What a weekend!!!!

It all started on Friday morning when Mickey came into the bathroom as I was getting ready to go to work. "Be ready @ 5:30. You need to wear something nice and have your clothes packed for the night. Don't worry about picking up KK. My mom will take care of it." At the time I was still half asleep so I think my reaction was, "Huh?" So.... he repeated himself, kissed me good-bye and off he went to work. For the rest of the day all I could wonder was, "What in the world did this husband of mine have up his sleeve?"

Fast foward to 5:30 pm. We left the house. Our bags were packed and we were both dressed in, what I would call, Sunday clothes. We stopped and fueled up the Trailblazer and headed up I-26 West into Asheville, NC. My heart stopped when we pulled into the Mariott Renaissance because that is where we stayed on the first night of our honeymoon. Being the hopeless romantic that I am, this scored Mickey some major points! Anyway, we checked into the hotel, took our bags up to the room, freshened up and then headed out to dinner. We ate dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Frankie Bones. We enjoyed fresh, warm bread with their signature butter, stuffed mushrooms, and we both had a steak dinner. I had a filet mignon and you could cut it with a knife. Trust me, it was to die for! We opted out of dessert because we are not really sorbet/cappucinno type of people, but we wouldn't have been able to eat anymore if we tried. After dinner we returned to the hotel, called to check-in on KK and turned in for the night......

On Saturday morning, we enjoyed a lazy morning around the hotel. No shows to turn on. Breakfast to prepare. House to clean. Clothes to wash. I finished reading one of my 12 books that I have set out to read this year and Mickey caught up on what was happening in the news. Once we checked out of the hotel we ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel and visited my cousin Kelly at work. Then we headed up to Mars Hill, NC to Mars Hill College. We rode around, I reminisced, snapped some pictures and visited the bookstore. Mickey bought me a new decal for my car and a hooded sweatshirt. It was so fun to be able to see how the college campus had changed since I was there 8 years ago.

By the time we were finished at MHC it was around 1:00 so we decided we should start our trek home. We stopped in Asheville and Hendersonville and did some shopping, and then took the scenic route down the mountain to Tryon, NC. Once we were in Tryon, we rode up Melrose Mtn., admired the views and some of the lovely homes, and even caught sight of a beautiful rainbow!

On Saturday night, I was treated to a romantic candle-lit dinner with some of our best friends. Mickey and I arrived to "pick up" Dawn and Russell around 6:45pm. Dawn came out to the car and tied a blindfold around my eyes. (Yes, I was having flashbacks to my sorority days..) However, I cooperated. We got in the car and rode around for a while. I thought we were going out to dinner, but we ended up back at their house much to my surprise! Dawn had everything so beautifully decorated, h'ordeurves prepared, a meal of salad, pork tenderloin, her special mashed potatoes, garlic and cheese biscuits and homemade cupcakes for dessert. Jammy and Raegan joined us at dinner and we all had a wonderful time full of fun, fellowship and fabulous food! After dinner, we played Dominoes, talked, and laughed until our sides hurt!

Needless to say, by the time Sunday rolled around I couldn't imagine things getting much better! However, I was treated to a delictable lunch at my in-laws' home with my sister-in-law Betsi and our friends, the Bakers! Betsi, my sister-in-law, and I have the same birthday so we usually have a joint celebration. We ate lots of food, cake, pie and opened presents. And then after church, we went to El Sureno with my sister and her family, our friends the Caldwells, the Allen family, the Ridings, my mom and Dawn and Isaac. This is a Sunday tradition and one that I was not willing to break, especially on my birthday!

Whew, what a weekend! I never knew turning 30 could be so much fun! I am so fortunate to be surrounded with such wonderful people in my life who love and accept me unconditionally! God has blessed me so much in the past 30 years. I can't wait to see what He has in store in the years to come!!!