It's been a few weeks since I've done some reflecting and put words to the thoughts floating through my mind.



Life has been quite a whirlwind recently. I feel as if my life job has been looking for my first job, and that has included a great deal of travel and a lot of energy and time. On the bright side, the travel has taken me to some new places, including Madison, Wisconsin - a place I never thought I would ever be.



This year's Thanksgiving in Bat Cave, North Carolina was one to behold. There is so much genuine love and so much to celebrate within this close-knit family, more than I could have ever imagined. To me, the best part of Thanksgiving is a fondness shared among the family to be outside and to be active. It is such a blessing to wake up in the mountains and think What should I do today? Not because of a lack of activities but because of an over abundance of opportunities and experiences that those mountains provide.


The other thing I love about this crazy family, is the constant inspiration and desire to create. Every year, we arrive with a fire in us to bring something home, but not some material souvenir, but something of value to us. In the past, we have always forged and collected pieces off the heavily wooded grounds that might make a fantastic centerpiece. The past two years we have forged metal handles for wooden trays and traveled to North Carolina's Little Switzerland for some rock hounding and gem mining.


This year, my cousin and I splurged and went in on a "special" gem bucket. Some of my haul included the beautiful finds above... 1 - Amethyst | 2 - Aventurine | 3 - Ruby | 4 - Moonstone | 5 - Iolite . I think in my next life I would like to come back as a jeweler so I can turn all these beauties into wearable pieces.


And what would a Hipp Thanksgiving be without TWO batches of boiled peanuts?


Many moments were spent under the tall pines, talking with my mother and sister, catching up on everything under the sun.



One day, I know I will tell stories and reveal memories of the people and the moments that were spent in this cabin. But for now, I am quite content still celebrating here and being a part of those memories.