Christmas time!!

It is Christmas day and we have enjoyed breakfast, opened gifts and are headed to see JoAnn and Don Cundy.  I am delighted to be looking forward to good times and good food with good friends!!

But I will have to admit the holidays are sometimes hard for me.  As a child Christmas was a special time in our home which was filled with all of the smells and sounds, warmth and love of a hallmark movie. My mother loved Christmas and made it special for all of us.   Baking and wrapping went on for weeks, Christmas eve candlelight worship service, the stockings were hung by the chimney with care and the next day was filled with good food, thoughtful presents, and a day filled with family and holiday festivities   I tried to recreate that same sense of joy as the girls were growing and learning to love the holidays.

Now our celebrations are very different especially when we are away from family, but I am ever grateful..... to have my dear husband to share my life with, to have generous friends who invite us into their home and to still look forward to the joy we feel at the candlelight service on Christmas eve.

Thanksgiving and birthdays!!

We all gathered at Jenna and Jonn's house for Thanksgiving this year and it was simply wonderful!!  Then the following weekend we gathered again in Raleigh as we shared a celebration of Celia's and my birthday!  We have so much to be thankful for as we gather as a family and love and celebrate each other. 

 God has richly blessed us!!

Charleston with the Winnebago camping group!

We both love Charleston and were excited to join the Winnebago camping group for an October trip.  There were not a lot of pictures that came out of this trip but we had so much fun and enjoyed our time with Lauren Smith!!!

Beautiful backyard!!

Our back yard this fall was BEAUTIFUL!!  It has been a work in progress for 7 years now and finally the fruits of our labors are blooming.  It may seem like a small thing but I can't tell you how much we enjoyed this spectacular fall view!

But this was also the time when the back deck could no longer be ignored..... Thank goodness Christina and Billy carved out time in their busy schedules to lead the charge.  This project was farther outside our skill set than we knew and we were VERY grateful that Saunders and Saunders came to save the day!  We have such a beautiful deck  now!!

Celia and Lily for 2 whole weeks - lucky Nana and Papa!!

Elissa's new work schedule required more help with the girls so we were lucky enough to get 2 weeks with them.  Our first week was spent camping at Yogi in the Smokies in Cherokee,NC! The weather was great and the heated pool was a big hit!!  They went crazy with the nicknames at lunch one day, Lily is Peaches, Celia is Popcorn and Papa is Tostidos....mine is yet to be determined.

                                                            Oconaluftee Indian Village

                                                               Cherokee handiwork

                                                                  Sweet, sweet girls

The 2nd week we were back in Raleigh!!  The temperatures were crazy hot so inside activities were the order of the week!  My did we have a good time with them!  We are certainly blessed grandparents!!

                                                    Raleigh Museum of Natural Sciences

                                                  Who knew that we could still bowl?

                                                                    Trampoline fun!

Solar eclipse 2017

Greenville was actually right on the path of a complete solar eclipse and this was a big deal!!  The whole family came to town to experience this event.  We ate Moon Pies and Sun Chips ( and lots of other good food ) and waited for the sky to turn dark...and it really was an incredible experience.  Insects came out and it became cool and the darkness enveloped us.  So grateful that we got to share it together!!

                                                                 A bit of cousin time!!

                                                          Got to protect those eyes!!

                                                   Watching for the sky to change.....

                                                                  Any minute now...

Jack and Sam go camping... Cherokee, NC

                                                              Oconaluftee Indian Village

                                                            Yogi in the Smokies

                                                                    Creek walking!

                                                          Sam masters his bike!!!!

The guys love our camping time....heated pool, Exploding Kittens ( a crazy card game ) lots of time riding bikes, walking in the creek and exploring Cherokee. Sam actually asked to go biking one morning before breakfast!  And after lots of angst they admitted that they really enjoyed the Indian Village.  Sometimes you just have to trust Nana, she doesn't usually steer you wrong!!

We took a VACATION OF A LIFETIME!!

                                                            Hawaii!!!!!!! John's 50th state

We actually traveled for the entire month of May ……starting with a cruise with JoAnn and Don Cundy around the Hawaiian islands. Our ports included Oahu, Maui, Hilo and Kailua including Volcanoes National Park. After an additional 5 nights at sea the ship then landed in Vancouver where we rented a car and headed south.  Our first stop was Portland, OR, traveling down the Oregon coast and then San Francisco, CA.  Next came Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and then on to Death Valley, Zion and Bryce National Parks. Our last night was in Las Vegas, NV where we visited the famous Bellagio Hotel.

1. Lodging in 9 different locations 
2. 4 rental cars - 3,400  miles in the last one alone
3. Visits with 3 of John's cousins which he hadn't seen in over 50 years
4. Visit with John's uncle
5. Took hundreds of pictures
6. 6 Lyft rides
7. Our climate varied from the 40's to 105 degrees ( Death Valley )
8. Our elevations ranged from 10,600 feet to - 276 feet ( below sea level )
9. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (and back)

Traveling with our friends was wonderful!
Catching up with 3 of John’s cousins and an uncle was heartwarming!
The wonders of the National Parks each with their own incredible landscapes was awe inspiring!!
Time to travel with each other was marvelous!
 A trip that we will never forget...........

                                                                Our Hawaiian Luau

                                                            Volcanoes National Park

                                                                    Mt. Hood, OR

                                                       Walking the Golden Gate Bridge

                                                                         Yosemite

                                                           General Sherman - Sequoia

                                                                           Zion

                                                                             Bryce

                                                          Bellagio -  Las Vegas, NV