Georgia Getaway Day Two

 Our trip to GA is completed as I am now in my own bed after leading two exhausted boys to their own beds without an argument!  We had an awesome day today!!  Nathan thanked me several times for taking them on this trip.  I gave them the no complaining ground rule today, and they followed it for the most part. 

We started out our day today (after leaving the hotel) by signing up for a bus tour in which you can get on and off the bus at any stop throughout the day.  This had not been our original plan, but after stopping for a map, I decided that a 6 year old walking all over town and me trying to park my huge car several places in the busy downtown was not a good combination.  After waiting for almost an hour to be able to get on the correct bus, I was beginning to think it was a bad idea, however.  As we were standing in line (this would be the part of the day in which complaining happened!),  I could hear the mom behind me saying the same things as me.  "It will get better when the bus gets here.  Don't complain.  We will have fun."  And we were right!!

We got to go to the riverfront and eat at Spanky's; get praline samples; honey samples; salt water taffy samples; and bought some candy and things.  I had always thought of Spanky's as a place to get pizza, so that is what Camden and I did.  However, they advertised that they were famous for their chicken fingers.  Well, the pizza was not as good as I remember, but the chicken fingers were awesome!!  The river front in Savannah is a really neat place.  It reminds me somewhat of Charleston, but there are steep steps that lead you from the downtown streets to the lower level of the old cotton exchanges that were right on the river.  Of course these old buildings are now full of inns, restaurants and stores.  Our favorite being the candy stores :) 

Paddle boat tours are another way to spend the day in Savannah

Amy and Camden at the intermediate level between downtown streets and the river walk.

My favorite landmark-The waving girl

Our lunch restaurant of choice

 

After exploring the river front, we went to the city market to taste cookies and see where Paula Deen's restaurant is located.  No Paula, but we did get to look in her store.  Hey ya'll was everywhere! 

The spoon artwork outside of Paula Deen's store

I found Nathan's least favorite singer!

 

Other stops on our tour included Forsyth Park with its beautiful fountain...

 

Hanging around at the park!

Guess who took this picture!

 

...a stop in a cathedral (Camden said it looked a lot different than our church and it must be very special.  Didn't get into theology differences between Catholics and Baptist, but have to agree with him in that it does look very different than our church)...

St. John the Baptist's Cathedral

 

...and a stop at what Food Network said is the 6th best ice cream joint in the nation!  Of course we had to stop there!  Don't know about the ranking, but do know that Leopold's chocolate milkshake was awesome.  Worth the 20 minute wait in line!



 

 









 

And I have to credit the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for making downtown look great.  They are all throughout the downtown and they have been buying old building for their use, but restoring and preserving them so that they look original.  What a great way to grow your school.

Enjoying the bus ride!

 

So we had another fun day.  Long and exhausting, but full of memories!  We made our final one by eating at Carey Hilliard's.  I ate at Carey Hilliard's more times than I can count when my Grandad was living.  Since they are closed in Charleston, I never have the opportunity to go down that memory lane.  But we could do so in Savannah...got the onion rings, shrimp, and cheddar bake!  And Nathan got the crab stew.  All things I liked when I want there with my Grandad. 

 

What a great time...and I am stuffed!!  

A Georgia Getaway

Since it is Spring Break, I decided to take the boys on a Georgia getaway trip.  Nathan is still doing state books, and after our trip to NC several years ago, I have been waiting for the GA book to come to give us an excuse to take a field trip to GA!  It came about a month ago, so perfect timing!!

We left Tuesday morning, after voting, and didn't stop until we were in GA for us to eat; at Taco Bell!  For me, though, this was a Taco Bell that I remember from having lived here when I was Nathan's age.  But our ultimate destination was Tybee Island.  We had checked the weather and had dressed for the temps in jeans and t-shirts (or shorts for Nathan); but as we were finding  place to park at the busy Spring Break Tybee Island, I thought that I would probably regret not wearing shorts myself as everyone I saw was walking in their bathing suits.  When we got out of the car, however, I figured they all must be nuts because it was not a hot day.  I was very comfortable hiding my white legs in my jeans :) 

We went to the marine center and saw some cute jellyfish, cool turtles, and got to watch snails do flips in the water.  It was fun, and brief.  We took a walk on the beach and ate some ice cream, and got lots of sand in our shoes. 

After we took in the beach, we decided to go to the lighthouse.  But,

 

and of course today was Tuesday!

 

So we headed to Fort Pulaski.  Camden had wanted to take a hike, and this National Park had places to hike in addition to the fort itself.  The boys had fun exploring the fort, and we had a good time walking out to see the Cockspur Lighthouse. 

 

Camden becoming a Junior Ranger!

 

We ended the day with an awesome dinner at The Crab Shack.  It is the coolest restaurant that Dave and I had found years ago.  You can eat outside or in, but the inside has has trees growing through it, so it is like outside.  And they have a gator pond.  And the food is awesome!!!

Being eaten by an alligator is a little scary!

 





Now we are relaxing at the hotel.  Cuddling, since that is Camden's favorite word today!  One more day of our short vacation.  We will see what fun we can find tomorrow!

A good weekend for being green!!

 

 

 

I began my green weekend by planting my garden with lots of green plants!!  I have lettuce, kale, eggplant, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and some herbs.  I even used my mushroom compost and my own compost in my green attempt at gardening!  We will see what the garden produces this year!

 

Then on Sunday, after not even wearing green to church, I got in the green spirit with Camden and his friend.  We made a green cake which was very yummy! 

 

 

 

Since it was actually a white cake, we then made green eggs from the yokes.  Everyone tried them and said they tasted like eggs!

And I would eat them in a house and in the rain and on train! 

The green cake!

Of course the boys had to end up wrestling on our brown lawn that will hopefully soon be green :) 

Upwards firsts and lasts

This was an Upwards year that involved lots of firsts and lasts.  It was Nathan's last year of playing, and Camden's first.  It was the first year Nathan and I coached a team, and probably the last year I coach a 6 year old boys team!  The expression herding cats was used many times in describing our team!  It was a fun experience, even though I don't know how much I was actually able to teach the boys about basketball.  We had fun though!!

It was also the first year that Camden not only played, but wanted to keep playing.  His first t-ball experience involved asking to stop playing after the first game.  Since he wanted to play every basketball game, I think we have made progress in the sports area!  And he made 3 baskets!  And tried to rebound one time.  This is a big step from him hiding his head under his hands when the ball came toward him. 

 

 

The Upwards team! 

 

Nathan doing what he did best; enthusiastically handing out the stars at the end of the game.  The boys were so excited because of his description of why they got their stars.

 

 

 

 

And Nathan's last year was a great year for his basketball skills.  He and another boy on his team had great chemistry and made lots of awesome plays together.  Running, passing and shooting!  And they both were kind to players that had a hard time making shots. 

Nathan was very enthusiastic about his game as well...code word for aggressive :)

 

All in all, we had a good Upwards year.

Ladies' Night!!

I had a birthday party at the ATP gun shop in Summerville tonight!  Ladies' night involves training about guns and then being able to shoot  50 rounds into a pink target.  We also got a t-shirt.  It was exciting to think about doing, but nerve wracking when hanging out in the store waiting for our class to begin.  I was also a little nervous when loading the guns, but then had a good time shooting two kinds of guns.  I even got three shots in the middle of the target.  This was after lots of misses and head shots.  I even shot the earlobe so that it looked like an earring.   It was a fun time with fun friends.  Lots of laughs :)  Can't wait to head back up and fire off another few rounds!

 

Charlie's Angels!  My camo gun really is camoflauged in this picture!

                                       

Couldn't resist taking a picture of this!

 

My new t-shirt!

My favorite number is 42!

My favorite number is 42, and since I am now 42, I am sure this will be a great year!! So far, today has been very nice. Today, which really started Friday in terms of birthday activities, has been a very nice birthday. My parents came down Friday and we went out to dinner, followed by Charlotte's Web with Camden. Dave and Nathan left that night for an all night laser tag youth group activity. Due to this, Dave and Nathan were a little tired on Saturday! Upwards was our Saturday day, but that night, Dave and I went out to dinner and to see Les Miserables. About halfway through the movie, Dave had to leave because he was feeling sick. He was feeling the effects of being overly tired, however, he did admit that he thought there was too much singing :) Sunday was the Super Bowl, but Monday was the start of getting tons of Happy Birthday messages on Facebook and the phone and Facetime. My sister's family all sang Happy Birthday to me on my Ipad! It was a normal type day with Upwards practice for both boys, homework, and school, but I did get a run in. That always gets my endorphins pumping! Between practices, I got to eat at Taco Spot and get ice cream from Baskin Robbins. Dave and the boys let me go on a shopping trip to Kohls'. I bought a pan (I know, very boring), and a massage roller and ball. The last special thing I did today was to get a mani-pedi! I am going to go to the shooting range tomorrow night, so I figured I should get my nails done. I need as much help as I can get and looking better should at least, well, make my nails look better! And even though my feet aren't seen in February, they are now red for heart health!

So here is to 42!  I look forward to all that is ahead of me!

Thank you Halls!!

I have a cold or a sinus infection or allergies or laryngitis or maybe all of these! And I have had these symptoms since last Thursday. I try never to tempt the fates by saying I don't get sick, but since I am sick, I guess I can say that usually, I don't get sick very often. And my children don't get sick often. But this year, well, I had better never say that again!! Too many stomach bugs and coughs and runny noses to count. I even sent in more tissues to school with Nathan because he had used up all of his teachers' supply! So after persevering through all my obligations, like yelling at the basketball game on Saturday when I had no voice, I gave up and got an antibiotic Wednesday night. Not that that has helped too much. I really think it opened up my head and my insides are now pouring out. But in all of this ick, that had better be gone before my birthday!!, I have found comfort in one thing...the pithy sayings on the Halls cough drops. I mean, when you open up a cough drop and get to read "keep you chin up", "you got it in you" (and everyone is getting to hear all that is in you!), "inspire envy" (of what, my cough?), and "don't try harder, do harder", well it just makes me feel so much better!! I understand the nice sayings on the inside of Dove chocolates, but cough drops? I think someone at the Halls company has too much time on their hands. At least it is a private sector job that is secure though. Even if I don't care for the sayings, I do depend on the cough drops; and the strawberry flavor is actually pretty good. So thank you Halls, as I go unwrap a smile :)