Thanksgiving in the Mountains

November 24-28, 2008--- For Thanksgiving this year we decided to meet PaPa Gator and Lady in Sapphire Valley, North Carolina. It is a beautiful mountain area located in the southern part of the state. We left home around 5:30 a.m. so we could get to our condo for dinner. We stopped at Discovery Mills Mall in Atlanta to stretch our legs and get some lunch. While there, Anna Catherine climbed the rock wall in the Bass Pro Shop (which is a really cool store, by the way. I would never have thought to go in one but the kids LOVED it--an aquarium, huge taxidermy bears, cougars, and other wildlife, and Santa's workshop which was an area for the kids to play with toys). We also saw Santa. Jackson ran up to him and immediately told him he wanted a blue brontosaurus. Anna Catherine had no fears and asked for a Frosty the Snowman movie and a digital camera. Chloe was really skeptical about sitting with this strange man so Rick held her. Then the kids enjoyed a ride on the carousel. It was a nice two hour break from sitting in the van.

We went shopping in the Highlands. It is a neighboring town with a cute downtown area. The kids enjoyed the toy store best. Anna Catherine and Chloe focused on a marble game (looked like fun but too much of a choking hazard for me to deal with on a daily basis). Jackson found some dinosaurs which he used to "take over" the train table in a Godzilla sort of way.












Rick, Anna Catherine, and PaPa Gator went hiking. Such beautiful landscape.











The kids had fun playing on the playground. Then we went over to the man-made snow hill. Anna Catherine and Rick went tubing down the "mountain". Jackson wanted to tube but he didn't meat the height requirement. So, he and PaPa Gator played in the snow. Chloe wanted to play but she had no mittens. I wasn't expecting snow.

We had a peaceful, relaxing week filled with delicious food, much needed naps, and cut-throat games of Texas Hold'Em. It was good to see PaPa Gator and Lady again.