~A XMAS STORY~decorations, crowds, pixies..AND A BLOODY NOSE~ACTUAL UPDATE 11/9 p190

[daisy_77]

Wow, so sorry to hear about all the drama. It is too bad that this girl is hurting your brother like this. She is also hurting that precious little baby with her actions. I pray that all will turn out great for your brother and that beautiful baby girl of his.

I hope you had a great time this weekend!

 

[Camster0307]

Hey Dawn - first off, just want to say that I hope you and Ray enjoyed your weekend away. I hope you were both able to have some fun for yourselves!

And please don't apoligize about not keeping up with reports - life is messy and sometimes gets in the way of doing the things we enjoy. I've been guilty myself of being MIA lately - just too much going on.

I have been reading through your report and am pretty much up to date. So, so sorry for all the drama surrounding the birth of your niece. Don't let it put a damper too much on this wonderful moment though. She is a BEAUTIFUL baby and I can just see the love and joy on you, your brother and the rest of your family's faces. I totally agree with the suggestion for your brother to keep a journal - please make sure he is doing it. And don't ever give up about asking to see the baby - regardless of how much Jordan makes it difficult or refuses. And document EVERY single time you asked to see her and what the excuse was as to why you couldn't. I do believe that info. could come in handy if needed.

I'll keep you and your familiy in my prayers.

 

[MaceysMom]

Have a romantic weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[punkin413]

I thought about this during one of our conversations and forgot to mention it.....VERY good call Goofy That is always a good thing to do and it makes you look SO organized ....even if you aren't

BTW Lil Bit Goofy...glad to see you made it over to the Vandy thread ....I was very excited to see you there!!!

I've been thinking a lot about you guys. I hope this will get better....unfortunately Brett probably has a long fight ahead. If he can just be the bigger person in all this he will accomplish everything he's wanting and the next 20 years down the road when it all really matters Margot will KNOW she has a wonderful daddy!! And in the end I'm sure that's what he wants.....

i told brett this but i don't know if he's doing it or not. audrey is keeping a communication log for every time any of us talk to her or her family. i also have a "brett/jordan timeline" where i've documented everything that's happen since the beginning of her pregnancy.

Jordan is inmature and trying to use the baby as revenge on your poor brother.Unfortunately she is very young and I am surprised her family did not step in and call you unless they are the reason for some of her actions.He will see his daughter and you will see your niece.God will work it out for you both.Bless her lil self.Congrats to you and your brother..

yeah, her family is part of the problem i think. her mom's not very friendly and is just very stand-offish. thanks for the encouragement!

I agree with Erica about the journal. My best friend and her husband spent years trying to adopt her deceased SIL's daughter. The deadbeat, drug addict father was in and out of the little girl's life. She kept track of every phone call and visit...I think it helped b/c the judge saw that the "dad" only called every 6-9 months even though he lived locally. Finally things went in her favor a few years back and they have never heard from the "dad" since. It will all work out somehow but it may take awhile

i told him to try to keep one. i hope he does. glad to hear the situation worked out for your friend.

well you get the coverage in june, get the dental work done this year, pregnant by july after coverage, then hvae the baby next marchish? all planned out for you.

congrats on the baby!!!! i am guessing you are having a boy.

slow down, speedy! glad to know i have a pregnancy plan already in place though.

Congratulations Auntie Dawn she really is a sweetie. I hope Jordan comes to her senses very soon, it all seems very weird especially unfriending you on FB

thanks! i hope so too. she's a very silly girl and i will leave it at that.

Well I just read your whole report in 2 days....ignoring my housecleaning in the process! Which I don't mind in the least....I abhor housecleaning!

1st -great report...I'm trying to convince my DH to go to WDW this Dec....although I was a bit surprised by the crowds in your pictures. One of the reasons I wanted to go in early Dec was to have small crowds....hmmm...we went last year in early june and it was hot and crowded....yuck!

2nd - Congrats on the aunt status. I was an aunt long before I was a mom and it was the best experience in the world! Not to say becoming an aunt after you are a mom is bad it just that being an aunt first is awesome cuz you get to spoil the heck out of the kid and they get your undivided attention. My nephew who is 13 now *gulp* had my attention for 9 years before I had my kids and he still talks about special "dates" with his Aunt Amy. They are special memories and moments that can't be replaced!

was how I looked when I read about you all being excluded from the birth...especially your brother....just not playing nice! I hope it all works out!

welcome!!!!! thanks for reading!

i was surprised by the crowds too but i knew they'd be heavier than what we're used to. as an adult i've only been in late april, early may and september so there's usually low crowds. but the trip was awesome anyway!

so cute about your nephew! i can't wait to spoil her rotten!!!!!

Dawn, I am a regular lurker on your all your reports. I just wanted to stop in and say you have a beautiful neice. Margot and Brett are very lucky to have you in their corner.
I really enjoy reading not only about your Disney trips, but I also love all the little mini stories you put in about your life. By the way I made your Mexican dish and we love it.

thank you! and thanks for saying hello. glad to hear you liked the mexican lasagna.

 

[punkin413]

Dawn - first of all Margot is beautiful and Brett should be very proud (I kjnow he is because I can see the sparkle in his eyes while he was looking at her in the pictures). Second - I'm so sorry for the way things turned out but what I'm thinking someone was telling her to do those things. Why would she all of sudden stop talking to you and physcially deleting you from her friends lists on facebook and myspace, something sounds fishy. Tell Brett I'm praying for him and his new baby girl and that she is gorgeous.

Oh and you're NYC plans sound awesome. A friend told me when we went to the city a couple of weeks ago that Sardi's is the place to go to see famous people.

We saw Mary Poppins and it was awesome. We were in the 6th row. My friend donated $150 and we got a backstage tour and got to meet Mary, Burt and the Banks children. It was awesome!

brett is definitely one of the proudest daddies i've ever seen! it was so cute. i think her mom had a big influence on all this. that's what we all think. her mom is a very strange bird.

yeah, anna saw samuel l. jackson and morgan freeman there last year. i can't wait! so cool that you got to meet mary and the others!!!!!!

I just want to send you and your brother a big hug. You must feel so confused and hurt.

Margot is so beautiful, and very lucky to have all of you to love her.

I will pray that your brother will get the opertunity to get to know his daughter. He needs to fight for her, it's so worth it!

I hope Jordan decides to grow up and do what's best for her baby.





Are you looking forward to your anniversary weekend?
I hope you can still enjoy the time with Ray and have a special time.

thanks for the hugs! they are appreciated. i hope jordan grows up too. i just don't get it.

So she had the baby and didn't even call your BROTHER to let him know? WOW!!! I don't get it. I had my baby younger than that and I didn't act that way!!! O well. The baby is here healthy and Brett is stepping up to the plate. yea for him. Congrats she is beautiful! hopefully she will get he head together and they can raise her together without to much confrontation. I will pray for you and your family.

yeah. exactly. it's just such a shame.

I'm so glad the baby is healthy. Y'all will be in our prayers for the turmoil that's going on. On a lighter note:

What CMs? I was too busy looking at the pretty girl in the pink shirt.

why am i not surprised????

 

[hlrababy]

I can't wait to hear about your weekend!!

BTW, you are going to love Wicked!!! It was so awesome!! It is by far the best show we have seen!

 

[punkin413]

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!

And TURN OFF YOUR PHONE....or just LEAVE it at home!!!!
Ray will have his....will be fine

thanks! i turned it off for the most part but did check messages a few times. i couldn't help it.

Have a wonderful time Dawn! Try to keep your mind off of all this stuff. I hope you come home to better news.

thanks!

Hey Dawn! Again, I'm sorry your family has to deal with this mess. Hopefully it all works out for the best.

Have a great weekend in the mountains! Try to let everything go and just relax! :

Just as a side note - my friends and I went to the Met yesterday and spent 2-hours just walking around the top floor. The place is huge! Room after room took my breath away - the high ceilings, columns, domes, lighting... it's like stepping into a Medieval castle. You're gonna love it!

thanks! very cool about the met. i'm getting really excited!!!! we're almost at the 30-day mark!

Dawn, I hope you can have a great weekend without worrying too much about your brother. I know it can't be easy. Your situation sounds so much like a situation with some good friends of mine. In their case the mother lived with the father's family during her pregnancy and for six months after the baby was born. The parents were engaged but he decided to call off their wedding because they were not getting along. When that happened, the mom took the baby and wouldn't even let the dad or his family know where she was. They had to wait for the court to grant them permission before they could see him again. That took over a month. So they went from being with him everyday to not even knowing where he was for a month. I am so sorry that your family is going through this. I hope it will get better but when someone is so selfish that they only consider themselves it is a long hard battle.

thanks! that's so awful about your friends. i'm glad that brett is getting this done early while margot is still so little. these days are precious that he's missing but i figure they get even more precious as the baby gets older and starts talking and walking, etc. i don't want him to miss that.

Have fun

Say nothing I totally know what you are thinking. I feel so sad for your brother, hopefully things will get straightened out very fast.

thanks! i hope so too.

hey dawn..i am a little late to the party..but First congratulations on your beautiful new niece..she is a cutey..and your brother looks so proud
2nd i am so sorry about the drama..i hope everything works out for your family!!!!

hey! thanks! brett was so thrilled - it was so cute.

Have fun on your trip! I love the mountains, so I'm very jealous!

thanks! it was gorgeous!

Sorry to hear of all the problems. She is a cutie.

Have a great weekend.

thanks! i agree that she's a cutie. so sweet.

Have a great weekend - sounds like it comes at the perfect time! I'm sorry your brother is having to go through all that. I wish people could put kids first (Jordan I mean).

As to the Blue Fin, it does look similar, but I looked at the menu - but it doesn't look like it's the same place. It looks very good though!

i really needed this weekend for sure! too bad it's not the same place. i hope it's good! anna's been there before and she loved it.

thanks.

Hey Dawn. I hope you have an enjoyable weekend with Ray. You guys deserve it. Everything will turn out fine It just will take some time. Your brother deserves alot of credit for going through this. Alot of kids wouldn't take on something like this. I can't understand people like Jordan.

thanks! i keep telling brett that this will take time but that jordan is just postponing the inevitable. he will get his time with margot. it's just unfortunate that he's going to have to fight for it.

Wow, so sorry to hear about all the drama. It is too bad that this girl is hurting your brother like this. She is also hurting that precious little baby with her actions. I pray that all will turn out great for your brother and that beautiful baby girl of his.

I hope you had a great time this weekend!

thanks! i agree and it blows my mind to know that she doesn't see how she's hurting her own child. whatever happened between her and my brother is between them and is the past, has nothing to do with the baby. and if she has concerns about him taking care of the baby then let's address those, not just ignore the fact that he's the daddy! i don't get it.

Hey Dawn - first off, just want to say that I hope you and Ray enjoyed your weekend away. I hope you were both able to have some fun for yourselves!

And please don't apoligize about not keeping up with reports - life is messy and sometimes gets in the way of doing the things we enjoy. I've been guilty myself of being MIA lately - just too much going on.

I have been reading through your report and am pretty much up to date. So, so sorry for all the drama surrounding the birth of your niece. Don't let it put a damper too much on this wonderful moment though. She is a BEAUTIFUL baby and I can just see the love and joy on you, your brother and the rest of your family's faces. I totally agree with the suggestion for your brother to keep a journal - please make sure he is doing it. And don't ever give up about asking to see the baby - regardless of how much Jordan makes it difficult or refuses. And document EVERY single time you asked to see her and what the excuse was as to why you couldn't. I do believe that info. could come in handy if needed.

I'll keep you and your familiy in my prayers.

thanks! i have told brett to keep a journal. he's not good about that sorta thing but i hope he's doing it. audrey (his mom/my stepmom) is keeping a log of all his/our communications with her or her family. plus i have been keeping a timeline of everything since she's been pregnant because i just had a feeling this might happen. i was hoping my feeling was wrong though!

Have a romantic weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks!

 

[punkin413]

I can't wait to hear about your weekend!!

BTW, you are going to love Wicked!!! It was so awesome!! It is by far the best show we have seen!

stay tuned.....

i got your text - i can't wait! i'm so excited now!!!!!

 

[punkin413]

thought i'd show you guys some pictures from our weekend getaway and do a little mini TR. no news as far as margot goes. my dad did talk to jordan's dad on friday but nothing came of it except an ugly phone call from jordan to brett. i refuse to sink to her level so i won't repeat what she said here. let's just say it was very ugly and actually very comical too. brett's attorney is supposed to call tomorrow with the date of his hearing, but i know it's in early may and that brett got a great judge. so just keep him in your thoughts and prayers. he's doing okay - just misses his baby girl and wishes he could see her. we don't even know how she's doing! it's really very sad and frustrating.

okay......on to more positive, fun things!

i SO needed this trip - you have no idea. we left friday around lunchtime, made a pit stop at walmart to get food for the trip, got some subway for lunch and we were on our way by around 1:30! we got to the cabin around 2:45. although i followed google maps and that had me going down a very scary dirt road. so i called the owner and he gave me a better way to go. thank goodness! we were WAY UP HIGH on the side of screamer mountain - it was such a beautiful area. here's the cabin.....

this is what you see when you walk in - the kitchen and dining room area.....

here's the bedroom downstairs, which is the one we ended up using. it was just easier to all be downstairs and the hot tub was right outside, so it was nice. plus it was a king bed so there was room for us and the dogs!

this is the living room area looking down from upstairs....

this is the loft area just at the top of the stairs. it was so cute! it was a nice futon-type thing and they had curtains to pull around it for privacy. just perfect for a kid or teenager!

there was another bedroom upstairs that i didn't get a picture of. this is the porch on the back of the house.....

and here's our lovely view.....

you can see the hot tub around the corner in this one....

and my favorite part - the hot tub!!!! so nice to have. you can see where they blocked off the side view because there are neighbors on that side. and once you lift the top off, it sits on the back side and blocks that view, too. so the only open side is looking out towards the mountains.

the view from the hot tub....

looking down from the porch - we were pretty high up!

the boys exploring their new home for the weekend.....

continued in next post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31424232&postcount=1630

 

[punkin413]

we unpacked, then relaxed in the hot tub for awhile. so nice. then we decided to go find some dinner. we ended up at a little carribean place called rumor haz it. first we each got a margarita!

we got an appetizer of spinach and artichoke dip. it was SO GOOD - some of the best i've ever had! you know i have food porn.

i had a filet with chimichurri sauce, mashed potatoes and broccoli. it was good but i thought it had too many seasonings going on.

ray had a new york strip au poivre (not sure if that's spelled right), mashed potatoes and broccoli. he loved his!

we were stuffed and headed back to the cabin to relax in the hot tub like two stuck pigs!

i loved the lights on the porch at night. so pretty!

here we are vegging out in front of the TV later that night.....

and the boys vegging out too!

i set the alarm for 6:50 on saturday so i could get up and watch the sun rise. it was so pretty......but COLD outside!

i did some work that morning and then when ray got up we got ready and headed to tallulah gorge state park. here are some pictures i took at the top of the trail.

see the viewing area across the gorge? we will be over there later!

look at all the yellow pollen gathered in the water. no wonder i'm stuffy today!

continued in next post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31424255&postcount=1631

 

[punkin413]

so off we went on the trail down the gorge. 1062 steps......

this bridge is about halfway down and it sways pretty hard while you walk across it. i thought it was cool but anna said when she, chris and luke came that luke kinda freaked out while walking across it!

on the way down we passed a couple resting on the stairs (obviously on their way up) and they were smoking cigarettes. nothing against smokers but i'm thinking that's probably not gonna help with getting the rest of the way up!

finally we made it to the bottom!

i just loved it down there. it was so peaceful and pretty! i wish i lived nearby an area like this!

unfortunately it was time for us to turn around head back up the 1062 stairs. i haven't worked out in about a month because of my broken toe and i could FEEL it!!!!! it was a hard trip and we had to rest a few times, but we made it. i saw several people coming down that i felt bad for. this one lady was with her elderly parents and when she saw us youngsters struggling she said, "do you think my 75-year-old mother and 80-year-old father will be okay?" i just looked at her and shook my head. i'm glad she asked - that would've been horrible!

i was fine after the hike but my toe was kinda mad at me. it's doing better but it was a little swollen last night. it's okay today though.

here i am after our hike up......

and here's ray.......

after that we drove down the road a little ways to view the gorge from the other side.

ray enjoying the view......

self portrait with the gorge behind us!

i don't know who wallenda is but thought this was interesting.....

continued in next post: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31424266&postcount=1632

 

[punkin413]

on the way back to the cabin we stopped here.....

and saw these.....

yep, those would be goats on the roof. very strange but kinda cool. i want a pet goat now.

they had little vending machines where you could get goat food for 25 cents and put it in a little pully system and crank it up there to them. it was so funny to watch them waiting on that little pail of food!

ray feeding the goats....

they even had t-shirts!

we headed back to the cabin for the afternoon and had some more relaxing hot tub time and just kinda relaxed. i even took a nap which i never do!

we ended up having dinner at an italian place called mama g's. it was really good! it must have been prom last night in clayton because there were prom kids EVERYWHERE! we saw one guy put salt in his date's water when she went to the bathroom. at least we had entertainment.

we ordered cheesesticks for an appetizer (which i forgot to take a picture of) and we each got a yummy ceasar salad and VERY yummy rolls!

ray got chicken parmesean (left) and i got baked rigatoni (right). mine was REALLY good and ray said his was good too.

and then for dessert we shared a cannoli. OH MY GOODNESS.....SO GOOD! the mascarpone cheese was so creamy and it had chocolate chips in it. to die for.

back to the cabin and more hot tub time for us! it was so nice to just be able to relax as much as we wanted!!!! i took these at dusk.

we woke up this morning to a drizzly, dreery day. so we packed up and headed home. i've been feeling kinda yucky ever since (sinus issues). so now i'm doing this and trying to get ready for the week! i'm anxious to get back on a normal schedule.

all in all, our anniversary weekend was a PERFECT and relaxing getaway and i'm so glad we did it! we both loved the cabin and agreed we'd be back one day.

i promise more trip report coming soon! and i will try to catch up on all of your TRs this week!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

GORGEOUS pictures Dawn. What a beautiful place! And that Italian place....yum! Lookin' good. I'm happy to hear ya had a great weekend.

I really hope things work out with your brother. That girl sounds like a real character. Why was he ever with her in the first place!? Sounds like she's using the baby to get back at him and that's so not cool. If I were him I'd go for full custody. He'll be paying that girl to raise his daughter. May as well raise his little girl himselfl!

 

[MRNsMommy]

Ok, I really am jealous now! Looks like a perfect, relaxing weekend. Although, that hike seemed like quite a workout! Yikes! I always feel like that after I do the walk up to Clingman's Dome in Gatlinburg! Ugh!

 

[rentayenta]

1. Goats on the roof?

2. That swaying rickety bridge?

3. Your pictures- gorgeous!!!!

4. That cannoli.............

5. Your puppies chilling out on the bed

6. The gorgeous skies and views from the hot tub


I am glad you had a relaxing weekend. I read about what your brother and family are going through and I am very sorry.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

I thought about this during one of our conversations and forgot to mention it.....VERY good call Goofy That is always a good thing to do and it makes you look SO organized ....even if you aren't

BTW Lil Bit Goofy...glad to see you made it over to the Vandy thread ....I was very excited to see you there!!!

I've been thinking a lot about you guys. I hope this will get better....unfortunately Brett probably has a long fight ahead. If he can just be the bigger person in all this he will accomplish everything he's wanting and the next 20 years down the road when it all really matters Margot will KNOW she has a wonderful daddy!! And in the end I'm sure that's what he wants.....

It was the 1 thing that was drilled into me when my ex and I split.
Turns out , that it was a good thing to have. Visits, length of visits, calls, etc etc etc, copies of payments made to me, copies of receipts presented for reimbursement from ex, all of that...it really was very very important in the trial for me. It was no longer a he said she/I said, but here is the back up that I have. In my case, I am the mom, and yes often moms "win" but the real "win" is when the right thing for the child is what comes out on top!

He will have a long fight ahead, but you know, she really WILL know that she has a Dad and family who lover her dearly no matter what.

I sincerely hope that whaver the right best thing for her to have (time with both her parents) is what happens. I wish him nothing but luck.

And thank you Vandyfan for the welcome

 

[VandyFan10]

Always so interesting to me to see the tree's cut out for the powerlines. I always seem to notice this in G-burg too

This cabin reminds me so much of the place that Matt and I just stayed in G-burg. Same layout and view

All of that looked REALLY good but this.....YUMMMMMMMMMM

Gotta sunrises

I want to go here....how long would it take from nashville??

oh my.......

 

[MeMom]

Bautiful pictures! I bet that is an amazing place in the fall with all of the colors of the trees.

I'm so glad you got to go on this trip.Sherman and Eli look like they were having fun at their slumber party.

All of the food looks great, too. Trent and Drew would love to have those t-shirts. They like anything out of the ordinary. The crazier, the better.

Thanks for sharing all the pictures. I know it was a much needed get-away. Everything will turn out okay with all of the family drama, but it'll just take some time and patience. What one person does can affect a lot of other lives - that goes for good ways and bad ways - and we just have to deal with each situation in a way that we are proud of in the end. We will all be held accountable for our own actions and reactions, so you guys just hang in there and do the right thing at every turn, and you will get your reward in time.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I'm so glad you had a nice relaxing time. You so deserve it! And how great you could take your boys along with you. The cabin looks just perfect and relaxing in the hot tub sounds like heaven. I don't think I could have climbed 1000+ stairs back up! Goats on the roof. Who knew?

 

[kschafer]

WOW! that sounds like just about the perfect weekend away! Beautiful cabin, gorgeous scenery and yummy food porn!! Good to hear you got a chance to get away and relax for a couple days