Raven's Cliff's and twisted ankles...

The north Georgia mountains have so many beautiful trails and waterfalls to choose from. We were delighted to hike the 2.5 miles into Raven's Cliffs on one of the most pristine days of the summer with our friends Kirsten & Pete. Along the way, Cameron took a moment to chill on the rocks.

Shortly thereafter, Cameron sprained his ankle and was more that happy to be piggy-backed the 2.5 miles back out of the woods...miraculously, he was better at the end of the afternoon.

Finn with fish...

I started to feel like Ariel from the Little Mermaid just about as soon as we entered the Georgia Aquarium. They do a wonderful job of immersing you without actually having to get wet...

Finn telling us how big that fish was, he was so excited!

...and we were fortunate to also see the Beluga Whales mate!

It really blew Finn's mind, seeing all those "fith" and "tharks"!

In Pursuit of Bubbles

Well, I guess it's not as bad as the kid I know who ran into a barbed wire fence whilst chasing the elusive bubble...it doesn't mean it's any easier to see your baby on his face, half in the pool. Oh, how can he have fallen so fast I couldn't catch him? Poor little man, his first blood....bloody nose, bloody lip, scrapes all over. Good thing we have a magical "Boo-Boo Bunny" to soothe away the pain!

Marathon Key 2009

The rest of a vacation is found mostly in the between moments. Going about exploring a new place and adventuring all day not only expends your physical energy, but is a mental exercise as well. As is evident in our Keys photo journal, we had a wonderful time exhausting ourselves!

The Keys.....so far.....

The Florida Keys are famous for many things; Tropical breezes, sunny landscapes, serene beaches and pirates. None had yet seen a pirate as fierce as our "Barnacle." He may look squishy and soft but this little mutineer can tear down even the strongest buccaneer on the seas!

Sunset cruising...

...deep sea fishing...

...and the food is amazing!

Inside the "No Name Pub" the walls are completely covered in money people have marked and mounted. Here's Cameron's contribution.

Winter's Last Blast!

The weather in Atlanta is relatively predictable, but this year Winter decided to punctuate her exit with a sweet little snowstorm. I was happy for Finn to get out in it and really did have to keep myself from bundling him up too much. I had a vision of the kid in "A Christmas Story" and how he couldn't move his arms or legs amidst the layers his mother bundled him in.

At first he seemed concerned, cold and confused.

Then seeing Mommy catching snowflakes on her tongue, the amazement crept in.

He was a quick study in the art of snowplay, loving every minute!

Ho Ho Holidays

Santa Clause, gonna come and see me!

We all had a wonderful holiday with our family! We are so fortunate to have our health and happiness to bring us into the new year. We had an opportunity to make our first gingerbread men, and we had a fantastic time!
YUM!

Visiting the Big Guy

We went to Atlanta Botanical Gardens to visit with the great Holly King himself! Santa got to meet Finn and check in with Cameron on how things have been going. Finn was not too impressed, and was only happy looking at him and not being held by him! That's alright, he understood, not taking these things personally. What a great and jolly guy! Ho ho ho!

This is one of the most beautiful things there. It is a Chihouly glass sculpture, oooh, aaah!

Thanksgiving

When I started this blog, I had great ideas of weekly updates or at least pictures. Now I have realized that it is more like the tide, comes and goes. Not that the interest or intention isn't there, it's finding the time. Between school projects, holidays, kitchen remodeling and life in general...oh boy, another month has passed. Oops. So, I am catching up with a few pics and hoping to redeem myself!

This Thanksgiving was Bud & Connie's 43rd Anniversary!!!

Frying Turkeys, and you can take that either way...

Autumn in Avalon

I was asked in a class once, "What is your favorite season?" And as I sat to write my paper, I recalled growing up with piles of leaves, planting flower bulbs, watching the leaves turn the tree tops into glowing yellows and reds. The fall is a time of reflection, often associated with the older years of life, with hibernation. That first inkling of the change of seasons, a smell of cinnamon and earth in the cool breeze. The fall brings a new delight to the senses and we had a wonderful weekend playing at Avalon!