A vast improvement

**disclaimer... Im typing on the ipad and i stink at it.

Well, we are somewhere in the north eastern part of Alabama on our way to gatlinburg. It has been more than four years since we have done this trip. Lots of things have changed sine then. Last time we went to gatlinburg , we left in the middle of the night after a little four year old Ansley finished her dance recital. We drove half way (just as we did today) and stopped at a hotel Jamey had found online a day or two before we left. But this is where the differences in this trip and the last trip begin.

This trip: we did book this hotel on Hotwire so we weren't sure exactly what hotel we would get upon paying. But Hotwire yet again came through...we are at a best western plus (guess the plus part makes it extra special?), it looks fairly new, it's very clean (the tv remote was in a sanitized bag. I didn't even know these sanitizing bags existed outside bottles/breast pump equipment) and freshly baked Otis spunkmeyer cookies in the lobby. Two thumbs up.

Last trip to gatlinburg: we arrived at our hotel with a small child and a 6 month old at about 2am. There were no other hotels to choose from on the exit . We needed sleep. The babies needed out of their cars seats. So we stayed. Mistake #1. When you have a funny feeling in your stomach about a hotel, trust that feeling. Leave. Pray. Do anything but stay. Jamey checked in despite my protests that the rooms opened to the outside. Hotels with rooms that open to the outside are just not my thing. I have not stayed in one since. But we stayed that night. A baby needed to be nursed and we were exhausted. We passed by several overflowing garbage cans on the outside walkway to the room. Flies swarmed. You get the idea. We opened the door. There was one bed. Jamey, Stephen and I were in the bed and Ansley went down on a pallet on the floor. The bathroom was used strictly for its toilet. It was 3am and we all closed our eyes. About an hour Jamey and I sat bolt right up in the bed when we heard Ansley cry out that the tigers were getting her. I just knew that something was on the floor. Jamey yanked her into the bed with us, we slept miserably on and off for the next few hours, before the sun peaked through the window. We opened the door to the room to leave, and that is when we noticed the police tape four rooms down. There was no discussion between the two of us. We loaded our two babies into the car and we left. We went on to have a fabulous week in the mountains. And i am sure this week will be just as fabulous. We have a few surprises for the kids. We plan to relax and enjoy our time together.

For tonight, I am thankful for this clean and spacious hotel. It's only 7 so I don't think I can justify putting the kids to bed quite yet, but I assure you that the four of us will all be asleep sooner than later.