Our Next Adventure!

 

 After our trip to downtown Atlanta we headed home for a couple of days.  That weekend we celebrated Myles' birthday and then on Monday morning some of us headed out again!  Marc had another trip  to the Atlanta area, but this time it was to Stone Mountain!

I enjoy going to the city once in a while, but we would all much rather be able to get outside and play!  Stone Mountain is in Atlanta but when you get into the park you feel like you are out.  There are walking trails everywhere and it is so beautiful!

The day we got there Marc headed to his meetings and I hiked the mountain with the kids.  This trip we took Mariah, Malachi and Myles with us.  One of the girls has to be home to milk the goats.  Madeline stayed home with Macheus (and of course, Matthew didn't get to go on either one of the trips because of school and work.  Growing up is the pits! :o)

Apparently, it had rained the night before!  The kids had so much fun playing on top of the mountain!

The boys were playing "restaurant".

After the hike back down we headed to the grist mill for a picnic.

They played in the water and both boys ended up falling in.  Unlike girls, they just kept right on playing!

We headed over to the lawn to get a close-up look at the carving.  I never grow tired of seeing it!

Sadly, the train was not operating while we were there.  Myles adores trains and we had hoped to ride.

The resort at Stone Mountain is so much fun to stay at.  The pool is great and the weather warmed up each day for them to swim.

He learned to swim last year and really gained a lot of confidence this year.

I got the kids started on their school work in the mornings and headed off for my runs.  The weather was glorious and the scenery was gorgeous!

(Yes, I was a dork and took a "running selfie". :o)   I texted it to Marc and told him the morning was glorious and I was sorry he was stuck in meetings. :o)

Why would anyone question whether there was a creator when they see the majesty of creation?

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork." Psalm 19:1

These two are such good buddies.  They liked  hanging out on our balcony.

This was the view from our room.  The lake was beautiful!

Thankful for the time away to spend with my children.  It is always refreshing to get a break from the routine and rejuvenates me when I go back home. Thankful that my sweet husband enjoys taking us on his travels! It is always so much fun!

Adventures...

The weekend of Malachi's birthday Marc had business in Atlanta.  A few of us tagged along for some fun!

 

 

 This was our view from our hotel window.  That is the tallest building in Atlanta.

 

We decided to spend one of our days at the Georgia Aquarium.  We have visited four different aquariums around the southeast and this is by far the best one!

 

Lots of cool interactive learning things to do.

I was surprised at the things that Madeline remembered from our study of ocean life years ago!

Macheus was not impressed with the dork dressed up as a sea horse! :o)

                                                Such amazing creatures!

Macheus stood by the huge tanks just watching in amazement.

One of  my favorite parts was when they let us go upstairs in the "employee area" to see down in the tops of the tanks.  It really puts perspective on how huge the whales are and also how massive the tanks were!

 

Of course, a highlight was getting to go swimming at the hotel!  I didn't get a good picture of the pool, but it was an attached indoor/outdoor pool and was really pretty.  We hung out in the outside part.

 

When Marc and the boys went to bed, Madeline and I hit the gym!

 

A fun place to eat in Atlanta is "Pittypat's Porch".  It looks like an antebellum home and has "Gone With The Wind" paraphernalia everywhere.

 

We ate on the porch overlooking the streets of Atlanta.

Needless to say, Macheus did more sightseeing than eating!

The baker has been there for years.

Madeline puckering up to give Rhett a smooch. :o)  She was so irritated at me when I took this!

Where we were located we were able to walk everywhere we went.  The walk back one evening got a little damp.

 

The day we left we had to make a quick stop at The Varsity.  It is such a nostalgic place for me.  My dad ate there when he was a college student and living downtown Atlanta.  We loved going there as a treat in the summer when I was young and we would come to Georgia to visit my grandparents.  We always take our kids whenever we go to Atlanta.

 

 

I remember my parents telling me about a famous car hop that was there for years.  I actually found stories about him on the internet.

 

Good-by Atlanta!

Celebrating Myles!

Myles' birthday is exactly one week after Malachi's, so once again we had a Sunday birthday.  On Saturday we went to some Indian mounds not too far from us for an Indian Festival.  Myles was not impressed with the Indians, but he did think his bow and arrow that Madeline bought him was pretty cool!  We left there and stopped by McKenzie and Daniel's place to let him see them for a few minutes before we headed back home.

 

Myles told me he wanted "hot dogs and a black cake with chocolate chips on it" for his dinner!  So.... that is what he had! :o)

I think he snuck a chocolate chip! :o)

I always soak up their facial expressions while they are being sung to.

                                                                   Precious!

The next day we went to church.  I made another cake to take for our fellowship meal afterwards and the whole church sang, "Happy Birthday" to him again!  He thought that was pretty cool!
When we got home we surprised him with a new big wheel!

Macheus ran over there and thought it was his!

That moment  he realized it wasn't.............

Well, the birthday celebrations will be quieted down for a while and then we will hit them with full force during the holidays!  Next will be Marc at Thanksgiving!

Off to bed......