Thanksgiving in Tennessee

What a wonderful holiday we had on the Cumberland Plateau! The week flew by, especially once Shawn returned, Brendan flew in, and Mom, Dad, and Claire drove down from Virginia. Man, do we know how to pack a lot into the time we had together. Here's a rundown of the fun we had and some pictures for your viewing delight:

1. Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner! Yum! Riley pretty much only ate strawberries since she wasn't feeling great, but the rest of us chowed down. Grandpa was in charge of Adrian, and I don't think that boy ever ate so much and stayed so clean. As much as I enjoy cooking, it was nice to have the whole day to relax and no dirty dishes. My favs from the meal were the stuffing, the potato salad, and the pumpkin brownies with cream cheese frosting. Soooo good!

2. Mini-golf. We basically had the 18-hole put-put to ourselves for three days. It was great. I got worse each time I played, but we all had a really good time. We declared Riley the golf queen, and Adrian is quite happy to have a club in his hand and something to wack at!

3. Settlers. Of course. This time, we even got Claire hooked. Shawn dominated, but the rest of us managed to score at least one win. Even Daddio.

4. Shopping. Yes, even though we had to drive forty minutes, Bren, Mom, Dad, and I still got up early to do some Black Friday shopping. I picked up a couple of gifts and a five dollar pair of leggings I desperately needed. Then, we all grabbed our peppermint hot cocoa drinks from Starbucks and headed back to the resort where Claire was just waking up...

5. S'mores and movies. Since we had a fireplace (and I LOVE fireplaces), we basically had a fire going nonstop. Good work, Shawn! And what is a fire with out some mallows, grams, and chocolate! We also watched a couple of good movies: Super 8, Due Date, and Horrible Bosses. Riley really loved the last one!

6. Just kidding...Riley was asleep when we watched all three.

7. Walks, craft fair, coffee, and pinterest (I think I converted everyone in my family...right guys?).

8. Best comment of the week: Riley - "Mommy, I want everything that I see on a commercial that's a toy." How happy am I that we don't have TV at home? Those commercials are dangerous and addicting!

9. Best game of the week: Riley and Adrian - Throw seven pillows into the pack and play and then jump in. Occasionally, fall off the side of the bed. Repeat (except for the falling off the bed part).

10. Best part of the condo after the fire place: The bathtub. Seriously, it was the size of both of our bathrooms combined!

11. Wildest adventure of the week: The Treehouse. Wait until you see the pictures. Craziness!

12. Best sign ever: The one we saw at the Treehouse. See last image posted here...

Alli and CE, we missed you! Mom, Dad, Brendan, and Claire - thanks for a great destination holiday vacation!! Loved, loved, loved spending time together and celebrating Thanksgiving with you! Miss you already!