Thanksgiving

When Paul and I got married, we made the choice to alternate spending Thanksgiving with each of our families each year. Christmas {morning} is a little different and is always spent at home now with just us, but Thanksgiving is always spent with extended family. This year was the year to spend with my family.

We all piled in the car and drove to Highlands, North Carolina where my aunt (my Nana and my Mom's sister) has leased a beautiful house for a year. It was perfect.

Gorgeous weather. Warm fires. Long walks (until it got cold later in the week). A trip to the library. Absolutely unbelievabley yummy food not only for Thanksgiving day but before and after!

I mean, how often do you google shrimp and grits, make it, and lick the pan clean! Ok. so that last part isn't completely true, but it was super yummy!

Oh...and did I mention s'mores!

Yup. Those are our Wordless Wednesday photos. 

But, as Addie would say YELL, did you see this?

What I want to know is how she knew to eat the chocolate first!?!?!?

yuuuuuuummmmy in my tummmmmmy!

There was this beautiful mirror in the living room that belongs to the owner of the house. There is a picture in the basement of her when she was a little girl sitting on this beautiful mirror too.

What was crazy about this picture is {gasp} Addie asked me to take it!!!!

I didn't really care what it looked like, I was just thrilled to take it!

I took a risk and asked Nana to jump in too, and instead of backfiring, this is what I got!!!

Pure joy. Pure laughter. Pure love!

Now. The little girls were pretty easy going as a whole...except when it came to sleep. Apparently they hate their pack-n-play. We brought a 2nd one, and it didn't help at all. They tag teamed all.night.long! One cried. Fed her. Slept a little. The other cried. Fed her. Slept a little more. I was so frustrated with them by the morning! But I'm happy to say one went 7+ hours last night and the other went almost 11 !!! Want to know why they were up all.night.long in the mountains?
1.) different environment
2.) because they could be
3.) daddy wasn't there yet (he came a day later)
4.) because they could be
5.) TEETHING!

Yup, Anne Perry's first tooth broke through the day we left.

Apparently Audrey Kate enjoyed sleeping on her Nana more than sleeping at night, but who wouldn't!

Addie had a blast with RieRie and Nana! She loved going on walks with Nana, finding sticks and rocks with her.

...and helping! 

Nana helping Addie Addie helping Nana!

This was one of the few spots left with those beautiful fall leaves. One of these days I'll make it to the mountains to take pictures as the leaves are changing instead of after or not at all!

{sigh}

 

Thank you Nana for letting us come spend Thanksgiving with you in your home-away-from-home!

Even though the journey's long

And I know the road is hard

Well, the One who's gone before me

He will help me carry on

After all that I've been through, now I realize the truth

That I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain of God

Mountain of God -- Third Day

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:18