Georgia Aquarium Fun!

The kids are out of school all week long and I'm so happy about having them home with me.  We planned some really fun things for this week and the first day of the break started off with a day at the Georgia Aquarium!  

We had two extra tickets so I let each of the girls invite a friend to go with us.  Me and 5 kids headed downtown...I'm either a really brave mom or really stupid!  Actually though, all of the kids did great and were so good all day long.  

We loved looking around at all of the exhibits and enjoyed seeing all of the sea life.  

They kids all got really excited when there was a tunnel or kid area that got them up close and personal with some of the animals.  This tunnel gave them an inside view of the penguins.

 There are also several different areas where the kids get to touch different animals.  In this petting area they could touch sting rays and sharks!

Next we ate lunch and then made our way to the dolphin show.  We were told the first 10 rows are the "splash zone" and that if you sit in those rows you should be prepared to get soaked.  The kids decided they wanted to be on the very first row!  We were expecting to get really wet, but our section actually stayed totally dry.  I can't say the same for the other sections though.  The kids were disappointed, but I was just fine with that.

 We all loved the dolphin show and were so impressed with the trainers and the dolphins and all of the tricks they performed.  It was our favorite part of the day!

On the way out the kids each picked a small souvenir at the gift shop.  Each of the girls picked a "Best Friend" necklace to share together.

The whole experience made a big impression on the girls because they came home and played dolphin trainers the rest of the evening!

Go Dawgs!

For a few years now I have been wanting to take the kids to a UGA football game in Athens and this past week was finally the night.  We got tickets and planned our day of football fun.  The game was scheduled for 7PM, which was both good and bad.  Good because we could take our time getting to Athens, but bad because it would mean a late night for the kids.  They did awesome though and the timing actually worked out great.

We left after lunchtime to make our way to Athens and stopped along with way for boiled peanuts from RT and chicken from Zaxby's.  We got parked in a deck downtown and started our own mini tailgate.  The kids were having so much fun running around and playing and it was nice because the place we were parked was pretty empty so we didn't have to worry about other cars or people.

After eating we started to walk towards the stadium.  We stopped along the way for a few pictures with the Bulldogs downtown and also at the Arch.

When we got to our seats the team was just being announced and we were SO excited to start cheering.

The sweet people behind us gave the kids some of their pom-poms so they were having fun shaking them around and cheering like crazy!  They also become wigs.

The game was really close (it should have been an easy game for us) but it made for an exciting time.   It was tied up and all this guy was thinking about was more popcorn!

We left half-way through the 3rd quarter because it was getting late and 2 of the 3 were ready to go.  We listen to the game on the way home and were so excited that our Dawgs pulled out the win.

It was such a fun night for our family and so neat for Robby and I to be back in Athens with our kids. It was the first game in Athens I had been to in years, and just the excitement of being in the town was really fun.

Hopefully we can make it to another game next year, knowing how much the kids enjoyed it and how great they did!


We didn't let our fun-filled weekend of football end there.  The next day Robby and I got to go the Falcon's game. I had not been to a Falcon's game in over 10 years, so it was a lot of fun, too!

At half-time the cadets from the Citadel performed and it was really neat for me to watch, especially because my dad graduated from the Citadel!

Unfortunately, the Falcons lost the game at the very end, but it was still fun day for us and we loved supporting our hometown team.

Sleepover Fun

My kids just love sleepovers.  It brings back so many memories for me because I used to love sleepovers with my friends, too!  Last Friday was sleepover night for the girls with their BFF's from school and they were both beyond excited.  

The day before our neighbor brought over a lot of hand-me-downs and this adorable sleepover bag was in the load of stuff she brought.  It was perfect for Handley's sleepover at Olivia's! 

I dropped her off late afternoon and picked up Harper's friend to come to our house.  She and this sweet girl have gotten to be best buddies this year and they had been talking about this night for quite some time.  

They played and played.  We had pizza for dinner and they were sweet enough to include Hudson in their games since he was feeling left out without a playmate.

At one point I saw them playing with their baby dolls, fixing their hair to the side, and posing for selfies.  I thought to myself, if this isn't the perfect picture of children growing up in this digital technology age, I don't know what is!

After popcorn and a movie they attempted to go to bed.  Around 10 PM they were finally asleep, but not for as long as I would have hoped.

They woke me up around 4 AM asking for breakfast and when I went to tuck them back on the lights were on in the room and it looked as if they had been playing already.  I told them they needed to go back to bed because it was the middle of the night, but from what they told me around 6:30 when they came back to wake me up again, I think they had been up for hours playing!  I knew they would both need a nap that day.  

I'm so happy they had fun though and I just love the sweet girls my girls have formed friendships with!  

Special Outings with Gigi & Papa

Last Sunday Gigi had planned a special day with the girls...they were going to see Cinderella at The Fox Theater downtown!  They were so excited about this special treat and spent all morning picking out their outfits, primping, and putting on make-up.  

I got this picture from Gigi once they were there and I just knew they were having the best time.  After the show they met up with Papa and then went to have a hibachi style dinner at a Japanese restaurant, which was another fun treat.  

By the time the got home they were both talking so fast about all of the things they got to do and see that it was hard for me to keep up with it all.  The rest of the night they both kept telling little details about their special day and they just loved every minute of it.  

Now, Hudson was a little disappointed when he learned the girls were getting to go with Gigi and he was going to stay here.  Robby and I took him to lunch and talked up some fun we would have that afternoon, but before the girls came back he told me, "We didn't do anything fun like you said we would."  

He was still pouting a bit when they arrived back home so Gigi and Papa promised him he would get to have a special day with them very soon.  He didn't have to wait long because this Sunday was his turn.  They went to Medieval Times, which is like a dinner and a show all in one.  There are knights, horses, sword fighting and more. It was right up his alley and from the sound of it, he had an amazing time.  

These are some very lucky kiddos to get to do such fun things with their grandparents!  Thank you Gigi and Papa!!!  

We love fall!

Our yard is full of trees and the leaves are out of control this time of year. Our yard and driveway have been covered, but it has been so wet from all of the rain that the kids haven't gotten a chance to go out and play in them until Friday.  At first they were working on building a pile with their hands and then Robby came along with the blower to help their efforts.  

The kids had THE best time running and jumping in their big leaf pile. Seriously it was the sweetest thing to watch.  The smiles and giggles were on overload and Walker was even loving it, too!

 It brought back so many memories from my childhood of doing the exact same thing!

Later that evening Gigi and Papa came over to visit with us and so we could celebrate Gigi's birthday!  We walked to a local restaurant for dinner and then back to our house for cake and gifts.  The kids all told me what they thought we should get her and that is exactly what we got...a necklace, a bracelet and a candle.  It was a fun evening celebrating Gigi!