thanksgiving in the mountains

We spent the week of Thanksgiving in the North Carolina mountains, arriving late Sunday night and staying until Friday afternoon. We were there last year, too, but for not quite as long. Highlands is a cute little town and we stayed at a dear friends' home there, having the (beautiful) place to ourselves.

It was wonderful. We slept, ate, played and in general, laid low. The fire kept us warm until the temperatures climbed later in the week. (And then we still turned on the fire some!) We bundled up and walked a little ways "downtown" and peeked in the shops, all decorated for Christmas. Hannah and Joseph played in the toy store. I walked around in my favorite home store there, Dutchman's.

I did some Christmas shopping online. I also caught up on this blog. I guess I need a long getaway to do that...

One of the best parts of the week for me was the extended time I got to spend with God in the mornings.

When I am at home and I've got kids to get to school, or my to-do list is staring me down, my quiet time is shortened. I try not to rush it, but some days it is, in fact, squeezed into the schedule. I tell myself that at least I am having a regular quiet time, but I know it pleases the Lord so much more when I make time to not just say my prayers and read my devotions, but to just sit quietly and listen.

Time spent just abiding in His presence.

I am grateful for the time away. We are thankful for Mrs. Gena's generosity and especially for the time we got to spend as a family. It was nice to slow down a bit.

The kids took bubble baths in the big tub. I finished one book and started another, reading several magazines in between. Joe played a lot of solitaire (with actual cards) because it was a relaxing game he could do while standing at the sideboard. ;) Remember, he doesn't do sitting well.

I packed puzzles, cards, games, art supplies, and our Fisher Price nativity set. The kids had plenty to do and, though we didn't go out much, were never bored. Heck, they like staying in pajamas all day. Joseph was busy enough playing with Mrs. Gena's Bissell floor sweeper and checking out all the light switches. {Side note: my favorite part of the condo's decor is the lighting. There are so many options! There are overheads, lamps, and sconces galore. And so tastefully done.}

We ordered pizza one night, and on another we went to a favorite place called Wild Thymes. The food was delectable! But Joseph was so tired, he fell asleep in my lap half way through the meal.

Meme came that night (Tuesday). She enjoyed the playing and the relaxing, too.

We watched Christmas movies (Home Alone being a favorite!) and the Macy's parade. Christmas music played continually on Pandora.

And we went on the Polar Express.

My mom bought the tickets a long time ago and it was a surprise. Hannah and Joseph found out the day before we went. Meme also gave them adorable Christmas pajamas for the occasion. We drove to Bryson City on Wednesday afternoon for our departure at five. At the train depot, there were kids (and a lot of adults) in pajamas, music from the movie playing and just excitement everywhere!

Joseph wasn't cooperating for the photo op beforehand... I don't know what his deal was; he just didn't want to take a picture. Monkey, with her Chloe Puppy-the-Monkey, was super excited (and cooperative)...

The tickets are divided by class, and you really can't go wrong. We chose the middle option, Crown class, and it was perfect. We were served a chocolate chip cookie and hot cocoa in a souvenir cup. We rode the train to the "North Pole" and back, taking us a little over an hour roundtrip. While on board, The Polar Express story is read and the attendants are dressed in white chefs attire and are young and playful.

Santa got on board and traveled back to the station, saying hello to each child along the way. Hannah and Joseph were speechless. Literally. Even when he asked what they would like for Christmas. Nothing. Think they were overwhelmed? I think so!

Santa gave us each a silver bell to take home. This was most definitely the highlight!

Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

Back at the depot, we visited the Smoky Mountains Trains Museum. It was incredible. The model railroads were so neat!

After picking up a few souvenirs, we walked back to our car and headed home. Except for the drive there (and back), when my little girl got carsick, it was such a fun night!!

On Thursday, my brother Will, Crystal, and sweet little Stella came to play. They were staying further down the mountain with cousins in Sky Valley.

We had a nice time visiting and Hannah and Joseph loved playing with their little cousin.

Later that evening, Joe served a delicious Thanksgiving feast. Thankfully, it wasn't too labor-intensive as he prepared the squash and sweet potato casseroles prior to leaving home. We enjoyed every bite of it...perhaps gobbling it up a little too fast.

Our little turkeys headed off to bed, and Joe and I packed up a bit.

We left Highlands that Friday, stopping at the tubing slope in Scaly Mountain (NC). My aunt and cousins pretty much run the place, and though it was not cold enough for them to blow snow, there was enough there to slide around on.

Hannah enjoyed herself, and once we talked Joseph into getting in a tube, he did too! Joe took Hannah down the big slope, while Joseph stuck to the little kids' mound. Even Meme got in on the fun!

Back in Georgia, we switched cars with my mom in Greensboro. She took the kids to Sandersville and the hubby and I went to Lake Oconee where we spent the weekend. Joe was officiating the wedding of a church member and we were treated to a two-night stay at The Ritz Carlton Lodge. It was so wonderful! Pre-rehearsal dinner photo:

The property is just beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious accommodations. On Saturday morning, we meandered around the hotel...and could not pass up the big swings. Had to take pictures for Hannah and Joseph to see.

All of the Christmas decorations were out and we could not stop ourselves from FaceTiming the kiddos when we saw the huge gingerbread house in the lobby! They were amazed.

We had lunch on Saturday at the outside restaurant, dining at the bar so we could watch the rivalry weekend games. {Not a great one for my Yellow Jackets or for Joe's Tigers, but that's ok. Not good seasons for either of those teams this year. But Navy did very well!}

The wedding was absolutely beautiful and elegant. My sweet hubby did a great job, and the couple was so happy and cute. We came back in time for Sunday School (we were leading the class).

It was a really great trip and a nice vacation. We were away for a full week and there was a lot of laundry and catching up to do. (Hence the delay in posting!) Thankfully, I started putting Christmas decorations up before we left, so it was mainly the trees that needed doing when we returned.

It is hard to believe Christmas is just a little over two weeks away!

field trip fun

The kids both went on fun field trips recently, and I was lucky enough to get to go along! Despite the fact that I sprained my foot the week before (the day after getting back from New York) and walking was pretty painful, I was glad I got to be there and wouldn't have missed it.

Two weeks ago, Hannah's kindergarten class went to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. Several parents went as well, to help chaperone. One drawback from living in a small town: you often have to travel to go fun places.

It took almost three hours to get there, the school buses having to drive slower on the interstate and stopping at the rest stop for all the kids to go to the bathroom. {To put this into perspective, it took just over two hours for Hannah and I to get home. School rules state that the kids have to ride the school bus to the destination, but can ride home with their parents.}

But once we were there, it was all fun for this little Monkey and her classmates.

I was responsible for Hannah and Janay. They are BFFs and had a ball together, posing and asking me to take pictures of them on all the little animal statues.

We checked out all the animals. The reptile exhibit was "kinda yuck and scary...there were beetles and big snakes and...how did they catch all of them?...The flamingos were cool, too, but I thought they stinked."

The huge tortoises and baboons were among the favorites, but the best were the giraffes. Hannah got to feed one! {They like lettuce, just like she does!}

Joseph loves giraffes, so we took a video for him. While I was recording, one giraffe took off on a sprint across the exhibit. Never seen that before and it was quite entertaining! We watched it over and over again.

Little brother went on his own out-of-town field trip with his pre-K class the following Monday. His was to Sunny Day Farms in Louisville, GA. That is the best field trip either of the kids have ever been on. Hannah loved going last year when she was in pre-K. I enjoy it about as much as they do!

The fun started with feeding the goats. New this year was the "Goatel" where the goats love to play and climb. 

And the coolest part was the little tin-can contraption where you could fill the can with food and use a crank to send the can up the conveyer belt. As soon as the goats hear the food going up they make their way across the "Golden Goat Bridge" to eat. And they can eat, eat, eat, those goats.

We checked out the chickens and saw where the hens lay their eggs... 

There is a "Corn Pit" where all kinds of products made from corn (corn starch, corn syrup, etc.) are buried. The kids get to dig and try to find things. Joseph was so funny and had a ball in there. 

Then we climbed on a trailer hooked to the back of a tractor and rode up to the big corn maze. Our tour guide walked us through the maze, reading a little story along the way from little signs posted along the route. Joseph kept trying to pick the leftover corn off the stalks the whole time. That kid loves any kind of corn!

We hit the playground, had lunch at the picnic tables, and then went to the huge jumping pillow, trampoline thing. This place is seriously so fun. I have a picture of Hannah on this yellow tire, too:

Joseph's favorite part? "Playing in the corn!...and riding the tractor to the corn maze!!...and I wanted to eat that corn 'cause I was so hungry!!...and riding on the bus!!!" He also loved running onto that big jumping pillow yelling "cannonball!" every time. He had a great time, can you tell?

What a fun day! The weather was amazing and not near as cold as last year. I know I will be not included in many field trips as the kids get older, so I'm taking full advantage now!