Our Honeymoon Part 1: Natural Disasters and a Dixie Stampede

I am finally getting around to posting this blog, mostly because after the last few weeks I am beginning to think that our vacation was just a dream and I am afraid I will forget it all if I don't document! (Remember I was a social worker; you always document, document, document!!)

We started our vacation in Panama City. We stayed with my parents for the weekend and spent Saturday on storm watch as all kinds of crazy natural disasters hit the country. I do apologize that I did not send out fair warning to let everyone know that we were attempting to take vacation and of course floods, hurricanes, volcanoes and tornadoes were sure to strike. Finally, the skies cleared and we took my parents out for their anniversary. Then on Sunday it was beautiful! Josh preached at our home church and that afternoon Sarah's dreams came true when she got to go to the park with ALL of her Florida grandmas.

Josh and I left out EARLY Monday morning. I'm talking 4:00 am which is usually late to me because I'm the type to stay up that late rather than get up that early! But Josh was ready for a vacation! As we were getting ready to leave I kept seeing the kids things and thinking that I better not forget them and then it would hit me that we were leaving them. I prayed really hard that God would help me enjoy the time with Josh and I knew that they were going to have a blast while we were gone. You know you're a mom when you get excited that you can stop to go to the bathroom without changing a diaper and having to take a car full of people with you!

The trip was long, but pretty. It was also QUIET. People kept telling me and Josh that we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves and it was true. It's funny how we always have so much to say when their are little people constantly interrupting us, but with just the two of us we had a lot of quiet time. I think we mentally went into shock. :) I usually enjoy road trips, especially if I have time to just hang out and think, but I was sooo ready to be there! It was well worth the wait!

My pictures couldn't do our cabin justice. You can check it out at http://www.starrcrestresort.com/. Our cabin's name was A Walk in the Clouds. I share that link so that if you are like me and your brain needs mini-vacations sometimes you can check it out. It makes me happy just to see it online. :) Also, isn't it wonderful to walk into a kitchen and the first thing you see is a restaurant guide? That made me happy too. :) Josh picked that cabin because after seeing the pictures he thought it was decorated the way I would decorate it. That made me feel special. I have to say that despite the last couple of weeks full of stomach viruses, head injuries, and dentist visits I am starting to feel all giddy again just talking about our trip! :)

That night we had reservations for Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. Yee Haw! I had been to one when I was younger and was excited to go again. Let's face it, these days it just doesn't take much to excite me. Anything out of our little routine that gets me out of cooking is exciting to me! Unfortunately, I had not packed well. People kept talking about how cool it would be in the mountains, but I stayed in denial convinced I would be wearing my cute sundresses everyday. WRONG! It was cold!! Anyway, we went to pick up our tickets and the lady asked Josh which side our reservations were for, the north or the south. As soon as she asked that I remembered the way that the show was set up and that you are on either the south's side or the north's side, you know like in the civil war. Josh did not know this when he made our reservation and we ended up on the north side. During the show I informed him that we had ancestors rolling over in their graves as we cheered on the yankees! But, we also felt at home because in Mississippi everybody thinks we talk like yankees!

Before the show there was a pre-show that took place in a big saloon. We had bought these nifty souvenier cups. (Sorry the pic is blurry. My camera has a mind of its own and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.) There was a group that played blue grass music. I have to admit that I am not personally a huge blue grass fan, but they were really good. At one point they started playing hymns and people started singing "Amazing Grace". I looked around and realized I was singing "Amazing Grace" in a saloon drinking diet coke out of a boot. Only in the south, right? When they were done I wondered if I should raise my boot and say "Amen!" But I didn't. :)

The show was a lot of fun and we ate a LOT of food. Personally I would have been content with a gallon of the soup and cheese biscuits, but you also get a baked potato, a WHOLE rotisserie chicken, corn on the cob, pork loin, and an apple tart! And can I just say that I hadn't had any carbs for 3 weeks and when they brought that apple tart I about jumped over the table to get to it! Our honeymoon was definitely off to a good start!