Georgia On My Mind

It’s countdown time.  We only have a month and a half left here in Georgia.  It’s official: graduation date set, airplane tickets bought, movers scheduled.  As with most goodbyes, it’s bittersweet.  After being here for four months, we are finally getting comfortable.  A fun network of friends, a great church, we know how to get around town, which dentists to avoid, you know, all the things taken for granted when you’re settled somewhere for a long period of time.  My heart hesitates at having to start the whole process over again so soon.  And mostly, I’m sad to say goodbye to my “Georgia vacation” (the term I have affectionately given our season in Georgia).  It’s been a rejuvenating and refreshing time for our family. 

Here’s what I’ll miss about Georgia:

1.       The best BBQ ever!

2.       Southern drawls and y’alls

3.       The sassy locals

4.       Historic homes and sprawling lawns

5.       Awesome rainstorms

6.       Beautiful sunsets

7.       Warm rain

8.       The multitude of flowers, trees and all the shades of green

9.       The local parks

Here’s what I won’t miss:

1.       Tornado watches and warnings

2.       Tailgating.  And I don’t mean getting tipsy before a football game.  I mean someone riding your tail on the highway.  Forget Meth, tailgating is Georgia’s biggest problem!

3.       Humidity and its nasty side effects

4.       FRIZZY HAIR (see above!)

5.       Two showers a day (again, see above)

6.       Bugs, bees and snakes

7.       Allergies and sinus infections

I know another adventure awaits us, with a new set of challenges and victories.   In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy my last few weeks as a Southern Belle.

 

Saturday Craziness

Here’s a look at the inner sanctum of my life…

It’s Saturday morning, Bill is home and wrangling the kids and breakfast, the kids are running around the house singing and I’m holed up in my room.  I’ve had a bit of an attitude problem the past couple of days so there is an unspoken agreement between us that it’s best I have a “time-out” in my room to regain some sanity.  I'm wearing a green facial mask while I’m cleaning my bathroom with my yoga/pilates video playing in the background.  Multi-tasking at its best.  I really had the best intentions of finishing that video but I was interrupted about two minutes into it by the dog, the kids, the hubby, the dust bunnies under the bed (pick one).  I’ll get back to it. 

Meanwhile, my son is running around the house insisting he’s "the garbage man” looking like this:

Normal and well-adjusted might not run in the family.

Easter Traditions

I've been on an Easter crusade for a few years now.  It's the most important holiday of our faith and yet it seems like it gets glossed over in the mix of Easter egg hunts, baskets and chocolate (don't get me wrong, I have NOTHING against chocolate bunnies) and it's one of my favorite holidays so I really like to hype it up.  Anyway, while forming our family traditions it was important to me, more so than any other holiday, to keep bringing it back to the true meaning of the day.  

When the kids wake up on Easter morning, we hunt down the "Resurrection Eggs" (available at most Christian bookstores) along with some candy-filled eggs and take turns opening and discussing the items in the Resurrection Eggs (all items relate back to the Easter story).  The kids are at the perfect age for this and really love doing it. Then the kids and I head into the kitchen and prepare this yummy breakfast treat.  It's a fun and meaningful tradition to add to your Easter celebrations (and super easy!). 


"Jesus Is Risen" Rolls 


1 can refrigerated biscuits, croissants, or breadsticks
About 8 large marshmallows
3 tbsp melted butter 
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Shape and flatten each biscuit into a circle.  Place a marshmallow in the center of the circle and pinch the dough around the marshmallow.  Roll the marshmallow-filled rolls into a round ball, making sure to seal the seams well. Dip the balls into the melted butter and then roll into the cinnamon mixture. 


Place the rolls on a baking sheet with the pinched seams down.  Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  


While the rolls bake, I spend the time talking to the kids about the hope we have in Him.  Then we eat the rolls and celebrate that Christ's tomb was hollow (empty) just like these rolls are now hollow.  


May you have a truly blessed Easter holiday! 

A Girl, The Open Road, and Bob & Larry

I love to listen to music while I'm driving. I sing, I cry, I meditate, sometimes I have dance parties....it all depends on my mood and the music. I think I might be indirectly passing this passion along to the kids because it's not uncommon to find us all singing "Super Trooper" at the top of our lungs while driving to school.  Hey, don't knock it until you try it!  It's a great mood-booster, especially on dreary Monday mornings. 

Anyway, here's what's in the six disc changer in the blue car right now:

1) Third Day Move
2) Adele 21
3) Carrie Underwood Play On
4) Mamma Mia!  (Original Broadway Cast Album)
5) (I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this one...) High School Musical
6) Veggie Tales Bob & Larry Sing the 80s


I almost laugh when I see this list because it's so random and varied but it's a perfect description of who I am, where I am in life, and (since I'm driving) where I'm going. 

Tour of Homes 2011

The historic homes in this area are absolutely charming.  Sun rooms, large porches, shutters, white rocking chairs, sprawling green lawns, tire swings hanging from huge old trees...I love all of it! In fact, I've even told Bill that we should retire here (quite the change from the last time we were here, although summer hasn't hit yet!).  

I went on a Tour of Homes at Fort Benning a few weeks ago and had a great time walking through the variety of houses on post.  I appreciate how people choose to decorate their homes and it was fun to see the modern (i.e. mostly the kitchens) combined with the somewhat historic (i.e. huge wooden staircases and banister, servant quarters, etc.).  I didn't feel comfortable taking photos of the inside of the homes since it's someone's private area but I will share the photos of the outside so you can get a feel for beauty of the homes. 

Of course, my favorite house on post is Riverside, previously a working plantation and now the home of the Commanding General.  It is a huge, beautiful home (over 6,000 sq.ft. with 5 bedrooms, 7 fireplaces, 5 baths, and of course, a powder room, all sitting on a 13-acre "lawn") and we kept making jokes that someday we'd live there.  See, don't I already look at home here? 

On a side note, I look like a wet mop because - in classic Georgia style - it poured on us as we were walking back to our car from one of the stops, and then immediately after the sun came out. 

No mirrors involved here, this is really a long hallway of doors and rooms all connected together

During my time here in Columbus, I found a very sweet group of ladies to scrapbook with (more on them later) and one of the ladies, Sandra, hosted a scrapbooking retreat at her home this past weekend.  I couldn't attend the scrapbooking retreat (my aunt and uncle were visiting) but my aunt and I did stop by and Sandra (who is an amazing and very godly woman, by the way) gave us a detailed and intimate tour of her home.  Her stories were truly inspiring and we had a lovely time with her.  It was so sweet of her to take the time to show us around her home.  I'll never forget my afternoon at "Ridgewood."

This is the back of her home and part of her yard

Me, Sandra, and my Aunt Linda, in Sandra's garden - all smiles on a sunny day!!

As you can see, I'm starting to fall in love with Georgia, the history and the people!