While Nathan took the high schoolers to CO for CIY's MOVE last week, the kids and I packed up and traveled to eastern TN to spend the week with my mom at the lake house. My dad bought our tickets, which was gracious of him. But that meant we drove over 2 hours to the airport in NW Arkansas, flew 2 hours to Charlotte, NC and then after mom picked us up there we drove another 2.5 hours to the lake house, arriving late Friday night after midnight. It was a solid 9 hours of traveling, both ways, but the kids did wonderfully and it wasn't stressful at all (like I had originally thought when booking the flight awhile back, knowing I'd be 7 1/2 months pregnant with 2 kids, one of whom was going to be a lap child on the plane). We left Friday and got home the following Sunday. It went by way too quickly.
Jordan and Erin spent the first weekend with us. They are the best aunt and uncle to my kids and just really fun people to spend time with. I miss them greatly since they moved to Nashville from Coweta a couple years ago. Jordan and I are so different (most people comment how very differently we look from one another even), but I love him and am proud of him on so many levels and always enjoy the time I get with him, even if he is a punk to me sometimes. We spent Saturday and Sunday in the water mostly, Isaac enjoyed getting to ride on the jet ski with Jordan and Erin. Aniyah was terrified of her Uncle Jordan, but finally was cool to sit in the same room with him, near him even, by Sunday. We had communion on the dock Sunday morning, I let Isaac try the wine and he promptly spit it back into the cup. We also saw a water snake and I had a hard time getting back in the lake after that unfortunately.
Sunday evening Debra Holder came from VA on her way down to Mississippi to see family. It was such a treat to spend a bit of time with her. She has always been such a good friend to my family, since we lived in Concord and attended PR together, I've always loved her spunk and spirit. It was neat to observe how considerate and thoughtful she is towards my mom, such a good friend to her. She was quick to serve and was very intentional about conversations. She had to leave early Monday morning so that left just mom, me and the kids for most of the rest of the week.
We got to see Mike and Laurie Walker Saturday, they came up to clean their cabin after some renters left. They too have been great friends to both my mom and dad, and especially my mom thru the divorce. It's always fun to see them, even if for just a little bit.
One day we drove into Boone and I checked out Ina May's Guide to Childbirth which I finished that week before flying home. Totally exciting book, a bit out there, but I get it. Ok, maybe "non-conventional" is better than "out there", but it makes so much sense. I'm even more excited about natural birth after reading it. Not because I'm trying to be "super woman" as some people think of it when they hear natural birth, but because it's what my body was made to do, it only makes sense.
We ran errands and went to the park in Mountain City one day. We baked cookies. We read lots of books and watched several movies like Dumbo, Cinderella, and Ferdinand the Bull. We swam. Isaac jumped off the dock and swam without a life vest in the shallow end of the lake. Aniyah played in the sand, drank lake water, and splashed in the lake when her mom was brave enough to get in.
Thursday was one of my favorite days. We went to Tweetsie Railroad, the weather was perfect, Isaac loved all of the rides and the train and the cowboys and was adorable in all of his sweet energetic innocence.
Mom surprised me with a massage once we left Tweetsie, a prenatal/pregnant massage. Incredible! I didn't sleep well the night before, mostly because I chose to share a room with the kids during the week, and they just weren't the best sleepers. I'm pretty sure I slept through most of the massage, it was wonderfully relaxing! That night we went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant that mom really likes, owned and operated by an Italian man in this little tiny house with a waitress who tells us she resembles Dolly Parton (and she did). She called polenta "yeller grits", and when I asked what one of the dishes was called she responded "honey, I can't pronounce any of those myself." It was a sweet evening, which ended with a piece of tiramisu mom and I shared.
Friday afternoon Elly arrived and sometime that afternoon we saw Dean Garrett who came up to spray weeds in his yard (the cabin on the other side of the Walkers). He is just delightful and it was nice to catch up with him briefly. Time with Elly is always refreshing. Mom watched the kids so she and I could get some dinner in Mountain City. Except once Elly got to the lake house, she had had some car troubles so we left earlier than dinner time to get her car checked out. Then once we got to the Thai shack (because really it was just a small pole barn, with a kitchen, and a mother/daughter duo running the show), we realized we didn't have cash, which is all they take there. So we went searching for an ATM on this backwoods country road. We went to 5 places before we finally found an ATM, once we got back to the Thai shack, someone had called in an order so we had to wait at least and hour for them to get to cooking our order (two pad thai and two summer roll orders). We didn't mind the wait. We got to sit and talk and laugh together. Then we were so hungry we ate most of our gigantic portion of food before boxing up the rest to take home to eat later. It was a beautiful Friday evening so the kids enjoyed popsicles down by the lake before getting bathed and headed to bed.
Mom and I had spent each evening re-watching season 1 of Downton Abbey, we watched the season finale Friday night with Elly, who had never previously seen any episode.
Saturday we went to Boone and the Farmer's Market! Two of mom's good friends met us there and it was again so evident that mom has wonderful, sensitive, kind and loving people who look after her and care for her. Which does my heart so good in the midst of all she has been through. The Farmer's Market is wonderful. Full of delicious artisian foods (breads, croissants, quiches, bagels, pizzas), homemade organic soaps and deodrants, pottery, art, herbs, and beautiful vegetables and fruits, fresh flowers, and three awesome food trucks (one was coffee, the other was breakfast pizzas, and the other was all local/organic/hippy good food). On a whim, Elly and I declared we would make dinner that night with produce we'd buy. So I purchased some swiss chard and zucchini, Elly bought some baby carrots and cucumbers.
No comments:
Post a Comment