Visits and Valentine's Day!

We always love it when our family comes down (or across) to visit us!  Uncle Kelly and Aunt Shawntel have wanted to see the Farm, and they surprised us by quickly booking a flight when we came up with a free weekend for us both!  My brother doesn't love planes, but I'm proud of him for boarding a jetliner to come see us :) We had a BLAST.  

They made the rounds in Georgia, traveling into Savannah where we picked them up, driving over to our new place at the Ford (where we checked in on the house and had a great dinner), heading back to Dublin on Friday just in time to get the kids from school and head to the Farm for the weekend!  

They got to see a basketball game, we got to celebrate Uncle Kelly's birthday, and we watched the Super Bowl.  

But mostly we just had fun driving around outside at the Farm. The weather was dreary, so we had to bundle up and wear our rain jackets. 

Maryn and Wesley loved driving them around on the golf cart, which led to the funniest incident when they were riding around and upwards of FIFTEEN MICE ran out from under the seat!  Everyone grabbed BB guns and pellet guns and took out the mice.  

We were very blue to see them go after the quick weekend trip (but also not too blue since we already have another trip booked to see them in early April!)  Super thankful for the time with them! 

After they returned home, we celebrated a lovely Valentine's Day. The kids LOADED UP on candy from their friends and family. 

And then...the very next day...PUERTO RICO!!!

The Daddy Daughter Dance

I mean, how sweet and sentimental is a loving daddy taking his little girl on a date?  Maryn looks forward to her dates with her daddy every year. Maryn first attended the annual Daddy Daughter dance in February 2020 (before the world shut down), but only lasted about 20 minutes before the crowd and excitement overwhelmed her!  The last few years she has chosen a dinner date with her daddy and her friends, instead of the dance. This year, however, she was ALL about the event!

She went with her best little (former) neighbor group, who all looked grown up and so lovely.  We did Maryn's hair in braids and curls (which did NOT stay, she's got the most slick, straight hair) and she did her own make up.  (James couldn't find any of his ties and had to borrow the neighbor's. This is par for the course these days for us, during our year of transitional living, haha.  But he looked so handsome, too!)

We just love this girl and her sassy, confident self.  She brings a joy and energy to every event and every party.  And just every day!  

The Circus Came to Town!

The circus came to town!  Small town = small family circus, but it's also a fun time and our kids always enjoy it.  James took JB to this same family circus exactly 5 years ago, and reported back that many of the same family members took part (although a few were a little rounder, as we all are post COVID, haha).  

Ms. Therlon went with us this trip, as she saw signs all over the city and she and Wesley have picked up several fliers. Hands down, the two of them were the most excited!  

We had to take advantage of all they had to offer, including pony (and camel!) rides, face painting, and lots of carnival treats. It's amazing to watch these family members swing down from the rafters of silks, then run over after their act to pop popcorn. All with a baby playing away in a playpen behind the counter.  It's truly a family show.

They had several daring acts, including balancing on a whole host of different moving objects. And then the motorcycles in the wire cage.  LOUD and WILD.  Kids loved that one especially.

Not sure if the Page Circus makes it down to Savannah, but we'd definitely go see (and enjoy) their show again!  

Experiencing Harry Potter

I'm so thankful to Gia for encouraging me around nightly "read alouds" with the kids.  I recognize there is great learning and skill building associated with it - especially since we read books a few grade levels above their own reading level - but it's also a very bonding experience!  JB and I particularly enjoy the time and have knocked out many great books.  And while they may not be literary classics (yet), we started the Harry Potter series last year.

I only read the first book (and in Spanish) when the series first came out, so reading to JB is also introducing me to the stories and characters.  We made it through the first two books, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, last year, and then we watched the movies.  (I have a strict "books before movie" policy, which is normally easy for me but DANG, those movies are good! It takes will power not to go have a Harry Potter movie marathon and find out how it ends!  But....no....books first...)  

For Christmas we gifted JB (well, and me) tickets to the Harry Potter Experience in Atlanta, which housed a very impressive collection of movie memorabilia showcased in an exhibition that made you feel like you were inside the world of Harry Potter.  We had a blast.  

Although the Exhibition only took a couple of hours to move through, JB and I took advantage of a 1:1 trip together and enjoyed some time with family, eating out and spending the night with Gia (while learning a new fun card game: taco cat goat cheese pizza).  

We also threw in a Trader Joe's trip on the way out of town, which JB clarified was nearly as exciting as the Experience, with all the parking lot drama of Sunday morning at the busy Midtown TJs!

We love this kid and I'm so, SO thankful for time together. I love his imagination and love of books.  May we always have this common interest and shared appreciation for the printed word!