Our Thanksgiving has begun

I left Birmingham last Friday to drive up to Gatlinburg, Tenn., with my friend Lisa. We were headed to a mountain cabin there to celebrate our college roommate and friend Honor's 40th birthday.

HI, HONOR! EVERYONE KNOWS YOU'RE OLD NOW.

I'd love to share pictures with you of someone else's 40th birthday weekend, but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures.

** GASPS FROM THE INTERNET. **

I know. So unusual. This was a trip without our kids (also unusual), and another woman who was there took a few pictures. I doubt I'll ever see them.

At any rate, Sunday morning at 10:00 we started toward home from Gatlinburg, and I rode back to Chattanooga with Honor to meet Grayson and the kids at a Cracker Barrel. Unfortunately, I beat them to Chattanooga by a few hours, so I sat out on the 'Barrel porch and read a book. (Actually, now that I think about it, there was no "unfortunately" about it.)

I was meeting them in Chattanooga so that I could take over driving and head back along the same route I'd just traveled, through Knoxville, and on into North Carolina to my parents' mountain house.

I'll leave out all the gory details and just tell you that my trip that day took 13 hours.

THIRTEEN HOURS. For a trip that -- from Gatlinburg to Waynesville alone -- covers 68.6 miles and should take an hour and 21 minutes.

Bygones.

At any rate, now we're here, and Monday we took the boys over to the Rec Center to swim.

They had a great time, and it was really fun except that the pool isn't heated.

The boys -- intrepid swimmers that they are -- didn't care at all.

I, on the other hand, was CHILLY. Jake took no notice.

Neither did Nick.

They tried out all their tricks, seemingly just as comfy in the water as they were in August.

For a small town, Waynesville has a surprisingly beautiful, functional Rec Center.

Every time we visit, the boys beg to go there.

I was a little surprised by Nick's choice to Riverdance in the fountain. But whatever.

 Nathaniel opted for an old-fashioned Indian rain dance. Or something.

The important thing is, we had a lot of fun.

And that's what vacations and time spent with family are for.

Rip roaring, throw-your-hands-up-in-the-air FUN.

I hope your week is filled with just as much of it as ours is.