Tennessee

The trip was....hmmm.....good? Not bad..not great...not really a break of any sort other than scenery change. it was good to see my Mom & Dad, and my sister Robyn, and her husband, Smitty. But with the kids staying mainly downstairs there wasn't really much chance to socialize as much as I would have liked. Having the kids all sleep with us in the same room made things difficult for putting them to bed as well. Brian got a rude awakening to what it is like to be with the kids 24/7! (haha) Brenda came with us and was a huge help to me. My mom is putting together a book of poetry, so I did some editing for her and got it corrected on the printer's computer in town, then did the final edit before we left. She was sick with walking pneumonia while we were there so they didn't do much with us. We went to Dollywood, the Apple Barn, Smokey Mountain Knifeworks, and ran around town a couple times. The place has grown alot since we lived there. They even have a dayspa up toward Jefferson City.. I was able to get my legs waxed!! Brenda & Brianne goofed off in the front waiting area while I was there! They were like a couple of little kids! It was good for them to have time together. Funny, they had to travel 10 hours away from home to spend time together..

I saw the Gazebo on Easter Sunday, but didn't get the chance to go over to it or spend any time there. Having Kierra all around me made it bittersweet. I saw her and heard her so many times. The day we went to Dollywood I tried to stay in good spirits. I tried not to mention what day it was. Then today I read Brenda's blog about that day, and she had remembered it was the 13th. Neither of us mentioned it to the other, but we both knew.. It doesn't go far even when it does back off a little.. it is always there, waiting, looking for the moment when your mind wanders to something you think is insignificant, some small trivial thing you see or hear, then you think.. Kie would like that, or I bet Kie would think that was funny, I can see & hear her laugh out loud.. then the reminder, then the knowledge is there.... and it sucks!