Year of 2010

I guess it is traditional to write about what’s happened in the year past and what you want to happen in the year to come. And I must say there was a lot that happened in 2010.

I had several things I wanted to do this past year and actually did them.

Ride a horse. I have always wanted to go horse back riding. I could just see myself sitting on top of this huge animal, galloping through the fields with my long blonde hair blowing in the wind. You know like on TV. That’s not exactly how it went down.

We went riding in the mountains, got loaded up on our horses. Mine was named buddy. So far, so good. Then things went down hill, literally. We traveled down a mountain in a single line with five other horses on an extremely muddy path. My horse ran me into a tree and scrapped my knee up and it took everything I had to keep my horses nose out of Scott’s horse’s but. Not to mention the enormous amount of poop. So, been there, done that. Not again.

 

We also went Zip lining and that was AWESOME. I suggest everyone, young and old, try that.

I finally went on a hot air balloon ride. Thank you daddy. My dad gave me this for my last birthday and I just got around to using it. I had the time of my life. Scott and I were both amazed at how much we loved floating over Anderson. It is a little pricy but so worth it.

 

My Garden! Oh my true love was so very productive this year. This was my second year doing it and I truly love having the fresh veggies to cook. I tried to start from seeds this year and it was a flop. So I won’t be doing that again. Buy plants!

This year by sweet baby graduated high school. It was a bitter sweet moment. I was so proud.

My youngest turned 16 years old.

 

We fried our first and not last turkey this Thanksgiving.

 

Christmas! I planned a trip to have Christmas in the mountains this year. Well it was actually the week before. It was the best this I have ever decided to do. We had a blast. We spent 4 days in Bryson City, NC at a cabin; it snowed 6 inched the morning after we arrived. We had snowball fights, made snow angels and played board games all day. This trip really brought our family together. I think this will be an every year event.

 

Thanks for a wonderful year 2010! Stay tuned for what’s to come in 2011!

Christmas in the mountains

Christmas in the mountains, something I have been dreaming about for years. So this summer I made reservations for a cabin for the week before Christmas. I thought it would be a great chance to become reconnected with the most important people in my life, my husband and kids. And boy was I right.

I planned and planned and planned. I had the perfect menu, the perfect gifts to give and if my wish came true the perfect location.

We packed up everything but the kitchen sink and headed off to Bryson city. I had heard there might be snow. About 10 minutes into the trip I realized I forgot the sleds. About 30 minutes later I realized I forgot three of the gifts. Oh well, life will go on. We stopped by Daddy’s to grab a cup of warm spiced Russian tea and next stop is Bryson City.



[caption id="attachment_232" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The Iron Skillet - our second trip there "][/caption]



We arrived just on time. Had lunch at our favorite restaurant, The Iron Skillet. I could eat every meal there and be just as happy. After our bellies were filled we headed off to the cabin.

Here is where my perfect Christmas started to crumble. We walked in and the cabin had not been cleaned. We called the company and was told someone was on the way but no one showed. We called again and was told to go into town for an hour and it would be clean when we returned. We had to get groceries anyways. When we returned, the cabin had not been cleaned. I was very upset. So we called again and someone finally came to clean the cabin. BACK ON TRACK!



[caption id="attachment_222" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Kendrick Christmas Tree - Charlie Brown style"][/caption]



I realized we didn’t have a Christmas tree so I ran outside and clipped some branches off a tree next to the cabin. Sometimes you have to have a Charlie Brown tree. We unpacked everything and put all the gifts under the tree. I made a awesome pot of vegetable soup and we could not wait. We had to go ahead and open the gifts. YAY!

[caption id="attachment_228" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Scott got gloves u can use with a touch screen"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_230" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I got a Kinect"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_227" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The boys got all kinds of stuff"][/caption]

 

Grizzly Claus gave us some family board games to play, great clothes and much needed gloves. We had the best time playing Sorry, a very complicated Life game and the game Smart A--.



[caption id="attachment_226" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Snow!!!!This is what 1 degree looks like"][/caption]

To go or not to go

I've taken a break from the blogging world. My life was like scrambled eggs for a week or so. Christmas is full speed ahead and I can't wait. I always feel like this time of year just speeds by and it's so hard to enjoy it. One of my new-found loves is saying no. My life is usually busy with every kind of event I can get myself into but not this year. I came across this article that gave a list of things to ask yourself to decide if you should go or not.

1. Will I be glad I went?

2. Will there be people there that I like to be around?

3. Will there be food there I will enjoy eating?

4. Will I learn something new by attending?

5 Will the other guest make me feel good about myself?

6. Is this event important to me?

If you say yes to at least 4 of the 6 question then it's a go. If not stay home and read a good book.

25 Days of Thanks - Day 11

Today on this Veteran's day I am Thankful for our military and all the men and women that risk and gave their lives everyday for us.  Freedom does not come free. I am truly proud to be an American and to have the best of the best out there fighting for us.

25 Days of Thanks - Day 10

I would like to give a big shoot out to Godiva Chocolate. I am so thankful for that so sweet, loving melt in your mouth too fast chocolate. It always makes me feel good, never bad. It's beast when wrapped around a big juicy strawberry or cherry. If you have a bad day, eat a piece of Godiva and you will surly feel much better. Mama always said life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get.

Christmas Memories

Christmas 1995. I gave my boys this blow up moon bouncer. Evidently I was not smart enough to know to blow big things up with an air compressor before midnight on Christmas Eve. Instead I stayed up all night blowing this thing up by mouth. I would blow and blow until I got dizzy and then lay back for a few minutes to recover and then start again. As you can see I just did enough to make it where they could play on it. They loved it.

Remember When Wednesday

I absolutely love love love looking at these old photos from when my kids were little. This is my two boys and their cousin (my nephew) Tyler. Must have been a hot day. Oh the love they all had for each other.