I told you about my cousins reunion in Georgia a month ago, so now it’s time to talk about my time with my kids and their kids this last weekend, also at my sister’s lake house in GA.

First let me say that Leigh Ann was incredibly generous and a little nervous to let us take over her lodge and make it our own for four days. I was also a little nervous and so we were extra careful and hopefully left things as we found them.

This idea came up a year ago, although I’d been noodling a family trip for some time, even before I lost Scott. This year marks our 30th anniversary and so it seemed like a good time to do something big.

Amazingly everyone was able to go except oldest daughter Traci who had to get grandson Noah to college at LSU the weekend prior and couldn’t get away a second time. That puts her double on the hook for our next big family event!

So off we went. Adam and Corey flew over early and worked a few days before readying the house with all the food we would need which was two car loads. When you realize it’s 20 minutes to the grocery store and even longer to liquor, that’s a feat in itself.

Molly, Beau and the girls started driving from Dallas at 5 a.m. to cram the 16-hour drive into one day.

Erin, Kate and Oliver set out for the airport in Portland at 3 a.m. to meet me and Sarah at DFW airport so we could all fly over together.

If you’re thinking this is a logistical nightmare you’d be right. But so far so good.

Until the flying group got to Atlanta and went to pick up our rental car. The line was two hours long! Why! Who knows. There was no explanation coming. So Erin got us a car from another rental and off we went only an hour behind.

We texted Adam that we would be an hour late. We would still be able to make the happy hour charcuterie, then the lasagna dinner he was making.

Wishful thinking.

Erin, Kate, Sarah and I all put the address to Leigh’s in our phones, but only mine was getting a signal so we used it.

And off we went. A lovely 2-hour drive which ended with us turning into a totally unfamiliar neighborhood and stopping at our destination: a beautiful gated home, nowhere near a lake and in no way resembling Leigh’s lodge. We checked the GPS. We were in another town, 2 hours southeast of the lakehouse. 2 HOURS!

What happened, you’re asking? I can tell you my children were asking the same thing, very quietly, under their breath, in sign language to each other. They were very sweet. I thought my head might explode.

Thinking back, as you do, when something goes terribly, horribly wrong, and as someone else was able to pull the GPS up on THEIR phone and Erin was able to turn the car back onto THE ROUTE and start a 2-hour trek to the lake. . . I realized that I had been interrupted while putting the address in my phone by GOD-KNOWS-WHAT (probably the phone!) and I failed to check the city.

As your SENIOR INFLUENCER, let me tell you to CHECK THE CITY ON YOUR GPS!!!!!

So we called Adam and told him to skip the charcuterie and we would be there for lasagna. At about 9:30.

2 hours later, after a stop at Quik Trip (or somewhere) for bathrooms and snacks, we pulled into the lodge and devoured Adam’s lasagna. It was delicious. Molly and Beau pulled in shortly thereafter.

Mission accomplished.

What followed were three days of floating in the lake, a visit to an alpaca farm, amazing food, endless charcuterie (it is our thing), family games, a few x-rated ones, lots of wine, uproarious laughter, golf cart rides, coffee on the screened-in porch, a boat ride with Uncle Robert, more food, jet skis, and a lovely brunch at Aunt Carol and Robert’s beautiful home three doors down.

It was magical and we won’t forget it.

Thanks, Leigh