Weekend with the girls

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Friday, September 14

Ken and I slept until 7:30. We relaxed and had our coffee. I did my expense and time reports. We packed up for the weekend. We are headed to Bryson City, NC to spend the weekend with the girls. We had to be downtown by 10:30 to sign the lease for our apartment. We completed that and then headed out of town. The drive to Bryson City is a beautiful drive. A nice double lane highway lined with trees. The road takes you in to the outskirts of the Smoky Mountain National Park. We stopped at a Farmer's Market. They had a BBQ shack. We bought some corn, tomatoes, onions, honey, some fresh apple fritters and 'soup starter'. We picked up a chicken and a pork sandwich to eat on the way. Very delicious. We also sampled a stew: pulled pork, shredded chicken, corn, spices and vegetables. It was better than the sandwiches.

We had time to stop and unload at the RV Park before we picked up the girls. We also cleaned a little since we hadn't done it two weeks ago. As we were leaving the RV Park to pick the girls up, Bella called and said, 'Where are you'?

We arrived a few minutes later. They were very excited. We drove into Bryson City and picked up a few items at the grocery.

Back to the RV Park and unloaded. Lola wanted to play the card game 'Go-Fish' but I had to put her off a while so I could make dinner. Simple tonight: sloppy joes, beans and chips. Before dinner, Ken and Lola built a fire, lit the candles while Bella went down to the creek. We have 3 large, comfortable reclining chairs and 2 low to the ground chairs. Lola sat in Pops chair and told her he had to sit in the 'little boys' chair. I served dinner and we ate outside. It's not quite as hot as it was two weeks ago, but it is still hot enough and of course it is humid! The mosquitoes are out and they are biting me! After dinner we made s'mores by the fire and Ken told a few 'scary' stories although they were not very scary.

Bella of course went right to sleep and Lola and I played a few hands of 'Go-Fish'.



Saturday, September 15

Today is my mom's B-day. She has been dead now for 2 1/2 months. Every time I get an email from Godiva chocolates, I'm reminded of how I would often send her chocolates for her birthday and holidays. She loved them.

As we woke up, Bella and Lola woke up and came up to our bed to snuggle. As we are talking and Pops is tickling them, Lola says, 'Pops, it's time for your morning jobs'! He says, 'what morning jobs'? and she says, 'making coffee, hot chocolate and orange juice'. She has him trained well!!

Bella is out the door, looking for critters. She finds a small ring snake and names him Cooper. She is going to take him home with her.

Ken made bacon and I made toast. I took a shower and we decided to go to Wal-Mart in Sylva. Bella wants to buy some container for her snake; Lola says she wants a lunchbox and Ken and I are doing a little shopping for our new apartment.
We stopped at Miss Betty's to pay before we head out. There is a cat outside her door and the girls enjoy petting her.

At Wal-Mart Bella gets what she needs and Lola ends up getting a BB gun. She is so excited. She announced in the car, that if she needs to, she will shoot any bad guys that come in to our campground. Ken and I were laughing as it reminded us of Ralphie in 'A Christmas Story'. She also asked us if we want her to shoot a wild turkey for us. So funny.

We bought a microwave and some household stuff.

Afterwards we went to 'Brio's' for lunch. It is an Italian chain restaurant. We have been to the ones in Las Vegas and Tucson. It wasn't as good as we remember. Maybe just the day. Lola got pizza, Bella got calamari and Ken and I split a grilled chicken/pasta dish.

We drive back to the campground. I had a bad headache, so I lay down while Ken, Lola and Bella went fishing. I didn't sleep but it was nice to relax while listening to the music on my IPod. I got up and walked up to the lake. Bella had just 'caught' a huge catfish that got away and actually pulled her bobber off. No one caught anything and after a while we went back to the campsite. Ken helped Lola with the BB gun. She actually hit the can twice! Bella was busy building her habitat for 'Cooper' and the lizards and praying mantises she found.

Since we ate a big lunch, dinner was just snacks and s'mores. Ken and Lola built another big fire. While Bella and I were inside getting her a snack, Lola stumbled on a rock and fell near the fire. Her hand landed on the metal rim that surrounds the fire, so she had a burn. It wasn't bad, but you know how bad it hurts. I held her and put ice on it for two hours before it stopped burning. Ken made s'mores for us while I held Lola with her ice on her hand. Bella got her shower, but Lola didn't because of the hand. We watched 'Parent Trap Two (the one where Haley Mills is an adult-not good). Lola didn't make it through the movie. She was tired out. She convinced Pops to let her sleep with me, and he should sleep with Bella-because she had a burnt hand and he gets to sleep with me a lot more than she does. He gave in; how could you not? She had tears running down her face. Bella told her she was being a baby.



Sunday, September 16

We slept until 8 am, and then had our routine: coffee, hot chocolate, OJ, toast and bacon. It was time to clean up. Lola took a shower and then the girls drew on paper plates while Pops and I packed up. I cleaned a little too, so we will be ready for the next trip.

Bella told us that next weekend her Dad, Aunt and grandparents from AZ were flying to Atlanta to visit her. She said she was taking Friday and Monday off so she could spend more time with them. Lola said that wasn't fair and she wanted to come to Atlanta to be with us. We said we would talk to her mom.

It was time to drop the girls off. They both get real quiet on the way to their home. Lola says she wants us to live in Bryson City. The weekend once again has gone by much too fast. We had a wonderful time...times we will never forget; times I hope they will never forget.

We arrive at their house and Randy is home, but April is at work. As soon as Lola gets out of our truck, she begins crying, saying she burnt her hand and that she wants to go to Atlanta next weekend. April got home and we discussed it with her and she said it was fine. It will actually help her because Ken will drive halfway to Bryson City on Thursday; April will meet him halfway and we will take Lola and Bella to Atlanta. We will arrange a meeting place for Bella and her dad and Lola will stay with us in our (new) apartment. Everyone is happy. It's time to go. We say goodbye and head back to Atlanta.

We talked to all of our sons on the way home. Miss them!

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