A Presley Thanksgiving, Part the Second: Stone Mountain

To walk off the Thanksgiving Meal, and to enjoy the brisk holiday air, the whole crew headed up to Stone Mountain. This park not only features the largest relief carving in the world, but is also home to a huge Christmas Show, including a 4-D abridged version of the movie The Polar Express, English-style Carolers, a Sing-Along Train around the mountain, a laser show, and lots of lights, which opened-- would you guess?-- Thanksgiving day! We were right there to enjoy it!

Can you tell we were cold!? :)

My new little sister, all bundled up.
Huddled under a blanket, Ryan & his Mom work out where we are... (notice the beautiful lights behind them!)

More than just a little windy...

So... we all got hats!! Thank you, Dad!
The granddaughters, in our "shivering" pose
I didn't have a hood, and neither did Kasey or Courtney. SO as we passed one of the many mercantiles, the fuzzy hats caught one of their eyes, and someone convinced a kindhearted dad to buy them... the next thing I knew, my father-in-law was asking me, "do you want one, too?" And with a grin I couldn't repress, I said, rather sheepishly, "yes..." And that was that! Let me just say I still absolutely LOVE this hat, and have since worn it, with many compliments, and comments such as "well... you sure are in the Christmas spirit, aren't you!?" Suits me quite nicely.

Ryan, eating ICE CREAM, of all things!! as I was warming myself with a HOT drink!

While we waited for the train to come, Courtney & I started joking around. I, being quite cold, started jumping up and down, and asking "how much longer 'til it comes!?" She asked me if I could hear the train coming. Spoofing off movie we'd just seen, I started shouting "I believe, I believe!" And she joined right in, to the astonishment of our family, as well as onlookers. We cracked up right as the train pulled up, and Grandma quipped "I want whatever she's got in her cup!"

Grandpa & Grandma on the Sing-Along Train-- which presented the Christmas Story! That's when I remember that so much Christian heritage IS intact in the Bible belt, and that it isn't a bad thing at all!

Classic moments of the trip took place on this train, y'all, mostly involving Ryan's step-dad... such as when he walked on the train, proclaiming, "I am looking for a woman who needs a man--" the laughter and responses drowned out the last part of his sentance-- "to sit beside her." (he was looking for his wife, Ryan's Mom). One lady called out "are ya rich!?" At his answer, "I have four kids, and three are through with college," someone else shouted out "HAH! Then you're broke!"

During the 12 days of Christmas, he & Nathan instructed me in the "12 redneck days of Christmas..." Aye, aye, aye!

Let's just say we had a LOT of fun!!
Still more to come, but off to bed for now...