How many times have we been to Gatlinburg? I had to take a minute and try to count. I do know that it all started with David and I looking for a place to celebrate what I originally thought was our first anniversary but I think it was actually our second. We didn't have a camera and well, no cell phones were really available for the general public at that time. (Yea, we are old) Kinda makes me sad because I would have loved some pictures. But none exist.
Whether it was our first anniversary or our second, we fell in love with Gatlinburg and began making it a tradition to spend the first week in December there. And we did it through the infertility years enjoying the "romance" of the city just the two of us. The Christmas lights are up and it is a beautiful mountain drive around town. I don't know the status of that first cabin we stayed in but I do know most of the cabins in that area burned to the ground. Sad.
We didn't go in 2002 with 2-month old triplets but I remember the first trip in 2003 with the just-over-a-year old triplets. It was overwhelming but magical in their eyes too. We had a terrible condo that we have never returned to and always talk about that terrible condo when we reminisce about our Gatlinburg experiences. We heard today that there is nothing left standing on that road.
It makes us sad because the condo we LOVED and stayed in last year is over on that side of the city too. We found out this morning that at best report building A, the office and the pool house are gone for certain. (Several eye witnesses saw them engulfed in flames). Not sure about the rest of the property but it doesn't sound good.
Here is a good video of the aerial view of fire damage for anyone who wants to see. We also have heard this morning that our other very favorite resort Tree Tops has lost some buildings. I am thankful for the local news in the area because the post their reports online. Unfortunately since it isn't California, there isn't much coverage in our national media.
Please indulge me while I share some of our Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge memories because these kind of events make us all a little sentimental. We are going to make it back there as soon as we can. We are sad about our favorite resort spots, but are sad too for the people whose homes have been totally destroyed. That is where the real damage is. Up in the mountains, all those beautiful homes that are no more than foundations. We are praying for more rain to end this dry spell.
The kids were just devastated last night at the report that two people so far have been charged with arson in these fires. We just don't understand the minds and evil hearts of people who would purposely start a fire like this. Hopefully the judges and jury in their cases are a little easier on them than our kids would be. They weren't calling for the death penalty but life in miserable prison. David said we should just throw them into the fire and the kids were okay with that too.
Of course we know that that is all just talk and raw emotion when we are terribly sad about what has happened. It just goes to show how much we love this place and are sad that someone would think to do such a terrible thing. It is one thing to be careless with matches and start a fire on accident but an example of pure evil to do it on purpose.
We are praying for Gatlinburg and all of the people who will now slowly be let back in to see for themselves the destruction of their homes, many of them with very little time to get out with anything but the shirt on their back. We pray for the families of the 3 that have died and the ones who are still looking for missing loved ones.
We didn't go in 2002 with 2-month old triplets but I remember the first trip in 2003 with the just-over-a-year old triplets. It was overwhelming but magical in their eyes too. We had a terrible condo that we have never returned to and always talk about that terrible condo when we reminisce about our Gatlinburg experiences. We heard today that there is nothing left standing on that road.
It makes us sad because the condo we LOVED and stayed in last year is over on that side of the city too. We found out this morning that at best report building A, the office and the pool house are gone for certain. (Several eye witnesses saw them engulfed in flames). Not sure about the rest of the property but it doesn't sound good.
Here is a good video of the aerial view of fire damage for anyone who wants to see. We also have heard this morning that our other very favorite resort Tree Tops has lost some buildings. I am thankful for the local news in the area because the post their reports online. Unfortunately since it isn't California, there isn't much coverage in our national media.
Please indulge me while I share some of our Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge memories because these kind of events make us all a little sentimental. We are going to make it back there as soon as we can. We are sad about our favorite resort spots, but are sad too for the people whose homes have been totally destroyed. That is where the real damage is. Up in the mountains, all those beautiful homes that are no more than foundations. We are praying for more rain to end this dry spell.
The kids were just devastated last night at the report that two people so far have been charged with arson in these fires. We just don't understand the minds and evil hearts of people who would purposely start a fire like this. Hopefully the judges and jury in their cases are a little easier on them than our kids would be. They weren't calling for the death penalty but life in miserable prison. David said we should just throw them into the fire and the kids were okay with that too.
Of course we know that that is all just talk and raw emotion when we are terribly sad about what has happened. It just goes to show how much we love this place and are sad that someone would think to do such a terrible thing. It is one thing to be careless with matches and start a fire on accident but an example of pure evil to do it on purpose.
We are praying for Gatlinburg and all of the people who will now slowly be let back in to see for themselves the destruction of their homes, many of them with very little time to get out with anything but the shirt on their back. We pray for the families of the 3 that have died and the ones who are still looking for missing loved ones.
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