Over already!

Ohio kiddos!
My DD, Annie, Me and my DD Katie!

North Carolina Cuties!!
Heather, Cyndi, Kandi and Doris

Alabama Gals!

Pat, Carol, Jessica, Rose and Kandy

It is so hard to believe that just one week ago today gals from three stated converged on Gatlinburg for a weekend scrapbooking retreat! I don't know why I always say Gatlinburg because we have NEVER stayed there! LOL!! It's always been Pigeon Forge or Sevierville! I guess maybe we should say we go to the Smokey Mountains...but I really don't know how accurate that is either because we really don't stay IN the mountains!! LOL!! Anyway..I really don't care where it is as long as everyone shows up.

This year we had 5 new gals and 7 charter retreat members there. Jessica started the retreat four years ago. We got a wild hair and decided we wanted to meet in person and not just online any longer.. First year there were 9 of us..that would make us the charter members....

So this year we had Jessica, Pat, Doris, Kandi, Katie, Annie and myself. Two of our charter members no longer come but we added five great gals this year...From North Carolina we added Cyndi and her daughter, Heather and from Alabama we added Rose, Carol and Kandy..we would have added Brandi from Ohio but bless her heart she lost her grandfather just a day or two before we were to leave so we posted her picture on the wall and talked to her as we went by..She was missed and I am confident that next year she will be there....

The time goes by entirely to quickly and of all the pics I have seen so far..we had one fun filled weekend. We laughed so hard! Everyone should try to attend one retreat where you can meet some of your online friends. Wonderful friendships have been made here!

Part of our trip is a visit to the Scrapbook Superstore in Pigeon Forge..They have a store just for their clearance items!!! Needless to say that is where I do most of my shopping but they have a huge regular price store full of all kinds of goodies.... After the shopping spree we went to TGIFriday's for supper..then back to the lodge for an all night scrap! This is tradition!

I managed to get 8 layouts completed which is a record breaker for me I think. I just enjoy visiting the other scrappers and talking while they work. Cyndi was our leader with 18, I believe followed by Jessica with 17! I think the average was right at eight! So I knew I was average! LOL!!

Plans are for a scrapbooking cruise in April of next year so we will probably have to change our retreat to the fall if it is feasible. It will be a wonderful chance to get the pics of the trees changing color if we are able to pull it off.