Thanksgiving 2013 - Grove Park Inn!

Kendall and I were very lucky to get to go to the Grove Park Inn with Nana, Saza, Uncle Dan and Aunt Corinna for Thanksgiving this year!  Tiny plane and all.

We were also lucky weather-wise.  Flew into Greenville airport with no delays, got into our (free upgraded) rental car in which the radio was already tuned in to my Christmas music station, and drove up to Asheville, and were about 2 miles away from the Grove Park Inn when it started snowing.  We got there literally right before the roads started to get bad.  

Here is the view from our room!

And for some reason I found this interesting.  Probably because Reggie Jackson is one of the only famous baseball players I've even heard of.  And he stayed in our room!

There were Christmas trees everywhere!

This year was the first, and apparently the last time, ever that Chanukah fell on Thanksgiving.  So we celebrated Thanksgivingakuh with Saza.  Pretty sure my suitcase gained at least 5 pounds on the return trip due to a certain someone being spoiled rotten with presents.

The most annoying of which was this flashlight friend that was shined in my face at least twice a night.

Nana and Kendall had a few hours to themselves so I could go to the spa for a bit.  During these hours they managed to tour the entire resort AND make pop bead jewelry which Kendall reportedly attempted to sell in the lobby.

 The annual gingerbread house competition was there again this year and these things were really incredible!  Kendall was less interested in them after finding out she could not eat them.

Ahhhhh, the spa!

I spent 3 wonderful hours there before getting the text to return to mommy duty to take Kendall swimming.  I have to admit that while the Grove Park is an amazing place for adults, I'd have probably been bored there as a 4 year old as well.

Their food choices were also a bit "adult," but Kendall and Nana managed to find a chef willing to make Kendall her very own, custom made peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  And extremely chocolate milk.  

Then it was time for Thanksgiving dinner!  Fabulous buffet.  Kendall ate bread, cheese, tomatoes, fruit and ice cream.  Maybe two bites of turkey.  Maybe.  

Then she watched a movie on an iPad to give the adults a few tantrum-free moments.  Kendall's behavior on this trip, especially during dinner, was not exactly exemplary.

The ice sculpture pilgrims were a hit with Kendall ...

... and Uncle Dan!

The next day we went to a really neat wildlife reserve in Asheville.

Then to what was probably Kendall's favorite part of the entire trip, a pizza restaurant that had a HUGE arcade type play room in the back.  Think Chuck E. Cheese for adults.  No wonder it's Dan's favorite restaurant in Asheville!  Kendall played a lot of things, but her favorite by far was the air hockey.  Not sure why it surprised me that she was so good at it ... and so competitive about it!

The next morning we drove back to Greenville, hopped onto another (tiny) plane, and flew back to Dallas.  It was a whirlwind trip but so nice to get away and be with family!  Then the realization that Christmas was in less than a month hit me .... oy!