Quick Mountain Trip

Two weekends ago we took a quick trip to the mountains for a football camp at Western Carolina University. It always feels good to get away for little trips. Fonzy and I are hoping to take more little trips once Elijah graduates. We have two more years to an empty nest!

Driving through the mountains I thought about how splendid it would be in the Fall with all the vibrant color leaves. Definitely need a Fall mountain trip, and maybe a ghost tour! If I can convince Fonzy! It would take a lot of convincing!

Snippets of Holiday Magic - December 11

Another favorite ornament of mine.

On a side note I've never made gingerbread cookies. Not sure we'd like them. I found a chocolate sugar cookie recipe that I may try and cutout as gingerbread men. Or maybe I'll just make the true gingerbread ones. If we don't like them anyone want to volunteer to eat them.

Snippets of Holiday Magic - December 10

Every year during Christmas time our Mom would make Christmas cookies with us. Even though she died when we were still kids Karen and I have carried on that tradition with our boys. Our boys are teens now and no longer want to make cookies with us, but we still do it.

Next year we will have a little baby girl to make cookies with and we are so excited. My sister is due in March, so she'll only be about 9 months but she will be right in the kitchen with us, keeping the tradition our Mom started so many years ago. I do believe she'll be looking down on us smiling and loving all our Christmas cookies.

Snippets of Holiday Magic - December 7

Glue splattered, red pompom nose, googly eyes and crooked antlers. These are the best ornaments filled with childhood memories. How I wish I could go back to when they were little.

Snippets of Holiday Magic - December 5

Driving home from Girl Scouts tonight, I did a slow drive around our neighborhood. Christmas lights sparkled on every street. I drove past a house where the young mother passed away this summer from cancer, leaving behind 3 little ones and a husband. There were no Christmas lights. My heart went out to them. The first Christmas without her.

I pulled up to our house, all aglow and thanked God for life and the loved ones I still have with me, and prayed for the little family missing theirs.

Snippets of Holiday Magic - December 4

Fonzy strung up the lights outside, and I finished the decorating inside. Little touches of Christmas all throughout the house.

Right now, it's raining out, the lights are all aglow, chicken noodle casserole in the oven and Santa Clause is Coming to Town on. I love all the holiday specials from childhood. Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Frosty, a Christmas Story. The holiday wouldn't be complete without them.

Snippets of Holiday Magic - Tree Shopping - December 2

Today was tree shopping day! We normally get our tree the day after Thanksgiving, but since we were at the beach, it had to wait until this weekend. We were in Texas last year for Christmas, so we didn't get a tree. And the year before that, we had a little small tree, so I wanted something bigger this year. Ezekiel agreed to go with me since no one else wanted to go. I can always count on Ezekiel. I can't believe he's leaving after Christmas! I wanted him to take some pictures with me, but he said he'd rather just be the photographer. I was able to sneak one of him as the tree was being wrapped though.

All the trees were so pretty, it was hard to choose. Ezekiel and I walked around until we found the perfect one. I told him I've always wanted to tie my tree to the top of the truck and drive down a snowy road. I had to settle for a drive down 1st Ave in Knightdale, with sun shining, but that was pretty good too.

Thanksgiving at the Outer Banks, NC - Part 2

Morning coffee with Titus.

I was going to have 2 more posts of Thanksgiving, but decided since it's December 1, I'm over Thanksgiving, so cramming all the pictures I can in this one post.

Friday morning we all headed to the beach for a bit. Some of us were still in PJ's. We were on vacation, no need to hurry and get dressed! I'm sure I got a few strange looks though as I ran down the beach with Titus in my Hello Kitty pjs!

After our morning on the beach, Jay, Vicky and I took the kids fishing. This was the main reason Elijah wanted to go on the trip was to fish. Unfortunately, he didn't catch a fish! It was freezing on the pier, with the wind whipping! We held out as long as we could in hopes he would catch one, but no such luck. TJ had given up at one point, but decided to try again and caught one. Jaylan didn't want to fish at all, but a lady next to us catching all the fish said she was tired of reeling them in, so let Jaylan reel it in for her. So technically he got a fish too. Jay caught a flounder, and was about to toss it back in when a guy ran down the pier and asked if he could have it. Said he was catching dinner for his family. Enjoy!
 

We planned to visit all the lighthouses on Saturday, and it was the worst day weather wise. It was cold, windy and rainy! Worst day for sightseeing, but we headed out anyways. The first lighthouse we visited was Bodie Island Lighthouse. I always pictured lighthouses right on the edge of the ocean, with waves crashing beside it. This was not the case. The other lighthouse we visited was Currituck. It was in the woods! Not what I pictured at all. It was so cold and windy, we decided against going to Hatteras, especially when we found out they are closed until April 1 and we couldn't even go up in it. So much for visiting all the lighthouses. As the day went on, the rain stopped and it cleared up, but it was still so cold!

What I was most excited about seeing was the Rodanthe Inn, the house from the movie, Nights in Rodanthe. I think Karen and I were the only ones excited. We were the only ones who got out of the car to see it and take pictures. Everyone else waited in their cars, then rushed us to hurry up! In the movie, the house is right on the beach in the water, but it had to be moved back to preserve it. You can check out this post here to see when they moved and renovated the house. I want to see the movie again since I've been to the actual house, so ordered it from Walmart. Should be here tomorrow. I can't wait to see it.

Last evening/sunset before we went home Sunday morning.

I'm glad we did something different this year. There's nothing better than being with the ones you love. Everyone is getting older, our kids are growing up and will soon be having Thanksgivings with their families. Who knows what next year will bring. Heck, who knows what tomorrow will bring, so moments like these are cherished memories we will always have.

Thanksgiving at the Outer Banks, NC - Part 1

So we did something a little different this year for Thanksgiving. My sister, brother and I, along with our families rented a house in the Outer Banks, NC for the holiday! We even bought Titus along! I took SO many pictures, so I'm going to break our trip up into a few posts.

Lets' get started!

Fonzy had to work Wednesday and Elijah had basketball practice so Ezekiel, Titus and I left early. They would drive up later. Ezekiel and I packed up the truck and off we went! I LOVE the beach. I don't care what time of year it is, I'm willing to go anytime. The 3 hour trip was OK, until that last hour! The last hour was on a two lane highway, and you could only go 55mph! It took FOREVER! I was so excited when we finally pulled up to the house. This was Titus first time on the beach, so as soon as we unpacked, we headed to the beach. He was a little hesitant at first, but then he loved it. He wouldn't go into the water, but got close to it. By 9pm everyone had arrived at the house.

Thanksgiving morning my sister Karen, her husband James and I were up at 5:30am. Everyone else was still snoozing. Normally I would be too, but I wanted to see the sunrise, and once Titus heard them rustling in the kitchen he wanted to be up and out! In the kitchen, James was making his famous potato salad and took on making the mac and cheese from me. I'm so glad he did. His mac and cheese was so good! A lot better than mine would have been. While Karen and James were busy with cooking, Vicky(SIL), Titus and I headed to the beach for a bit. It was a gorgeous morning. And we saw dolphins!! About 4 or 5 of them. Such a great way to start Thanksgiving morning.
      After our beach walk, lots of coffee was consumed! Everyone was up and the cooking continued, along with some serious foosball playing throughout the day. Titus also received lots of loving. When James kids first meet Titus, I think they were a little afraid of him, but now Jaylan is his best bud!

Finally dinner was done and it was time to eat! Jay carved all the meat and Vicky set the table all nice and pretty for us. We normally just use paper plates, but we decided to be fancy this Thanksgiving and use real plates. We fancy ya'll! Everything was so good, and we all got good and stuffed!

In the evening it was spade time! Lots of trash talking and butt whipping! Karen and I kicked Fonzy and Jay's butts several times! They can't beat us! We are Spade Queens. I just realized I didn't take any pictures of our spade playing. No bueno.

I also finished my chunky cable blanket on Thanksgiving. I LOVE it. Karen tried to steal it, but that wasn't happening. I love her and all, but this blanket is all mine!

And that's the end of Thanksgiving day! Phew, that's a lot of pictures! And I still have tons from the other two days we were there. Part 2 and maybe 3 will be posted soon! There was fishing on Jeanette's Pier where we froze, but 2 fish were caught, more beach walks, lighthouse visits and a famous house from the movie Nights in Rodanthe.