Christmas Break Fun

 We decided early in December that we would not be returning to Indiana after Christmas as we had planned. There was just too much going on with the house and running here and there trying to get things figured out with insurance, FEMA, the SBA, the Red Cross, etc. I have a small(ish) rant about that. We discovered early on that if you have insurance, some people, including the government, are not interested in helping you because they assume you have things covered with that. Although we had house insurance, we were in the process of refinancing and switching from rental insurance (since we rented it out when we first bought it) to residential insurance (not sure if that's what it's called, but you get the idea lol). What that means is we got insurance money back for the entire value of the structure of our house, but just a small amount for all of our personal belongings. We were not able to go through and itemize our belongings like most people do. They just wrote us a small check that will basically cover our furniture. We also had insurance on Brett's truck, but that thing had over 235,000 miles on it. It was worth a lot more to us than what the insurance said it was worth because it was still going strong! FEMA and the Red Cross only see that we had insurance though, so we were not able to get any help from them. That's so frustrating to me because we paid insurance like any responsible people would, and it's like we're being punished for it. So please know that all of the clothes, blankets, gift cards, money, etc. that you have sent mean soooooo much to us due to the lack of funds we were able to get from insurance. And as a public service announcement, PLEASE check your insurance and make sure you are fully covered! End of rant. Lol

Since we weren't able to go to Indiana for Christmas, Indiana came to Gatlinburg! First up was Brett's parents and they brought a surprise with them...Madi! I love this girl like she is my own, and I was so excited to see her. I love seeing her and Janae together. They love each other and fight just like sisters! They remind me of my cousin Mandy and I when we were that age. 😊

One night we went to The Island and had dinner with friends who were in town, Doug and Tara Tonkel. Would you believe I didn't get a single picture with them or Randy and Diana?! Selfies and pics of the kids it is! 😂

A gentleman gave us free unlimited tickets to ride the ferris wheel. What a nice surprise! One time was good for me and my motion-sickness-prone stomach though and then we passed them over to the Tonkels and the girls. Rumor has it, Doug was the only one who didn't cry. 😂 

The view up there is amazing, especially at night. I'm not sure I would pay full price for the tickets, but if a stranger hands you free tickets, you must try it! 😁

Brett's parents and Madi left on Friday morning and my parents came that afternoon. When they are in town, I gain weight. We all gain weight. They take us out to eat everywhere! I know, I could order something healthy if I really wanted to. But with this sudden change in our life I haven't really felt like it. So 😛. Lol I know once we get back into our own house I will get back into my workout and clean eating routine, but for now, we're on a break. 😉

On New Year's Eve, they took us to Lumberjack Adventures, which the kids have been dying to see. We have a friend who works there, and she hooked Janae up with some face paint and the boys with axes and caps. She wanted to paint little beards on them, but they were having NO part of that. 😂

The food was delicious and the show was outstanding. All of Dolly Parton's shows are fantastic and we are never disappointed.

This was the last day of shows before they close for the season, so we were glad we were able to get tickets. I was happy to see that they also included a manger scene acted out to Dolly's rendition of "Little Drummer Boy" that gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. I was on the edge of my seat, thinking just MAYBE Miss Dolly Parton herself would appear. She didn't, but that didn't make the moment any less special. It was yet another reminder of Christ's love for us and the blessings he has given us. 

Later that night we ventured downtown in the rain to watch the ball drop. We were probably four hours earlier than we needed to be. We need to remember that for next year!

We went to Pizza Hut late in the evening to dry off and warm up. We were always under the impression that only Pizza Huts in Northeastern Indiana were good, but Sevier County has changed our thinking on this! We've been to two different Pizza Huts down here. One thing that is different though is that they don't have any servers. You order at the counter and go pick up your pizza when it's ready at the window. 🤔 Now I'm curious if they do this in other parts of the country too!

Later in the week we went to Bush's Baked Bean Factory...

And Texas Roadhouse. See, I told you they take us out to eat everywhere!

 

Then Brett and I got our first date night since we moved here! We ate at our FAVORITE local restaurant, Billy Goat Tavern. They have since changed the name to Local Goat. 😂 Word around here is that they a) wanted people to know it was not a chain and b) didn't want people thinking it was just a bar. Good thinking, weird name. Oh well, the food and service still rocks AND they give a locals discount. I'm really glad I got this pic of us in front of the old sign though!

Christmas in the Smokies

We had so much going on in December. The month absolutely flew by. Here's just a snippet of our Christmas in the Smokies.

As soon as we got settled into our new place, Jennifer and Chad brought us a Christmas tree. They even did their research and bought us the exact same ornaments we had on our tree at home. I was so touched by that! I cried. I tended to do that a lot in the beginning when complete strangers were helping us. 😁

For two days, Papa John's set up a truck in the community center parking lot in Pigeon Forge and handed out free personal pan pizzas to everyone. We decided we had to go since we eat there so often! Afterwards we had a surprise for Easton. 

His baseball team bought him all new gear and his coach was even able to replace his trophy. He called to ask about it and it was the last one of that style because they were discontinued. Not a coincidence! Then one of the player's moms had a surprise for us! They own the Smoky Mountain Opry, so they gave us tickets! We didn't care that it was 8:00 on a school night. The kids needed a break from the craziness!

This dress is in the bathroom!

The show was fabulous and Easton was asked to help out on stage. He did great and even spoke when talked to! I know, a miracle! 😂

Like many of the shows here, a portion of the show was dedicated to remembering Christ's birth. I love that about this area!

A few days later we got a package from  the Papenbrock family. They sent us stockings and a special tree topper.

Austin was a catcher in high school and never wore his hat. It was in perfect condition. That meant so much to Brett, after losing all of his high school memories.

Here's Easton with his new baseball gear.

The boys participated in their first Christmas program at church. Easton is clear to the right.

Talan is on the back left. He looks thrilled. 😂

The children's hospital sent all of the kids in Easton's class a stuffed dog. Easton's is named Chance. He held tight to that dog for the first two weeks. It really helped him, I think. 

One night we were invited to a dinner at Trish's for all of the families and firemen affected by the fire. We played games and had so much fun. The kids had a blast wrapping me up like a present. 😁

Another night we put together a gingerbread house that the school had given us.

It fell apart almost immediately, which was a good chance for the kids to sample it. They gave it a thumbs up. 😊

The kids were also invited to Shop with a Cop. They had so much fun and were very sensible in their choices. I had forgotten how much I dislike riding school buses. Especially for 75 minutes one way! 😂

The last day of school before Christmas break came quickly. The Christmas program was in the morning and then they got to leave after that. We had no idea they would be leaving with us after the program! We thought they were kidding when they said they were allowed to! 

Talan's class:

Easton's class:

Janae swing dancing. She was good!

7th and 8th grade:

After the program I had to get a picture. They loved this. Not really. 😂

On Christmas Eve, we surprised the kids with a trip to Bryson City to ride the Polar Express. We had bought tickets ages ago, and this was the only Christmas present to the kids that didn't burn up. Sometimes technology is a good thing. 😊

Christmas morning at Hemlock was not how we expected to spend our first Christmas in Tennessee, but it was one we will always remember. We were overwhelmed by all of the presents from the school, community and many of you. If you sent us something, THANK YOU! You helped to make Christmas special for our kids when we were not in a position to do so. 

The Eidemillers invited us to go see Moana on Christmas afternoon. Those of you who know me well, know that I hate going to the movies. The seats recline though so it wasn't too bad! I only dozed off once, I think. That's a new record! 😂

We felt so blessed this Christmas season. God has been doing amazing things in our lives! Never in a million years did we think we would move down here, only to lose everything we owned just a few months later. But we have let God guide us every step of the way and it really hasn't been that bad! This is why you need Jesus in your life!!! Without trusting in Him, who knows where we would be. But WITH Him, we are happier than ever. 😊