Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We had the best Thanksgiving!  I love this holiday so very much.  The weather was great, the leaves are absolutely beautiful, and we got to spend time with all of our family!  I don't know if it gets any better.  We seriously had just a great week.  We started our celebrating on the Friday before with Kate's Thanksgiving feast.  She was singing so loud and I loved watching her.  I'm sad that this was her last one at preschool.  The food was delicious!  It was definitely a great way to kick start the holiday!
BFF's!



On Saturday we were so excited because it was time to pack and go to Oconee State Park for a weekend at the cabins with Sug, Pop, and the rest of our family!  This tradition was started about 3 years ago and it is one of my favorites!  I love getting away and celebrating Thanksgiving with our family.  We get to see some of the prettiest scenery too!  This year was probably the prettiest I have ever seen.  The leaves were just amazing.  I can't even describe how colorful everything was.  It was definitely "peak" time for this area.  We left around lunchtime on Saturday and went for a little hike before getting to the park.  We were hiking to Station Cove Falls.  I love hiking to a waterfall and there are so many in that area.   It was really breathtaking just looking at all the color around us while we were hiking.  The falls was beautiful too.  You can tell the water is scarce and I can only imagine how pretty the falls would be when we weren't in such a drought.






















After our hike we headed to the cabin, but first of course a stop for some of our favorite boiled peanuts!


We loved getting settled into our cabin.  These cabins are so cute and so cozy.  The girls love Sug and Pop's cabin because they have a loft they can play in.  We all stay over there until bedtime so we can be together just laughing, talking, playing games, and exploring.  Before it got dark we walked to the playground.  The kids got to have a game of kickball with Kelly, Sara, and Davis.  Bryce was excited to be back at the playground that he remembered very well from the church campout that was a month earlier.  I think he and I made about 25 trips down the twisty slide.  He kept saying "mommy and Bryce do it" so I would climb up with him and slide on down.  When I finally couldn't slide one more time we walked back around the lake to our cabins.   We had hotdogs and bowls of chili and just had so much fun!





going down the slide!

Scattagories was a win this year!

the little girls played clue...modified just for them :)
On Sunday we got up and headed to eat a yummy breakfast that Sug & Pop had cooked.  This year the cabin had a box with bean bags and other things for outside games that were just outside.  We played corn hole for a little while and then we got everyone together for a family picture.
Sug & Pop's Cabin 





Nana got in on the corn hole game too!




A real live group of monkeys







If you know our family you know we have silly pics!




I have to say...these aren't too bad considering my camera was propped up in a tree on its self timer!

After all our silly pictures we decided to head in for lunch.  After lunch most of us headed out for another hike.  This time it was to Burrell's Ford.  Again everything was just so pretty and colorful.  I love fall!  The girls did great hiking.  Kate loved being the leader for our group.  We hiked to the Spoonauger falls first then headed on toward Ellicott Rock.  We didn't get all the way there because our time ran out but we saw such pretty scenery on what we did get too.  It was so pretty hiking along the river.
I forgot to mention that Pop had found a baby snake and brought it for the girls to see.  Kate was all about it and couldn't wait to hold it!  Eww!  Cohen wanted to hold it too and before we went hiking they did.




being silly with her hood!

Kate leading the way 







Spoonauger Falls





















That night we had the best Thanksgiving meal!  Sug even had jobs for the girls so they could help.  They all made the apple pie bites.




Monday morning after breakfast we had to pack up and leave.  It was such a fun weekend.  I love spending time there and love getting that good quality time with our family with little to no distractions!
We were settling in great to our fun Thanksgiving break!  Cohen had her best friend, Josie's, birthday party Monday and got to sleepover with her.  On Tuesday I took both girls to have their hair cut then later that afternoon Kate had basketball practice.  Sara and I left practice a little early and took the girls to see Trolls.  We went to eat at Chic-Fil-A and then headed to the theatre.  It was a very cute movie.  I loved the music and it had me laughing good in several parts.

Wednesday we had another yummy Thanksgiving at my Mama's.  This was our first Thanksgiving meal that Mama cooked.  She did a great job of course and it was all sooooo good!  Thanksgiving is just awesome on so many levels!
Thursday of course we ate and ate some more.  We started with lunch at Suzy's.  We got some pictures there of Nanny with all of her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and her in-law grandchildren!








We spent the evening at Nana's house in Athens having more fun spending time with more family! When we got to Nana's I couldn't help but snap some pictures of the girls and Bryce at one of Nana's trees.  IT was so beautiful!  The trees just have me swooning!
















And then at this time of the day its hard to stay happy...


But throwing some leaves helps!


We had such a fun time at Nana's.  I hated to see Thanksgiving end but of course there was still more fun!  What beats a little Black Friday shopping with friends.  We never go looking for any certain thing but have a blast being out late and shopping.  I love it!  Friday Cohen pulled a tooth but left the tooth fairy a note asking her to wait and come back on Monday.  She wanted to wear the tooth in her tooth necklace for a few days!


Saturday we spent the day in Athens at the Georgia game.  Cohen had not been to a game so far this year so she was so ready to be there.  We went early to the Dawg Walk so she could see the players and most importantly the majorettes!






We met up with our friends just before the game.  You know you are close friends when you are dressed exactly the same.  Alan and Kelly were twinning and Jen and I were twinning.  Great minds think alike!  
The game sure didn't go like we wanted, kind of like a lot of our games this year.  But...I had one more family dinner that night so that helped me keep good spirits!  I love getting together with my mom's side of the family.  I don't see them very much so when I do it is special!  I didn't get a picture but it was so good being with everyone!  Our Thanksgiving was great in so many ways!