Last year I went by myself (MOMD was busy and it was the last day) to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point. It was spectacular! Tons of tulips of every color and size as well as hyacinths, daffodils, and tons of other stuff I don't know the name of. Of course, I wanted to share the wealth of my discovery with those I love (being that I have that kind of generous nature).

Our experience started out with me calling Thanksgiving Point and asking to reserve a golf cart so my mom and dad wouldn't have to walk. They don't take reservations but rent out the carts on a first-come, first-serve basis. Okay, no biggie. We'll just get there early. Next MOMD and I wanted to stop at the ATM for some cash. The first ATM we went to kept our card and froze up. I'm not kidding. Our card was in there so long that I got out of the car, told the car behind us to go somewhere else, and walked over to the drive-through teller line so I could ask them what to do. Of course, after I had done all that WALKING the machine spits out our card. Okay, we can handle this ... we'll just go to another ATM. We stop and pick up Mom and Dad and go to ATM #2. This is a new machine for MOMD to use. He likes the machines that have big numbers (so I suggested this new one that I had previously used - bad idea!). I think the first machine freaked him out because machine #2 was a disaster. Somehow he pushed the Spanish button and I was "helping" from the passenger seat. Finally in a fit of rage (not really) he said, "I'm just going to my regular machine!". Okay sweetie pie - whatever makes you happy. We peeled out with gravel spitting out behind us (not really) and drove to his regular machine (machine #3 if you are counting). We pull up and I start to "help". He gives me the look of death and I decide that he probably doesn't need my "help". We get our money (with no problem - we really did have money in our account for those of you questioning that) and we are finally off. Now I'm stressed because we are leaving later than expected and what if we don't get a golf cart? I am freaking out (in my mind) even though my mom (who has two bad legs) and my dad (who brought his portable oxygen) are telling me that it's not a big deal if we don't get a cart. Do they think I can walk and carry them too?

When we arrive at TP (Thanksgiving Point), MOMD lets us out near the door so my mom and dad don't have the WALK so far while he parks the car. I run (really I just waddled) up to the desk and yell while butting in front of all other customers, "Do you have any golf carts left today?". The cashier says, "We haven't rented any out yet". I start clapping/crying hysterically (maybe that's an overstatement about the crying) and rent the cart. I am so happy.

We get on our cart and start heading down the path. To my (and my family's) surprise THERE ARE NO TULIPS BLOOMING --- ANYWHERE!!!! What the heck??? Evidently the weather has been a little cold this year and the tulips are delayed. I kept saying to everybody, "I am so sorry - this area was really beautiful LAST YEAR".

Seriously though, we had a really good time and it was my mom and dad's first time to Thanksgiving Point. They said they wanted to go back (when things were blooming). We took pictures of the sticks we liked (since they didn't have leaves, flowers, or any green of any kind on them) for our new backyard that (hopefully) we will put in this spring. Afterward we went to Cabela's for lunch, and as you all know, Cabela's is always a winner.

I've attached some pictures so you could enjoy our day along with us ...



Check out the tulips - they are the sparse green sprouts with no blooms ...




MOMD, dad, and mom.


Me and MOMD.

LOOK - I FOUND SOME TULIPS!!!! (These were the ONLY ONES in bloom.)

The moral of the story is it doesn't matter if things don't live up to your expectations, as long as you're having fun with those you love!