One Christmas party down and approximately 3 more to go. Our office Christmas party was this past Wednesday and I must admit, Hearth and Harvest has some pretty delicious foods. The office gang went to eat there and we started out with appetizers. I'm not sure what 2 of them were but the 3rd one was fried pickles and I could have eaten them all day. My main course was chicken fingers with double french fries. Any other place I go and order chicken fingers they bring out what I consider to be decent size chicken fingers. Hearth and Harvest brought out 4 chicken fingers that were huge, like the size of my wrist. I ate 1.5 of them and aout 10 fries and called it a night. I was so full I could even eat dessert. I got a to go box and those chicken fingers were gone the next day.
After we ate it was present time. We had "secret" Santa's but it wasn't a secret. Ha. I think everyone really enjoyed their gifts, I know I did. I love my office. I work with some really wonderful people.
Now all I have to do is Christmas with my friends, Dad's side of the family, Mom's side of the family and my immediate family. I'm ready for the madness to be over already and it's not even began yet.
I'm ready for January to be here. Fresh start, fresh year. Not to mention we're planning on going to Gatlinburg to get away for a weekend. My 3 year old cousin Lexi seems to think she'll see snow even though nobody has guaranteed her that. I'm not sure where she got that snow was going to be there either. Ah, 3 year olds. We've decided to stay in a Cabins For You cabin. Not sure which one at this point in time.
I'll blog again after the madness is over. Haha.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Hello December, haven't seen you in a year.
December snuck up on me this year. One day I’m celebrating Thanksgiving and the next I’m running around like a mad woman trying to buy everyone’s Christmas presents before the parties begin. Mind you I was NOT amongst the crazies who rushed the malls and Wal-Mart’s of America on the dreaded “Black Friday”. No, I was snoozing away in my bed. Instead I buy all my presents in one day, who cares that I don’t save $50. It’s worth the $50 to not have to deal with people fighting over Cabbage Patch dolls.
This year I didn’t “knock out” everyone on my list in one day though. So, I’ll have to go back to the malls with other procrastinators trying to figure out if I like “Susie” enough to spend that much money on her present. I get slightly agitated with people this time of year. The whole point of Christmas is to celebrate a birthday. It just seems to me like a majority of people put too much emphasis on the receiving presents part.
I don’t have many Christmas parties to go to this year. Thank goodness. One for Daddy’s side, one for mama’s side, one with a small group of friends and another with work. Last year I was running all over the place and had two parties in one day. I would like to never have to do that again. We drew names at work and this year I got Rachel. I thought it would be easy but I think I made it more complicated than it should have been. I bought her an Aeropostale hoodie jacket and a matching tank top. It was so cute. I tried it on to make sure it wasn’t big on me or else it definitely wouldn’t fit her. I decided I liked it and so I kept it. I told her and she laughed. I was shopping the other day with some friends and found a shirt I liked and I was going to buy it for me. Then a girlfriend told me, “This is the season for GIVING, not KEEPING”. So I bought it and I’m giving it and some other things to Rachel. If she doesn't like it she could always give it back.
We didn’t have our Christmas decorations up until yesterday. Nobody felt like decorating the house but my uncle said if we didn’t decorate then he’d be mad at us. He hasn’t been home for Christmas is 3 years because he’s been gone and he’s staying with us until he finds a place he likes to live at. I got up yesterday morning and it look like a Christmas hurricane had been through. We have two Christmas trees up, stockings, snowmen, angel’s, a wreath on the front door and little winter-y window stickers on the glass door. I guess I had a little “Scrooge” in me because I looked at my mom and told her if she expected to get any help in taking down the decorations and cleaning up from me then she was sadly mistaken. Bah-humbug.
This year I didn’t “knock out” everyone on my list in one day though. So, I’ll have to go back to the malls with other procrastinators trying to figure out if I like “Susie” enough to spend that much money on her present. I get slightly agitated with people this time of year. The whole point of Christmas is to celebrate a birthday. It just seems to me like a majority of people put too much emphasis on the receiving presents part.
I don’t have many Christmas parties to go to this year. Thank goodness. One for Daddy’s side, one for mama’s side, one with a small group of friends and another with work. Last year I was running all over the place and had two parties in one day. I would like to never have to do that again. We drew names at work and this year I got Rachel. I thought it would be easy but I think I made it more complicated than it should have been. I bought her an Aeropostale hoodie jacket and a matching tank top. It was so cute. I tried it on to make sure it wasn’t big on me or else it definitely wouldn’t fit her. I decided I liked it and so I kept it. I told her and she laughed. I was shopping the other day with some friends and found a shirt I liked and I was going to buy it for me. Then a girlfriend told me, “This is the season for GIVING, not KEEPING”. So I bought it and I’m giving it and some other things to Rachel. If she doesn't like it she could always give it back.
We didn’t have our Christmas decorations up until yesterday. Nobody felt like decorating the house but my uncle said if we didn’t decorate then he’d be mad at us. He hasn’t been home for Christmas is 3 years because he’s been gone and he’s staying with us until he finds a place he likes to live at. I got up yesterday morning and it look like a Christmas hurricane had been through. We have two Christmas trees up, stockings, snowmen, angel’s, a wreath on the front door and little winter-y window stickers on the glass door. I guess I had a little “Scrooge” in me because I looked at my mom and told her if she expected to get any help in taking down the decorations and cleaning up from me then she was sadly mistaken. Bah-humbug.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
My family is better than yours... but of course I'm biased
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I know I did.
Since my family grew this year some people decided to contribute to the amount of food choices we had. I have no problem with that but if we keep expanding my Mawmaw will need to buy a larger kitchen table. We had to "recruit" a medium size fold up table from my Uncle's church to be able to sit the food down. Every room was full except the spare bedroom aka "Pawpaw's Sanctuary". If he isn't happy, nobody is happy so he can have that room. I ate way past my full point.
Before we ate a majority of the family sat in the living room. My uncle looked at the new family pictures my Mawmaw had put up and then saw the OLD picture of the "original 3". It's a picture of my sister, my cousin Justin and me. I was probably 5 in the picture, making my sister 7 and Justin 4. That sparked the conversation of how much we've grown up and changed. I used to be taller than Justin and now he has at least 3 inches on me. Our second cousin Dustin was there and he used to be a "shrimp". I guarantee you he now has 6 inches on me. I was still named the "drama queen" of the grandkids and in response I grabbed at my heart and acted shocked at such an accusation. My dad's response? "Case in point".
There's nothing like a family gathering. No matter how many people walk in and out of your life they're always there. Blood's thicker than water. As people sat around "digesting" I made sure I went around and talked to everyone. Catching up on their lives as much as possible. I came to the conclusion that I have an amazing family that I wouldn't trade for anything. I guess that's what I'm thankful for this year.
Since my family grew this year some people decided to contribute to the amount of food choices we had. I have no problem with that but if we keep expanding my Mawmaw will need to buy a larger kitchen table. We had to "recruit" a medium size fold up table from my Uncle's church to be able to sit the food down. Every room was full except the spare bedroom aka "Pawpaw's Sanctuary". If he isn't happy, nobody is happy so he can have that room. I ate way past my full point.
Before we ate a majority of the family sat in the living room. My uncle looked at the new family pictures my Mawmaw had put up and then saw the OLD picture of the "original 3". It's a picture of my sister, my cousin Justin and me. I was probably 5 in the picture, making my sister 7 and Justin 4. That sparked the conversation of how much we've grown up and changed. I used to be taller than Justin and now he has at least 3 inches on me. Our second cousin Dustin was there and he used to be a "shrimp". I guarantee you he now has 6 inches on me. I was still named the "drama queen" of the grandkids and in response I grabbed at my heart and acted shocked at such an accusation. My dad's response? "Case in point".
There's nothing like a family gathering. No matter how many people walk in and out of your life they're always there. Blood's thicker than water. As people sat around "digesting" I made sure I went around and talked to everyone. Catching up on their lives as much as possible. I came to the conclusion that I have an amazing family that I wouldn't trade for anything. I guess that's what I'm thankful for this year.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Maybe I'm just easily amused...
I have figured out that I find things interesting that other people couldn’t care less about. I get totally engrossed in the AOL headlines about ancient bones being dug up, some random unknown animal being washed up by a storm, or a refrigerator set to hit earth (and AOL never followed up with where it hit, and I’m not happy about that). I was looking up things about Gatlinburg and ran across the Ogle Cabin. Yeah, I’m no stranger to Gatlinburg but somehow I never managed to connect that the Ogle Cabin was the first cabin in all of Gatlinburg.
The Ogle’s are basically the first people to build a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN. William Ogle started to build the cabin on White Oak Flats (present day Gatlinburg). He returned to his home to gather his wife and children and bring them back to the cabin and to help finish it up. He died before they made it back though due to malaria. His wife, Martha, packed their family up and headed to this cabin her husband was building by the directions he had told her. That amazes me for whatever reason. Mainly because I would have NEVER been able to go by directions without the assistance of a navigation system or MapQuest. She, along with her 7 children, and her brothers family, finished building the log cabin and lived there the rest of their lives. I am amazed!
Anyways, the Ogle Cabin was the first log cabin to be built in Gatlinburg, TN in 1807. I thought about how much has changed in the 201 years since then. The Ogle’s lived off the land and now if we didn’t have Wal-Mart I’m not sure we’d be able to survive. I’m still in amazement that Martha found the cabin she had NEVER been to just by her husband’s directions. She must have had extremely good listening skills and an amazing sense of direction. I get lost in my hometown (yeah, don’t repeat that to anyone).
I just felt like sharing that because I’m still amused with it…. And if anyone knows where that refrigerator landed PLEASE let me know.
The Ogle’s are basically the first people to build a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN. William Ogle started to build the cabin on White Oak Flats (present day Gatlinburg). He returned to his home to gather his wife and children and bring them back to the cabin and to help finish it up. He died before they made it back though due to malaria. His wife, Martha, packed their family up and headed to this cabin her husband was building by the directions he had told her. That amazes me for whatever reason. Mainly because I would have NEVER been able to go by directions without the assistance of a navigation system or MapQuest. She, along with her 7 children, and her brothers family, finished building the log cabin and lived there the rest of their lives. I am amazed!
Anyways, the Ogle Cabin was the first log cabin to be built in Gatlinburg, TN in 1807. I thought about how much has changed in the 201 years since then. The Ogle’s lived off the land and now if we didn’t have Wal-Mart I’m not sure we’d be able to survive. I’m still in amazement that Martha found the cabin she had NEVER been to just by her husband’s directions. She must have had extremely good listening skills and an amazing sense of direction. I get lost in my hometown (yeah, don’t repeat that to anyone).
I just felt like sharing that because I’m still amused with it…. And if anyone knows where that refrigerator landed PLEASE let me know.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
THANKSgiving. =)
Thanksgiving is TOMORROW =). I wasn't very excited about it until my friend Heather rubbed off on me. Now I'm very ready. I haven't spent time with all of my family in a while. This year is going to be great though because my Grandmother and Uncle from my mother's side of the family are going to be at my Dad's parents house to celebrate with us. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about the Thanksgiving dinner along with pictures tomorrow but I just wanted to post really quick. My family is animated and I'm sure some of them should be certified crazy so there won't be a dull moment tomorrow. I'm excited to see everyone in one place.
Over 20 people will be gathered in my grandparents 3 bedroom ONE bathroom house. I can already smell the ham (yummm). Mawmaw, Mama and Aunt Vickie will be cooking and setting everything up while talking to the other aunts who either can‘t cook or did their cooking part at home. I can already hear the laughter from the men telling jokes and stories while my grandfather tells them to be quite because he can't hear the John Wayne movie he has playing. The grandkids scatter. Three of us are much older than the rest because our parents all decided to have kids before the rest did. My sister, cousin, almost cousin-in-law and I will more than likely be talking about school and other things 20+ year olds have to talk about. We have to keep a watch over the younger kids though. They tend to get into fights over what channel to turn the TV on in my grandparents bedroom. We would rather watch them while the mother’s cook so that we can eat faster. We have babies running around too and they tend to be accident prone. It gets hectic but I wouldn’t trade my family for the world.
Take a look around at everyone and be thankful you have loved ones in your life and people to spend the holidays with. Some people are overseas this year and can’t be with their families. One thing you can be thankful for is family. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Choices, choices.
Deciding where to go on Spring Break is becoming a complicated task. First it started off that we would go to Panama. Those places were charging a lot of money and then wanted a ridiculous amount for a security hold because we weren’t over the age of 25. The saying, “age ain’t nothin’ but a number” is false. Age is everything. With it just being Heather and I who are for sure going we didn’t want to book anything right now that could end up being too large.
Next place we decided was Savannah. We found a place we liked but obviously they have a huge party for St. Patrick’s Day at the same time we’d be there and they were wanting a lot of money for something that wasn’t worth the amount. I’m not interested in the St. Patty’s Day party I just want a vacation.
Heather came up with the idea to stay in a Gatlinburg cabin or Pigeon Forge cabin. That was our 3rd option. Sounded good to me. We’re lucky enough that we have a connection to a great cabin company with awesome reservationists. It’d really work out in our favor to go there anyways. We would get discounts to places in the area.
My friend Lacy comes to my house and decides to bring up Cancun. She showed me a website of a place that really knew how to draw you in. Beautiful place. For six nights at an all-inclusive resort the price was too good to be true. Now I’m thinking, “What is wrong with it that it’s so cheap?”. No thanks, I’ll take my money back to the Gatlinburg idea.
By the time Spring Break actually comes around who knows how many other places will be brought up? I think Heather and I will probably stick to staying in a Gatlinburg cabin regardless of where other people are wanting to go. We don’t like to tan and we’re so white sunglasses might be necessary if we went to a beach.
Next place we decided was Savannah. We found a place we liked but obviously they have a huge party for St. Patrick’s Day at the same time we’d be there and they were wanting a lot of money for something that wasn’t worth the amount. I’m not interested in the St. Patty’s Day party I just want a vacation.
Heather came up with the idea to stay in a Gatlinburg cabin or Pigeon Forge cabin. That was our 3rd option. Sounded good to me. We’re lucky enough that we have a connection to a great cabin company with awesome reservationists. It’d really work out in our favor to go there anyways. We would get discounts to places in the area.
My friend Lacy comes to my house and decides to bring up Cancun. She showed me a website of a place that really knew how to draw you in. Beautiful place. For six nights at an all-inclusive resort the price was too good to be true. Now I’m thinking, “What is wrong with it that it’s so cheap?”. No thanks, I’ll take my money back to the Gatlinburg idea.
By the time Spring Break actually comes around who knows how many other places will be brought up? I think Heather and I will probably stick to staying in a Gatlinburg cabin regardless of where other people are wanting to go. We don’t like to tan and we’re so white sunglasses might be necessary if we went to a beach.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
In case you didn't know....
Gatlinburg, TN is right beside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which happens to be the most visited National Park in the United States. The Smokey Mountain National Park is 800 square miles of protected forestry along the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee. Since Gatlinburg is so close it has become one of the most visited areas as well. It’s a great place to lodge while enjoying the great outdoors in the area. When visiting Gatlinburg, TN one will have access to all kinds of hiking trails, fishing areas, horseback riding trails and stables, plenty of rivers to kayak, wade, raft and tube in. If you’re not one to hike up a mountain to see the views from the top then ride the elevator at the Space Needle to the top to see the view it has to offer.
Gatlinburg isn’t only a layover for your trip to the National Park though. There are many places to go to while you’re visiting in the area. The Ripley’s attractions still captivate the attention of people of all ages. The Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum is a huge “odditorium” where you can see a lot the fun, freaky and jaw-dropping oddities of the world all in one area. If you or a loved one enjoys visiting aquariums then the Ripley’s Aquarium will be something you’ll want to check out as well. There are several other Ripley’s Attractions you could go to while in Gatlinburg, TN. Take a ride on the tram and go to Ober Gatlinburg for a day of skiing or ice skating. With all the attractions in downtown Gatlinburg and the surrounding area you’ll never find yourself saying “I’m bored”. You could check out the Gatlinburg website for more information on what to do while in town as well.
Something is always going on in Gatlinburg as well. You're always in for a treat when staying in Gatlinburg, especially if you're staying in a Gatlinburg, TN cabin. Stay in Gatlinburg cabins and give yourself an added amoung of fun and privacy while in the area. You could find cabins to sleep anywhere from 1 person to 50 people. Some cabins are way up in the mountains giving you a front row view of the amazing scenery of God’s country and other are just a short walk to downtown. While in downtown you have access to all of the attractions for downtown as well as the delicious restaurants that call Gatlinburg, TN “home”. During some season’s you will find the entire Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg lit up with decorations celebrating the Winterfest months. Other times you will see beautiful flowers lining the walkways making Springfest even more colorful. The people are always friendly and inviting.
Gatlinburg isn’t only a layover for your trip to the National Park though. There are many places to go to while you’re visiting in the area. The Ripley’s attractions still captivate the attention of people of all ages. The Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum is a huge “odditorium” where you can see a lot the fun, freaky and jaw-dropping oddities of the world all in one area. If you or a loved one enjoys visiting aquariums then the Ripley’s Aquarium will be something you’ll want to check out as well. There are several other Ripley’s Attractions you could go to while in Gatlinburg, TN. Take a ride on the tram and go to Ober Gatlinburg for a day of skiing or ice skating. With all the attractions in downtown Gatlinburg and the surrounding area you’ll never find yourself saying “I’m bored”. You could check out the Gatlinburg website for more information on what to do while in town as well.
Something is always going on in Gatlinburg as well. You're always in for a treat when staying in Gatlinburg, especially if you're staying in a Gatlinburg, TN cabin. Stay in Gatlinburg cabins and give yourself an added amoung of fun and privacy while in the area. You could find cabins to sleep anywhere from 1 person to 50 people. Some cabins are way up in the mountains giving you a front row view of the amazing scenery of God’s country and other are just a short walk to downtown. While in downtown you have access to all of the attractions for downtown as well as the delicious restaurants that call Gatlinburg, TN “home”. During some season’s you will find the entire Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg lit up with decorations celebrating the Winterfest months. Other times you will see beautiful flowers lining the walkways making Springfest even more colorful. The people are always friendly and inviting.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
"Be sure you talk to everyone"
We had our company cookout and it was a LOT of fun. I got to meet almost everyone. Allyson and I went up a day ahead of time so that we could look at cabins we hadn't seen yet and Whitney and Heather came up on Saturday. We all got to stay in Seth's Red Oak Lodge since that's where the party was going to be held.
On Friday Allyson and I got to see a lot of the Gatlinburg cabins. Seeing the cabins help soooo much when making the reservations. We did see a lot but I still haven't been able to see Always and Forever or Aaron's Nest. I think we looked at 10 cabins from 8am-2pm. Trying to find Above and Beyond was a task that we were not able to accomplish, it became our "Mission Impossible". We went back to Seth's so that we could freshen up and look presentable when our coworkers arrived.
Heather and Whitney made it in time to help me decide which shirt to wear and how to wear my hair. Then downstairs we went to meet and greet. Mrs. P told us to be sure we talked to everyone. I think we arose to that task. Since a lot of our coworkers were bringing their families we knew it was going to get difficult to remember names. Especially for me considering I have the worst memory ever. Poor Tom's wife, she lost her name completely and became Mrs. Tom. She's not the only one that happened to though. Maria's husband became Mr. Maria. Everyone was a good sport about it though. Brandon brought his wife Brandy which I found funny and tried to figure out what their children's names will be. I was definitely looking forward to seeing Michelle since she's pregnant and I had not been up in the area since she found out. Her little belly was cute and it even got a name tag. Cheryl and Norman were there and I was happy to see them. We call Cheryl for almost everything so anytime we get to see her in person is a "treat". For some reason Norman was wearing an orange shirt with a Tennessee hat on. I guess he thinks Tennessee is a good team or something (haha). It was so good to see everyone and the people that are important to them. I want to have another company cookout.
When it came time to eat we weren't disappointed. Mr. and Mrs. Plimpton put together a great menu. The chicken Mr. Plimpton grilled was amazing. If I could have eaten it all I would have. I didn't hear anyone complain about the food at all. Thanks to the Plimpton's for putting it all together. I know they put a lot of effort into it. After eating they gave out awards to everyone which really helped the morale I believe. It's always good to know that you're appreciated and they always make sure we know that.
As everyone was finishing up pictures started being taken. Heather and I take pictures of everything so we weren't about to miss this opportunity. Everyone had to smile for the camera at least 2 times. We took our office picture too which came out really good. Of course it did though, we take good pictures.
On Friday Allyson and I got to see a lot of the Gatlinburg cabins. Seeing the cabins help soooo much when making the reservations. We did see a lot but I still haven't been able to see Always and Forever or Aaron's Nest. I think we looked at 10 cabins from 8am-2pm. Trying to find Above and Beyond was a task that we were not able to accomplish, it became our "Mission Impossible". We went back to Seth's so that we could freshen up and look presentable when our coworkers arrived.
Heather and Whitney made it in time to help me decide which shirt to wear and how to wear my hair. Then downstairs we went to meet and greet. Mrs. P told us to be sure we talked to everyone. I think we arose to that task. Since a lot of our coworkers were bringing their families we knew it was going to get difficult to remember names. Especially for me considering I have the worst memory ever. Poor Tom's wife, she lost her name completely and became Mrs. Tom. She's not the only one that happened to though. Maria's husband became Mr. Maria. Everyone was a good sport about it though. Brandon brought his wife Brandy which I found funny and tried to figure out what their children's names will be. I was definitely looking forward to seeing Michelle since she's pregnant and I had not been up in the area since she found out. Her little belly was cute and it even got a name tag. Cheryl and Norman were there and I was happy to see them. We call Cheryl for almost everything so anytime we get to see her in person is a "treat". For some reason Norman was wearing an orange shirt with a Tennessee hat on. I guess he thinks Tennessee is a good team or something (haha). It was so good to see everyone and the people that are important to them. I want to have another company cookout.
When it came time to eat we weren't disappointed. Mr. and Mrs. Plimpton put together a great menu. The chicken Mr. Plimpton grilled was amazing. If I could have eaten it all I would have. I didn't hear anyone complain about the food at all. Thanks to the Plimpton's for putting it all together. I know they put a lot of effort into it. After eating they gave out awards to everyone which really helped the morale I believe. It's always good to know that you're appreciated and they always make sure we know that.
As everyone was finishing up pictures started being taken. Heather and I take pictures of everything so we weren't about to miss this opportunity. Everyone had to smile for the camera at least 2 times. We took our office picture too which came out really good. Of course it did though, we take good pictures.
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