Country Living Fair 2015 - Stone Mountain Georgia

Bob and I had a trip planned to Florida for quite a while to visit friends who are serving a mission there. We were to come back on the 23rd of October. Do you know that there is a layover in Atlanta on many flights home from Florida? I did happen to know that, and as I got an email about the Country Living Fair at Stone Mountain Georgia on the 23rd of October, I sent a text to my husband asking how long of a layover we could manage to have in Georgia. After questioning me a bit more as to my motive for asking, he said he'd look into it. And voila! He arranged for us to fly to Atlanta on the 22nd, stay there for two days, and then fly the rest of the way home on the 24th. Yippee!

We had been to the Country Living Fair a few years ago, and loved it. I couldn't believe how the stars aligned for us to go again this year! We had a wonderful time in Florida with our friends, and then off for a few days on our own to catch our breath and relax a bit. And then on to Georgia... If you've never been to Stone Mountain, you should go. It's a beautiful area surrounding a huge stone hill. In the hill is a huge (larger than Mount Rushmore) carving of three confederate heroes of the civil war (President Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E Lee). There are lakes, camping and hiking areas all around the mountain.

And The Fair is located smack dab in the middle of all of this. Sooooo lovely!

Of course, if you're going to make that much effort to get to the fair, you most certainly should cough up the extra dough to have an early-bird ticket. Which means waiting in a line to get in.

But once you're in, you have an hour and a half of no crowds. It is heaven. Pure, sweet heaven.

Just look at the excitement on Bob's face. He was definitely in the minority there, though not the absolute only man. There was a sort of brotherhood amongst the few brave men who were shopping alongside their wives. When they'd pass each other they'd give a little nod of the head and an understanding smile. Generally they'd have their arms full of bags and treasures.

I love this pic below. Bob is in line with a bunch of ladies. In his left arm, he is cradling gifts that we picked out for our daughters and daughters-in-law. 

A special treat was to be able to hear Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) talk and answer questions. She is exactly what you'd think her to be, in real life -- darling, funny, and down-to-earth. I've always loved her, and now I love her even more!

The fact that The Fair is located in such beautiful surroundings is just a huge win-win. We stayed at a hotel their in the park, and enjoyed this ride several times a day...

And in between our going to The Fair, we climbed to the top of the mountain a couple of times. Soooo beautiful!

And the best part of the trip? With all the fun and adventures we had, the best part was just being away with Bob. As Walt Whitman so aptly put...

Our Trip of a Lifetime

If you ever get a chance to go on a trip with your mom to the land of her ancestors, do it! We did, and it was truly the trip of a lifetime. It all started with my sister and her husband receiving a mission call to serve in the Birmingham England Mission. They left last fall, and will be gone 18 months. Before they left, Bob and I started thinking about how fun it would be to take my mom to visit her. And the perfect bunk mate for her (and trip mate for us) would be my oldest sister, so we easily included her in the trip.

They were both game, so we started planning, booked flights, and began the long process of coming up with an itinerary so that we could book the hotels. We finally figured out a pretty good travel plan that involved picking up a rental car in London and driving around England, Wales and Scotland.

We went in June, and were gone for 13 days. And it could not possibly have been any better. Everything went as planned. Bob was an excellent driver (on the left side of the road, no less), the schedule worked out, everyone was healthy, and we saw and did things every day that will forever be a treasure to me.

Now, some of you may remember my mom is close to turning 85. And you may be wondering how a trip like that was for an 85 year old. She didn't miss one beat. Not. One. She scooted right along with all of us, and didn't want to "sit out" on any activity. She also was the most adventurous as far as eating. She would look the menu over, and when it was her turn to order, she would rattle off the most obscure thing on the menu. Many a time we would just look at her with our mouths open when she ordered, but she always loved whatever it was, and loved it all the more for it's "different" taste. She's an adventurous gal, that one. And my oldest sister was such a treat to have along. She is an amazing person, and one that I've always admired and looked up to. She is absolutely delightful to spend time with. We all laughed and carried on and talked into the wee hours. In fact, we mentioned that it was really an amazing thing to all still like each other, in fact love each other more deeply, after being with each other straight for that long. Especially when covering 1800 miles of land together.

We loved visiting with my sister and her husband for a few days, and touring some of the countryside with them. They knew the area like the back of their hand, which was good, since the little villages dot the hillsides and wind in and around each other.

And I never can get enough of traveling with my love. We love having adventures together and sharing those experiences and memories. There is no one I would rather be with, any time, any where.

Oh, the things we saw. And did...

In front of Westminster Abbey

I take pics of Bob like this all the time. Be still my heart.

How cute is this of Bob with a perfect view of the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace... right over my mom's head. (She's in the pink jacket). He loves her and is protective of her, like she really was his mom.

In front of St. Paul's Cathedral.

On a bus tour. We take selfies often. And delight our kids with them all throughout the day.

Stonehenge. A must see for sure.

With my sister and her husband, who are missionaries serving in England. (They're on the right). This was at St. Pierre's Hotel in Chepstow Wales.

The St. Pierre Resort had a little cemetery that we walked through every day to get from the main hotel and restaurant to our townhouse.

Cardiff Castle. Oh, hello there, husband o' mine.

One thing about Bob and me on a road trip. He understands me perfectly and knows just what is important in the sight-seeing department for me. There was more than one time that he pulled over at the sight of sheep and let us have our fill of photos.

This is one of those family history moments. This home was the home of my mom's grandma and great-grandma (who lived side by side through the two doors you see). It's from the 1800's, and the woman who is second from the left is restoring it with her husband. Amazing to find this place and know exactly where our ancestors lived. And as if that wasn't enough, the sweet woman gave us treasures that they had unearthed during the restoration. She had a large tub of small medicine bottles, lots of iron pieces, and other relics. So fun! We won't mention that we lugged those iron pieces and bottles every where we went for the rest of the week. And our suitcases definitely put on some weight for the trip home.

Here's a great example of what kind of an 85 year old my mom is. We stopped at a part of Hadrian's Wall in Scotland. At this particular stop, you could climb up a hill and look out around the countryside. She could have stayed down at the bottom with the cows, but she went right on up, and it really was a good climb.

And Bob helping her back down this hillside. Pretty amazing!

Northern Scotland, on the way to Loch Ness.

Edinburgh Castle.

On the way down the England Coast from Edinburgh to the Leeds area. We wanted to travel down the coastline to take in the views, and we were not disappointed. Bob stopped whenever we could find a place to take photos. This one shows the farmland that goes right down to the ocean. Imagine living down there and farming that every day! I wouldn't get any work done... I'd be staring at the view all day long.

Our last day, we stopped at the RAF Museum for Bob. He loves anything having to do with planes (he works with plane innards every day). He was like a kid in a candy shop. Really.

And our last stop of the trip was to the London Temple. Because of some serious traffic problems, we missed being able to attend, but we strolled the beautiful grounds and visited with some of the missionaries there.

So go do it. Start making plans and saving pennies for a trip with your mom and/or dad. Go to the places that are important in their heritage. Spend time listening to their stories and memories. If you're married, make sure to bring your husband along. Let him take part in and understand how important these moments are to you. I can't imagine drinking in all that we did every day on our trip, and not curling up with him at the end of each day reliving the amazing things we saw and the funny, sweet adventures, and cementing them as memories. 

And take lots of photos. You will forever be grateful that you did.

Trip Preparation and Packing Lists

Whew. I finally feel like I'm starting to make ground on my "to-do" list. But just barely.

I promised I'd share these lists that help me get ready for my trips.

When we were preparing for our Panama Canal Trip, I got my "trip lists" out, like I always do, and started packing and getting my ducks in a row. I thought I'd share these lists on the blog... not because they will be perfect for you to use as you get ready for your trips, but the because the concept itself works really seamlessly for packing. These are lists that I've used through the years, and I know that as long as I check everything off, there won't be anything that I forget. And it has worked trip after trip after trip. Once in a while a random thing comes up that I've never thought of before, and it gets added to the list. But they are pretty comprehensive. And since I have them on my computer, I just print them off before the trip, and they're ready. No need to try to come up with a brand new list every time and cross my fingers that I've remembered everything. These lists take the guess work out of packing.

So, first of all I have a list of things I need to do to prepare for the trip.

As you can see, the list is pretty tailor-made for my home and family, but the point is to have a list, and then add to it and tweak it as you go along. As this list goes, I don't have to try to wrack my brain to try to remember all that I need to do before we leave. It's all on the list, ready to be checked off. Sometimes I don't need to do each and every item on the list, and then I just cross it off the list, or put an "n/a" next to it.

The next list is a general packing list for each of the family members who are going on the trip. This was SO very handy when I had a full house of kids. I would just print them each off a list, and they would go to town packing for themselves. I generally put how many of each of some of the items, just to help when we're trying to figure out outfits and such. Even when just Bob and I are going on a trip, I print one off for him and one off for me. Again, takes all of the guess work out of the packing.

The next list is a more comprehensive packing list for just me. It includes many more items than just the packing list that each of the kids get. Some of the items are repeats from the above family list, but it has quite a few other things that I need to remember to bring.

And the last of the four lists is one that I give to our house-sitter. When my whole family is gone on a trip, we hire one of the neighbor kids to take care of things. When it's just Bob and I, we'll have one or two of our kids checking in and watering and such. Either way, it's helpful for them to have a list of what you are wanting them to do each day.

I block out the days when they don't need to worry about doing some of the things, so they can look at the day at the top of the list, and then see the few things that they need to check on or do for that day.

As you can see, the lists aren't fancy at all, but they serve a great purpose, and that is to free my ever-buzzing head from the worries of preparing and packing for a trip. I don't have to re-think any of it. I just automatically pull up my four lists, adjust them a bit for that specific trip, and print them off. Done. I've been using these lists for at least 15 years now, and they are tweaked a bit through the years to fit our needs, but other than that, they're the same lists, and I wouldn't even think of going on a trip without using them!

So, start putting together your lists. You can use mine as a reference, and to jog your memory as to what you need to do before you leave for your trip, and also what you need to remember to pack. Do a simple list on your computer. In fact, you don't even need to print the lists off. Just make the list on your IPad or phone, or whatever, and refer to that as you pack. (Unless you're like me, and need to have the satisfaction of crossing things off the list.)

Panama Canal Trip and then back to the routine!

We are back! And since I don't normally advertise over the internet when we are leaving, you wouldn't even have missed us, but we were gone for almost two weeks! We went on a Panama Canal cruise, which was something we've always wanted to see. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

This is the Panama Canal (Gatun Locks) as our big cruise ship is entering the locks. The little trains you see below, attach to the ship by lines, and keep the ship in the center of the canal where it belongs. There are four trains on each side of the ship.

And here are the Miraflores Locks, seen from the side. It's hard to believe those huge cruise ships can fit inside of that space, but they do!

Oh, and here's my travelling partner. I could look at this photo all the day long. In fact, think I will.

Leading up to the trip, Bob and I were at a point in our hectic lives where we were mostly just passing each other in the hallway (sometimes at a pretty good trot). We needed some time away together, and this trip was just the thing. We saw beautiful things, thawed out in the warm sun, lazed around on lounge chairs and went on hair-raising zip-lines in the jungles of Costa Rica...

Here we are before. Happy as clams.

And here is Bob, gliding along with the greatest of ease. He never really looked the slightest bit different than he would look when he's sitting in a lounge chair sipping a cool soda. His facial expressions never change. Of course, he is the consummate "calm and cool under any circumstances".

I, on the other hand, have varying levels of fear, puzzlement (as to how to get my body pointing straight instead of sideways, when coming in for a landing), and excitement.

And lest you are wondering why there should really be any fear involved, this photo may give it a little justice. Some of the zip lines are 150 feet above the jungle floor. Think of it. Doesn't it get your adrenaline going a little bit?

Near the end of the zip-lines, I did figure out how to come in straight and I may have even had a smile or two.

...We also went on walks, worked out together (remember, fatty, high-calorie cruise food -- we needed to keep some of that at bay), actually read books, and generally soaked each other up for 12 whole days. Heaven. We could have been anywhere on earth, and it wouldn't have mattered to either one of us, as long as we got to spend that uninterrupted time together. It will be just the thing to get us through the busy months ahead!

And now that we're back, I feel like I'm ready to conquer the world. Well, almost. I came back to this.

I had sworn to myself (and anyone else who would listen) that I refused to come home to any Christmas decorations that still needed to be put away. But, try as I might, I could not carve out the few hours it would take to put them all away where they go. So, it all sat on the floor of our basement just patiently waiting for me to get home. And the very morning after I got home, I rolled my sleeves up and got to work. It felt great to pack it all away, but I was reminded of my need to purge Christmas decorations, so I invited all of my kids to a Christmas garage sale next October. Done.

And with the basement all cleaned up and organized, I was in my "nesting" mode, so everywhere I've gone in my house in the past few days, I've lingered to organize. I still have oh, so much to do, but it feels so good to start seeing a little organization and order scattered here and there in our home.

In a couple of days, I'll be sharing my Trip Packing and Prep lists that help me remember to pack every last thing and also to do all that needs to be done around the house before we leave. It makes the preparation part of trips so much easier!

The Vintage Market Place in Sunny California

We had a quick getaway last weekend. It all started with The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks. I had been hearing about these "fairs" for about a year, and had secretly wished I could pop in on one. They happen every few months, and it seemed that every time one came around, there was something that conflicted. This time around, I couldn't see any reason that we couldn't slip away for a few days, sooooooo, I casually asked Bob if he thought there might be a need for him to go to California on business. He has a customer in Southern California (which is where The Vintage Marketplace is held). He replied that he always had a need to go there. So, when I wondered aloud whether a trip in the beginning of March might work, he knew that I must have something up my sleeve. I told him about the fair, and without even blinking, he said, "Let's go!". (I'm not one to love flying, so when a trip is something I actually suggest, he is all over it.) We flew to Orange County and then the next day we drove from our hotel to Rainbow, California, which was probably a little over an hour away. Oh, and just for the record... Bob did meet with his customer on Thursday afternoon, right after we got in to town. 

Friday was really warm. I mean really warm. We had left Utah where it was about 35 degrees, and there we were in Rainbow where it was 85 degrees. It was a gorgeous day!

This little seating area made from old doors was near the entry of The Vintage Marketplace. 

I didn't take very many photos. I was having too much fun looking around. As with the Country Living Fair that we went to a couple of years ago, it was torturous in some ways. There were lots of large furniture items that I would have bought in a second if we had a truck. As it was, I settled on some fun smaller things that we were able to ship home at the handy little postal center across the way from the fair. (Can't wait to get that box!)

Notice the man in the photo below. It is not Bob, but it is proof that there was at least one other man at this event.

What a great sport my sweetie-pie is! He didn't once complain or suggest that we move through the booths faster. If the booth was full of ladies with large purses, he just shimmied out and waited for me on the outskirts of the booth, and then we moved on. It was a perfect day! I could literally spend all day long doing just that, but we saw everything within a couple of hours, and drove back up to Huntington Beach (our old stomping grounds).

We had such a fun time getting away for a few days! There is nothing I would rather do than be on a trip with Bob. We both seem to take life at a pretty fast pace, so its nice to wind down together once in a while!

Snowshoeing trip

We returned last night from our 2-night getaway for our anniversary. It was heaven, being "away from it all" and spending the time with the one I most love to be with! We thoroughly enjoyed just relaxing and having no schedule. On Friday, we stayed in our p.j.'s til 2:00. I don't remember the last time I did that! We just pattered around, played Colorku (a fun, different version of Sudoku), read, watched TV together and ate. Heaven, I tell ya!

Friday, we went out snowshoeing, which is one of our favorite winter past times. 

Bob leading off on our snowshoeing expedition

When Bob takes the lead on our snowshoeing expeditions, we refer to it as "extreme snowshoeing". We go straight up mountains, and straight down, and rarely follow a trail. We just go up and over fallen logs and whatever else happens to be in our way. In this next photo, you can see how high above me he is on the hill. It is practically straight up. Thankfully, when he blazes a trail, he usually makes little steps for me to follow, so my workout isn't quite as extensive as his.

Snow falling

Our cabin, nestled amongst the trees

To get in and out in the winter, we generally park at a parking lot partway to our cabin, and then unload our Mule (in below photo). We know that if we're in the Mule, we can make it through any road conditions without slipping or sliding. We're not quite so sure about that if we drive up in anything other than the Mule. We've been known to slide here and there in the truck!  :)

Bob in the Mule

Couldn't ask for a better getaway, even if it was short. We'll take what we can get these days! And I definitely couldn't ask for a better getaway partner! Oh, how I love that man!