A Smoky Mountain Christmas

Many years ago my parents put together a video montage for the grandparents and great-grandparents as a Christmas gift of candid moments of our family. The opening of the video montage, my dad video taped my mom, who had dressed up in one of her long, flowing elegant gowns (that she wore to one of their Air Force banquets), singing Memories by Barbara Streisand. That Christmas, when I was in second or third grade, my parents presented the video montage to our great-grandmother, to which she did not recognize my mom as the women singing Memories and replied, "Good God! Look at the mouth on that women!" Of course, I still laugh uncontrollably when I think back to that Smoky Mountain Christmas many years ago.

Everyone has that one Christmas that sticks out and in your memory as the poster child for "a wonderful Christmas." This Christmas had to be one of them, of course, our honeymoon Christmas in Mexico will always remain at the top of the list. My parents love the Smoky Mountains. They honeymooned in the Smoky Mountains, and have visited as often as possible ever since I can remember (thankfully over the years we had family live in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, which always gave a great reason to revisit when we were growing up). Since my dad is in the Air Force and we moved around about every three to four years, I would say we feel like "home" when we are in Waynesville, North Carolina. Back in 1979, our great-grandmother bought a small house in the mountains just outside Maggie Valley/Waynesville area of North Carolina (the same house we have been visiting since day-one of our childhood), when she passed away our grandfather, PapPap, inherited the house and kept it was a vacation home, in 2007 PapPap passed away and my mom and dad have since inherited the house.

Generally, my family spends the summers in North Carolina (please see my comical calamities blog for our mountain fun this summer). However, for about a year we had been discussing the idea of celebrating Christmas in the mountains, and were totally ecstatic that all the sisters, and significant others, could come together (from what seems like all over the country) and be one, big happy family (even if it only was for a few short days). Here are some of the pictures from our Smoky Mountain Christmas.

Right outside the Cataloochee Ski Slopes

It was so cold that day...we could barely open our eyes.

Freezing. 

The Biltmore House, Asheville, North Carolina

My two crazy parents! God love them!



These were old walking stilts. Todd got right up and starting walking...I think he missed his calling as a carney man for the circus! 

My little sis, Corkie.

This picture is special.

I am sad this picture came out super blurry. But, Courtney and Riley tried to race on stilts.



The group tubing on Christmas Eve.


I had a little bit too much fun tubing. ;) And for the record, the Stansberrys won both the men's and women's tubing competition.


Stella left oats for the reindeer. Later, my dad added sleigh marks in the snow for Stella to see on Christmas morning...super cute.

Stella placing the star on the tree. :)

Madi said, "Who is this weirdo holding me? Please advise. He also looks like he needs to take a shower."

Someone, anyone? Help!

Our white Christmas morning. 

Stella was so excited that Santa had come. 

Every year we must have the Christmas morning picture. It's never a "pretty picture" for anyone.

All the boys decided to go sledding, my thirty-year-old husband decided to take it a step further and sled down an embankment. Later he told me that he was lucky he didn't lose his front teeth. I was so impressed (not).

He had snow up both nostrils, up his back, and his face was a red I have never seen before. 

The boys toasted to 15 year-old Scotch. Nasty.

Christmas evening.

December 26th. It had snowed over 7inches in one day!!

The sisters saying, "goodbye." 

This is a picture of my parents driveway. Right about were the road bends, Todd put the rental car in a ditch! I thought we were gonna be stranded for days...luckily, the boys got it out of the ditch and we headed to the airport, without anymore incidents. But, Courtney and me sang, Carrie Underwood's song, Jesus Take the Wheel, for Todd's enjoyment. :)