Goodbye 2015 (Part 1)

Tis but a quick memory to think of 2015. In the blink of an eye, it has ended and 2016 is already in full swing. The boys are back to school, I'm back to work, Todd is still at work, and Polly has no idea if today is Saturday or frog day. Oh, to be a dog!

December was full of fun but I'm not sure I captured it all on physical images.  The boys had two weeks off over the break as did I. The three of us went to Asheville and Charlotte for just a few days at the beginning of the break to see old friends and visit past stomping grounds. 

We ate lunch downtown, went shopping at the Mast General Store and caught up with the Honrado's for the night. The boys had a blast with Griffin and we didn't see much of them as they were thoroughly entertained with the video games in their basement. Gracyn hung out with the adults upstairs and was very pleasant and contributory to our conversations! She's really quite a bit much smarter than I. 

The next day we had planned on going to the blue ridge parkway for a hike but it was closed due to snow and ice...hmmmmm, funny because it was 65 degrees that day! Weird. 

So, we decided to go to the Grove Park Inn and check out their gingerbread houses. The boys were completely enthralled by how cool so many of them were. Reed took about 100 pictures but I couldn't fit them all on the blog. 

After that, we went on a smaller hike that Jackson and Todd and I used to do when we lived there. It is called bent creek and is just around the corner from our first apartment when we lived there 15 years ago! Jackson used to run around on the beach and in the lake so it was fun (and fitting) to see my 'other two sons' throwing rocks in it and enjoying it as much as he did.  (Jackson will always be numero uno!)

Thankfully, we got our bellies full at The Moose Cafe and then headed in the direction of Charlotte because it began to rain...again. We were grateful to have been able to enjoy a little of Asheville in the sunlight, but we'll take it any way we can get it!

We stayed with my friend, Chrissy, and just took some time to hang out and let the boys relax. Śhe had to work in the morning and we were supposed to see Frances but Frances was sick and didn't want to spread it to us! We were so sad to miss seeing her, but she's going to try and come to Atlanta soon. As we headed out of town, we stopped by just the one house Todd and I lived in near Ballantyne. It was cute when we bought it, but now the yard looks worse for the years and the house could use some work, but it was good to see the old gal!