We have a lot to be thankful for this year! Our families (especially the latest addition that sleeps under our roof), our new president-elect, our lack of investment in the financial markets, just to name a few...
We were fortunate to be able to celebrate the holiday at the Gibbons family vacation house ("Gibbnest") in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.
It was BEAUTIFUL! We arrived a couple days ahead of the extended family to "play house" on our own a little. The house itself is absolutely perfect, thanks to the work and vision of the KMGs and the GAGs :) They've thought of everything! Pollock was in heaven, running through the woods off leash and napping by the fire. Frances liked going on hikes, getting mom's AND dad's attention all week, and meeting Carrie, Kim, Caroline and Bryce for the first time. It was hectic but fun having so many family members under one roof. A 3-hour round-trip drive to Hendersonville, NC yielded two delicious free-range turkeys from a local co-op. Everyone brought something delicious to add to the meal. We ate - and ate - and ate all week :)
The scenery was spectacular. We visited a waterfall that's taller than Niagra Falls and the tallest in the Eastern U.S. There was lichen/moss all over every tree and covering some of the ground in the area, which gave everything a green and "living" look, despite the fact that most of the leaves have fallen off the trees (the non-evergreen trees, that is). The climate in the area technically is some kind of "rainforest" classification (we read it in a book). It looked that way.
Little pond near the house
Lichen?
Mike cut wood for fires... He had fun accomplishing projects like this around the house.
Amazing tree by the little pond
