A different kind of thankful

This year was a very different thanksgiving for the Welchs'.  This was the first year that we ever spent Thanksgiving by ourselves. Thanksgiving is for family, and we have always been with my parents, Wayne's family, all my sisters and their families or even with just Papa, but never just the four of us.
It was the best Thanksgiving I've ever had.

We left our busy, crazy world on Tuesday afternoon, and headed to the mountains. We camped at Moccasin Creek State Park for four days.  I had some doubts that we wouldn't kill each other, die of boredom, what with no intenet and all, or just plain end up refereeing fights between my two teenage daughters.  Can I tell you that I felt sad when we packed up to come home this morning?

After making the customary we-are-leaving-to-go-camping-so-we-need-to-stop-and-eat-at-Cracker-Barrel stop, we got up in the cold mountains and set up camp without any problems, unless you consider Wayne yelling at me, me crying and stomping me feet, swearing to never help him back the camper in ever again, a problem.  No sir, no problems at all.
Wednesday was girl's day, we headed to Cumming to try on bridesmaid dresses, while Wayne spent the day at the campground all by himself. Poor thing, he was very brave about the whole thing and assured us he would try and make it through the day with nothing to do but sleep, eat and fish. The girls are both in Megan's wedding in June and the dresses are gorgeous. That is saying alot! Raise your hand if you've ever hated a bridesmaid dress!  After a girl's day in David's Bridal, we ate at Olive Garden and talked and laughed and got lost twice on the way home.   Wayne had  a hearty campout supper waiting when we got back to camp and it delicious!  We sat out by the camp fire and drank coffee and hot chocolate.

Thursday (Thanksgiving) was freezing cold. I was wondereing how it would feel not to slave away in the kitchen all morning listening to the drone of Macy's Day parade. Let me tell you, it was wonderful! Didn't miss cooking a bit.  We went to the Dillard House and let Mrs. Dillard feed us a fine, and I mean a fine meal!  That afternoon we went to see The Blind Side. Best movie I've seen in a long time. That Tim McGraw can't act, good thing he can sing. What he lacks in the acting, Sandra Bullock makes up for...she's one of my most fav Hollywood women!

Friday was the best day yet, we rode horses in the morning, and the entire family laughed at me because my horse got spooked and all but bucked me off and I screamed.  They all swore he just shook his head, but I know his front legs left the ground!
 Lunch was at Fat Boys BBQ. Oh yeah baby! Better than a turkey sandwich any day. Next door to Fat Boys was a Goodwill, so you know Wayne had to let us run in and treasure hunt for a minute. More about that later.  We got back to camp and the crowning moment of the entire vacation was the hike to the waterfall. I'll post pics as soon as Leslie downloads them for me.  In a word, beautiful.  As we were walking back out, we were really deep in the woods, I had one of those moments where I was able to shut everything out and just be in the moment.  Have you ever done that? I just took it all in.
I am one blessed woman, I was holding hands with a wonderful husband who loves me despite my insanity.  My two girls were in front of me, laughing and wrestling.  I love to see them enjoy each other, it doesn't happen all the time any more.  I haven't felt this happy in a long time. Just us. Just the four of us. Happy. Healthy. Loving.  It was the best Thanksgiving I've ever had.