North Carolina...

We went to North Carolina for Thanksgiving to visit my brother, my dad's mom, Granny Brown, and his sisters, Nancy and Kathy. Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bob live in Mebane, North Carolina, and Dad's other sister, Kathy, lives in Houston, but she flew up for the holiday weekend. This was the first time my aunts and Uncle Bob met Beckett, and it has been way too long since he saw his Uncle Matthew! It was such a wonderful weekend - we had tons (and tons and tons) of great food, lots of laughs, and some great memories. Dad drove an RV so we could sleep through the night as we drove the 14 hours there. He and Shonn split the drive on the way home, while Mom and I shopped on Shonn's iPad for Christmas gifts. :)

We got to Aunt Nancy's at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, and Uncle Bob made a delicious breakfast. We sat around and talked a ton. Then we started making the food for the feast! Once it was prepped, Shonn, Beckett and I took a little nap. When we woke up and got ready for the meal, the laughs and stories really got going. It was hilarious. The meal was a true feast - I especially love Orpha's Sweet Potato Casserole, Granny's stuffing, and Aunt Nancy's green beans. Then, in addition to pumpkin pie and Granny's cookies, Matthew made this gorgeous (and delicious) key lime pie. So,in essence, we ate ourselves into a coma. Friday, we told stories and spent time eating leftovers. We watched The Godfather that night. Saturday morning, Aunt Nancy and I created some place settings for her shops. It was so much fun! After lunch and getting ready, we set up her shop for Christmas, which I loved. We also got to look around Granddaddy's, where her shops are, and I got a couple things for my sister as well as a little rocking chair for Beckett.

We left early Sunday morning and drove back to Illinois. It was so wonderful to get to spend time with my family. they make us feel so welcome and it is such a relaxing place to visit. I've missed my brother and it was good to laugh with him again. Mom, Dad, and I got to talk and I so appreciate that they drove. Shonn was so patient and loving through the trip and we had a chance to laugh together and relax. It was a very blessed weekend!