Christmas 2016

Christmas had been fast approaching. We clearly were not ready, then again are we ever? Becke is home this year and she had our new home decorated nicely. She set up the tree (I did it), decorated it very pretty (I did that too), hung the stockings and wreaths (I did that also). She’s very good at telling me where to put stuff, but then again, aren’t most wome…moving along. She did hang the ribbon, and wrap most of the presents. She has that going for her. So with this being our first Christmas at our first place together, mostly just having her home was the best part, but it was good. Kids enjoyed it, friends came and stayed with us and it was overall a great first Christmas. I’m not a very festive person but, Becke kept things happy and cheery for everyone. 

One of the things I got Becke was a ring she’s wanted for a while, and to my luck, I picked the wrong size so I’ll have it exchanged or have it resized. Another gift I wanted to do was something she has asked for over the last 8 years, visit the Biltmore Estate. I had already been once and didn’t really care to go back but Belk had a sale going that if you spent $200+ on Biltmore products, you get two free daytime adult admission tickets. So I got her some towels, bed sheets, washcloths and hand towels. $225 later I had tickets which is good because, adult tickets are $75 each, children 16 and under are $32.50. 

Made sense to just put it on my Belk card and get product than just pay for admission. Problem was, the tickets had to be used before Jan 8, 2017. Between work, her Dr visits at Duke and stuff planned already, the end of November and most of December was already planned out. So what to do? Well, I gave Becke the sheets and towels early and that’s how I gave her the tickets. We talked about it and I suggested we visit on Christmas Eve and said she had no choice in the matter. So, I drove us up Friday after work, stayed at the Best Western in Asheville and settled in for the night. 

Becke was taking tons of pictures on the drive up of the sun setting in the Great Smokey Mountains along I-40 and into Asheville. So with Saturday here, I took us the scenic route as we woke up early due to her having an ostomy bag leak. I have a old hiking backpack that we filled up with 3 days of supplies for her ostomy and Abdominal wound bag. This consisted of extra bags, paste, eakin, tape, scissors and all of the needed supplies to do full changes. It’s a time consuming task to replace or even just repair a leaky bag. So with us awake and on the road she took pictures along part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Not to many good views due to all the colored leaves being gone but that’s okay. I have plans to go back later and drive the Parkway in the fall. We stopped at a small hiking trail park near the Arboretum at Bent Creek. We took a few moments for a break so the boys and I took a few pictures. 

After the break, we headed into the Biltmore Forest and into the edge of town. Honestly if you have never been, and enjoy doing tours and such, I recommend visiting at least during spring or fall time. Becke has taken tons of photos of the surrounding town as we pulled into the entry for Biltmore and she instantly turns into this giddy and extremely excited school girl. Her face is lit up with joy and she’s looking all over and taking pictures and she’s singing to the radio and it’s amazing to see my wife so happy.

We head up to guest services and turn in our voutcher and get the kids tickets. I got one of the souvenir books they sell with random facts, family history and pictures. Let’s not forget the mandatory “Oh honey let’s take a picture in front of this tree at the ticket entry”

We then take the 3 mile drive down the beautiful wooded trail to the parking lots to get on the shuttles, that take you to the house, and since I had been there before, I kinda remember how dramatic it was. Becke was looking around and looking at the tons of trees from the shuttle windows and I said “okay we’re at the house” and she looked to the left at the stone wall as you approach the house and said “where is it, I can’t see it!” And when you pull up from the trail, the trees are full of thick underbrush and to our left you see the beautiful stone wall to the gazebo and as you look right the trees just stop and it’s open and the enormous house appears. It was so majestic that Becke took a huge gasp of air and she started crying. I held her hand and I said “Welcome to the Biltmore Estate my Queen”

We walked about half way down the front lawn to the water fountain and Becke and I took a picture together and I got one of her and the boys. 

We get in line for our entry time of 9:30am, head inside and let me tell ya, the handicap access for wheelchairs was nice. We go through security and they explained no flash photography. Which was new to me because last time I came, it was no photography inside. So we go inside and posed for the photos from the Biltmore staff. 

We went on our self guided tour. Becke took something like 520 pictures with her phone, not sure how many we have on the camera, I think I took like 30, maybe. So here are a few from Becke’s phone and mine. 

We had a great time, the staff was so overwhelmingly nice and outgoing. So helpful with Becke and her wheelchair. The elevator ride was sweet too. Amazing how something so old as far as technology-wise still works perfectly. Becke was able to use the wheel chair for the first (Main) and second floors. From the second floor she walked the whole third floor, mostly children’s rooms and more entertaining halls, then we went down to the main floor. She walked the whole basement (pools, dressing rooms, bowling alley, kitchens pantrys etcs), the sub basement was closed to public. Like I had said Becke took a lot of photos. And some were really blurry from her excitement. In this photo it was part of the servants kitchen and pantry area, I noticed an old telephone hanging on the wall and Becke took a picture of it because “that’s really cool”. 

Had bad reflections from the glass. You can see Becke’s hand and Damien and some little boy. Problem is, there were no children walking around with us. Not on this part of our tour. It was Becke, Jesse, Damien and I, another couple and that’s it. So who is the little boy? Well we joked it was a ghost. Turns out after some research, they had servants with children at the house and some of the children had died. Some drowned in the pool which was the main cause at the time. We read a few posts about a boy showing up in the same area with a ball. So maybe we did capture a real ghost of Biltmore’s past. Really cool if so. I remember the first time I went I had this overwhelming sensation of the Billards room. It’s next to the Gun and Smoking room. To this day, when I think about it, I still remember the smell of cigars and whiskey in the billards room. Unfortunately this trip, it didn’t happen. 

At this point we then headed outside and walked part of the gardens and walk ways. That’s when we decided to go and head out to the Antler hill village and the winery. Did the taste testing and ate at the Biltmore Bistro, kudos to our waiter Josh, you’re the real MVP. We went into the various shops and got some nicknacks and stopped to look at the animals at the fences at Biltmore Farm. Never seen such small bacon seeds in the wild before. 

After this we cramped back into the car, hooked up her TPN bag up and we headed east, back down the mountain. 5.5 hours later we got home. Made some small stops by her parents house and Walgreens and then to our house. Friends came over, stayed the night and we enjoyed good company with lots of laughs. Before we knew it, the day became night and it was now 1130pm. Jolly ole Saint Nick was heading our way, so we got Becke settled in bed, I assured our guests and the kids were set for the night and off to bed we went. 

Morning time had come, and I started making breakfast. Got the eggs and bacon,sausages and biscuits going, made my self a large tootsie roll hot chcolate (best KCup I’ve ever bought) , helped Becke get unhooked from her TPN, got her settled into the couch and after the boys and our guest were all awake, and everyone ate a hearty breakfast, we began passing out gifts. The day consisted of the boys playing on their new Xbox One, Becke and I talking about the trip with our guests. Eventually it was time for dinner and we ate a wonderfully cooked pot roast Becke prepared. 

Today is New years Eve, we are visiting my mom at the beach, things are going slow and steady. Becke is home and all is doing well. Tonight I will kiss the woman of my dreams and hold her hand, looking forward to the challenges of 2017. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years. 

Sincerially,

The Lewis Family.