Happy New Year!<\/p>\n
I just got back this afternoon from spending time at my father’s home spending some time with him.<\/p>\n
This year I determined to give my children and grandchildren “memories not money”! (My youngest daughter couldn’t go because her son was ill. – We missed her terribly.) I took them to visit my father – stay in his home, which they didn’t remember doing, see it all decorated for Christmas and sleep in the attic like I did. (It’s a nice attic.)<\/p>\n
We drove up to Boone, NC to have lunch with Franklin and Jane and some of their family then got a tour of Samaritan’s Purse. They had never been there and it had been years since I was there. It has grown!! Very impressive.That evening we had dinner with Franklin’s eldest, Will, and enjoyed him.<\/p>\n
The next day we toured The Biltmore House – all decorated for Christmas. It was a mob scene – you almost couldn’t see the house for all the people! It had been years since I was there. Lots of changes and new rooms open. I got a copy of “The Lady on the Hill” – all about the preservation efforts by the Cecil family to keep it going – and robustly. Interesting, to say the least.<\/p>\n
We had an ice storm so the kids got snowed in at “Daddy Bill’s”. Fun. <\/p>\n
They loved exploring around the house – seeing all the little cubby holes and “secret” places. A kid’s place for sure. They hiked the mountain – it’s different in the winter with a frozen pond and streams. They had so much fun discovering the place for themselves and I know my mother was looking down enjoying them enjoying the place she built for her family.<\/p>\n
My son took me out for a lovely lunch at a “ta da” restaurant in Asheville. Some of the best food I have ever put in my mouth. We had a really nice time.<\/p>\n
We visited with our “Korean” cousins. One of the girls was hospitalized briefly in Asheville so Noelle and I bombed in to see her and caught glimpse of even more cousins.<\/p>\n
My youngest brother and his wife flew in the 31st. We hadn’t seen each other in years. And drat! we did not take a photo.<\/p>\n
I saw a niece and nephew as well as a great nephew and his wife, celebrating their 3rd anniversary. And others…<\/p>\n
So…mission accomplished. Memories not money!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Happy New Year! I just got back this afternoon from spending time at my father’s home spending some time with him. This year I determined to give my children and grandchildren “memories not money”! (My youngest daughter couldn’t go because her son was ill. – We missed her terribly.) I took them to visit my…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[232,234,226,236,11,235,231,233],"class_list":["post-1099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-attic","tag-biltmore-house","tag-christmas","tag-cousins","tag-family-2","tag-ice-storm","tag-memories","tag-samaritans-purse"],"yoast_head":"\n