Crowders Mountain State Park

We decided to end the year on top, literally. Crowders Mountain State Park is located just over the SC/NC border and they boast two mountain trails. We decided to tackle the Pinnacle Trail which is 4 miles as opposed to the 6 mile Crowders Mountain loop. This would be Teddy's first really extensive and more strenuous hike so we didn't want to push it too far. 

When we arrived, the park was pretty crowded. I was certainly surprised considering it was a Tuesday afternoon, but I guess lots of other people had our idea too. Once we got on the really well marked and wide trail, things were a bit less stuffy with people and we were able to take off  our masks. Teddy absolutely loved all the dogs and smells. In the end, we didn't have to worry about him hanging with us, even up the pretty good assent to the top. 

The views at the peak were beautiful even if Paige had to adjust a bit and get over her initial fear. We could see Charlotte and well into SC. It was a beautiful afternoon with cool temps and lots of sunshine so we could see quite far. Even though the girls were a bit grumpy to begin with, the final destination won them over and they claimed it was a great hike. This happens all the time! 

Our decent down was easy and beautiful as we took a different trail back to the parking lot. The ambling creek and ferns made for a quite backdrop to serious and funny conversation. I love how nature does that. We've had lots of good talks when on our hikes. I look forward to many more in the future. 

After the hike which took a couple of hours, we headed to a local coffee and sandwich shop called Big Red's and it was delicious, even if we had to eat in the car. Tummies filled and dog tired out, we headed to Charlotte to the Speedway in order to hit the Christmas light display. It was the last thing on our Christmas bucket list. They certainly had a ton of lights and it was fun to sink our music to the flashing. I don't think I expected it take us over an hour to go through! 

Our last stop was Sonic for some milkshakes on the way home. We started a new audio book after finishing one earlier. It was a late arrival home, but every was satisfied and happy with our end of the year adventure. We decided even if 2020 was crazy, we would end on top! 

Christmas 2020

My people sure do love Christmas. Once school ended at the end of Tuesday, the countdown was officially on. Anna, especially, was abuzz with activities, excitement and plans. Fortunately, all of my shopping and wrapping was finished, so we could concentrate on fun things like making cinnamon rolls, putting out a nice table for our Christmas meal and prepping for Feliz Navidad. 

2020 certainly has been hard and disappointing at times, but I was so thankful that it didn't ruin what we would typically do and in many ways Christmas felt relatively normal for us. First up was Christmas Eve. Traditionally we would have been out on our church property for our worship service, but heavy rains and winds actually moved this event virtually. To be honest, I was glad. While we missed this particular event dearly, we would not have attended due to the pandemic and it was a bit comforting to know others were at home worshipping as a unified body because we had no choice. Instead, we viewed it online with the Powells, ate our Mexican food and even listened to a little music by Caroline and Anna. It was a sweet evening that brought a lot of joy to our hearts, even if we had to mask up and keep our distance. 

After our evening of fun, the girls headed to bed to get a good night's sleep....not! They were apparently up at 4:30. Patrick got up at 6 to do the cinnamon rolls so that got them really going although I officially did not begin things until 7. We let out the dog, let them see their big gifts (a Garmin watch for Anna and a bow and arrow set that's the size of Paige), did our reenactment of the Christmas story using the Little People set, found Goody, ate breakfast, opened stockings and then finally tackled the gifts under the tree. It was a super cold morning and Teddy sure enjoyed his vantage point from in front of the fireplace. As always the girls were grateful for their treasures. 

We also had the opportunity to do a virtual meeting with both sides of the family, even getting our England peeps in on the action. It was so sweet to see our loved ones and chat about what they got. We sure miss them all, but we feel hopeful that this coming year will allow more visits as we get close to being safer from the pandemic. 

Braving the wind and cold, Patrick and the girls went outside to test the bow and arrow. I am not sure what Paige thought of it at first because there are grown men on the box and it is HUGE! But they all quickly got the hang of it and love it. Anna is now in a competition with Patrick to see who gets to their step count goal faster, thanks Garmin. I laughed that Patrick got me 6 boxes of tea and 10 notepads instead of one each. And he laughed when he opened his socks with Teddy's face on them. 

Christmas friends in sweaters and hats. 

That night we decided to do a fancy dinner at the dining room table complete with china and candlelight. I realized I never light the candles and then thought to myself, why?! So we ate ham, sweet potato casserole and Brussel sprouts in dimly lit wonder in our pajamas. The girls loved it so much we're going to do it again for New Year's Eve. 

It was a sweet, slow and satisfying day. This pandemic has taught me to savor time with my little family. The gift of having your middle schooler home for a year instead of out in the world dealing with all that entails is not lost on me. The joy of hearing Paige and her bestie do school together while being able to do my work from home is a comfort. And having Patrick around while he does work means afternoon walks and additional help with virtual issues. Plus, there's Teddy. Silly pup! So what I'm trying to say is we have a lot to be thankful for and I will treasure this Christmas when time stood still.