Gram's and Pa's Visit to Georgia

Gram's and Pa's visit to Georgia

Oh the kids had been holding their excitement from the day they heard Grams and Pa were coming to Georgia until their plane landed and the kids were half asleep.
The trip was sorta last minute and planned around Pa offering to come out and ordain me to the office of High Priest. It could not have been a better week, the weather (although a bit humid for Grams & Pa), the fun, the food, and the just good old family time spent doing nothing really! Past trips were planed around trips here and there and this visit was just good time spent together- it was "great time"! Swimming at the Tara pool.Pup Pancakes of course! Grams as always was the "cruise director" with all kinds of activities up her sleeve at any given moment. Sun Catchers, Finger Paints, Bubbles, Carmel Corn and many other Crafts made for "simple great times". Mia kept asking: "what 'actidity' is next Grams?" Even going through grams bags one time to get a jump start on the boys.BubblesMia and Grams reading and playing sticker princesses. We had lots of fun at the Vines Park and Pond. Feeding the ducks and nature walking.
Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky were the Bullfrogs jump from bank to banky!
We stopped and bought some "boiled Peanuts" from a road side vendor and Pa thought they were great- but Grams could not quite get into the southern spirit of it all. As you can see, little Miss Mia thinks they are yummy! They are a bit of an acquired taste- I have acquired to love them!
After my high priest ordination and setting apart as a high councilor in the Athens Stake, I found out that my speaking assignment for the following Sunday was changed from a ward assignment to speaking in a branch. They are a bit different, and as such, I needed a first speaker and fast! Pa, without hesitation, offered to speak and we both spoke on aspects of Member Missionary Work. The Meeting was great and a bit of a relief, as speaking in a small branch as opposed to a full ward was a more natural transition I think. The members and the spirit in the Madison Branch were great, and having my parents and my family there with me for my first assignment I will remember forever! Great Day!
Speak, See and Hear no evil.

Pa and his silly rhymes. Adam and Eve and pinch me quick went down to the river to bathe, Adam and eve were drowned, and who do you think was saved?..... Pinch me quick! The kids never tire of such fun and the opportunity to pinch each other!

Watching the Garden Railroad at Vines. Choo- Choo!!!

Another day with the ducks, but armed with bread this time. We almost got caught in a rain storm this day and the last minute "Run and Dash" to the car was fun, although no one ended up getting wet.

Mia and Grams and a Magnolia blossom.

Dinner in the backyard. Yummy!!!

Carmel Corn is becoming a Grams and Pa visit tradition!

In the flowers at the gates of Tara.

What would a visit to the South be without a visit to the Waffle House. Brenner and Pa's favorite meal. Make my hash browns "covered (cheese), chopped (onions) and chunked (ham) please!"

The kids in the Crape Myrtles. Although many of the Georgia flowers had finished blooming a week or two back, the Crape Myrtles were all in full bloom and colored the visit in pink, white and purple.
Gram's and her Georgia Kids

Thanks for such a great visit Grams and Pa, we love you and had the "BEST OF TIMES!"

Forth of July FUN!

Fourth of July FUN!

We had a great Independence Day with family and friends. The Georgia summer heat gave way for the weekend and the temps in the 80's gave us all some "Independence" from the heat and humidity.
There was plenty of Red, White and Blue, a traditional water balloon fight and as always, great summer cook-out food!
Here the kids are having a picnic in the backyard.

Mia and Morgan clapping in approval of the Cul-de-sac firework display- The boys were busy lighting them of course- little fire bugs!!!

And oh what would the Fourth of July be without cold and creamy homemade ice-cream!!! YUMMY!!!

Politically correct or not- the little southern rebel with her Confederate flag.

THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN?!?!?!

And the night ended with the always spectacular firework display at the front gates of Tara. We are always right underneath them, but this year the wind seemed to blow lots more spent cartridges and firework sparks our way. Someone said: maybe next year we should sit further back..... I said: are you kidding, I'll be right here in this exact spot again 365 days from now. There is nothing like feeling the pound in your chest as they explode so close and right above you... sparks and debree only add to the experience!!!

And just a side note:

Not to be out done by the bangs and crashes of the fourth, I wrapped the bumper of the Armada around a mini-van several days later. Just as with the fourth, there was also a bang and crash and some debree thrown around, it just was not as exciting or fun- but that is life I guess.... Some times it unexpectedly crashes. No one was hurt and we now are driving a fancy red rental Mini-Van until the Armada gets it's face back! "Yeah" said the kids as it has two TVs and video game hookups!

Beach Fun!

-BEACH VACATION-

Our long awaited Douglas Florida beach trip finally came and all in the family were so excited and ready for a break. Back in the early days of our family, even back into the dating pre-marriage days, an almost yearly trip to the Florida beaches had been a Douglas family tradition. We did go down the first summer we moved to Georgia, but have not been back since (over three years). This year, Nikki was not going to let it pass again and decided early on that this was a return to the beach year! She rallied the family (now almost twice the size as previous trips) around a week and a beach house in June (best water conditions) and it was planned. Then the Oil Spill Fiasco in the Gulf threatened plans, but in the end the beaches could not have been any more beautiful and we all had a wonderful time in Paradise! This was our home away from home for the week- the Cracker Jack. It was big enough for the crew, and just a block from the beach! It really made the week enjoyable and so much fun!

Beach Party Central!

Colorful front room painted in fun beach colors.

Club Cracker on the third floor was the bunk spot for the kids and the Wii arcade and movie theater. The house was kinda themed around some old Cracker Jack paraphernalia- hence the cracker names. Very clever.
This was the pool from the balcony and where the kids spent all their "wet" time when not at the beach. The kids were addicted to the water.
One of the first home cooked meals- Fresh Gulf Shrimp!

First Day at Santa Rosa Beach. Although Daddy would tire of the beach over the next seven days, the kids would not! This day Mia attempted a "Sand Angel" that was very cute, but on second observation of the picture, it showed a bit to much for the blogging world and was deleted. =) Yikes! We will save that picture for her future husband!

Beach Sunset with Mimi and Granddaddy.

The next day, and the first of many sandcastles to come.

Brenner and Cayden with Sand Fins.

Beach Boys on their Bogey Boards! They would play in the surf for so long, that they would have sand and sea weed just about everywhere when they were through.

Grilled Cheese "Sand"wiches.

Beach Feet.

The first nights stroll along the beach we learned from some locals that with a net and a strong flashlight, crabs are only a few feet from the breaking surf at low tide. After a trip to Wal-mart, we were ready the next night and this became one of the kids (and adults) favorite activities.

The CLAW!

As you can only imagine from the above picture, Mermaid Mia stuck to finding sea shells with her flashlight. She wanted nothing to do with those crabbies!

Dinner is served!

Day three's Sandcastle, and I think the best!

Mia and Madelyn in their Watermelon swim suits. So sweet, could just eat em' up!

The Douglas kid Beach Crew!

This shark was line caught the night before by a guy on the beach and let go, but it washed up on the beach the next morning for a picture. Not slippery like a dolphin or ray, but very sandpaper course to the touch. Kinda sad it died, and kinda scary that they are out there in the water we played in all week!

Big brother's helping hand to the beach. Too cute!

Family pictures on the beach. Everyone else taking pictures were also in khaki and white, must be the uniform for 2010 family pictures!

The most Beautiful girls in the world!

Mommy and Mia.

Plastic Great White Attack!

Big Catches in Destin! Swordfish anyone? Or Mia is offering Dolphin!?!?! =)
On the pier with the fishing boats in Destin and a stop for some more seafood at AJ's. Great seafood but that close to the marina we learned that the water that goes with the syrup and carbonation can make a Coke taste like a mouth full of sea water- Nothing to drink please! We also ate at Landry's while in Florida, a place I had always wanted to try (one of McGrath's biggest competitors) and as all the reviews have said- it was wonderful!

This is the one day away from the beach, but not water! We went to Ponce De Leon Springs for a day and had a great, but cold time. 14 million balmy 68 degree gallons a day gush from this crystal clear spring. It was quite amazing to see and experience.

About half of the spring has been swimming poolalized by the forest service with concrete walls, dive platforms and steps and the rest was left all natural. In the picture below, you can see one of the very turquoise blue holes that feed the spring. They go down 25 to 30 feet into the limestone that you can see, and can feel the water current pushing past you. One of those things you have to see to believe.

Brenner jumps into a pool of "Aquafina"! =)

Jimmy Buffets Cheese Burger in Paradise!
This is one of the kids favorite Jimmy songs, so we just had to stop here and make up to them for all the Seafood restaurants that the adults stopped at.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Hinze 57 and french fried potatoes, big kosher pickle and a cold root bear, well good gosh almighty which way to I steer for my- CHEESE BURGER IN PARADISE!!!

Just a side note. On the way out of town we passed the Destin outlet stores and Nikki just had to stop and feed her latest addiction. I have always said that one (of the many) things that I loved about Nikki from the very beginning was that she never carried a purse full of junk around with her every place she went. Chap-stick and her I.D's in her pocket and she was off! Well, call it a mid-life crisis or whatever (I think a past friend at the hospital brain washed her), She has been buying purse after purse over the last 6 to 8 months and filling them with all kinds of crap! I am trying to be understanding and kind, and she has not asked me to carry it for her yet. So as you can see, she was very excited about her new find, and in no time flat, she had it so full, that she could barely fit her Nook in it! (I will admit that things like hand wipes and gum are very nice to have at an arms length, but I am not sure what else needs to be packed around like this! What ever makes her happy!

The kids all tan, water logged, souvenired and relaxed! What a trip! Thanks Florida- Hope to be back very soon!