putting it in reverse. have a nice trip...

So, I'm going to back-track a bit.

Life has been so busy that I haven't really had the time
to sit down and write a blog post about our 3rd annual
Thanksgiving trip to Telliquah Falls.

It was WONDERFUL!!!!

The highlights...then the pictures...

1) We were ALL together...Sweet Husband, me, Josh, Meggie,
Bethany, Peter, HUDSON, Jake, Loren, and Drew

2) My parents were able to join us...they rented the cabin
nearest to ours

3) Mike's parents and sister joined us for Thanksgiving day
and dinner

4) Did I mention Hudson?  Our first grandchild was with us?!

5) Peter built some awesome fires for us!

6) Auburn won the Iron Bowl!  WAR EAGLE!

7) Hudson.  Hudson came!  Did you hear?  Hudson came!!

8) We started a new tradition...Advent Baskets. (Thank you, Molly Piper for writing about them on your blog!) My mom is AWESOME... she stayed up with me late one night and sat on the hard floor helping me wrap gifts for the baskets. I owe her...in a HUGE way!  That floor was really unforgiving!!

9) God met us in a special way during our time of worship...

10) HUDSON was there...have I said that already?

11) Ben Finch came and took family pictures on our last day.
You can see some of them here on his photography blog. While you're
there...visit awhile and enjoy Ben's work. He's downright talented!!! If
you're needing / wanting pictures made...give him a ringey-dingey.

Now for some pics... Enjoy!!

We were all so excited to see Josh and Meggie!

Brooklyn NY is so far away...

we miss them A LOT!!!

Oh, yes! Did I mention Hudson Jude Hedger

made his inaugural visit to Telliquah Falls this year?

He drew quite a crowd...

no matter what room he was in or what floor he was on.

...and there was always a lap just the right size,

whether it was PawPaw's

or Uncle Josh's

or Great-Aunt Sheree's.

On Thanksgiving day, while cooking was going on,

there was a lot of fellowshipping going on, too!

Jake and PaPaw, Drew and PawPaw

enjoyed some time together on the porch.

...meanwhile, I was cooking and

Bethany was doing a mean slicing job on MaMaw's

homemade sourdough bread.

All together now... YUM! YUM!!

The end result looked really delicious!

We only had to sound the dinner bell once...

they came a'runnin'.

I might have forgotten to mention that

HUDSON JUDE HEDGER

was there!!

He wears his banana well...don't you think?

Nonnie (my mom) blistered us in Scrabble...

she always does...

and she's so nice about it!

Peter and Jake played some other game

that was way over my head...

at least in Scrabble three-letter words are an option!

The girls weren't interested in the Iron Bowl,

so they piled onto a bed and watched "Criminal Minds".

I know...I couldn't believe it either...

perhaps they were a little frightened by Nonnie's

deeply guttural, "GET HIM!!"

It can be overwhelming.

There was lots of snuggling, cuddling, nuzzling that went on...

Hudson...got it from every direction.

He loved it!

Aunt Meggie introduced Hudson to some

apple-core-gnawing.

Where was Aunt Meggie when I was a child?

All I got was an old chicken leg bone!

Advent baskets...one gift to open beginning December 1st

and ending December 25th...with an envelope

each day that contained either a name of God or

an attribute of God to meditate on during the day.

Some gifts were pretty practical...some very random.

I hope each one has been enjoyed and

each heart drawn to marvel and worship anew

as Christmas Day approaches.

When we returned home, the kids were so thoughtful 

and caring...they went to the store and bought 

a bunch of pork chops, which Sweet Husband grilled,

Meggie, Bethany and Loren made homemade

macaroni and cheese (oh, my!!), steamed broccoli,

and I was blessed by their desire and willingness to serve us!!

Nonnie got in some good time with Hudson

while the cookin' was going on.

So...Telliquah Falls 2010 drew to a close...

it seemed so long in coming and

so quick in passing.

These are the people I love most in this world.

I'm drawn to love Jesus more whenever I'm with them.

This picture...that we're all in it together

is quite a miracle...

and not a testimony to our efforts or abilities.

This is a portrait of God's grace and mercy...

and Hudson...did I mention that Hudson was there?!?