Hungry Mother

One of my favorite traditions as a child was heading up t Granny and Pop Pop's house every December and sometimes in the summer as well for a mini family reunion.  My mother and her brother would come with their families and we would exchange gifts at Christmastime, but more importantly we would see the cousins that otherwise we would never have really known.  Granny would have it no matter what, even when our families swelled so big that we could not comfortably fit into their home, she still cooked for weeks beforehand in preparation for the big get together.  It did not matter if her house was perfectly clean or if she would have ample seating, she just wanted us to get together.  I wish I had more of that attitude.  It's getting together that counts and family is everything.

This was the second year that my sisters Lisa and Kristin and their families met our at Hungry Mother State Park.  It's mid-way between northern Virginia and Nashville in the middle of nowhere with plenty of trails, a lake and really nice cabins that each of our families can rent.  Best of all, my kids couldn't wait to get there and see their cousins.  They played outside even though the first day it was a bit rainy, they played outside even though the next day was quite chilly, they played outside with the cousins that they only see a few times a year and they loved every second of it.  And the adults got together and played too.  We are making Hungry Mother a tradition- something that our kids will look back on with fond memories just as I do with Granny's house.