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Let Freedom Ring

We spent our Independence Day by the lake with some pretty awesome peeps. What has sort of become our home away from home this summer - the Wobbly Box - was the setting for a spectacular day of sunshine, unexpected but a very welcome LOW humidity, great food and friendship.
We packed up the food, beach towels and sunscreen and headed an hour up the road first thing Sunday morning. We spent the day with The Fulchers, The Baucoms and The Rowlands - all Wobblette Famlies present and accounted for!! SUPER GREAT DAY!!
Here are some pictures.....

Everyone milling about the back porch getting ready to begin the day....first things first - sunscreen!!

First up on the tubes...Brayden, Aubrey and Lilly - GIRL POWER!!


Then a little swimming....Winston
Hanging on the dock...Lilly
The Baucom girls played....


While the Baucom Daddy caught a nap...lake style!!

Joe decided to catch some zzz's too!

A Wobblette meeting in full swing.....no telling what the topic is!!

Mr Keith smoked some ribs and Winston was a fan!!


Patriotic Pops....made with love by the Grants....transporting popsicles across county lines was tricky business but they survived the trip!

Rowland Boys - Tatum, Mills and Sam


Baucom girls - Aubrey and Brayden

Fulcher peeps - Gracie, Sarah and Hayden
July 4th spread.....delish!

And the hottest....Part 3, the conclusion!

Our last full day in Hotlanta was definitely the highlight for Winston and what he'd been waiting for since school dismissed. Thank the Good Lord it was everything he expected and more...

I think we've pretty much established the level of enthusiasm Winston has for most sports and athletics in general. He loves it all - the energy, the competition, the camaraderie, learning new skills and how to play a game. He loves to participate in and spectate practically anything with a ball, some rules and a final score...we've traded in Disney Channel for ESPN much to Lilly's dismay! He developed some mad math skills at a very early age just by playing "pretend" games and adding up scores - he can count by "sevens" quicker than any adult (i.e. touchdown + extra point = 7!)


We said farewell to football season, started basketball and began working on brackets; after the Final Four we bought a glove and a bat and entered into the world of baseball complete with nightly channel surfing in hopes of finding a Braves game.


When Winston got wind that we were Atlanta-bound, within an hour of hearing our plans he came to Joe and I with a listing of home games, dates and times for the Atlanta Braves....and asked if we could work a Braves game into our trip. Joe and I are big fans of sports too so we were happy to oblige.


After a long wait, we left mid-day on Monday for downtown Atlanta and Turner Field. Lilly and Katie stayed back and hit Chick Fil A with Uncle Jeff so the rest of us could go to the game with Winston.

There's something about being at a live sporting event that just makes this family very happy. While there doesn't seem to be the traditional tail-gating frenzy at a baseball game, the atmosphere was fantastic! The Braves began their 3-games series against the Washington Nationals and their rising superstar pitcher Strasburg. The stadium was packed to watch this guy take on the Braves.


We walked around the stadium smelling the concessions and watching ALL the people who came out to visit Braves Country - Winston was on a mission to find a Heyward jersey and after an "itch" test, he chose a t-shirt and hat instead. It was so great to watch him take it all in -- we could see the excitement and awe in his expressions.


God sure smiled on us that night - the game was FANTASTIC!! Anna and I went for a potty break, returned with a funnel cake to share and 2 foam tomahawks and the place was going wild!! In the 7th inning, Atlanta went on a 5 point run and Turner Field practically exploded with energy, everyone was on their feet and the tomahaw chops were in full swing.Winston absolutely loved it all. We all did -- super great game with a Braves win!!

What a day to remember and a fantastic way to end our time in Hotlanta.


We hit the road for home the next morning and arrived back in SC safe but very tired and with a mountain of laundry to tackle (which has been tackled already).

We're ready to celebrate a very unusual but most welcome "cooler" weekend (temps only in low 90's - that's cool here in the Lowcountry people!!)

Happy 4th everybody - and GO BRAVES!!
Pictures below of our great time at Turner:

I always love the first sights of a stadium...


On our way in...
Winston made a new friend when we arrived...


Our seats were just up from the Braves dugout - he was hoping for a few early arrivals but the players were still inside keeping cool before the start


A quick wardrobe change after we hit the store....


W with cousin Anna - her 1st Braves game too -- we think she's hooked now!


A Jason Heyward sighting -- so happy W got a glimpse - he was pretty disappointed that Heyward didn't play because of an injury



He was pretty awesome - even if he did play for the other team!


Melkie Cabrera - as Winston will tell you, he was a Yankee last year...Welcome to Atlanta #53!

Tim Hudson pitched....

Chipper Jones at Bat....



Yes it was.....

Even Hotter....part 2

We hit the road Sunday morning for a day at Stone Mountain.



After taking the scenic route, we finally arrived and the cousins were ready for a day of nonstop action.We decided to take the sky tram up to the top before the temps got to the "unbearable" stage. The kids loved the quick trip up to the top and running around checking out the awesome views. The breeze on top was unexpected and really nice as were the smog-free views of downtown Atlanta and Buckhead.

The "big kids" hiked around the top while Lilly got some quality time in with her Aunt Julie. She cracked us up all day wearing her brother's baseball hat.



We went back down, had some lunch and did our first round on the Sky Hike. This was a huge hit -- it's a big ropes course with 3 levels and was a highlight of the day. Lil was too short for the Sky Hike but there was a lovely little creek she could play in and also a "ropes" course for the littlest of people. She loved it -- the zip-line was her favorite for sure!!


Love the happiness on her precious face here!


We took a break from the climbing and headed for "Ride the Ducks" - complete with very loud quackers and a hilarious driver/tour guide. He was really funny and kept us entertained the entire ride. Once we got on the water, our guide offered the driver's seat to several of the passengers and Joe, Aunt Julie and Winston all got a turn behind the wheel. FUN TIME!


Winston at the wheel

After our turn on the duck, we headed back to the Sky Hike for round 2- this time going for broke on the top 2 (very high) levels -- typical Winston never so much as flinched on those tricky, rickety ropes - he loved it! I got some great shots but it's still hard to tell just how HIGH they were. They were above the trees on the third level and while it was super safe with harnesses and such, it still seemed awfully precarious up there for the climbers. They finished all three levels and could have done it again. Definitely the favorite spot of the day.


It was a super fun, very hot and sweaty day and we left with a car full of tired and hungry peeps. Good day....very good day! Here are a few more pictures...

Lilly on her ropes course....


Harnessed and ready to climb...


Anna totally focused

Winston took a turn on the rock climbing wall too
The Grant boys in action in the treetops
This was a tricky section on level 2 - Winston said this was one of the hardest!