Sandy Creek Beach: The Last Time

I can't even begin to tell you how homesick I felt going through these pictures. Sandy Creek holds such a special place in my heart. The hours we spent here, the friends we made here, the pure happiness of this place. I'm actually tearing up. The quiet beauty of the trees and the sky.  Oh how I miss this place and I don't know if we'll ever find anything quite like it.

July 2015: The Fourth and Stone Mountain

In July we got ready to say good bye to Georgia. It makes me sad just going back and looking through all the pictures. We wanted to make sure we hit up all our favorite spots one more time and also see anything we hadn't done yet. 

 But first popcorn! We all love popcorn. I just love this picture of Vivian, she is scrunching it and making a huge mess and having so much fun. 

 Handsome climber at the splash pad!

 On the 4th of July our ward had a float in a local parade. The theme was Families Are Forever. Vivi and I walked in it (or strolled in it) and Henry and Steve watched. Henry chickened out at the last minute and just wanted to spectate. We handed out lots of pass along cards and printed copies of the proclamation, also the primary threw lots of candy. It was really fun and a super small town experience. Plus in the south at a parade it is perfectly acceptable to hand out religious materials. 

Oh and two floats behind us was the Daughters of the Confederacy. They had a cannon and everything. They shot it off towards the North. You can't make this stuff up people. 

 Vivian and I finally had the chance to wear our matching red and white stripes. Thanks for the great picture, Chelsea. 

 We enjoyed a delicious hot dog buffet, some sparklers and fireworks at our friends the Clanton's house. 

 Every summer we read along with the summer reading program, this year Vivi participated and each kid read 50 books. They each won a free meal to Raising Canes and stickers and a free book. 

 We will read books for free chicken!

 Yummy table. Kids are disgusting. 

 We had been to Stone Mountain once the first year we were in Georgia but it was the holidays and it wasn't that great. Well we had yet to see the laser show. We arranged with some friends to brave the stifling heat and catch the lights. But first, silly pictures!

 We were so happy to spend the evening with some of our favorite people. Aaron, Sara, Emily and their kids. The kids had a great time running around until the show started. Turns out all you need is a field and some music to have fun. This evening was a wonderful reminder of how much I do not miss the humidity. We were all sweating through our clothes. So hot. We were also mid-apartment hunting and I was awaiting a phone call about an apartment. Its kind of crazy to remember how stressful our life was there for a bit. 

 The Presidency of the Confederacy

The laser show was pretty good. Lots of local love for sports teams, confederate history and of course Dixie. Ah the south really is charming with its local flavor. And by flavor I mean hicks. 

Girl's Trip: Hilton Head, SC

It was high time for a girl's trip and after quite the drama we decided on Hilton Head in neighboring South Carolina. Man I love spending time with my ladies. It was fun to pack up some of MY favorite things for the weekend. 

Beauties at the beach! 

Emily, Robyn, Me, Lillie, Katy, Wendi and Sara

And that is as far into the ocean as I will go. I love the beach--like the sand but I do not like the ocean. I am a pool girl to the core. We spent a windy afternoon just chatting on the shore. We brought lunch and got a little burned. 

Out to dinner. Girl's trips are the best opportunity to dress up a bit. I score my new dress at Belk for $10! Its a little big but I'll take it in. 

We waited for a long time luckily there weren't any kids to entertain. Seriously, we waited for over 2 hours for a table. 

The next day we packed up and got ready to head back to Athens. But first a stop at the pool. One last relaxing moment before back to real life. Alligators! We didn't see any but I was ready not feed them if I did. 

Life is perfect poolside with a Diet Coke and a hilarious book. On the trip I started the second book by Jim Gaffigan, Food: a Love Story. I couldn't stop laughing out loud. So funny. 

I'm so happy to have had the most amazing friends while we were living in Georgia

Atlanta: FLIP Burger and High Museum of Art

 We headed into Atlanta to enjoy some delicious burgers, onion rings and see some art. Ever since I found out that Richard Blaise, Top Chef winner and Atlanta resident had a burger joint, I had to get there. I think Vodka Battered Onion Rings might be my new favorite things. Yum. It also reminded me of why eating out with kids kind of stinks. 

 Then we explored the High. They had a Mo Willems exhibit showing his sketches and how he got started writing and illustrating children's books. Henry loved it and I loved showing him how the artist's process works. Lately he gets so upset when he makes mistakes, it was nice to show him that even great artists need to erase. 

 Break dancing through the abstract rooms. Yeah we were the loudest and craziest people there. But I think it is so important to expose my children to culture. 

 Don't let Henry drive the bus!

 Outside the High and all over downtown there was an installation of spinning yarn interactive art things. The piece is called "Los Trompos." Henry loved spinning us and being spun. 

 The next day Henry created his own art piece and we hung it up museum style. He even wrote out an accompanying name plate describing his work "Henry Clark with pencil and marker." Its an abstract Mario.

Something stuck from the experience!

Snake Day

 The Sandy Creek Nature Center hosts a Snake Day every year. We didn't find out about it until our last year in Athens. It didn't disappoint. I was blown away by the creativity put into this event and all the snakes they had--like over 200. The theme was "Snakes in the Movies" hence the golden statue and the cameras below. 

 This python was HUGE and his name was Bubbles. Henry was obsessed with him and came home and made a snake named Bubbles that he played with and kept in a box for weeks. 

 This baby alligator was named Darth Gator. How cute!

 We got to do lots of fun movie activities like avoid snakes on a plane, cross over a pit full of snakes balancing on a log (Indiana Jones), try and shoot a basilisk (Harry Potter) and I don't remember what this one was but Henry had to use the snake catcher to round up a slithery friend. 

 Steve loves snakes and was the only one brave enough to hold one. 

And then we went and got slurpees because it was June in GA and freaking hot.

Oh and Vivi was there too but she was in her stroller.