Thursday, November 23, 2017

AMERICA 2017: With My Family


It wasn't planned this way but look how the sequence of my posts on our October trip to America made it such that today, THANKSGIVING DAY, is the day I'm sharing our time with my kids.  How wonderfully and therapeutically serendipitous.

Our first week in America was spent with Ted and Jane in Connecticut.  Then we were with the kids a few days before Bob and Peggy, and then afterwards at the cabin in the North Georgia Mountains before flying back home.

Astrid and I both posted most of these on Facebook but here they are in sequence, more or less:

While taking MARTA from the Atlanta airport to North Springs for pickup by SIL Dennis and Nicholas,
Astrid took these pics of some of Atlanta's landmarks as we passed by.
That was Wednesday, 18 October.
[an Astrid FB post]

Once at Amy's, one of the first things I always do is take pics of Astrid and Nicholas together.
This is from 2014 when he was 14....

and from last year, when he was 16....

and now this year, at age 17.
I LOVE comparing the years, don't you!

Because Nicholas is now a working man, when not at school, we made sure to visit him at work.
They even allowed him to take his supper break with us, which was fun.
[Amy was absent because of traveling for work.]

Astrid and I both love walking the neighborhood where Amy and Dennis live.
The walking options seem almost endless.

We always found things to do, while the others worked or went to school.
[an Astrid FB post]

Saturday evening was a block party on their cul-de-sac, with Dennis as the grill man.
Lucky for us to be there to enjoy it.

By Sunday it was time to meet up with Bob and Peggy, but first...Mark treated 
Astrid, Nicholas and moi to an Atlanta United soccer game at the new Mercedes-Benz stadium.
It so happens his company has their own suite there for which Mark got free tickets.

Mark even bought AU t-shirts for Astrid and me to look the part!
[a Mark FB post]

And lucky Astrid captured one of the goals from UA.
The game ended up being a 2-2 tie with Toronto, who was already #1 in the league.
In my book, a tie is better than a loss, so it was a good game.

From the game we met up with Bob and Peggy and stayed with them south of Atlanta till Thursday.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Thursday is the day each year we drive up to the North GA Mountains, to the same cabin.
After getting settled in, the first thing Dennis did was make a fire on the screened porch.
This was important because last year fires weren't allowed because of a severe, prolonged dry spell.

One of the reasons why that fireplace is so important is because of...s'mores.  YUP!
[an Astrid FB post]

Besides the evening meal each night, breakfast each morning is also one of the highlights.
[an Astrid FB post]

Having a jigsaw puzzle to work on is good quiet-time for each of us participating.
This is one of the 2 puzzles Amy surprised me with last year...with images from Malta.
[an Astrid FB post]

We were at the cabin the last week of October when it was colder than usual.
But we enjoyed every minute of it.

In fact, one morning we even has a dusting of snow!

That may have been the one day when the 4 of us played Spades indoors,
instead of on the screened porch with the fireplace.
It was that cold.  HA!

These are impressions from Astrid, including pics from the ride up.
[an Astrid FB post]

Because I was still fighting a cold from our time with Ted and Jane, I didn't go out walking,
but Astrid did, every day, even in the rain.  She's such a trooper.
[an Astrid FB post]

She also went with Dennis and Amy and walked around Blue Ridge while they grocery shopped.
[an Astrid FB post]

 When we leave the cabin on Monday each year, our tradition is to stop at Waffle House for breakfast.
The cabin experience wouldn't be the same without it.  We never get tired of it.
[an Astrid FB post]

Each trip thus far Astrid and I then fly home the next day, Tuesday night.
Life goes on for the working people and those still in school.

THIS is what we look forward to each year.  All of it!
See why there's so much for which I'm thankful?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


12 comments:

  1. Happy Thanksgiving. How can we not be thankful for all we have. The pictures show how good of a life we have and how we share these dear moments with each other. FUN to see how Nicholas is growing up so fast. "Thankful" is the word here to say over and over. Another fabulous memory to keep. IHVJ.

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    Replies
    1. THANKFUL, indeed, Astrid...and especially grateful that YOU can share it all with me. THANK YOU.

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  2. The growth of your grandson in three years is amazing! Love those photos the best but they are all great. You always have such variety in your photos and I always enjoy the food photos! Happy Thanksgiving!

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    Replies
    1. Watching Nicholas grow up has been one of the great joys of my life, Marie, so those are my favorite photos, too! :) Thank you.

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  3. Another amazing visit this yeas, so glad you were both able to come and spend time with us! -Mark

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    Replies
    1. Oh, Mark. THANK YOU. You totally made my day by commenting here. I so missed being with you all yesterday. More than you know!

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  4. You make your trip sound like one long Thanksgiving, family treat. Sorry the cold we gave you stuck so long. I am back to full hiking routine - 24 miles last week. I wish you two could come along.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was definitely "one long Thanksgiving, family treat," Ted, and you got in on it! The doctor says my cough may still linger for awhile, but at least nothing is wrong with my lungs. So glad you've gotten back into the swing of things.

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  5. Soooo many beautiful pictures, i've forgotten what i wanted to say by the end of the post haha... i see that you even found a weather vane! and wanted to know if that is Mark beside you at the soccer game...
    I really love that picture of the pine branch with the little water drops on it... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas haha... i can say that right after the american thanksgiving is over lol

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    Replies
    1. Mark is in several of the pics, Elaine. He's next to Nicholas and Astrid at the soccer game. He's also sitting with Astrid at the block party. And yes, Astrid takes fabulous images. No wonder I fell in love with her! :)

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  6. You all are the best! The traditions are fun, meaningful, and keep binding you closer together.

    How fun is that puzzle!

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    Replies
    1. All of it, Ruth, yes. It's become a very special time for us all. With Nicholas going off to college next year, we're working on how to change it up a bit...maybe making the Christmas holiday, when he's home, our time at the cabin. Stay tuned! :)

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