Sunday, October 3, 2010

A Special Week-end Road Trip

This week-end Gary and I drove up to Atlanta and picked up our awesome niece Lori. I told her she looks like a Barbie doll. Can you believe this is a picture of a 50 year old woman??? Lori is the head of Celebrate Life International. A ministry that works with "at risk" kids in schools and juvenile facilities. She is incredible. If you have ever heard her speak she is probably the most gifted speaker I have ever heard. The best way you can describe her is "Enthusiastic". She is so real, so much fun, and such a follower of Jesus. She has the ability to make you feel like you are the most important person in the whole world. She doesn't meet a stranger and she is always an encouragement. Well, anyway, Gary and I went to pick her up and then we drove to Canton, NC to visit my brother and her uncle at the nursing home.

Lori is bringing joy to these two old men . People in the nursing home are just so excited when someone talks to them and spends a little time with them. She was giving these 2 patients some encouragement and just making their day. That is what she does best. Just brings joy to whoever she meets.

We were able to have the staff at the nursing home get my brother out onto the porch and in the sun which he loves. He has had a fall and has a broken knee cap and is bed ridden right now. It was such a beautiful day that we were able to enjoy our visit outside for awhile.


We actually took these pictures on Saturday morning while we walked around Maggie Valley. It is so pretty up there and they are all decorated for fall. The leaves are just barely starting to turn, but it was beautiful. The sky was so clear and blue, the air crisp and all the decorations for fall were so pretty.

Every hotel, store, and restaurant had fall displays out. It just looked very homey.

The hubs was all decked out in his Alabama gear waiting for the big game that we watched on Saturday night.

The sky was so beautiful and blue. When we were driving that morning the clouds were hanging down in the mountains and we could so clearly see why they are called the "Smokey Mountains"


Maggie Valley is such a cute little mountain town. We found a little stand that was selling apples and we got a bag of apples, some apple butter and a gallon of apple cider. Yummy. Their apples are SO good.

On Friday night after we spent the afternoon with my brother we went to the hotel to check in and went to dinner at a little country diner. The food was very good home cooked.

That night we came back to the hotel after dinner to just chill. We had been on the road at 4 am and I drove all the way from home to Atlanta, to Canton, NC and then up to Maggie Valley. We were all pretty tired. The hubs chillin and watching a little TV.

Lori texting


And I was eating my coconut cream pie from dinner. It was SO good. Lori and I had tried to go use the hot tub but it wasn't working and the water in the hot tub and pool was NOT hot, not even warm, so instead we came to our room to relax. Lori had the adjoining room from ours.

We saw this sign in town while we were walking and I think it has a lot to say.

We were getting ready to have lunch with a young man named Jesse that has been a God send to our family. He and his family have a couple Mexican food restaurants and every Tuesday he brings my brother a meal. We were going to have lunch on Saturday at his restaurant and before we left he brought my brother another meal. All of our family loves Mexican food better than any other food, so this is just such a blessing to my brother. Jesse is a strong Christian and he brings the meal at no cost to us, and spends time with my brother talking to him and praying with him. We were very happy to finally get to meet him and take HIM to lunch.

Here are a couple pictures of Gary and I with Jesse in front of his restaurant. If you are ever in Canton, NC I highly recommend this place. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced. We sure did enjoy spending time with him and getting to know this fine young man. It is just amazing how God works and who He brings into your life and how a complete stranger can become such an important person in your life. Thank you Jesse. You are a God send.


This restaurant is in Canton, and they have another one I think it is in Henderson or somewhere about an hour from Canton. I will certainly eat there every time we are in the area. It is one of the best I have eaton at.After lunch, we visited some more with my brother and then we left and headed back to Atlanta. We spent the night with Lori and had dinner at her house and then watched the Alabama/Florida game. What fun that was. We all sat on her big king size bed and watched the game. Being big Bama fans it was like the icing on the cake to end a great weekend. Lori has many talents, but cooking isn't one of them. So she sent out for food from the Italian restaurant across the highway from her. It was very good too. She did fix some good popcorn to go with our hot apple cider as we watched the game.

We had a really nice weekend. Came home very tired from traveling over 1000 miles in 3 days, but it was a lot of fun. Loved seeing my brother and loved spending time with my niece.



















1 comment:

Heather O'Steen Photography said...

Looks like you had a really good trip!! I just love Lori and I can't wait to see her next month! What a great thing Jesse is doing for Uncle Richard. Not only serving others with such love - but getting Mexican food out of the deal - can't beat that!! :) You had the same beautiful blue skies that we had this weekend. Glad you are home safe and sound.