Jeff and I have been going pretty much nonstop with our foster placement since February 1st, and every professional we talked to along the way ordered us to do respite for our own sanity. So, finally, this past weekend, we left the children with some fabulous people from church and headed to the mountains for our third anniversary trip. There’s something freeing in following our tradition of stopping for sandwiches for supper at McAlister’s in Cookeville on the way to Gatlinburg, and staying at Zoder’s Inn and Suites in the same cabin where we honeymooned, and getting a pizza at some point at Luigi’s, because that was the only place open on our wedding night when we arrived three years ago. We both felt the weight of being pulled in a million directions, the palpable blanket of worry, frustration, exhaustion, and despair, lift the closer we got to the mountains. I’ve noticed myself being more scatter-brained and forgetful from the stress, but my thinking cleared over the hours we spent by ourselves, not doing anything particularly special — a drive through Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail with some jaunts to a few old farms, a walk up and down the strip, a detour through Obed Wild and Scenic River on our way home — but just enjoying each other’s company.