Thanksgiving Memories

Yes, this is long overdue, but better late than never! I began it while we were there...

One of the things I love so much about visiting my Grandparents' is the many memories that rush upon me as we travel. It's one of the few areas of memories in my life that has transcended a decade. For instance, the memories flood as soon as we hit the landmark Hardee's in Fletcher and continue as we pass the gas station where Daniel threw up on our way home about 8 years ago. It builds as we maneuver the curving road (this time I’m driving MY car - ahem! - and it's pitch black...yikes!) and as we reach the top of THEIR mountain, we begin singing, "We're going to Grandmother's house!" and there they are, on the front porch, waving!

After all the hugs we unload the cars. We girls automatically drop our suitcases in the girls' room while the boys throw their stuff in their room (both in the basement). As I enter each room, I am reminded of all the wonderful times we've had in this house, with our family. There's the dinner waiting for us when we arrive (always with macaroni shells & cheese), the fire in the fireplace (even if it’s too hot for one) and so many others. For my family, these will make sense:

looking at all the pictures all over every wall
the zip line
singing ‘happy birthday’ with Misha
singing around the piano
beanie babies
bonfires with hotdogs
Indiana Jones on the swing with Travis
summer houses, winter houses
sliding down the slope next to the house, even without snow
blackberry picking above their house
Daniel breaking his arm – ‘the spikes are baaaack!’
Daniel throwing up in a gas station parking lot on the way home (see, I’m not the only dramatic one in the family)
Dad & me sledding way, way down the road
beanie babies
school work on the back porch
fighting over who gets the Madame Alexander dolls
Billy Graham Cove visits
Wolf Laurel
yes, still more beanie babies

Some more recent memories from the trip:
Caleb flying and sledding at the same time down the poop-covered hills (why did we think the poop was rocks? Oh yeah, cuz they were frozen hard until you ran over them with the sled!)
Steph doing the ‘poop dance’
cousins
Dish washing – ha!
‘who-ville’ imitation night
watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, but skipping the marching bands
watching the Goofy Movie
watching Little Women…and making Beth play ‘dead’
getting ready in the bathroom
shopping for last minute menu items at Super Wal-mart (craaazy people work there!!!)
cooking Thanksgiving dinner together
Dad making his fried pickles (yum! My mouth is watering again!)
Granddaddy coming downstairs in his Marine uniform – sword and all!!!
Radio-ing back and forth between the cars (I Love Lucy, Grinch and 24 quotes, Haunted Mansion monologue)
Santa Clause 3 (blah!)
lunch with Mom, Steph, Grandmother
stopping in Georgia to pick Kathy up
Starbucks stop for caffeine
….arriving HOME!

We had a wonderful time in North Carolina! What memories did I miss? Put them in the 'Comments' section.

Here are some of the pictures: