Babymoon in Ashville, NC

When we found out we were pregnant in January, Wayne and I joked around that we better take a babymoon before another baby joined our family and we went back to sleepless nights lol. After losing the baby we still felt it would be great to have some adult time, just the 2 of us.  Sooo, my parents were kind enough to take the girls back home with them after our time in Gatlinburg, and Wayne and I drove on to North Carolina.  The drive was AWESOME.  We took the scenic route through the mountains into Cherokee, NC, and we left at 6 am that morning so the fog was just beginning to lift on the mountains.  It really was breathtaking.  I think Wayne pulled over and told me to take pictures every ten minutes lol.  I thought we'd never make it to North Carolina!

I reserved a room in Ashville at a brand new hotel about a mile from the Biltmore.  Thanks to our saver's guide I got the room for a GREAT price.  When I checked the price of a King room with a whirlpool tub on one website, it listed it for $249 a night, but I checked the actual hotel's website today, and the price was $139 a night.  BUT I only paid $86!! Whoo hoo!!  And the room was WONDERFUL! The whirpool was HUGE, and we loved it.  For more information on how YOU can save money on shopping, vacations, etc., email me for information.  I'll be glad to call you and explain how it all works.

We spent the entire next day touring the Biltmore. It was beautiful, and we had a really good time.

We arrived early-as soon as they opened- and were able to be among the first to enter the house for the tour.  I highly recommend purchasing the audio guide. You have to pay $10 per person more for the audio, but it's well worth it.  We were able to tour the house at our leisure and really take the time to look at everything.  It wasn't crowded since we were there so early, and I think we spent anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 hours in the house itself.

After leaving the house, we decided to look around the gardens.  They were really pretty, but it was a hike! If you decide to walk the gardens be prepared! We ended up turning around before going all the way down to the bass pond because we were HOT and thirsty lol. 

We ate lunch at the Stable Cafe, and our cousin Jan suggested we have the hamburgers so we did.  They were YUMMY! I thought Wayne would flip when he saw the bill though lol.  Two burgers with fries and two drinks cost us over $40.  It's safe to say the Biltmore made a good bit of money off of us that day lol.

After lunch we headed back to the car and visited Antler Hill Village and the Winery for the rest of the day.  The village is so neat, and we enjoyed the barn/animals as well as the tour and tasting at the winery. 

Overall, a very neat place to visit if you ever get the chance.  The history behind this home is great, and it's amazing that they were able to build it and have the luxuries they did at that point in time.

The two days we spent in Ashville were definitely not enough! There were so many other things we wanted to do and didn't have time for like zip lining, white water rafting, and a visit to the farmer's market.  On our way home, we did get to stop in GA to get to meet the newest addition to the Morgan family, little Miss Skylar.  She is such a sweetie, and it was great to get to visit with everyone!

A great ending to an awesome vacation :)

Our Vacation to Gatlinburg

My parents are AWESOME, and for the last couple of years they've given us a summer trip as part of our Christmas present.  This past Christmas, they gave us a trip to Gatlinburg, TN.  Our girls had never been. In fact, the last time our family went, I was 8 months pregnant with Makenzie.  Our girls came across a video of the Black Bear Jamboree dinner show we'd purchased from the last time we visited Gatlinburg, and they watched it non-stop.  Sooo, my parents wanted them to get to see it in person (except that show only runs during the winter months lol).  Even though they didn't watch the Black Bear Jamboree, they still got to enjoy a dinner show.  The Hatfield/McCoy dinner show was really cute.  The food was great, and we all had a great time!  Britlee even got on stage with the performers and did the chicken dance lol.

We spent a day at Dollywood too, but I didn't get any pictures there! We were too busy riding the rides :) Makenzie was actually tall enough to ride a good many of the adult rides so she and I had a great time!

Ober Gatlinburg has to be one of our favorite stops.  You ride a cable car to the top of the mountain, and if you've ever done this, you know it's a bit scary-especially for the little ones.  Neither of our girls got scared though.  They stood and looked out the windows the entire way up.  It was so pretty. Makenzie actually fell asleep on Wayne's shoulder waiting on the cable car.  She wasn't about to miss out on the ride though and woke up right before we got on.

 At the top of the mountain, they have all kind of fun things to do.  They have black bear, otters, and other small animals to see.

 The workers were throwing this  bear chunks of carrots, and the girls thought it was hilarious that he sat up like a person.

We rode the Sky Lift halfway up the mountain (Presley and I did go all the way up to the tip top at one point), and then we rode the Alpine Slide back down.  I can't even tell you how many times we did this.  Everyone had so much fun doing it.  The men in our group kept going back and racing each other down.  They are sooo competitive!

Mom and Britlee on the Alpine Slide

There was a maze, a swing ride, and 3 different water slides.  Inside there was an ice skating rink and a carousel.  Wayne and the girls rode all the water slides several times.  Makenzie would get off and say, "That was awesome! Let's do it again!" Loved it!!

It was a GREAT trip, and we had such a fun time with our family.  I love that we're all able to go together and make those memories together.  Thanks again Mom and Dad!!



Uniquely Divine Expressions Review

I had a great friend growing up who unfortunately moved away after she got married, and we now have to TRY to keep in touch through email and Facebook :)  Paula recently started a new business venture in which she makes cards for others.  When I heard she was doing this, I smiled to myself because this is really right up her alley.  She's an awesome writer and super creative.  Sooo, I decided to commission some Father's Day cards from her.  I went to her Facebook Page, Uniquely Divine Expressions, and looked through the options she had.  After contacting her to let her know I was interested, Paula made suggestions to help me decide which type of card would be best for each Dad. I chose to do a type of Hybrid card where I used one of the designs she already had, but then had her personalize a poem for each card to fit each Dad's personality.  I was able to email her information about all of our Dads so that she could customize something unique for each of them.  They were definitely a hit!

Here's what I chose:

My Dad's card

Wayne's Dad's card

Wayne's Step-dad's card

Paula did an amazing job, and the pictures I took with my camera phone did them NO justice.  Our Dad's loved them, and I think they were more special because we took the time to have them personalized for each of them.  Thanks Paula for doing such a FANTASTIC job.  Can't wait to have you do some more great cards for us soon.

If you need a card for any occasion, contact Paula either through her facebook page or her email address at uniquelydivineexpressions@gmail.com and let her create the perfect card for your loved one.

We Have a Winner!!

We have a winner for the Imprinted Possessions jewelry giveaway!! 

Drum roll please....

Random.org generated the following:

True Random Number GeneratorMin:Max:Result:13


Our winner is LUCKY NUMBER 13!!!

Michelle B.

Congrats Michelle!! I have emailed you and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all those who participated!! If you didn't win, no worries! You still know where to find some amazing jewelry.  This jewelry makes AWESOME gifts for loved ones!  Check back with Amber at Imprinted Possessions for all your jewelry needs.

Daddy's Little Girl

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Daddy's girl...big time! Growing up, I gave my Mom a hard time (regretfully), but I was all smiles when it came to my Dad for the most part.  I felt like I could talk to my Dad, and we could have a real conversation.  He made sure that I knew that I could talk to him about anything, anytime, and for that I am truly grateful.  He used to always tell me, "You are so stubborn and headstrong! Right now, it gets you into trouble with your Mom, but one of these days it will take you far."  Ha! He was right though.  If I decide to do something, you might as well get out of the way, because I'm going to do it, and I'll put everything I have into it to make sure it goes the way I want it to lol.  I guess that can be a good and bad thing ;) 

As I got older, my Dad would take me on "dates".  He made sure to spend time with each of us kids, and we loved the one-on-one attention.  Except for the time he took me fishing and "thought" he'd turned off the electric fence before telling me to grab it and lift it up so that we could take the boat under it...ouch! LOL

Seriously though, I honestly think I have one of the best Dads in the world.  You can say you do, but don't bother because I will argue you down ha ha.  My Daddy is an amazing man, and I'm so very blessed to have his Christian example, his love, and his guidance still today even now that I'm grown. I can still call my Dad for advice or ask for his help anytime and know that he'll be there.  My Mom used to tell us girls never to date a guy that we couldn't see ourselves marrying, and I took that to heart.  I definitely wanted a husband who compared to my Dad, and I am thankful that I was able to find a husband whose morals/values were similar.  I love that my hubby and Dad get along so well, and that my hubby enjoys talking to my Dad and seeks his advice on things as well.

So, Dad, on this Father's Day, and everyday, we honor you.  Thank you for the sacrifices you made for our family, the ones you still make :), and for the love you show all of us each and every day.  We love you so very much!

I can't end this post without wishing my hubby a Happy Father's Day as well.  Wayne, you are an AMAZING Daddy to our girls.  I thank God for you every single day, and I love watching you with our girls.  Thank you so much for being the man that you are.  I love you, and so do our girls!

 

Hectic Schedules...

I am neglecting my blog and readers...I know! But I have a good reason...we've been on VACATION!! A much needed one at that! We took our girls to visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN (their first time), and then the hubby and I sent our girls home with their Grandparents while we drove into NC for a visit at the Biltmore.  We ended our road trip with a stop in GA to meet the newest addition to our family, Miss Skylar.  We got home Wed. night and since then I've been getting last minute things prepared for Bible School which starts on Monday for our church...whew! No slowing down for me!

With that said, I'll be updating the blog soon with pictures and fun things we did while we were away as well as some additional reviews and giveaways so check back soon!

If you haven't done so already, make sure to enter the Imprinted Possessions Giveaway.  It ends on the 20th, and you DO NOT want to miss out on this $25 gift card for some AWESOME jewelry!

I'll be back with more soon...I promise!!



Something Special from Imprinted Possessions (with a Giveaway!)

A few months ago, we were at the zoo with the Johnson cousins when I noticed a necklace Jan was wearing.  It consisted of a round silver circle with her girls names on it, a heart with her hubby's name (I think lol), and a pearl.  It was such a cute necklace, and I loved that it incorporated her whole family.  The more I thought about it, the more I wanted one lol.  But, I had an idea.  See, I'd been looking for a way to remember the baby we lost, something special that the girls could share in since they are constantly asking and talking about the baby. I thought a necklace of this type would be a perfect way to incorporate our entire family along with the baby. 

We've also had several people ask questions about miscarriage, spoke with others who have gone through the same thing and those who have gone through miscarriage since, and I thought it would be good to add a page to my blog that focuses on miscarriage and things that were helpful to us during our grieving process. You can find that information here.  It is a work in progress, but I thought it would be much easier to have a central location for this information since so many people had asked. I've listed ideas for remembering your baby as well so take a look.

So with the idea to create a necklace to remember our baby, I contacted Amber with Imprinted Possessions, and told her what I had in mind.  Amber specializes in personalized, hand-stamped sterling silver necklaces.  She has tons of items to choose from in her Etsy store, and she loves to custom design so if you have an idea for a necklace, just ask her! I'm sure she can come up with something perfect for you. Her prices are extremely reasonable, and her work is beautiful! Here are some examples of some of my favorite items in her store.

A great necklace for children or grandchildren...

Want to remember a special date?  This is perfect.

And this?  Oh my...isn't it exquisite?  It's called Dreaming of the Ocean, and it is breathtaking!

Amber definitely worked with me to design the perfect necklace.  And can I just say she is amazing?? And as you can see from the pictures super talented! Amber communicated with me via email through the entire process.  She had my necklace completed, sent pictures for me to preview and make sure everything looked great, and shipped the necklace to me within a week.  She is AWESOME!

I can't wait to share pics of my necklace with you guys either.  Here's what I decided to do (with some great suggestions from Amber).... I knew I wanted the girls' names on the necklace, but I wanted it to be something that incorporated our entire family so Amber suggested using mine and Wayne's initials.  Then I chose to have a saphire Swavorski crystal inside a cupped heart to represent the baby we lost.  The baby was due in September so saphire was the birthstone for that month.  It's understated, but our family knows that it represents us all which makes it special.

The finished product...Oh how I love it! Thanks so much Amber for taking the time to understand what I really wanted out of this necklace.  I know you took time and care to make it especially for me, and that makes it even more special.  I'm already planning my next purchase! :)

Now...here's a bit of information you all are going to LOVE!  Amber has been gracious enough to offer up a $25 gift certificate to her Etsy store to one of my readers.  The winner of this giveaway will be able to choose a design (or order a custom-made piece) to have Amber make for them! You lucky lady!!

Here's how it's going to work:

The giveaway will start today, June 6th, and run until Monday, June 20th at midnight.  A winner will be chosen via random.org on June 21st.  The winner will be contacted via email and will have to respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.  Once the winner has responded, Amber will walk the winner through the selection process and begin work on your chosen piece as soon as you'd like. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you list an email address in your entry comment so that we can contact you if you win!

Mandatory Entry:
To enter, you must visit Amber's Etsy store, Imprinted Possessions, and comment on this post letting us know which item you'd purchase if you win.  That's it...super simple!

Additional Entries:
For additional entries, you can:

1.  Follow this blog via GFC (leave a comment to let me know you're a new follower, and I'll follow you back!). This also counts for those who are already followers of this blog. (1 entry)
2.  Follow Ramblings via Facebook (1 entry)
3.  Follow Ramblings Via Twitter (1 entry)
4.  Tweet about this giveaway (1 entry daily)
5.  Blog about this giveaway and mention Amber's Etsy store (3 entries)

Good luck everyone!!

  **Open to US residents only!!

Scary Day at the Dentist

A couple of months ago, Presley apparently bumped her front tooth bad enough to cause it to discolor.  I questioned the dentist about it, and at the time, they thought it may just be badly bruised but they continued to check on it each month with xrays.  A couple of weeks ago, the xray showed the root was dying so a decision had to be made.  We could either pull the tooth or do a mini root canal.  Neither option sounded good to me, but we were told a permanent tooth would not come in until Presley was 7 or 8 years old so pulling her tooth was out of the question.  I wasn't about to have my 4 year old walking around with no front tooth for the next 3 to 4 years! 

We made the decision to schedule the mini root canal to try and save her tooth.  I was a bit nervous taking her in today for the procedure.  Presley's no stranger to the dentist office.  She's been going for regular cleanings since she was 2, and she just had an appliance removed from the roof of her mouth last month that was put in place to spread her top teeth out a bit.  I knew she'd be fine initially, but I was worried that if they caused her any pain today she would never want to go back.  When Presley gets upset, there's no calming her down until she decides to hush so you can imagine my apprehension lol!

Luckily for us, they brought out the happy gas! Presley's never had it before so this was quite an experience.  She would NOT stop talking! She was telling the dental hygienists everything that came to mind ha ha!  She was definitely a trooper, and she ended up not even having to have a shot to numb the area.  The root was completely dead so they were able to do the work without it.  Now, we just have to pray that the work they did was enough to save her tooth.  There is still a possibility that it will have to be pulled, but hopefully this will last us a couple of years!



Nine Years Ago Today....

I married my best friend.

Oh my goodness...we were just babies!

We've known each other almost our entire lives, started dating when we were barely 14, and were married at 19.  The last 9 years have been amazing, even throughout the hard times, and I am so blessed to have such a caring, loving man in my life. We looked at each other the other day and said that it feels like we've been married a lot longer than 9 years lol, and honestly, in our hearts I guess we have.  We've been together a total of 14 years, and I wouldn't trade our time together and our memories for anything in the world.

Thank you, Wayne, for being my rock, the love of my life, and my best friend.  I know that no matter what we go through that you will be by my side, supporting our family.  I love that even when I'm aggravated at you, you can still make me smile.  In my saddest moments, you hold me up and remind me that everything will be alright, and in my happiest of days, you are usually the reason for my joy.

 I thank God for you each day.  You are an AMAZING Daddy to our sweet girls, and I love watching you spend time with them and teach them things.  Thank you for making time for them and showing them how much you love them.

You gave me a card this morning that said many anniversaries from now, we'll still hold each other close, still hold hands, and still love each other just as deeply, and I feel the exact same way.  I think I fall more in love with you with each passing year. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. 

I love you!