Cross Country Day 3

Start: Gatlinburg, TN
End: Jackson, TN
Miles: 349

So much for starting early. It took us nearly an hour to get the car packed from our hotel room. I swear we didn't acquire that much stuff while were in Gatlinburg! So why won't it all fit??? After a trip to the post office to  drop off a couple of packages (including a package for two amazing boys who live in Georgia), it was off to Jackson, which is halfway to Springfield, Missouri (where my grandparents live). We stopped for lunch in Arby's after becoming thoroughly confused on why it was still 11 am when it was supposed to be 12 pm (hooray for time change!). Our next stop was Wal-Mart to pick up a sun shade to use in the car for Balian, who had been crying because he couldn't properly see Despicable Me. While we were there, we also picked up a handy dandy backpack leash for the boy. He promptly fell on his face after it was put on. That was our last stop before arriving in Jackson, Tennessee. John even let me pick the hotel for the night (which is a nicer one than he would have picked). After unloading shower stuff and our clothes, we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for a delicious dinner. Back at the hotel, Balian enjoyed a nice bath and wrestle time with mommy and daddy. Now, time for bed to get ready for another day of driving, and two days of rest. 

Cross Country Day 2

Day of Rest

This morning started earlier than I would have liked, but it worked out to our benefit. After getting ready to head out for our day exploring Gatlinburg, we discovered that our hotel room door didn't lock. That made us feel spectacular (not). We left before the maintenance guys arrived, but the door is working properly now (hooray!). We headed up the mountain into the Smoky Mountain National Park, where we drove around for an hour or two, stopping every once in a while for me to take pictures (some of which will hopefully be up tomorrow!). Afterwards, we went out to Sevierville (Dolly Parton's birthplace in case you ever wondered) and at a delicious meal at Zaxby's. Balian fell in love with the onion rings. He ate two of them! Then it was off to the Ripley's Aquarium! It was stunning and beautiful! There were penguins, underwater tunnels, and some fun things for kids to do! Balian hated the shark room, mainly because of the giant mechanical shark's head taking up most of it. The aquarium has been one of the highlights of our trip so far. We drove back to the hotel for a quick rest, then walked back out into the town, down one side of Gatlinburg to the Hard Rock Cafe (good food, good music, good time) then back up and into a sword store. If you know John, you know there's no going to a sword store without buying a sword, or in this case, two! I am now the proud owner of my very first sword (Hadhafang, Arwen's sword from Lord of the Rings) and John now owns Anduril. We're dorks, and I love it!

Tomorrow we're stopping in Jackson, Tennessee for a night before heading onto Springfield. We were thinking of heading out early, but somehow I doubt that will happen. :)

See you all in Jackson!!!

   

Cross Country Day 1

Starting point: Forest, VA
End point: Gatlinburg, TN
Total Miles: 305 miles


This morning started out with a bad stomachache for me and lots of cleaning. The movers didn't get done until late, so we left the cleaning for today. BIG mistake. SO MANY DUST BUNNIES!!! We cleaned and cleaned, and still wasn't able to get it perfect (thanks to Balian's "art" on the walls...). And then came the packing. We bought a 10 cubic foot car top carrier to help with the bulk. Even so, we barely have room in the car. Hooray for partial-dity moves... That and the backseat crammed with food from some of the most loving people in the world (you are all AWESOME!). We left Lynchburg around 5 after dropping off the keys to my townhouse (the people moving in were there waiting on the keys) and getting some gas. We stopped for some Taco Bell about halfway, which was awesome. I haven't had Taco Bell in ages. Balian did well on the trip. He slept some, then after dinner we put his new DVD player to use and let him watch Despicable Me. He started crying a little, so we turned it off thinking he would sleep. Nope. Just screamed louder. Needless to say, Despicable Me stayed on for the rest of the trip.

Now we are in our hotel in Gatlinburg, ready for some sleep and some relaxation.

Organizing for a Move

Let me just say, I despise moving. Like really do. The Army makes it easy on us by having people come in, pack everything up, and then shipping it all for us. But still. I hate trying to get everything organized and in their proper rooms to be packed up. I just cleaned out our storage shed and discovered years worth of junk that my dearest husband (the packrat) has been hoarding. Like, things from when he was maybe 5 (he's 27 now). It's driving me insane. I don't keep anything unless it's majorly symbolic in my life (like my baby book or year books). He has things stashed I don't think he even knows what they once meant to him. It drives me INSANE!

I'm generally a pretty well organized person. Things become cluttered, and I go through and reorganize everything again. I've been avoiding the storage shed like the plague since I started renting it earlier this year because 90% of it I can't go through until John gets home.

Can you tell what one of my pet peeves is yet?

I think it's as good as it's going to get for now. A few more things to put up in our storage closet (i.e. Balian's closet) and it's on to something else.

*le sigh*

Are we there yet?

New Year's Resolutions

It's that time! Well, almost that time. But I'm going to be (hopefully) super busy the next few days and John comes home on Friday, so I'm writing out my New Year's Resolutions today (before I forget. Because we all know how awesome my memory is.).

1.) I am going to lose 40 pounds, preferably before the start of summer, but definitely by the end of the year. This will put in between 140-150. 130-140 is a really healthy weight for me, but I'd be thrilled if I could just get below 150. I'm not only doing it for the vain reasons (though that has something to do with it) but because I do have a lot of medical issues that I'm hoping will go away once the weight is gone (like the high cholesterol and the fatty liver).

2.) Take better pictures. This past year (2011) I started the process of opening up my own business. Let me let you in on a little secret... i still have no idea what I'm doing... I want to spend this year and grow in my love of photography, to remember why I fell in love with it to begin with, and to learn as much as I can so I can better serve my clients. I'm also hoping to get in a few more maternity sessions, at least one birth session and at least one newborn session, and lots of kids sessions.

3.) Enjoy what I love. I love playing my flute, reading books, playing with my boys. My husband will be home for the year. I'm going to do my best not to take advantage of the time we have together, because who knows how short it will be? One thing this past 19 months has taught me (John has been gone for just about 19 months) is that life is too precious to spend it being selfish, ungrateful, and angry. I'm going to try to be happy, gracious, and giving, as much as I can be this upcoming year.


Those are my three biggest resolutions. I am feeling super confident about them. I know this year is going to be an awesome year, because I will make it awesome! So tell me your Resolutions!! How are you going to stick to them?

It's been a while...

Finals are over. Last paper is getting ready to be turned in. My life as a college student is over (for at least the next five years), and I'm excited about what comes after this. Firstly, my blog is getting revamped. Total overhaul. Completely redone. Deconstructed, then built back up. Or at least the name is. :)

My weekly lineup of blogs will be changing as well, including a couple of different link-ups (which I'm excited about). Pinterest Friday's will still be the same, because, let's face it, I need a place to show off everything I've actually completed on Pinterest.

On the 30th, something just very minor is happening in my life. Just a little thing, almost hardly worth mentioning, but MY HUSBAND WILL BE HOME AFTER A YEAR IN KOREA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are counting down the days, hours, and minutes until he is with us again. Life has definitely changed since he left, and we've both learned to treasure every moment together.

Next up, we are MOVING! The packers will be here on January 3rd, and we will begin to wend our way to the amazing state of Washington on January 4th. Our first stop will be Gatlinburg, TN and then Springfield, MO to see some of my family. Blog updates and pictures from our cross-country trip will be posted via my Optimus (gotta love technology).

And finally, next week I will be taking a week-long vacation and break to Clayton, Georgia to visit an amazing and dear family for Christmas. I will be back in Virginia on Christmas Eve.

I think that's it! I hope everyone's semester ended well, and I hope everyone has a very Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! I know I most DEFINITELY will!!!

What's for dinner tonight?

Chicken alfredo with four cheese tortellini!