We finally did it!!! I couldn't believe it. The last time we tried to get away, I ended up with strep throat. This time, our daughter got bronchitis. However, she pleaded that we go and so we gave it a try. I told my husband that if she looked like she was getting ANY worse then we would pack our bags and cut our losses. We had already booked our cabin and we couldn't get our money back. I figured there was nothing to lose.
We arrived late Friday night and the weather was perfect. It was cool with low humidity. We didn't even have to turn on the AC the entire time we were there! (Yes, our cabin had all of the modern amenities such as AC, bathroom, and kitchen.) That evening was tough getting to sleep. ALL the kids were wired and just wanted to play. The bedroom had two full sized beds and so we divided up the sleeping arrangements right away. We had the younger two sleep in the other bed and the older two slept in the living room area. One slept on the couch and the other slept on the floor. Amazingly, they didn't fight over the couch!
The next morning we all woke up at about the same time. I made sure to bring LOTS of food and so we had a good breakfast. The kids could choose from waffles, oatmeal, poptarts, and other quick meals. Everyone ate very well. The dad took the older two on a hike, while the rest of us stayed and played around the cabin. The cabin was situated close to the lake and there were woods behind us. We walked around and went "exploring" to see what there was. I took lots of good pictures. The cabin itself reminded me a lot of Little House on the Prairie, except it had a screened in front porch with rocking chairs. According to the pamphlet, it was among the original cabins built in 1938. The doors had original hardware on them and the logs looked ancient! I caught myself laying on the bed and just admiring the craftsmanship of the place. It was truly amazing to think that this place was built so long ago.
When the guys returned from their hike we went to Callaway Gardens. It was the perfect time of year to walk among the beautiful gardens and flowers. The butterfly sanctuary was definitely our #4's favorite thing to do while we were there. We had to go back a second time because he was relentless. Our #2 also enjoyed it and tried very hard to stand still and encourage the butterflies to land on him. Unfortunately, there were masses of people there and they were rude and bumped into him and basically made it impossible to stay still. I was so proud of him for not giving up and for not getting frustrated. We did a lot of walking and looking at nature. I thought the kids were going to get bored, but they had a wonderful time. They kept spotting squirrels and wildlife around us. It is so much fun seeing things through a child's eyes.
That evening we decided to roast marshmallows over an open fire outside the cabin. We sent the kids out to look for wood and they had a blast. Our oldest was able to find a lot of smaller twigs (they were the ones to be used for the marshmallow roasting), while my #2 hunted for the larger pieces of wood. My younger two also contributed to the stash of wood. I had envisioned my eldest and husband starting the fire and then the boys basically keeping it alive. It worked out exactly like I planned. I never thought I would see the day when anyone in our family would actually get tired of roasted marshmallows! We went through a bag and a half before I could see everyone a bit lethargic and mellow. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
The following morning we had to be out by 11:00am. I thought we would wake up early and be able to do a couple things before heading out, but it didn't work out quite like I planned. We ended up sleeping in and did not get out of bed until almost 9:30am! It took us about an hour to pack up and clean out the cabin. I thought we did good. I woke up with a sore throat and sore back, but other than that I wasn't feeling too bad. Two adults and a four year-old don't fit very well on a double bed. However, somehow.. someway, we managed it and my back sure paid the price!
Our ride home was not too bad. It was an hour and a half drive. We are used to that since we visit grandparents about the same distance. We took the truck so the kids were in the "fun" car. They love the shiny new red extended cabin truck that their dad bought last year. I have to admit that it's a fun car to drive and to ride in. It sure beats my minivan. When we arrived at our house, I walked in and the first thing I noticed was the smell. My sense of smell hasn't been good lately, but there is nothing like the familiar smells of home. I went straight to my room and laid on the bed. The feeling of that familiar comfort and softness of my new pillow was almost enough to make me pass out right then and there. However, my moment was short lived when the "gang" stormed into the room and asked, "What's for lunch?" I took a deep breath and smiled and said, "Let's see what's in the freezer. If not, ya'll are eating PB & J sandwiches."
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A cabin in the woods at Pine Mountain,
Georgia...$100.00/night..........
A weekend without t.v. and nintendo
DS.... priceless!!!
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