I'm going to need a break from my Fall Break

Wow, it is already Wednesday and I only have two more days left of my break. I've been so busy and it has gone by very quickly. I had to work yesterday, but it wasn't too bad. I got to go in about an hour and a half later than I usually do, and I was able to leave by 3:15, so it was a pretty short day. Mr. P cooked a belated birthday dinner for me last night-salad, steak, and baked potatoes, followed by birthday cake. It was delicious! He's such a sweetie.

Today, I met my niece K, who is a freshman at a nearby college. I took her out to lunch, then we did some shopping. Although I had some birthday money to spend (yeah!), I didn't really find anything I liked. I did pick up some headbands and barrettes at the mall, but that was about it.

Here are some pictures and details from our weekend in Gatlinburg. We rented a condo with two other families. Mr. P and I, along with our friends D and R with their twin two-year old boys, and our other friends C and L, along with their 6 year old girl and 3 year old boy.

We left with D and R at 5 am on Saturday morning. C and L had driven down on Friday, so we had plans to meet up with them in Gatlinburg. We arrived in the mountains by 11:30, and were able to check into the condo by noon, which was great. We ate lunch and watched football at the Smoky Mountain Brewery. I had the cheese quesadilla, which was wonderful.

The guys watched the UK-Alabama football game in the afternoon, while we girls elected to walk around and sightsee. There is always lots to see and do. I found some great stores with preppy, monogrammed items. One was called Razzle-Dazzle and it had lots of cute stuff. I bought a monogrammed fob:

For dinner Saturday night, we met my parents at my favorite restaurant in Gatlinburg, The Best Italian, for an early birthday dinner. Mr. P and I discovered this restaurant several years ago. From the outside, it looks like a family owned pizzeria, but that changes the minute you step inside. They have wonderful pizza, along with fantastic pasta dishes, huge calzones, and the best garlic rolls you will ever eat in your life! Mom and Dad brought presents and cake, and we all ate outside on the terrace. The weather was beautiful and we had great time.

What do you do for breakfast on a Sunday morning in Gatlinburg? Go to one of the many pancake houses, of course! After breakfast, we decided to take the kids up to the amusement park at the top of Ober Gatlinburg. So we boarded the tram and rode up to the top of the mountain. I don't know who had more fun at the amusement park-the guys or the kids.

A few of us rode the ski lift to the top of Mount Harrison. The view was beautiful from up there.

On Sunday night, we went to dinner at The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge. It is a great restaurant and village. On Monday, the other two families took the kids to the aquarium. Mr. P and I have been to the aquarium several times, so we decided to walk around by ourselves while the others toured the aquarium. We walked through one of my favorite places in Gatlinburg, The Village. It has great shops, and Mr. P patiently walked through all of them with me. The Cheese Cupboard, Coffee & Company, Candle Cottage, and Taylor Girls are just a few of the stores in the village. We also went to the Pepper Palace in the Mountain Mall. I usually stock up on my Wind & Willow dip mixes there, but they only had a few selections. However, they had samples of a wonderful queso dip, so I bought the seasoning to make it.

We finally headed for home around 3:00 on Monday. It was kind of a different trip for Mr. P and I, although we had a fun weekend. We are used to quieter trips, but we had a great time with the kids. Mr. P had a blast at the amusement park, since he is a kid at heart! I wish that I had posted more pictures, but almost all of the pictures have the kids in them, and I don't want to post pictures of my friends' kids without their permission. I only posted the one of Mr. P because you can't really see the little one in the picture with him. I do have one picture of Mr. P and I on the ski lift, so I'll try to scan it and post it in the next couple of days.

We arrived at home late Monday night, and I had a birthday package from my in-laws and from Monogrammed Teacher waiting for me. What a treat! I have so much to be thankful for on my birthday, and I am blessed to have such sweet and generous friends and family.