I finally got to go home! Yay - it was so much fun relaxing around the house and visiting with friends and family. I got to spend all of Saturday and Sunday with family: Mom and I shopped; we had lunch at a tea room with Vickie; Mom, Dad, and I went to hear Andy Stanley Sunday morning (for a sermon series about staying in love that I highly recommend downloading); we had a Mother's Day brunch with Michael; I visited with Stephen and Lindsey and got to meet their new puppy, Dirk; I spent some time with the Ponds; I took a scooter ride with Dad and got caught in a rain storm with the family on a walk by the Chattahoochee River; the family all celebrated Mother's Day with a supper and a relaxing evening. Of course, the weekend flew by. When the family went back to work on Monday, I took the opportunity to visit some friends. Monday I got to see Michele and her new puppy, Mya. I also had lunch with Ashley, a friend from my GSU days. When I got my hair cut Monday afternoon, the hair stylist had her work cut out for her, trying to get rid of all the paint I had in my hair from painting the bathroom! Tuesday, I rode MARTA downtown with Dad in the morning and spent the day with Stacy and baby Nora. We visited Amy and her daugher, Caroline, for lunch in Decatur. Of course, evenings were spent with the family, watching American Idol and Dancing with the Stars! Early Wednesday, I was once again aboard MARTA heading to the airport. What a whirlwind trip! But it allowed me to spend time with people without the busyness of a holiday or the distractions of a beach vacation. It was the perfect getaway between semesters. Now, time for everyone to visit me!
Mother's Day lunch at Brio.
Michele and Mya.
Amy, Caroline, and Nora.
Me and the babies! (Caroline is on the left and Nora on the right).
Stacy, Nora, and I.
The next morning, we checked out Mathissen State Park next door by hiking down to see its waterfalls. It was a very muddy trip, but the waterfalls only run when there's been heavy rain, so it was worth it.
When we got back home and cleaned up, JD's parents arrived in town! We had such a wonderful time with them. We ate HUGE meals, biked, visited a local farmer's market (where Emily joined us), picnicked at the lake, played games, attended church, and ate HUGE meals! We had a lot of catching up to do as JD hadn't seen Vickie and Phillip since Christmas. Gizmo got a lot of attention, and although the days were full of fun, the visit was very relaxing at the same time.
And that is why JD and I are taking the day off. Summer school is in full gear now for me, so I'm already knee-deep in homework. I've also started a new knitting project: a cat bed for Gizmo! And JD is enjoying some house projects and biking plans for the day. Man, we love summer!
This is a lilac bush in our backyard:
and we attended a wedding shower for a couple in our small group:
I can't wait to go home to visit next weekend!
