Thankful Thursday

I am very thankful for my family.  I am also thankful that this fall and this Christmas I was able to spend time with lots of family.

On our motorcycle trip in October, we spent a night with my brother and his family.  Marty is the founder/director of Whisper Mountain Christian Camp in Robbinsville, NC.  I have visited the camp before but this was the first time to be in their home.  My sister in law, Patti and niece Cassi made a delicious supper.  Then we stayed up until midnight chatting and visiting.  In the morning over breakfast we did the same thing. 

Shaun and Cassi also work in the camp ministry

I’m a Great Aunt to these great kids…Selah Rose, Kinsley, and Tegan

The weekend before Christmas we had a nice visit with Wally’s sister and her family.  Marlin is also a Christian camp director of Camp Grace in Wyoming.  They lost everything this summer in a fire and are in the process of watching God rebuild that ministry.

Nicole, Marlin, Leah and Michael

I’m also so thankful for my own family here in Colorado.  Here’s my two wonderful sisters, Robin and JoEllen.  Jo doesn’t look too happy here, but she really was.  We just didn’t capture it!

Here’s Sherry (Me), Robin, Jo, Scott and Mom and Dad!

I am especially thankful and grateful to have all of my own kids home for Christmas this year.  We’ve been having a great time together…I hope to show you some of that soon here on the blog!  All of them are in a transition time in their lives…ministry, home and job changes.  Who knows what 2013 will bring and where they all may find themselves.  So I find this time together especially precious.

Family ties are precious threads, no matter where we roam,
They draw us close to those we love, and pull our hearts toward home.

It’s Still Fall

So according to the calendar, it is not winter for two days yet.  Which means it is still fall.  Which means, I should not be too embarrassed to get these last pics up of our trip in October.  So set aside your Christmas spirit and take in a bit more fall foliage!

This first tree is called the Tree of Shame.  It’s branches bloom out in pieces of motorcycles!  It is is quite interesting.  I thought it was amusing too until I heard that actually several people every year lose their life on the Tail of the Dragon.

Our ride home took in more beautiful scenery and the Blue Ridge smoky Mountains.  Becky, being a southern gal got particularly excited at some of the vistas.  But this Rocky Mountain gal, was right there with her.  It was pretty amazing!

Beautiful Hillsides…

Big Waterfall…

And Little Bitty Waterfall…

Beautiful tree lined roads…that ‘s Kenny and Becky on the curve…

And then the Blue Ridge again as we headed back to Kenny’s house.

Is it any wonder why they call it the Blue Ridge or the Smoky Mountains?

The Dragon Tail

This is the post Kenny has been waiting for…sorry it is taking me so long to get to it.  Monday morning we set out for a bike ride with Kenny and Becky.  We were heading to Robbinsville, NC and the famous Dragon Tail. It is a stretch of Highway 129 that runs from North Carolina into Tennessee.  There are 318 turns in 11 miles!  Its very famous with the bikers, but it is a state highway so cars drive it too.

Do you like Kenny’s license plate?  How about his Mohawk?

Cute, huh?   Phantom riders!

We passed several dams that were part of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s control of hydroelectric dams.  This dam is quite famous, Harrison Ford jumped from it in the the movie The Fugitive.  Wally was actually wondering just where all the curves were as we passed this.  But no worries,this was just the preliminary  ride!

More beautiful trees…it was wonderful riding the highway lined with the trees in fall color.

Our shadow!

Here is another part of the hydroelectric dam system.  We stopped for a rest and to take some pictures.  And to gawk at some of the other bikes which were doing the same. 

Like Father, like Son, somewhat!

So, I guess the Dragon Tail is just a notch on our motorcycle….or at  least we each bought a sticker to add!

KB and Bex

This was our first visit with Kenny and Becky since they have been married.  We had a very nice time in their home.   I hope we didn’t make Becky too nervous, being the in-laws and all!  We got in just about dark and it had been a chilly ride the last hour or so.  I was shaking so bad, Becky threw a quilt in the dryer and then wrapped it around me!  I assure you, she has most favored daughter-in-law status with me!!  We had the best pizza ever that night…in Tennessee!  It was just over the border and a little hole in the wall place.  I think there were two tables inside and in the corner was the brick oven.  The cook stood there turning the pizza every minute or so…it was so-o good!  Sunday we went to church together.  In the afternon service we heard Kenny preach.  He did such a good job.  The nervous college boy whom I had last heard was no where around.  He has matured and grown in so many ways.  We felt very proud of him, in all the good ways!  And his sermon encouraged me in a specific way. 

Kenny took us for a drive to the mountain he hunts on…it is privately owned.  Can you imagine owning a mountain?  The view was pretty nice.  I liked this fence with bird houses on the posts.

 

 

I kind of like this bottle tree too…I guess its supposed to sound musical when it rains.  I may put one in my little patch here at the Polo Club…seriously, I’m thinking about it!

Wally really looks like his Dad here.  And this is Bella.  I guess she is our grand dog!   She’s awfully cute and hardly ever barks…

…except when she helps Becky mop the floor!

She’s also quite a techy kind of a pooch…

And she had a case of the fleas.  Wally gave her a flea bath.  He used to do go through this with our sheltie when we lived in Florida.  Poor wet dog!

We enjoyed or time with KB, Bex and little Bella!  We love you guys!

From New York to North Carolina

The morning we left New York two things made me very sad.  One was leaving the grandkids. And two, it was raining. 

We knew we were riding out of the rain by afternoon and the weather looked great for our time in NC.  Still, there was that 100 miles we did on the Jersey turnpike.  Andrea loaned me her rain boots and my cheapy ten dollar rain pants did just fine.  Plus Wally was out in front!    He told me later that with me on the bike and pulling the trailer he was actually a little nervous.  I’m glad I did not know that at the time.    This part of the the trip I had been dreading…440 miles on the bike and on the interstate.  I had my iPod and did a few episodes of Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  That helped a bit.  The trees along the New Jersey turnpike were absolutely stunning.  And so were the tolls we paid.  Can you believe it cost 25.00 at one toll boot??  Nine for the motorcycle, the rest for that that tiny trailer behind it!

Just as I was thinking we were almost to Staunton, VA, where Wally’s aunt and uncle live, we ran into a traffic snag.  About a two hour delay of bumper to bumper traffic.  We were sure there must be a terrible accident but all of a sudden, it broke free and we were on our way. 

This is Uncle Harold and Aunt Lucy, two hidden gems in the Godby family.  I think I met them once at a family reunion years ago.  Then we were reacquainted at Wally’s Dad’s funeral.  Uncle Harold is the eldest in Gramp’s family.  We had a great time with them.  They fixed us a feast of fried pork chops and held it for us until we got there, two hours late.  Then they stayed up chatting with us until midnight. The next morning, Uncle Harold fried us eggs and bacon for breakfast.  Awesome hospitality from these two!

This day on the motorcycle I was looking forward to, riding the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Uncle Harold took us down several back roads to access the Blue Ridge, saving is a lot of miles and time.  If you are tired of the leaf photos, feel free to exit here. 

I had always wanted to see the Smoky Mountains in the fall and I was not disappointed! 

 

It was good to get to Kenny’s in Newland, NC.  And a good sign that we are getting close was the Christmas trees growing all over the hillsides! His county is the Christmas tree capital of the world.