The Golden Gate Bridge

Steve and I had a great time. You know the is a such thing as family romance. We had a wonderful weekend being together as a family. While we were walking around the Golden Gate Bridge and talking Steve and I both agreed that the Golden Gate Bridge just might be our favorite American Landmark. This family photo was taken on Ft. Baker just north below the Golden Gate.

We drove to the Golden Gate coming down from the north on 101 so we had to park on the west side of the bridge. I have been to the Golden Gate more than a dozen times and I have never parked on the west side before. So to get to the walking lane going across the bridge we had to follow a little trail under the bridge. It's weird under there, loud and you can see straight down.






Steve and I enjoyed walking across the bridge with Ben and Madi rode their scooters. It was so fun.

After we walked across the bridge we drove up Marin Highlands to enjoy a different view of the Bridge and San Francisco. We saw The Karate Kid up there.

OMGosh....Steve totally embarrassed the kids...he brought his Georgia flag. It was SOOOOO funny. The kids wouldn't even get out of the van. Like they are any better. They were in the van yelling BBQ sandwiches at us. Steve reminds of a dog...he is marking his spot with his Georgia flag...I guess people do this all around the world. I remember in Iraq they did it.

UGA/UT

Steve found this picture last week...it's his favorite. We had driven up to Knoxville, TN for the Georgia game. It was October in the Smokey Mountains and hotter than Haiti. Look at Madi growling...it was HOT and heck getting a headache from all that god awful orange. I need to print this out for Steve and frame it for his desk at work.

Look at these YUMMY green grapes. I saw the recipe online...roll your grapes in lime jello powder and freeze. We ate a few pounds of grapes in one night.

Front And Center On ESPN

My boys did good. This is at Stanford University; they hosted today's College Gameday for ESPN. Look at that Georgia flag waving front and center. They had a ball. Madi and I had fun sitting here in the family room watching our boys on TV.

Veteran's Day and College Game Day @ Stanford

Well my boys left, headed west over to the Bay. Tomorrow is the Stanford vs. Oregon game and I believe they are both undefeated at the end of this football season. Should be very excited. Stanford is hosting College Game Day. Steve took our tall painting pole and Georgia Flag...so everybody look for the boys holding and waving the UGA flag. They are crazy fun aren't they.





Steve ironed the flag. Our house has 20 ft. ceilings so he was able to practice 'the wave of the flag'.


I crocheted myself a hat. I must admit this is seriously addicting. Madi is playing with her girlfriends, the boys headed over to Palo Alto/Stanford, and I am enjoying this Veteran's Day. I now just started myself a black hat and I am watching the UNC/Michigan State basketball game....it's being played on an aircraft carrier...how freaking awesome is that for those young men on the teams and the navy folks assigned to that ship. I never use to think much about Veteran's Day. I was active duty Air Force for 5 years and in the Air Force Reserves for two years and never during any of that time did I realize how special it was, not just a day off work. Now that I am older and a mom I am so glad about the decisions that I made. Ben and Madi have a pride for their mom and dad....when I was young I never thought about my children and what they would think of me. Never before did I worry about setting a good example for my kids. The time I spent in the Air Force are my glory days and that is how and when I met Steve. I hope my kids make decisions to go places and live a thrilling life. Especially Madi. Girls not just boys can do extraordinary things.
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Happy Veteran's Day! And be sure to look for my boys with the UGA flag tomorrow on College Game Day. Now I am going to go work on my black hat and watch the basketball game. Check out the uniforms they are wearing in honor of Veteran's Day....camouflage in the school colors.

Little League World Series And Cousins

For years now Madi's favorite Wii game has been Little League World Series. We have always gone to the Georgia games. But now down in Warner Robbins is Southeast World Series stadium. So you know this family had to go get a glimpse while we were down in Georgia. One summer we want to get to Willamsport to watch but for now this was GREAT!

We watched Georgia (Warner Robbins this year) play Tennessee...Georgia won because they are in Williamsport now. See Ben and Madi down on the front row.

Steve's family all gathered for a fun night out at dinner. Nana, all the cousins and Great Grandma.

These cousins are the best of friends. They have so much fun together. We are going to miss living close to them.

Madi loves the girl cousins but she wants to marry her cousin Hunter. Hunter took the kids for a ride around the block in his car. Madi always tells her friends about her cousin Hunter and how cute he is...did you know he is cuter then Troy from High School Musical?

CALIFORNIA...We Made It!

We are cracking ourselves up at what we have put ourselves through the last 2 weeks...Leaving Korea, flying from Seoul, getting to Atlanta...we had lots of things in storage that the Air Force had to pick up and ship to California. As soon as the movers we done we hit the road. We saw so many things on our NEVER-ENDING drive from Atlanta to Sacramento...OMGosh was it long....I have lots of pics I will put on here later. We have had the keys to our new home for a couple of days and love every minute in there. It's so big and beautiful but we have nothing to put in it yet and won't for a long time. It takes 8-12 weeks for our for our things from Korea to get here. We have picked out paint colors...that is SOOOOOO hard for me to do. We move into the house tomorrow. There is a TV with lots of chanels and internet and 1 blow-up mattress. Anyways I am so tired but excited...I think that is why I haven't been sleeping well but had to show off my 3 favorite rooms in the house. The house was a foreclosure we bought and are thrilled at the nice condition it's in...looks so new. The kitchen is killer! I can't wait to get some pots and pans so I can cook in there.

My laudry room....RED & AQUA!

This house is really big...4 bedrooms, playroom and and office. Steve took the office, AKA The Georgia Room...we all LOVE IT!!!!

Georgiamobile

Now you might have known we had a georgia room but did you know we also had a Georgiamobile...it's Steve's car.

Even that thing you put air in the tires has a "G" on them. This is the car we are taking to Korea...I bet we get some stares?

This is just a fun picture of Madi living it up on that boogie board she loved playing with at Tybee Island. She looks like Madi Duke...doesn't it look like she is letting out a big YE HAW.

Today is Steve's last day at work. Monday is his final out. Steve is a Weather Forecaster in the Air Force but does the weather for the Army. So the Army had a little thing for him since he is leaving and Steve has to say a few words. His words: "He has enjoyed every minute of his time here but he is taking his talents down to South Beach." HA HA HA HA!!!!! There is never a dull moment around here!

UGA vs. Cal

Friday was Ben and Madi's last day of school. Steve was also off on Friday. So, we checked the kids out of school at 1100 and drove over to Athens to watch UGA play California in softball and to hit up Chuck E Cheese...perfect way for starting off our summer.

What a great game. It was the NCAA Super Regionals. When we move to California we won't be far from this school. But we are fascinated with Stanford...we use google earth and have already found the sports complex and are learning the lay of the land. We already have some plans for some fun football games, baseball, basketball....

Georgia did win. It was HOT! It was fun!

Madi and Daddy and some Georgia Football

This past Saturday was Georgia's Spring Football game. Our whole family had plans to go, until Friday when Ben started making plans with his friends. I agreed to stay home for Ben. When Madi got wind of this the tears started flowing like a raging river! She wanted to go to the Georgia game. (Like we don't ever do anything...my kids have been to more NFL, NBA, MLB, World Cup, NASCAR and college football and basketball games than any adult I know and they are only 7 and 9 years old.) So Steve said he would take her. They had a date. For lunch they ate at the blind pig....a famous joint near Sanford Stadium. Doesn't she look cute in her aj green jersey Steve's mom got her last christmas.


On Saturday I got some organizing done...getting ready for the move. But you know I snuck in some fun crafty time! I can't wait to finish it.

Madi looked all patriotic this morning wearing some new shorts I made her in red, white, blue and peace signs.

Play ball!!!

Baseball started this week. The Chicago Cubs have been in town this week to play against the Braves. It's been hard to get tickets, they have been sold out but we got some last night. We just saw the Braves less than a month ago down in Florida at spring training...but there is nothing like being inside Turner Field! My kids take some goofy pictures...they are the same kids who rarely speak a word in public.





Atlanta is home to Cartoon Network and Turner Field has a really neat playhouse for the kids to play in.


Before the game we met Steve at his work. Ft. McPherson is right there in Atlanta and only 2 exits from Turner Field...funny how there is a big Army Post in the middle of a large city like that. After picking up Steve we headed straight to the game. We like to get there way early to watch batting practice so we just ate dinner there too. They have some YUMMY food. I had the New York dog.

Look at Madi's chili fries!!! They were so big that when she was done it looked as if she hadn't eaten any of them.

Some history: The Braves use to play in Fulton County Stadium. Turner Field was built to host the 1996 Olympics. After the Olympics it became Turner Field home to the Atlanta Braves. The Fulton County Stadium was torn down and is now the parking lot for Turner Field. In the middle of the parking lot is this piece of wall...the place where Hank Aaron's home run broke the record. NEAT! Back in the spring of 1997 Steve and I had only been married a few months. We were visiting Steve's family. Steve wanted so badly to go to a Braves game...it was Braves vs. Yankees and the first game the Braves would play in Turner Field. Steve's mom was so nice to lend us her car and we spent our last $100 on tickets...but we made it to the first game ever played in Turner Field...obviously not our last that's for sure.

Hanging out at Spring Training...

Boo-hoo...we are home. What an amazing week we had being together having fun in Florida.

Yesterday we spent the day hanging out at Disney's Wide World of Sports...home of the Atlanta Braves Spring Training. As you can see in the picture I think it looks like California. The Braves sure do have the most awesome place for training.



Ben liked playing at the PlayStation Pavilion.
















We arrived 90 minutes early so the kids could have time to play ball out front and we could watch batting practice.









...the girls. Madi in her pink Braves Princess hat.














During batting practice Ben was in the outfield ready to catch any home run balls that might come his way. Ben is in the red jacket, blue shorts right behind the E.

...Jason Heyward #71...he is the man. He went to Henry County High School about 2 miles from our house. He is the hottest thing in baseball starting this year. Steve took this picture and he hopes to print it and to get it signed by Jason Heyward in the future. They say he may be the next Babe Ruth!?!

My new quilt

I had so much fun making a quilt out of Essence fabric by Moda. The pattern was a free one I saw on the Moda Bake Shop a long time ago...I just now got the nerve to try it. It was sew easy!

My kids are out of school this week. Madi has asked me to make her a 'pretty' quilt so we picked out some OZ fabric by Moda. We have already starting sewing it...see the kids arranging the squares in the order they think would look best.

Steve never stops cracking me up. On Monday night he went to Griffin, Georgia. The 2nd Baptist Church of Griffin was hosting a Wild Game Banquet and the guest speaker was UGA's football coach. So Steve wanted to go munch on Bear, Elk and Moose burgers to be able to hear what the coach had to say. The High School in Griffin has 2 kids The University of Georgia wants to come play football...see the catch.