN PEANUT BUTTER DRIZZLE AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE.... we were off!!



There are 7 of these FlapJack's in the area, we ate at one downtown. Then there are tons of other Pancake Houses, everywhere!




We walked around downtown for awhile, hitting our favorite little shops. I bought the coolest stuff to "make snow" in the world. I can't explain it, but can not wait until our snow unit to share with my kids. It's this "stuff" that you mix with water and it expands into fluffy snow and feels wet and cold!! It's wild!! People use it for decorating and such, great find!!


Andy hates when I make him pose places like this, how can I resist?




Rock Candy, yummy....... Pure sugar, yep!!!



We came back and hopped in the car to drive to the Sugarland Visitor Center. It's the official visitor center for the National Park. I haven't been able to go to the TOP of the mountain in the national park in years now, my car sickness just wont allow me to go that far on those curvy roads. I feel terrible b/c Andy's never been up there and I have tons of times when I was younger. Eventually I'm gonna send him off with my Mom & Dad on a trip and let them head up there. Anyway.. I love the movie they show about the park, just a 20ish minute of fantastic footage of the park and animals in different seasons, but it wasn't showing.

They were having a HUGE alumni thing for the CCC "Civilian Conservation Core" that helped establish the National Park years ago. There were pictures and things out everywhere, special speakers and TONS of old alumni. Pretty neat, but it had things really jammed up.

We headed off onto one of the little 1 mile walks to the "Cataract Falls", I didn't remember doing this one before and when we got there, it was a dribble. Very disappointing. The water flow off the mountain is low anyway, but this low? Wow, we were fooled. It was a nice little walk out there and back though.

Signs of Fall on our walk, the first red leaf!



Cataract Falls (dribble)


We returned to Gatlinburg and walked downtown again to take our annual ride up the mountain on the chair lift. I've been riding this since I was a little bitty girl with my family, it's a tradition now for Andy & I. This years picture fills up the last spot in my 9 picture frame in our hall. It's fun to look back over the years. (Amy, I have some nutty ones of us too!)


Looking up, up, up.....


Just us, one more ride!!





We had forgotten that the Aquarium was having a "shark" race down the creek. You could pay $10 to support a charity and purchase your own plastic shark with a number, the first one across the finish line won a F-150 (lease for a year) and a Jet Ski. As we went up the chair lift and over the creek, we saw them getting ready to dump them at the starting line.

THEN... on our ride back down, we saw the horror that was "the great shark race". Turns out the river is so far down, there is no big current and thousands and thousands of plastic sharks were stuck everywhere!! There were oodles of teenagers from the Aquarium out in the water with nets trying to scoop them up. They had a huge job ahead of them, they were EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!



We came back to the hotel for hanging out by the creek and then getting ready for the "Dixie Stampede". If you've never been before, it's so hard to explain the right way. It's a dinner show, it's "southern" in theme and it's pricey. It's so much fun and exactly what I wanted for my birthday. Andy & I have been 3 times before, then I've been tons with my parents years ago. (Amy, you went with us once, right?!) There is now a location in Orlando, Branson and Myrtle Beach too. If you're ever able to go, do it!!

You sit side by side in a HUGE horse arena. It's like a giant booth all the way around. There are rows of these booths, all levels from top to bottom. The show is southern in theme. There is comedy, dancing, singing, ostrich racing, pig chasing, horse riding, wagon racing and a beautiful patriotic tribute. All the while you are served a great meal, the food is some of my favorite anywhere up there!!!!! You get a chicken (yes, an entire cornish hen), corn on the cob, the BEST creamy vegetable soup EVER, herb roasted potato (Andy wanted to tip Herb) slice of grilled pork, flaky apple turnover and all without utensils of course! :) It is such a great time and exactly what I wanted for my birthday!! It's $38 now per person, but we feel well worth it. (We do get a $6 military discount)

In our seat ready for it to begin!



Not a good picture, not mine. You aren't suppose to take pics in there, so Andy wouldn't let me. I borrowed this one to show you the seating sort of.

There are tons of other shows up there and if you're going, you have to check one out. They are part of the quirky southern charm. The Black Bear Jamboree is our other favorite dinner show combined, check it out sometime!!!

Let me back track to say that the pre-show is fun too. You get there 45 minutes early and go into the saloon to watch a great moutain, country, hillbilly, band. "Mountain Ruckus". They are fantastic with music and comedy, fun times. You can get all sorts of non alcoholic funny drinks and popcorn or peanuts. I have a video here of part of the gospel set they do.

(Turn your volume up!)

Click HERE


After that we headed back to our hotel. We walked the 1/2 block to catch the tram and headed up the mountain in the dark! It's neat to take the 10 minute ride up there anytime of the day or night, neat ride. We didn't get to see much and the entire area up at Ober Gatlinburg was closing by the time we arrived. (Bear habitat, ski resort, chair lift, sled ride, games, jumpies, shops, ice skating, etc..) So we walked around and caught the next tram back.

It was a great day and although the weather wasn't all we'd hoped for...I had a great birthday!
(until we watched the last 1/2 of the UGA game, but I wont even go into detail....even with me wearing my brand new "essential black out t shirt" maybe I outta put that thing in the back of the closet now?! )

Our Weekend in the Mountains
Friday

We started thinking about a month ago that we desperately missed the mountains and couldn't wait to take a fall trip up there. (Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, TN that is, we just say "the mountains") Before long the trip turned into.... well, should we just go to Disney for a few days or is there a 3 night cruise that works with our dates? Imagine that huh? Just like us. Eventually we wound our way right back to the fact that we missed the mountains. Last year was only the 2nd year of our 11 together that we didn't make it up there.

We left Friday morning although we were a little leery of what the gas situation might be up that way. Other than road construction north of Knoxville, we made great time. We stopped for gas and for lunch, noticing that not only did everywhere have gas... but it was also cheaper!!

A trout in the creek, from our balcony. Can you see him?



Fall has arrived in the mountains. Every hotel, place to eat or shop, etc.. has a fall display. Very neat, love it! I had a fit because all the displays had "girl" scarecrows with pig tails, they were too cute and I'd never seen them at home. We found one with a price tag and saw it came from Old Time Pottery, we hit Old Time Pottery before we left. I have my very own scarecrow with pigtails now!!



I had made reservations online after several nights of browsing places to stay. We've pulled the camper up there a good bit, but weren't about to consider that with the gas issue. Anyway, I thought I booked the perfect place right downtown. I walked in the lobby to check in and it looked like a section of the Haunted Mansion. The ceiling was falling in, the wall paper was coming off, the carpet was an inch deep in dirt. Dust was everywhere so deep I could write my name in it and cobwebs galore. There were holes kicked in the wall in the halls and well, I'll stop there. Still, I checked in. It was only for 2 nights, it was cheap.... we would be fine.... wouldn't we? After opening the door to our room, we gave up trying to be brave and went down to check back out. Thankfully we got our money back. We don't mind "cheap OLD" hotel, we can handle it. Dirty and scary though, it's another ball game!

We found a fantastic Fairfield Inn & Suites downtown. It wasn't that much more, it had a balcony over the river. We could also see the tram to Ober Gatlinburg going by, see the trout in the water, watch people fish and hear the sound of the water running through there too. Perfect! It was only a block walk to get to main street. The room was HUGE! It had a fire place, 2 queen beds, a large chair & foot stool, a desk & chair, jacuzzi, fridge and tons of room to spare! Ahhh.... much better!!

The tram came right by our room, pretty neat. We took it up the mountain Saturday night.



The creek behind our hotel, our balcony was right over it.



We headed to town to walk up and down main street, then find a place to eat. We ate at Calhoun's Ribs. (Neither of us had ribs though, LOL!) After supper we walked around downtown a bit before it started raining enough to make us ready to head back. We drove back into Pigeon Forge and did some outlet shopping! I got a few Christmas presents for Mom & Dad, the great nieces and nephews, plus of course our little one "to be" as well. We picked up the laundry list of requested candy for my parents, bless their hearts. (They haven't traveled in over a year now and it's there favorite thing too) We ended our evening with HOT OUT OF THE OVEN Krispy Kremes, yummy!! Just what everyone needs as a bedtime snack....