Winter Wonderland, Year 2

So once again we packed up the car and headed to the Virginia mountains for a Christmas tree hunt with our BFFs the Coynes. This year we went to Fancy Gap, VA, just a stone's throw from Mt. Airy (aka Mayberry), and we enjoyed the addition of new tree hunter, Molly Coyne.

The weather was good and cold, and while we hoped for fresh snow, we had to be content with what was left on the ground from the week before.

Steph started off the weekend right by showering us with "non-gifts" for V including a princess vest that she refused to take off for the rest of the weekend. The next morning we exchanged Christmas gifts and V got to open her first birthday present of the season, an adorable Hello Kitty tent and sleeping bag set that the kids played with all weekend.

Virginia resumed her serious crush on James...

...but also spent plenty of time playing with "baby Molly" who followed the big kids everywhere they went.

Our tree hunting took us to Hillsville, VA and a very large tree farm who's main attraction, in my humble opinion, was the okra Santas. Luckily, there was no wind this year, which made the freezing temperatures seem idyllic, rather than dangerous (see last year's post here).

Telling the kids to watch out for frozen poop that was in just about every row of trees kept them occupied while we scoped out the perfect tree.

Finally we found just the right one, fat of course, and Tres went to work sawing it down.

The Honda Fit has never looked so tiny as when two lumberjack types attached our giant tree wrapped in a tarp (or could it be a corpse? I'll never tell) to the top of the car.

All that tree hunting wore V out and she quickly found a new use for her purple scarf (neck rest, anyone?) on the way back to the cabin.

Once we all got warmed up with soup and grilled cheese for lunch, we made Christmas cookies!

Other highlights included lots of delicious wine from Wine 101, me losing at every single game including 80s Scene It (never did get a Mr. T question or things might have ended differently) , me single handedly teaching Molly to walk (kinda)

and a hot tub overlooking NC. That's right, a hot tub.

It was a perfect weekend and plans are already in the works for next year's adventure-perhaps in Georgia! Stay tuned for more holiday adventures soon...

We're Ready for Snow

Thanks to Queenie, who outfitted V with this super soft and cute hat, scarf and gloves set.

We're thankful that my mother has always had a fear of one of her children, or grandchildren, getting the slightest bit cold. Imagine what life would be like if we all lived North of the Mason Dixon line! I'm sure we'd all be outfitted in snow suits come September.

Thanksgiving 2009

Once again the Bruces of Raleigh headed to Ashland, VA for a weekend of good food and family. V was excited about cheesecake and Tofurkey, T was excited about cheesecake and more cheesecake and I was excited about not having to cook!

When we arrived, V went immediately to her special bed and demanded Grandma read her some books. Grandma was only too happy to oblige and sat in Tres' childhood chair, much to our amusement.

Per our annual tradition, I found a lovely gown for V to ruin on Thanksgiving day. She brought Grandma to tears in her satin dress with crinoline and velvet gloves...

...and me to tears when she insisted on going outside to "check out the garage" and ride her bike.

Our meal was over the top, with at least 20 things to eat (including TWO tofurkeys). Ann cooked the vast majority of the feast and Amanda brought a delicious squash casserole and mac and cheese with cauliflower. All I had to do was bring some rolls...

Ash & Amanda apparently love sweet potato rolls

and a pie (some might call her a sugar pie.)

Delicious! Thank you Ann!

And just look how much fun Great Grandma had!

Tres captured this shot just before dinner. Good thing the nursing home doesn't provide her with a computer or I might get a whipping for allowing this picture to go public.

For dessert, T's cousins the Stanleys come over and we had 2 new babies to play with. Max...

Erin's youngest (Kadence and Myles' little brother)

and Ava.

Reisa and baby Ava.

V paid attention to them for approximately 5 seconds and then chased Kadence and Myles around the house just like last year.

By the end of the night we were exhausted!

Great Grandma with almost all her great grandchildren and her 2 granddaughters Reisa and Erin.
(not pictured: Jaedon)

But before I close this out, I must admit to what we were REALLY thankful for this year. (NO! We are NOT having another baby, quit asking.) The thing we were most thankful for was:

Parker, the next door neighbor's oldest son.

They read books together. They sang ridiculous nonsense songs through the back of the dining room chairs.

Heck, we even went to the park together. He is 4 years old and V was pretty much convinced that he hung the moon. We felt the same.