Leipers Fork is a beautiful little (I mean tiny) town. There were lots of horse farms...felt a little like being in Lexington. We arrived at the school around 8:00 our time, got registered, unloaded the bikes, put on our HOW socks that were in our goody bags and gathered with the sea of pink in front of the school. They had a huge sign with stars that you could write the name of the person you were riding in honor/memory of. One team had joined in memory of their 39 year old friend that had passed away this spring and they hung a huge banner on the school. There were moments I would catch myself with years in my eyes, like when a lady walked by with a sign stuck to her jersey stating she was riding in memory of her mom. I was very thankful to be riding in honor of someone and not in memory of!! A nine year old little girl named Savannah sang a sing about it being a Beautiful Day (all I can say is wow, she had an amazing voice for a 9 year old). It was just that...a beautiful day. It didn't take Dad and I long to discover that our routes were not different. They were simply starting the guys 30 minutes after the girls. I held back with Dad and we left out about 5 minutes after the girls did. They had an 11 mile loop that you could either ride to get 64 miles or skip in order to shave off a few miles. I hate to admit it, but we skipped the loop. I am thankful that we did. This ride was an amazing route, but I was not mentally prepared for how tough it would be. I had it in my mind that middle Tennessee was flat - NOT the case!! I still managed to burn 1910 calories :-)
We got back to the motel around 2:30. The only thing within walking distance was Target and Panera Bread. They girls suckered Granny into some new toys to keep them entertained in the room. We quickly cleaned up and went to the Opry Mills Mall and shopped. The girls had a great time until Molly started complaining that she didn't feel good during dinner. After she got her tummy full and some tylenol, she was ready to go again. The girls were excited about seeing the Opryland Hotel. I vividly remember the wow factor that place had on me when I was young. We were quiet shocked when we saw that they wanted $18.50 plus tax for parking!!! We ended up parking across the street and walking in. The girls LOVED it!! Molly enjoyed smelling all of the flowers and she was constantly striking a pose. Maggie enjoyed it just as much.. She liked picking the path we should follow. She is so excited to go back and take her Daddy to see it.
We all slept in this morning. We got up at 9:00 and headed down for breakfast. We loaded up the car and headed toward home. Dad was so sweet that he remembered that I wanted to stop at the outlets in Lebanon, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that it would be all the same shops as the ones we had been to at Opry Mills. I am thankful now that I didn't burst his bubble!! I found the most precious matching outfits for the girls at Children's Place. I am determined that this is the year that we are going to have family photos taken in the fall leaves. I am ready, now I just have to wait for the leaves to change colors. We got home around 4:00. The girls spent the evening playing while I unpacked and caught up with Mike. I spent the evening tagging clothes for the Duck Duck Goose sale. I hate that part, but now it is done!! It feels good to clean out!!
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