Holiday Rewind

Hello everyone! Hope you are settling in to 2020 – we didn’t want to disturb you while you got all your decorations put away and your resolutions sorted out…

Alright, let’s back up a few months. Tyson’s birthday aligned with one of his current areas of interest – rocks and gems! We got him a rock tumbler and took a trip to the Dahlonega gold mines. We did not strike it rich, but we did have the ruby he found for me last summer cut and put in a ring (and secretly also had a necklace made for G-mom). The rest of the month was a bit stressful, as Ed suffered a heart attack and had to be airlifted to a hospital. He had a triple bypass and has made a remarkable recovery (show off) – just in time to celebrate his 75th birthday! Later in November we took a fun trip to North Carolina and toured the Biltmore house – all decked out for Christmas. We did have Thanksgiving before we put up our own decorations (hopefully you can tell the difference between the houses in the photos). Tyson got his own tree this year for his room – picked out a nice silver number. He also got a Santa suit, which spurred a new event: the Santa Olympics, where family members are tested on holiday skills and festive competitiveness. It was a hit and we hope to expand it next year to include new challenges and maybe rival relatives…

Christmas itself was fun and laid back. Tyson’s “big gift” this year was a bigger bed! We toyed with the idea of having it ready just in time for Christmas morning, but went with the easier option of just putting it together one day when he wasn’t home. Still a good surprise! Mom’s big surprise was a trip to Medieval Times! Food you eat with your hands, entertainment on horseback, your own crown and a full-service bar – what’s not to like? The next day, we headed up to Missouri to visit Trav’s family. We finally helped Pat enter the world of smart phones. After years of resistance, she’s now texting (and emoji-ing) up a storm. Maybe she’s reading this blog on her iPhone right now!

Enjoy the photos