4th Annual Holiday Trip

A few years ago, we had some friends get married in October. Stefanie and Shawn decided to have a "cabin trip" with their closest friends in place of the normal bachelor and bachlorette parties. The trip was a huge success. Everyone had a great time and it was great to "live" with our best friends for a couple of nights.
It was actually SO much fun that the following year Chris and I decided we would look at cabin rentals in the Helen area again. We found one that was super inexpensive and decided to book a weekend. If our friends could come join us that would be great. Worse case scenario, no one wanted to come and we would have the place to ourselves. We had a great turn out. In fact this cemented for all in attendance that this would be an annual tradition.
So the following year we really planned it out much sooner and got input from the group. Chris and I found a place in Gatlinburg, organized the troops, collected the funds, and we went on a trip with our friends. It was at that time we realized the magnitude of the trip. We were all getting older, making more money, and no longer comfortable with air mattresses and sharing living quarters we had tolerated over the previous trips. Demands were going up and therefore the work load was increasing as well. So 2011 we came up with a system to have a co-planner. I would help "transition" in a new person and then that chair would help plan and pass the torch to a new person in 2012. It would help share some of the responsibility while giving the trip new blood and new ideas.
In 2011 I planned my last trip with Jessica.  Twickenham House was memorable in SO many ways.  The mansion of a home set another milestone of how the trip would be planned. How would it be topped?
This 2012 trip was the first year I wasn't a planner. Huge relief as a pregnant woman but the control freak in me was nervous. Would it live up to the previous years? ABSOLUTELY!
Stefanie and Jessica planned a beautiful weekend in Savannah. I was so glad it wasn't a trip that required a flight or extremely long drive, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to attend.
The Savannah House was perfectly located downtown so that we could walk to most things (even in my pregnant state I waddled downtown multiple times!) and it was stunning (seriously- look at the pictures and video).
Chris had been traveling prior to the Savannah trip, so I drove myself to Savannah. I went to the airport that night and picked up the weary traveler along with friends Brandon and Victoria. Back at the house, the party was getting started for everyone. While I could not participate in the libations, it was really fun to watch everyone else get a little sauced.
We were responsible for preparing breakfast the first day. Friday afternoon we walked down to River Street for lunch with friends (Camie & Mike, Belinda, Stacey, Victoria & Brandon). We continued to walk around and check out some of the shops after we had eaten. Ever the entertainer and gamer, Chris went out to find a board game for the group. We had a nice time gathered around the dining room table playing with friends.
Saturday morning the boys played golf. Chris took a group of hungover friends to a golf course that was next to an airport. Apparently the course was beautiful but the volume was loud. Their logo makes a lot more since to the group now ;)
While the boys played, my sister and Luke came over from Blufton to visit. We went around the corner to The Crystal Beer Parlor (ignore the name- it was a super cute old fashioned restaurant) and then proceeded to walk around the downtown area. After the two pregnant women could walk no more we chatted back at the house for a little bit. It was a fantastic afternoon. I loved getting some snuggle time from my nephew and getting to visit with my sister. Next time we see each other, there will be a new baby for each of us!!
Saturday night we went on a ghost tour. While it wasn't my favorite I have ever been on (I think the best are the walking tours), I did love that I could ride from location to location on the trolley. It made the evening more enjoyable for a pregnant lady! We went to The Olde Pink House which is said to be haunted as well!
We had to check out on Sunday and make the drive back home. It is a bit longer to make the drive with a pregnant lady, so Chris was lucky that I slept a lot of the way back (I wasn't entertaining but I didn't make a lot of pit stops either). We listened to the Falcons play against the Panthers on the way back (lame game).
It was another amazing trip and I am so glad we got to participate. It was my last big adventure before Monty joins us...well at least the last trip!