My sister Michelle has been so good about coming out to visit us here in Georgia each year. I always look forward to our time together and it seems heart breaking when the visit comes to an end. Family just shouldn't be split up, I wish life was more simple. We talked a lot about how difficult it will become as our families continue to grow to get together each year, but we'll take advantage of the time we have while our families are so young and small.
Michelle and Owen were able to stay for 2 weeks and we had lots of fun at home and in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. The first week I had a few doctor appointments and some other commitments so we did things close to home. Like last year, Michelle helped me plant my garden. I am ever so grateful that she has this skill and chooses to help me out! I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. Michelle also planted bean sprouts with Hayden and Hayden was so excited about this. Notice Hayden is wearing her costume to plant flowers, she barely wore normal clothes the first few weeks after her recital.
Pretty early on, Owen picked his favorite spots in our house. He loved to drive his trucks around our little table.
We also made a trip out to the zoo again like last year. Hayden is getting pretty bold in her outfit choices! She had on blue and white striped shorts, lime green on her shirt a purple head band and pink shoes! Not my first choice.
All the times we have been to the zoo and Hayden and I have never gone in the bird place. All at once they would swoop over our heads, it was a little frightening, but Hayden thought it was hilarious!
Owen and Hayden had so much fun riding on the train and carousel. Owen absolutely L.O.V.E.D. the train. I'm actually going to quote from Michelle's blog to describe it!
"We rode the carousel and the train at the zoo and despite Owen looking calm in this picture, he was crazy for the train. He loved it and kept signing and saying more when the ride was over. Good thing we rode the train at the end of our zoo trip because I literally had to drag him kicking and screaming from the zoo the whole 15 min. walk back to the car. (Its a wonder no one stopped me under the assumption that I was abducting this screaming toddler.) The whole drive home Owen screamed choo-choo, choo-choo and zoo, zoo. Apparently the train struck a chord with him!"
Throughout the time Michelle was here we'd accidentally say the word "zoo" or "train" and he'd start saying, "choo-choo" in a very sad voice, it was hilarious!
Later that week we took a 3 day trip to Savannah, GA. Paul and I went for a few days for our 5 year anniversary, but it's one of those amazing places that you could go back over and over again. Michelle's husband Jared referred to the trip as her "vacation from her vactation!" He's a pretty funny guy. The first full day we were there we headed to Forsyth Park and let the kids play on the playground. Owen didn't want to play there so he found a good place to drive his cars. We walked around the park, and had lunch and then headed to downtown Savannah.
We didn't do much shopping this time with two little munchkins, but we walked around all the squares and got some Leopold's ice cream, yum! Here is Michelle and Owen and the Forrest Gump square.
Hayden got rose pedal ice cream which all the adults thought tasted horrible, but she ate every bite!
Owen loved the chocolate and made quite a mess on his little face!
We then headed back to the hotel so Owen could get a nap in and Hayden and Paul went for a swim at the hotel pool. That night we headed to the historic district again, ate pizza and Vinnie Van-go-gos and went to River Street to check out the shops and the Savannah River.
The next day we headed to Tybee Island and had a great day. The morning was a bit chilly and we had to leave around noon because it got really windy and cold.
That last picture sums it up, it was cold! We headed out for lunch at the Crab Shack. We heard it was a tourist trap, but one of my friends said it was really fun to go there so we decided to try it out. It did not disappoint! They had an alligator farm and a room with tons of birds in it and we ate lunch under a huge southern oak tree that the restaurant was build around.
Owen had a cat nap in the car and the sun came out after lunch so we headed back to the beach and we are so glad we did because the kids played so well together all afternoon and had a great time. Hayden loved collecting sea shells and let Owen help her.
On the way home from Tybee we stopped at Wiley's Barbecue, quite possibly Paul's favorite restaurant of all time, and ate it at Forsyth Park. We got the redneck nachos because our friends the Heinholds recommended it and they were amazing! That's all we want next time!
The next morning we just played at the pool through the morning, went to Paul Dean's for lunch and headed home.
After recovering from our Savannah trip we headed out to pick some strawberries that grow at a local farm by our house. Owen LOVES strawberries and he was really in heaven being surrounded by his favorite food.
I am obsessed with this picture of Owen. Shouldn't he be the poster child for the strawberry farmers of America?
They also had chickens so of course we had to stop and look!
Our last night together we decided to pack a picnic and head out to a little park by our house with a mile walking loop. It was actually kind of cold believe it or not!
We had a great little walk until Owen went straight into a mud pile. He was pretty upset that his shoe was so dirty and I don't blame him!
Paul and Owen really bonded on this trip and Paul had a lot of fun playing with a boy. He even took a little nap on him the morning that they flew back to Colorado.
Our home seemed so empty and sad once they left. We had such a great time with them and Michelle was a great help to me as she always is. So grateful for my sister!
