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!