Where have I been???

Seriously, it has been over a month since I updated here, and I am very sorry. I am upstairs in my bed with a killer headache, I am pretty sure I am getting what Ron and the boys have been dealing with the last few weeks, so I figured I would update some.

Lets see, what has been going on over the last month...My very good friend Heidi came to visit, and while here she taught me how to do digital scrapbooking and I am hooked. I have a stamp club that I need to plan for. Spring is coming which means PTO is in full swing again. I am learning to let others take charge of things, which is not easy for me, and I am needing to be patient, again, something that is not easy for me. My nephew is turning one this weekend, which I cannot believe is happening already. Lea and I are driving up to VA next weekend for his party, and I can't wait to see him. Ok, let me talk some about all this.

First, and most exciting, Heidi. I have written about Heidi a few times on here but as a reminder I met Heidi in 9th grade. She was new to the school, we met in Chorus. Heidi has been one of greatest friends since then. I have always been able to count on her to make me laugh, she always has the greatest stories ever. So, when she mentioned she wanted to come to Knoxville to visit I was super excited. She came and stayed for 5 glorious days and I had a wonderful time. Ron made his most awesome seafood marinara the night she got here, after we found that her luggage didn't make it to Knoxville, and she brought my spnge candy that I needed to wait for...not nice McGee Tyson!

Saturday we went to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. First we stopped for lunch at Salsarita's which has the best fast food mexican out there, or at least the best chips in the world then we hit the Christmas village. I love that store, but it is pretty sad looking a month after Christmas. It actually had more stuff in the summer! Then it was off to the mountains. We got stuck in some major traffic in the mountains but it was fine because we just talked the whole time. We finally made it to Gatlinburg so we parked and walked through the main street. I found a place called the village which had 25 little shops, so fun, and we stopped and had coffee and a doughnut, the BEST doughnut I have ever had, I am talking melt in your mouth good. After a little shopping there in the village we headed up Main Street again. Heidi wanted to stop in a sauce store to look for some hot sauce for her Dad so we did.

Right when you walk in they have a long table filled with dips and they have everyone available to try with mini pretzel rods,so we tried a few, and then keep on walking through the store. When all of a sudden I see...INA. Jars and jars of jams and jellys, so I scan for lemon curd, and nothing, just the store brand of lemon curd. I look up and more Ina...boxes of all her bake goods, and coffees and hot chocolate...I think I may have died and gone to heaven.

Heidi was in the back of the store where they had a wall of hot sauces, some very crazy ones too I might add, I went back there and we tried some salsas. As we made our way back up to the front I tried a couple more of the dips that she mentioned were good when this happens...

"Jen" tapping my arm hard and very fast. "Jen, Jen, Jen, Jen."
"What, I am trying the dip you told me to try."
"Jen, look" She points to the counter behind us.
I turn and see jars of Barefoot Contessa lemon curd, marked 30% off. Woohoo

"They are all a quarter."
"Um, what?"
"They are all a quarter" I hear the man behind the counter say a second time
"25 cents?"
"yes"
"25 cents???"
"Yes"
I begin to count the jars. Screw this, "I'll take them all." I got 9 jars of barefoot Contessa lemon curd for $2.70....a jar costs $5.99.

Excitement isn't even the word I would use to describe how I was feeling at that moment. Though, I must say, those glass jars were heavy.

We continued walking along Main street Gatlinburg, and then back down to the car so we could head back to Pigeon Forge. Heidi took some pictures of the Dollywood signs and stuff and then we headed to the Old Mill Restaurant. We got there at 5:30 and we were told it was an hour and fifteen minute wait for dinner. Oh, I forgot to mention, it was Valentine's day. Not a problem though, the Old Mill is a cool place, it is surrounded by little shops and stuff, so we did some shopping, then headed back up to the restaurant where we both had the most amazing corn fritters, corn chowder, pot roast, mashed potatoes and southern green beans ever made. It was after 8 when we left, both very full. On our way out of Pigeon Forge though we quickly stopped at the Tanger Outlets and stopped at the Disney Outlet and the Peppridge farm store, then it was back to Knoxville.

Sunday we drove around Knoxville and I showed her all the exciting sites...that took all of 5 minutes. Haha, just kidding. We drove around the city and I showed her UT and then we headed to Turkey Creek which is just an area with lots of shopping. We did some shopping and then we saw the movie, He's just that not into you. It was a good movie but I did get pretty pissed in it, mostly because the actor that I am currently in lust with is an ass in this movie, but in the end he got what he deserved.

After the movie we swung by my friend Michelle's house to pick her up to have mexican for dinner. Heidi had us laughing so hard that night that I literally almost pee'd my pants. See, I told you earlier, she makes me laugh.

Monday we stayed home to recover from the weekend, and that is when she taught me all about my newest obsession, digital scrapbooking. I will never go back to paper scrapbooking again. I did my nephew's first year book, about 16 pages, in 3 days!!!!! I love digital. Right now templates are my BFF but I plan to practice more with the kits I have soon. I can't thank her enough for teaching me this, I am loving it, which leads me to one of the reasons why I haven't blogged in a while...always playing with my digital stuff. ;)

I will update more later, this post is long enough already. So hold your hats, next post will be about either the PTO, stamp club, or my kids....