THANKFUL, GRATEFUL, and BLESSED

November is National Gratitude Month, and we are all encouraged to embrace the power of gratitude. I have so much to be grateful for, but family is at the top of that list.

Earlier this month, our son Nick and his fiancée Alison drove down from Boston to visit us in Dahlonega, GA, where we rented a cabin for the week. We had such a great time!

And just last week, our daughter Alex was able to join us for Thanksgiving all the way from Sioux Falls, SD! 

After three long years, we were overjoyed to finally see our daughter again. In 2020, she left for Flagstaff, AZ, and moved to Sioux Falls this past year. Although we kept in touch through phone calls and video chats, we were unable to physically hug each other. I can't express how much it meant to hug my daughter again. Her dad and I missed her so much!

Her brother, Conor, and our pup, Brady, have also missed her!

We didn't take nearly enough photos but were too busy enjoying each other's company. We spent our time talking, laughing, eating, playing board games, taking walks, watching some of our favorite TV shows together, and making a late evening visit to the ER for my UTI (which is a story for another post!). We also had a great time hanging out with Brady, who was overjoyed to receive so much love and attention from Alex and, for a time, Conor.

Our time together flew by too quickly, but we'll all be reunited in Boston for Nick and Alison's wedding in April!

SAYING GOODBYE AT THE AIRPORT WAS TOUGH.

I am indeed so very thankful, incredibly grateful, and unbelievably blessed!

CELEBRATING FAMILY

Our week-long stay in a charming mountaintop cabin in Dahlonega, GA, was an unforgettable celebration of life, love, and family.

Ray and I arrived at the cabin on Friday afternoon and were thrilled to see that it looked just as amazing as it had in the pictures!.

Our son Nick and his beautiful fiancée Alison arrived at the cabin on Saturday evening, and we were thrilled to see them! They had driven down from Boston, spent a couple of days visiting Alison's brother and his family in North Carolina, and then headed to Georgia to visit us.

Spending time with the newly engaged couple and celebrating their engagement was an absolute pleasure. We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming Alison as an official member of our family! We love her and are thrilled that she and our son have found each other.

Look at that gorgeous couple! And that ring!

Having Conor with us for a few days at the cabin was great. Conor lives, works, and attends college near Dahlonega, but we don't get to see him as much as we would like due to his busy schedule.

My cutie-Conor! He's just so grown up now!

We were so happy that our son Robert and his beautiful wife Jennifer could join us on Sunday! As Robert frequently travels for work, we weren't sure if they would be able to make it, but we were thrilled that they did! We had a fantastic time together, laughing, hugging, and indulging in delicious Mexican cuisine.

Jen, Robert, Nick, Alison, Pam, Ray, Conor

Alison, Jen, Pam

The happy couple!

Nacho, Nacho Man!

We laughed so much while playing Scattergories! We may have drank a bit also! LOL

Our adorable visitor!

We had a wonderful time with Nick and Alison, and it was hard to say goodbye to them when they left on Wednesday. They went to visit one of Alison's friends and her family in Atlanta before heading back to New England on Friday.

Sadly, we have not been able to see our family nearly often enough over the past few years due to Covid and my compromised immune system, and it was such a blessing to spend time with Nick, Alison, Conor, Robert, and Jen!

OUR NEXT FAMILY ADVENTURE

We are so excited that we will get to spend five days with our daughter Alex next week! I can't wait to give her a big hug! Although we wish she could have joined us in Dahlonega, we are thrilled to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with her next week! Photos to come!!