Georgia peach... Sweet home Alabama

Capitalizing on the extra day off Scott had for Veteran's Day, we took a week-long trip to visit our dear friends in Georgia.  Jennifer, Neal, Will, and Abby moved there almost a year-and-a-half ago.  Thanks to phone calls, Skype, and letters, Jennifer and I and Will and Adrianna have been blessed to maintain our friendship long-distance.  
 We started out early Wednesday morning, flying first to Dallas.  As soon as we wheeled Abel off the plane, he was asleep, and unknowingly, he slept right through lunch (don't worry, we remedied that when he woke up!).  Since Adrianna rarely slept while we traveled, and we usually ended our travels with a screaming, over-tired child, Abel's willingness to sleep flexibly has been a huge blessing to us.

Wednesday night, we arrived at Jennifer and Neal's house with a quick dinner and then bedtime for the kids.Thursday morning, the children were excited to play together, and go adventuring into the wilds of Jennifer and Neal's backyard.  The yard is a child's dream, with a creek running through it, a play house, and so on.

 It was a joy to see Will and Adrianna pick up their friendship right where they had left off.
 Thursday night, the kids enjoyed learning how to use Will's John Deere "Gator."  Oh, what squeals of joy came from Abel and Adrianna.

Friday morning, we set out to meet up with our sweet college friend, Sarah.  Sarah choose Callaway Gardens for us to meet her.  But on our way there, our rental car started having problems.  After Scott talked with the agency's roadside assistance, they asked him to bring the car into a town near the Gardens, so they could switch it for a new one.  Meanwhile, Scott dropped Adrianna, Abel, and me off at the Gardens to see Sarah, while he traded the car.  Sarah and I and the kids had a great time chatting, exploring the butterfly pavilion, walking around the lake, and eating lunch.  Scott got stuck taking the rental car back, only to have them tell him he needed to fill it up with gas and then bring it back to them.  And then they gave him a lesser quality car, and he finally got to return to the Garden.  The situation was obviously frustrating, and we were disappointed that by the time Scott returned, it was almost time to drive back to Jennifer's, so that the kids could nap in the car.


 Callaway Gardens was a gorgeous setting, the weather was beautiful, and we so enjoyed catching up with Sarah.
 
Saturday morning, we headed to Jennifer and Neal's hometown in Alabama, so that Scott and David (Jennifer's brother) could go to the Alabama football game, and we could stay at Jennifer and Neal's cabin by the lake.  What a beautiful place.  The cabin and the lake were a serene setting for Adrianna and Will to play in the leaves.
 
  Any stress seems to dissolve to nothingness in such a place.

The only hitch in the solitude was that Abby had a high fever, and was feeling terribly.  While Scott went to the game, Neal took Abby to the doctor, and Jennifer and I took Adrianna and Will to "Trade Day" (pronounced by the southerners "Tray Day" :).  At the giant flea market, we got to see a little bit of everything: chickens, puppies, boiled peanuts, and handmade dresses.  I bought a darling one of the latter for Adrianna.
 After nap time Saturday afternoon, it was just Abel, Adrianna, and me at the cabin.  With no other distractions, I took them down to the lake.  The children delighted in throwing rocks in the water and collecting sea shells on the shore.  And I delighted in the simplicity of a sweet moment in time... when it could have been any time in the history of the world, with just a couple kids and a mom marveling in the beauty of God's creation.
 Abby and Will came down to join us a little later, and Jennifer and I picked up dinner for us and a few happily tired kids.

Scott returned from the game after midnight, and on Sunday, we took the kids to Jennifer's family's church nearby.  After the service, we were treated to a southern Thanksgiving feast at the church.  Boy, were those yams candied!  But it was sure good.  :)
 After naps, the kids had a little more time to play at the cabin, before heading back to Neal and Jennifer's house for bedtime.
 
I love seeing the joy of childhood written all over her movements.  (And that is the dress I found for her at Trade Day.)
 On Monday, Jennifer took Abby to get a prescription for her Strep throat, and Scott and I took Will and Adrianna to a nearby antique mall.  Of all things, we found Adrianna a little rolling suitcase, which is perfect for her to pull through the airport.  That afternoon, we went to a nearby town where Jennifer and Neal's family got adjusted at their chiropractor, and Scott and I enjoyed a brief shopping trip to the amazingly huge and over-flowing kids' consignment store.  We ate a delicious dinner at Panera Bread before heading home.

By Tuesday, Abby started feeling a little better, and we all went to tour the college where Neal teaches.  
 
It gave me a happy heart to see Abby and Will wearing the shirts I made for them.
The college town offers loads of local boutiques and a consignment store.  After lunch at our favorite establishment (Chick-fil-a), Neal and Scott took the kids to a delightful castle park while Jennifer and I checked out the consignment store.

 Our last afternoon ended with Will and Adrianna painting together before dinner.  Then we got the kids in bed and packed up our belongings, with our new consignment treasures.  
 On Wednesday, we headed back for the Birmingham airport (1 1/2 hours away from Jennifer's house), waited three hours for our plane (mechanical delay), where Abel caught a little nap, flew to Dallas, flew to NM, and then drove an hour-and-a-half, with two children and one mom sleeping in the car, and one husband bringing us safely home.

We enjoyed a wonderful time, being blessed by Jennifer and Neal's hospitality and friendship, and Jennifer's willingness plan and cook a menu around Adrianna's milk allergy and my strange meat aversions.

Comments

Evan said…
Loved all the pics-looks like you had a great time!!
November 21, 2010 at 5:00 PM
Bloom Where You Are Planted said…
YAY!! I can't tell you how much these pictures touched my heart on several levels! Your kids are so very adorable and I LOVED seeing Georgia too! :)
November 23, 2010 at 10:34 PM
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