Fall, Family, Food, Friends = Asheville Part II

Beautiful Asheville

Always encouraging

Can never get enough of you!

But we sure tried in just a few short days..

Cramming so much in...in a relaxing sort of way!

The perfect combination.

and speaking of combination...

These two guys ruled the table 

at 

but this girl

spent some time

also.

(P.S. the green heart on her wrist is Jayce's!)

In keeping with the relaxing mode,

there was food, food, and more food

with long meals spent around the table; no agenda

except to spend time together.

Fortunately,

after the pasta, barbecue, salads/hoagies, pastries, artisan donuts,

cat head biscuits, and let's not forget the sangria,

 my Timberlands 

did get some action.

And let's not forget

the rainy day

meetup with friends

(oops...I missed out on the handhold in the last pic :)

where leisure once again ruled...

(notice incognito Joseph in the background :)

Rachel and Joseph,

it was so great spending time in your world

 and we can't wait to

head to your mountain home again!

P.S.

I would be negligent

 if I didn't highlight the

next photographer of the family...

and to take the time to give a shout out

to the 

DellaVecchia's

who needed to stay home and take care of 

sick wee ones.

We missed you guys!!!!

But now that everyone is healthy...

when's our next road trip?!?!

Day Out (w/Kids!)

What to do on a free Saturday

....hmmmm....

 

well, take up Sherry's offer to get the Grandkids together,

of course!!

 





 

There were trolley rides

where keen eyes kept a lookout for pirate ships!...

 

 

and where, apparently, Gabe tells very, very funny stories!... 

 

 

A new version of cornhole was played...

 

and we had lunch at a fancy restaurant...

 

 

where they graciously provided "masks" for kids...

(Hey, they go on your laps, kids!)

 

 

Spiderman images were drawn...

 

 

...and little ones entertained the littlest one...



 

 

Wishes were made... 

...and we finally found a place

 to corral the kids in one spot for at least one minute... 

It was a fun day, Sherry!



 

 

And we have to do it again soon! 

 

 

I slept GOOD last night!

...how about you?!

 

 

 

 

 



God, Friends, and Things that are Kind

 

 

“That time I thought I could not go any

 

closer to grief

without dying

I went closer,

and I did not die.

Surely God
had his hand in this,

as well as friends.

Still,

 

I was bent,

and my laughter...
was nowhere to be found.

Then said my friend...
“It’s not the weight you carry
but how you carry it -
books, bricks,

 

 grief -

it’s all in the way you embrace it,

 balance it,

 carry it

when you cannot,

 

and would not,

put it down.”

So I went practicing.

Have you noticed?

Have you heard
the laughter
that comes, now and again,
out of my startled mouth?

How I linger
to

admire, admire, admire
the things of this world
that are kind..."
 ~Mary Oliver

 

This past week, Christa made a statement that is so very true.

After she had an encounter with her "favorite nurse",

she said,

"Mom, it's the simpliest of things that people do

that help to make this easier."

 

God, family and friends...

 

thank you for the small (and big!) acts of kindness

that help pave this very difficult path.

 

They give us stability.

 

They allow for some laughter.

 

They cause us to stop and

"admire the things of this world that are kind"