A Weekend in Savannah

Marc's cousin was married a couple of weeks ago, and they held a reception this past weekend in Savannah, Georgia.  All of Marc's immediate family came in town and we rented a large house on Tybee Island. It was a little chilly for me to walk down to the beach, but Marc took these two down for a little walk.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the bride and groom, but I did manage a few pictures of the kids enjoying the photo booth. 

The reception was held in one of the beautiful squares in historic Savannah.  It was quite chilly, but the heaters they brought in helped keep this Florida girl warm enough.

It was so windy and cold, but we decided to make the quick walk to River Street after the reception.  We only walked a short way to the candy shop, and then we swung by Starbucks on the way back to the car.

The beach house had a roof top deck that the kids enjoyed hanging out on.  The funny part was that Drew had no idea it was up there until we were about to leave and wanted to get this picture.

Cousin dance party in the street before heading home.

Instead of rearranging all of the pictures I'll just backtrack to our morning in Savannah.  There happened to be a children's book festival going on and it was quite the event.  The kids went on a little scavenger hunt to different stations to do little projects and they had a great morning.

We even ran into these two guys.

Because of our love for cathedrals we decided to take the walk to St. John the Baptist Cathedral and it didn't disappoint.

The amazing organ.

I love this cute little princess!

We had a great family weekend exploring Savannah. It has been a busy time of travel for us, and I'm grateful that we will be home for the next month, but I am thankful for the times set aside from the busyness of life to enjoy with my little family. 

The clouds were so interesting on the way home. I have never seen waves in the sky.

Returning Home

We traveled back to Pensacola for my Nana's funeral. I hadn't been back since she moved here and it was bittersweet.  While I have lived over 30 years of my life here in Georgia, I still call Pensacola home.  Even after we moved I spent many weeks each year with my Nana and Papa.  I have such special memories of that time. 

While we were in town we went back to see the home I lived in.

And this is the park that I know I spent hours playing at.  Of course the playground equipment is newer, and I don't remember much about this area, it was a sweet time of reflection on where God has placed me in life. The girls had a fun time playing, and we enjoyed a family walk as well.

And even when it is November you still stop by the beach.  We were only able to stay about an hour before we had to head home, but it was wonderful.  The water was crystal clear, the sand was powder soft, and the sun was brilliant and warm.

The girls had the best time, and they have asked to visit again.  I'm sure we will.  I realized I had forgotten a bit how special Pensacola was in my heart.

Celebrating Nana

On October 29th my sweet Nana went to be with Jesus. We have been so blessed to have her nearby for the last 10 years.  The girls grew up having Nana here, and I'm thankful that she made the decision years ago to move up this way. My babies loved her, and she loved my babies.

We loved to hear her stories.  She grew up in the Great Depression, and that shaped the woman that she was.  She was strong and resourceful.  She loved her family. And she was a bit stubborn as well.  I'm thankful that gene didn't get passed down to me. ;)

This red dress is one that Nana made for me when I was young, and then my girls were able to wear it.  She made many things for my sister and I, and I'm thankful to still have a few of them.

She made the best chicken and dumplings.  She used canned biscuits, and I have always used frozen ones.  Kayla was amazed when she learned this, so I promised her we'd make some Nana dumplings soon. 

She could catch flies with her bare hands. I bet her kids had to watch out when they were in trouble. I bet she was fast! 

One other thing we like to joke about in our family is toilet paper.  My mom ALWAYS had a large stash of toiled paper in the house.  It wasn't until recent years that she found out both her brother and sister also keep large stashes at their homes.  It turns out they all have vivid memories of running out growing up and having to resort to using catalog pages in the restroom.  That would make anyone keep a large supply at home!

Nana will be missed here, but we are all so grateful that we will have eternity to spend with her.  When we told the girls that Nana was with Jesus, Brooke immediately smiled and said, "now she can walk again!" Yes, she can.  She is walking around with Papa and her oldest son Bobby.  She is having an amazing life right now, and she is just waiting on the rest of us to join them. Oh, how thankful I am for Christ and that I have heaven to look forward to. The trials and sorrows of this world will be no more. Nana, we love you, and we will see you soon!

Fall Festivals

This year the girls ended up with a Star Wars theme for their costumes.  Kayla was BB

8, Macy was Rey, and Brooke was Queen Amdala. We had fun with the costumes this year.

Fall Festival #1 at Antioch Church just down the road from our house.

Fall Festival #2 was at Mt. Zion Baptist Church while Kayla was at church for Awake Weekend.

Someone really loves cotton candy.

And Fall Festival #3 was at a friend's church in Cumming. We love joining the Robert's family at this event each year.