So Thankful

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We filled every minute of the holiday break and made lots of special memories with family. For Emmy and me, our break started on Wednesday, so while Daddy worked, we went to the Science Center with Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt M, Zander, and Maddox. We have been practicing our animal flash cards at home, and Emmy loved spotting fish, turtles, monkeys, and goats. Even though she was still fascinated by the lights on the floor in the aquarium and the red car in the play place, she also was very busy pointing out the different animals and making their sounds. After watching her cousins, she was even brave enough to put her hands into Stingray Bay. She liked touching the water, but she would often bring up her hand any time a stingray would come close. She did her best to keep up with her cousins, but she wasn't quite brave enough to touch one yet. After a full morning at the Science Center followed by lunch at Freddy's, we napped and then met Boomer for the Forbush women's basketball game that evening. The team was playing in the final round of the Mary Garber Tournament, and they had pulled off two big wins earlier over the weekend. Emmy and I stayed through halftime, and it was a pretty close game, but unfortunately, West Forsyth pulled away in the second half. Emmy didn't seem too bothered by the outcome of the game; she loved sitting on Daddy's shoulders and drumming on his head!

On Thanksgiving Day, we hit the road around 8AM to head toward Woodstock. We made the trip in just under 5 hours, including a pit stop for snacks and gas. We even had some extra time, so we drove through the campus of James Madison University, where Boomer's dad went to school. I love any excuse to see a college campus. On the way to Woodstock, we had a mid-afternoon Thanksgiving lunch with Boomer's uncle and his family in Lacey Springs, just outside of Harrisonburg. We were a smaller crew this year, with just Boomer's mom, dad, his brother Kyle, and then the three of us. Unfortunately Carlin and Goosie and Darby's crew weren't able to be there this year. We missed them! Emmy was a little ham (or should I say, turkey?) showing off for the family and soaking up all of Granny and PawPaw's attention. At the hotel, we had adjoining rooms, and it was nice to have the extra time in the morning and evening. Emmy began calling Boomer's mom "MiMi"; it is the first time that she has directly called Cathy by a name. The other grandkids call her Granny, so it will be interesting to see if "MiMi" sticks.

On Friday, we enjoyed a leisurely morning. Emmy slept until around 7:15AM and did well in the crib. She was pretty adaptable to the hotel room and once again was a great little traveler. Luckily we didn't have any incidents this time with Bobbie and the toilet, thank goodness! We did bring Bobbie of course, along with a few of her other stuffed animals, books, and flash cards. These all kept her entertained. After a slow morning, we went to the Fort Valley Nursery for lunch, which is an operating nursery but also a delicious cafe and a gift shop with an assortment of eclectic knick-knacks and Christmas decor. We tried not to eat too heavy, since we would be having another Thanksgiving meal, but I would definitely recommend the chicken salad sandwich and the house-made potato salad. That evening, we went to Boomer's grandparents' farm for the Kennedy family gathering. Our group grows bigger and bigger each year with marriage proposals and the births of great-grandchildren. Boomer's grandparents were in good spirits, and Granny Kennedy seemed to be having a good day. Although she continues to battle Alzheimer's, she was happy to see all of her family. The weather was very cold (in the low 30s) and so we didn't venture outside for the annual family picture. Unfortunately I didn't take too many photos of our time in Woodstock, but here are a few candids. Even if it wasn't well documented, we had a great time!

On Saturday, we headed back to NC. After spending several more hours in the car, Boomer and I realized just how much Emmy is talking now! Although she napped briefly, it seemed that she jibber-jabbered the whole trip. She is really picking up on the things that we say. For example, she now will say "Bess you Daddy" after Boomer sneezes or "nose runnin" if he blows his nose with a tissue. She also wants the "car wash open", which actually refers to the shield on the sun roof. After I opened it the last time we went through the car wash, that is what she calls it now. She also can point out a lot of things that she sees out the window, like trucks, buses, and pumpkins. Another favorite on the road trip was "Baby Shark" and apparently its sister version "Baby Car." Even though it meant a constant stream of chatter from the back seat, we are thankful for our little traveler. 

After a quick stop by our house, we went over to Megan and Zack's for the Bakewell Thanksgiving. Zack once again prepared an amazing feast, with my mom bringing her special sides like sweet potato casserole, which was a particular favorite of Emmy's. After dinner, we fit in a few pictures and then had dessert while the three cousins played and made a general mess of the living room. Aunt M and Uncle Zack are good sports to host each year (and throughout the year, too!) Emmy loves playing with her cousins and playing with their toys! If you look carefully, you'll notice Iron Man in the last picture!

A comparison over the last three years:

The break wasn't over yet! After church on Sunday, my mom and I had a fun mother-daughter outing to Korner's Folly. Korner's Folly is a beautiful historic home in downtown Kernersville. I have always wanted to tour the home, and it was a special treat to see it at Christmas time. Mom and I took our time going through the house and learned so much about the local history. The home was built in the late 1800s, and it was the residence of the Korner family until the 1930s. In the last decade, the home has been added to the historic registry and has undergone restoration. It is pretty unique in its design, and although it is only 3 stories, it has 7 levels/floors, some with ceilings only 5.5 feet high! We'd love to go back again with our guys, but it was fun that it was just the two of us. 

We are so thankful for our many blessings, with family at the top of the list. It was nice to have the break to focus on family and spend extra time with our loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving!