Maggie Valley 2013

Here are some of our pictures from our trip thus far - They are in no specific order as I don't have the energy to do that, but here is a brief summary of what we have done....

We drove in Monday and just made a day of it. It took quite a bit longer than we thought, but we made it - the drive in was gorgeous. About 3hrs was spent on a mountain road, running parallel to the Nantahala River. It was so serene and peaceful. When we made it to the cabin, we unloaded the van and made our way to Ingles to purchase some groceries... and spend way too much money! We then went back to the cabin, ate dinner, and settled in for the night...

On Tuesday, we slept in! Once everyone was up, we ate breakfast and went on a search for snow! As luck would have it, we did not have to travel far - just down the road from our old cabin was plenty of pristine snow just calling our name! Unfortunately, we had no hats, coats, or gloves, so the time was limited. The kiddos absolutely loved it though and it was quite cathartic for all of us! The rest of the day was spent at the cabin - enjoying a warm fire, playing in the hot tub, and just enjoying the brek from reality...

Wednesday rolled around, and we were even more determined to find snow because rain was forcasted for Thursday, which would eliminate all of the snow. We gathered all of our jackets, gloves, and hats and made our way to the BlueRidge Parkway where there was plenty of snow - at least 18" deep in most areas! The Parkway itself was closed, so we had free reign to do whatever we wanted. Daddy parked the van and we all jumped out, ready to play. Unfortunately, most of the snow, had turned into an ice/snow combo and was pretty difficult to work with, but we made the most of it. We hiked on some trails. Had snowball fights. Made snow angels. Just had a great time. Then, we saw it - A giant, perfect for sledding, hill! Only one problem though, we had no sled... luckily, Daddy saw an area on the way up that sold sleds, so we all piled our soaking wet, freezing cold bodies into the van to go get a sled. We bought a bright red sled and returned back to the Parkway, ready to face the hill - it was FUN! We spent over an hour going up and down that hill until Wesley was sobbing because he was so very, very cold. We retuned to the van, removed out soaking wet shoes and socks and cranked the heat up. I am not sure why, but we proceeded to drive into Cherokee, only to turn around and head back to Waynesville to find some lunch! We ended up at a fabulous restaurant named Bogarts. When we were done, we headed to a playground to enjoy the remainder of this beautiful day!

When Thursday rolled around, so did Daddy's 37th birthday! I was planning on making him a big breakfast, but apparently, everyone had other plans... Daddy and the kiddos had decided to go tubing in Mars Hill - a place that we had visited last year and truly loved! We left the cabin early and made the 75ish minute trek north - it is a gorgeous drive, through farmland, mountains, valleys, etc. Us Floridians are quite unprepared for the frozen white stuff and were ever so grateful that the owner had some extra bibs for us to borrow - he even had a jacket Wesley could borrow since I failed to pack him one (it is somewhere at home!). We had such a great time tubing. We raced. We laughed. We had fun. We had it completely to ourselves for nearly the entire 2hrs we were there and it was great! At about 12:30, we left to make the trek back to the cabin to prepare for naps. I laid down with Wesley and Hannah, while Daddy and Lil Robert snuggled and spent time together. When all woke, we all decided to take Daddy to dinner for his 37th Birthday. After driving around Maggie Valley and Waynesville for a bit, we ended back at Bogart's! It was great and they even treated daddy to a huge Oreo ice cream sandwich! Once back at the cabin, we had a "surprise party" for daddy - it included mini pink cookies and cupcakes! The kiddos loved joking that pink was daddy's favorite color!

Today, Friday, started out in a hurry. We wanted to eat breakfast at Joey's Pancake House, but we were scheduled for family pictures at 10am with Clay Nation's Photography. When the kiddos entered our room at 8am, panic set in. We rushed to get ready, since skipping Joey's was not an option! In 45min, all 5 of us were dressed and ready to go eat breakfast. When we arrived at Joey's, it was still drizzling from the storm that came through Thursday and as soon as we sat down, daddy received a text from Clay asking if we could postpone pictures until the afternoon - we agreed without a second thought! This allowed us a nice, relaxed breakfast, and then some time walking the streets of downtown Waynesville, enjoying all of the shops and boutiques that lined the old streets. After this, we headed back to the cabin to rest before meeting Clay at 3p for pictures. Naps did not take place, but relaxation and resting did - and it was wonderful and needed! Our family pictures went great - daddy and I are so anxious to see how they turned out! After this, we headed back to the cabin where we enjoyed some time in the hot tub, followed by a good ol' house scrubbing/laundry folding session! Now, as I type, the kiddos are upstairs snuggling with daddy so I can have some quiet/alone time.

Saturday, the only things scheduled are breakfast at, you guessed it, Joey's. Mass at 4pm. Packing and cleaning. The kiddos was to go to a playground, so we will fit that in at somepoint, as well as some hot tub fun!

Sunday, we need to be out of the cabin by 10a so that the cleaning crew can get in and prepare it for the next family that is coming in Sunday evening. I have a hunch we will end up at Joey's again for breakfast and then hit the road. My head feels that it will be a hard day since we will be heading back into reality. I am not sure that I want to and I know I am not ready, but I think it is time to put on those big girl pants and just go for it... This has been a great in between for me, for us, as we learn to live life without Maura Anne physically here with us...

Family Pictures {Preview} 2013

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Count Your Blessings

Count Your Blessings

*Author Unknown*

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses. 

Count your joys instead of your woes; 

Count your friends instead of your foes. 

Count your smiles instead of your tears; 

Count your courage instead of your fears. 

Count your full years instead of your lean; 

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean. 

Count your health instead of your wealth; 

Count on God instead of yourself.

I get daily e-mails geared towards homeschooling families. They are sent out by a Christian organization and always seem to contain exactly what I need for that day...

Today was no different. I found myself feeling guilty for having fun. For enjoying time with my family. I felt as if by having fun, I was forgetting Maura Anne...

These feelings are no different from the ones I had after John David died - the difference being, at the time, I had no husband or children. I was a Freshman in college, living in a dorm room by myself. My days were consumed with classes and tears. I fell into a depression. I lost all of my new found friends - life was hard...

This time, I feel the depression. It is hanging over my head like a dark cloud trying to get in, BUT, I cannot allow that to happen. I have to keep going. I cannot lie in bed and cover my head, forgetting about life. I am a wife. I am a mom. I must keep going...

Each day is a struggle. I am having to learn how to deal with grief in a healthy manner. I am having to find the balance in life. I am having to realize that it is okay to cry. It is okay to be happy. It is okay to have fun. After all, that is what Maura Anne would want - I know that everytime I begin to fall into that depression, which is quite frequently, she points her finger at me from Heaven above and says "No no no no no no no, Paul"

Playground Fun

The last time we went to this playground, I was VERY pregnant with Hannah and Little Robert was just 22mths old! Now, we have 3 kiddos who are almost 4, 6, and 8! Where has the time gone?!?!

So Long, Farewell Baby. . .

I mentioned in the last post, that our baby was growing up and things have progressed so very rapidly. At a rate that I was completely unprepared for. . . In the past few weeks, he has been in undies 24/7 and has had 4 accidents - 2 at night, but not even enough to get to the sheets and 2 right in front of the potty! During our drive to the mountains, he insisted that he needed to tinkle NOW so we put a diaper on him in hopes that we could avoid a long stop. Well, after a very impressive fit, we ended up pulling over on the side of I-40 so that he could tinkle! While we were in the mountains, He insisted on only going potty outside, so he would open the doorm drop his drawers, and take care of business. . . all in the +/- 40* weather!

During our vacation in Maggie Valley, he also reached another milestone - Wesley climbed out of his crib! I remember with Robert, we rushed it, and he was in a 'big boy bed' (the same one that Wesley is now in!) around 18 months, before he even had the chance really stand in it! With Hannah and Wesley, we let them decide, but once they were able to climb in/out, the days of confinment definitely came to an end. So about halfway through the trip, we packed up the crib and put Wesley into the king size bed upstairs. Much to our surprise, he did great, so when we returned home, we packed up the crib that all of our babies used and replaced it with the toddler bed that has been waiting for Wesley.

So, in a matter of 3 weeks, the Riker Family has gotten rid of all diapers and cribs. . . So, I am trying to rejoice at all that is happening, the independence he is gaining, they all are gaining, but it is so very hard when I know that it will be a very long time, if ever, that we have another one that needs a crib, or diapers, or a sling, etc etc. I am so very, very glad that I truly cherished every moment of it with all of my babies. . .

Maggie Valley, North Carolina

Friday, February 3 - Saturday, February 11, 2012

What a vacation we just had! I intended to blog about it daily, just like when we were in MS, but my Kindle Fire would not allow and we are not advanced enough to have a laptop - maybe this year we wil make the leap from a desktop to a laptop?!?!?! (Hint, Hint, Robert!) Anyhow, so here is what I remember. . .

When we arrived Friday, it was later afternoon. We unpacked the van and brought everything inside and then we were off to the grocery store as we needed food! When we stepped out of the store, the view was incredible! How quickly we forgot that everywhere you go, there are absolutely breathtaking - WOW!

Saturday we woke a little early and went to eat breakfast at Joey's Pancake House. We eat here every time we are in Maggie Valley. In fact, the first time we were there, on our honeymoon, they made us a special heart pancake and took our picture which we still have at home! After a great breakfast, we made our way to Bryson City where we found our way to the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad. I think what made this even more special and memorable is that I went on this same train with my family about 12 years ago when we went on one of our many trips to the Smokies. It was great to share those memoires from my childhood with my children. Also on the train ride, we met up with Aahliya and her parents. They were vacationing in Gatlinburg while we were in the Valley. It was fun for all of us and a great surprise for the kiddos as they knew nothing of it! After the train, we made our way back to the cabin and just laid low the rest of the evening. The kiddos enjoyed playing in the hot tub with daddy while I prepared dinner. We played a few games and then before we knew it, the day was over and we were going to bed in anticipation of Sunday's activities.

On Sunday, we woke and went to Mass at St. Margaret's of Scotland followed by another fabulous breakfast at Joey's. We quickly went back to the cabin because naps were a must for all today. Shortly after 1pm, I woke everybody up and we all started getting fancied up for our first ever family professional family pictures! Daddy found this fabulous couple in Sylva who agreed to drive over, take our picture and then give us a CD with full rights! Clay and Cameron arrived at the cabin just shy of 2 and the fun began. They snapped pictures inside of the cabin and out, at a neighborhood down the road, an old barn, and a railroad trusle. We were so anxious to see how they turned out and were absolutely thrilled when we saw the final product - they are incredible! We will definitely use Clay Nations Photography next year when we are in the mountains!

Monday began like all of the others with breakfast at Joey's where we were sneaky and told them it was Daddy's birthday (even though we were a day early, but they were closed the rest of the week) Just when we thought they were not going to do anything, we saw a group of waitresses come out of the kitchen carrying a plate with 3 candles. The kiddos had such a great time watching them sing this little song and helping blow out daddy's candles on his mickey mouse pancake! The rest of the day was spent taking in the beautiful scenery, relaxing in the hot tub, playing in the park up the road, and spending time together.

Tuesday was a big day for us - Daddy's 36th Birthday! For his birthday, he wanted to let the kiddos decide what we wanted to do and they chose to go Snow Tubing! We drove about an hour away to go to a place that we were told was just fabulous - well the opnly thing spectacular about this place was that they let you do whatever you wanted! Even Wesley was able to go down solo which he did many times! Hannah and Robert had a great time figuring out new ways to go down on their tubes and even their bellies! Eventually e gave up the tubes all together and had a great, first ever, Riker Family snowball fight! Oh, how fun it was! After that, we went back to the cabin to get cleaned up before heading out for a special birthday dinner to celebrate daddy. We went to a restaurant that came highly reccomended and were quite dissappointed. When daddy left to go wash his hands, we pulled the waitress aside and told her that it was daddy's birthday - her response?! "Would you like to order him a special dessert?!" UMMMM, NO! The day ended with a birthday dessert at the cabin and a dip in the hot tub!

Wednesday was our first day to eat breakfast at home, so I made bacon and eggs for all. Of course, we had grown accustomed to Joey's fabulous coffee and were VERY dissappointed with the way ours turned out, so we had to make a trip to the gas station to buy some better coffee! After that, we laid low all morning and let the kiddos rest and catch up on lost sleep. After nap, the kiddos wanted to go play at the park down the road. While there, we played baseball and firefighter. The kiddos rolled down the hills and skipped rocks in the stream. They also were able to observe the frogs, their eggs, and tadpoles in a little pool of water. There were even some on the grass that the kiddos were able to touch - so, we had a great science lesson without them even realizing it! After an hour or so, it became quite chilly so we had to head back to the cabin and head for the hot tub!

On Thursday, daddy left us brithg and early to go meet with a realtor to look at some properties. While he was gone, it started to S-N-O-W! Not only was this incredible for this Florida family, but it was NEVER a part of the forecast! In fact, the lows were not supposed to get below freezing! When the kiddos realized this, they bundled up and went straight outside to the sleds. Now, mind you, this was just a small dusting, but they were determined to go sledding and they did! There was one area next to the driveway where they could make it down with little effort, so we did thisfor about 90 minutes - long after the snow stopped! Daddy came home just in time for nap, and he and Robert rested together while Hannah, Wesley and I snuggled! After nap, we asked them what they wanted to do and Hannah quickly informed us that she wanted to find a bear to ride! So, we packed up and drove off to the Blue Ridge Parkway to try and find some bears! While we did not find any bears, we did find some HUGE icicles! After our drive, we made our way to J. Arthur's Restaurant, another place we eat at everytime we are in Maggie Valley. We were ableto get the to sing to daddy here and they brough a VERY impressive sundae to him (which was quite delicious!). After dinner, we headed off to the hot tub and bed.

Friday we woke to even more snow! This time, we took the kiddos up the mountain to where daddy was looking at properties the day before. Here, they had some properties that the owners had cleared out what would eventually be driveways. They went down the driveway over and over until all three were sobbing because their hands were "frozen." We packed up and headed back to the cabin for naps . After naps, we went into Waynesille to buy some goodies. All three kiddos picked out their own happy to remember this trip - Wesley chose a Mickey Mouse lunch box, Hannah chose Smokey the Horse, and Robert chose a Baseball game. We also bought a bag of treats for CCD and a few goodies for the house. We stopped by Taco Bell on the way back to th e cabin for a quick dinner. Once we arrived back to the cabinm there was a strange car in the driveway. Robert and I shared looks and then were greeted by the cleaning lady. She came to drop off some supplies and to talk to us as there was a bad storm moving in and we would not be able to make it down the mountain in the am. She suggested that we pack up everything that night and park the van at the bottom of the mountain. So, we went to work packing up as much as we could and only keeping what we could carry down the mountain in the morning! After we finished packing, daddy drove the van down and walked all the way back up - once he arrived back at the cabin, I could not stop laughing. . . Poor daddy could hardly move, much less walk another step! The kiddos went to bed and so did we shortly after.

As luck would have it, when we woke up on Saturday, there was NO snow. We had gone through all of that work for absolutely nothing - there was not a drop of snow on the ground! That was until about 7am, when it just started coming. And coming. And coming! Within 30 minutes, everything was white and as the time ticked on, it became deeper and deeper. The kiddos LOVED it! We once again went sledding before we had to finish getting cleaned up to make the journey home. As we were getting ready to leave, the intensity picked up to where you could not even see the mountains in front of you - we loved it! Before long, it was time to grab our bags, lock up the cabin, and make the trek down the mountain to the minivan. Prior to leaving Maggie Valley, we made one last trip to Joey's for some delicious coffee and pancakes and then we were off to finish the journey home! Just like the way there, the kiddos did just as great on the way home.

Once again, we had a great family vacation and made some absolutely fabulous memories and I think that it is safe to say that we will have many more family vacations in the Smokey Mountains :-)