The Storm...

On January 30, a big 'ole storm came through Georgia. It had produced tornadoes in Tennessee. I kept track of it while it was coming towards us and one of the red/"probably tornado" areas was going to pass over our house. We had a garage full of boxes/moving items scattered everywhere. My fear was that a tree would fall onto the car and I wouldn't be able to get out. I was also scared that there would be a tornado or something and the car would be carried away and I wouldn't be able to get the kids medical attention if they needed it. I also knew that since we knew NO ONE in the area, I would be all by myself and NEED the car. 

So I took both kids outside to the garage with me. I put Sawyer in the walker and Charlotte ran wild. I moved every box, bag, suitcase, furniture item out of the way. Amazing how much you can get done when you are strapped for time. I was able to get everything moved and get the Tahoe in the garage within 20 minutes. 

We sat in the living room and waited for the storm. To be quite honest, I was not impressed. Although, as I was rocking Charlotte, I could see the skinny little trees that surround our house just swaying back and forth...really really far. I was thinking, "I bet some of those fall over from this wind." But the storm was fine. We never lost electricity...just satellite service...which happens anytime it rains, anytime it is windy, anytime it is sunny... we lose that all of the time.

The next morning we decided to get out of the house and head to the store. I loaded the kids up in the garage and backed out. Thank goodness for our back up camera. Bc of the steep driveway and what not, I completely looked over the tree in my side mirrors but saw it in my back up camera.

I knew a tree would HAVE to fall from all of that wind...

It was a pretty skinny tree so I drug it over far enough so that I could get out. 

I wanted to just move it completely by myself (I am woman, hear me roar.) But it was still connected to the base in the ground. I had to have the landlord come over a few days later bc the mail chick wouldn't deliver our mail. They were happy to help and told me they wished I had called sooner. Such nice Southern men...

The storm wasn't terrible but I am SO THANKFUL the tree did not fall on the house or my car. I am not quite sure what I would have done.

Charlotte's No Good Very Bad Day

The day started out like any other.

Both kids woke up. We all got ready. They fussed while I got ready. I dressed them in super cute clothes. It was a Tuesday.

We were living by ourselves in Georgia. Our closest anyone that we knew was in Greenville, SC. It was just me and the kids... and Columbus in all it's glory. The weather was perfect. It was sunny and 75 (in January) so I knew we needed to get out of the house and go to the park. We go to a park on the North side of the city where I haven't really seen anyone too sketchy. I feel comfortable there for the most part. I picked out Charlotte's outfit but she picked out her shoes. They were a bit big but I didn't think anything of it and I threw another pair in the diaper bag just in case we needed to switch.

We got to the park on Double Churches road. She was SO EXCITED!!! (and would not go down the slide)

She LOVES to swing.

Sawyer loves to swing as well. How sweet do they look here?????

So far, so good!! :) 

Big girl!! She was kicking her legs and having a grand 'ole time.

He loved it. He just ate it all up.

Beautiful babies.

Here is where the problem comes in. After the swing and a little bit of digging in the sand, a creepy guy showed up at the park (at 11:30 on a Tuesday by himself dressed in all denim and boots and appeared to be just going on a stroll.). We decided to leave. With a bunch of  bribery, Charlotte started walking back to the car with me. She ended up falling and scraping her knee a bit. She cried for a few minutes but then she relaxed and we headed to McCallister's for lunch. I don't normally take the kids to restaurants by myself. They are still a bit much to handle when it comes to eating so we were going out on a limb here. Well, all was good in the hood and as we were walking in, she tripped on her big shoes and she fell and skinned her knee pretty good. She was screaming. Bloody murder. There was some blood. She was just screaming. So we ran inside to the bathroom (Sawyer in his carseat on my right arm, her on my left hip, and diaper bag over my shoulder.) She screamed in the bathroom, while we ordered, while we waited, while we ate, and the whole way home. It was a terrible lunch. Thankfully we sat outside to eat and there was a little boy not too much younger than her that kept distracting her from crying. But she still screamed off and on.

Once we got home she did get yelled at and she eventually took a nap.

Not a good day.

When she woke up, we SKYPED with Gigi to help distract her.

Love this picture.

Enjoying donuts and chocolate milk. Sawyer wants a bite.

We talked to mom for quite awhile and it helped Charlotte forget about her "Boo Boo" for awhile.

Not for forever, just for awhile.

THE BOO BOO

(Doesn't look like much but it really took over our day. She cried/screamed/yelled for over an hour and a half.)

"My Boo Boo ruined my day. 01/29/13"

Silly Boo Boo

Yes, he said "Mama" and reached for me while he said it. A whopping five months old and he said it. I was on the phone with my mom and she heard him say it and she actually thought it was Charlotte. NOPE! My boy loves his Mama.

Our day got better until bath time. Bath time consisted of Charlotte getting into the bath, sitting down, screaming, standing right back up and scaling her way out of the bath tub. She continued to cry for about 30 minutes. We applied Neosporin and PJ's with footies so she couldn't pull her pant leg up and view the area. 

WHAT. A. DAY.

Our Last Airport Drop Off

On January 27, 2013, we had our LAST official airport drop off at Atlanta's airport! A very bittersweet moment...

We got up Sunday morning and took our time getting ready. Katie, Grandma, and Mary got all packed up and ready to go back to the cold Illinois weather. 

Sawyer and Charlotte LOVED having visitors but they really love their Great Grandma Ann.

I thought both of these pictures were so good that I had to post both of them. Love Sawyer's little dimples.

We got all ready, loaded up, and it was time to head to Atlanta.

Charlotte loves her "Maw Maw". She had so much fun with her.

The garage was starting to look like we were getting ready to move. We got plenty of boxes, bins, and bags packed while my three helpers were visiting.

We stopped at Steak N Shake in Newnan on our way to the airport and we ate lunch while we drove. I dropped them off at the curb so that we didn't have to get the kids out of the car.

Charlotte didn't want to say goodbye :( She was so sad that her "Bare" and "Tay Tay" and "Maw Maw" were leaving.

And then there were three.... 

Our week of just us three has started... 

Kids, please be nice to your momma...

Saturday Was A Big Day...

On Saturday morning of January 26, 2013, we got up and got things moving in our house. Alex got up and started packing the car.

Charlotte got up and saw that "Baby", our little stray kitty that visits, was hanging around. So we let her in and let her hang out with Charlotte... and Mary, the crazy cat lady, jumped in and hung out too :)

We got a bunch of loose ends tied up and got the NEW car loaded for Alex. It was time for him to make his 12-13 hour drive to John's house.

NOTE: He is wearing an Illinois T-shirt that I got him.

See you in Illinois!!! 

Once Alex was gone, we got to work on packing again. We finished getting the garage organized and finished getting random kitchen items packed. Then we all get dressed for the outside world and headed into Columbus.

We were shopping for dresses for Katie. She needed a dress for Mary's wedding (and preferrably one for Eric's in May as well.) Mary was also looking for a wedding present from Grandma Ann.

We went to Ross and we found Katie 8 or 9 dresses to try on. She was a GREAT sport and tried all of them on (with Grandma's help) and she ended up choosing to 2 fabulous dresses. She looked beautiful in all of them but she chose 2 great ones.  Then we headed over to Marshalls where Mary and Grandma went in to look for bedspreads for Mary. Katie and I stayed in the car with the kids.

Sawyer loved that Katie let him out of his seat and played with him.

Charlotte picked her nose.

We then headed to Target to pick up some random stuff....like the move "Pitch Perfect". (FABULOUS MOVIE). We got a BUNCH of random stuff (and Grandma insisted on buying us random things.)

We then headed home with Papa John's pizza in hand. We ate and it was bath time.

Charlotte, Katie, and Sawyer took baths in the BIG bath tub...complete with BUBBLES and jets.

THEY LOVED IT.

Love my beautiful kiddos.

Sweet kisses from my sweet baby.

"Momma, this is so fun!!"

Once the kids got their baths, we all wound down and they headed to bed. Us grown ups watched Pitch Perfect. HILARIOUS. It was a perfect day and I was so sad that it had to end.

I LOVE having visitors. I love my family. Simple as that.

A Productive Day At Home

After a fabulous lunch, dessert, and playtime, we headed back home to start packing. (Well, we packed some last night but we needed to take a bigger dent out of it.) 

We started in the garage. We had to get it organized...

I mean, this garage looks like a dump and was a complete hot mess.

Charlotte was so pumped to be outside. Grandma took the kids for a short walk. Going up and down that driveway is killer at my age (in my glorious post baby body). Grandma was a rockstar going up and down it. Check out Charlotte in this picture. She is hilarious.

Sawyer is like, "Hey, What's your deal?" Charlotte is like, "Mom, stop taking pictures of me."

I love that her hands are in her pockets.

Alex made a deliciously fabulous grilled dinner. 

But in between cooking, he taught Katie how to fly his little helicopter. Can you tell Katie is from Illinois and this "warm" weather of low 60's, high 50's was just rocking her socks.

Aunt Bare and Charlotte were playing dress up.

Charlotte looks crazy in this one.

LOVE this picture....and Mary's conflicting plaid.

Love Mary's turtleneck.

We ate an awesome meal of steaks, vegetables, corn on the cob, mac n cheese... it was awesome.

Afterwards, Charlotte and Katie took a bath in my big bath tub with the jets. Totally one of Charlotte's favorite things to do.

Sawyer took a bath in his own bath tub all by himself. I am sure he enjoyed a bath without being splashed, or having something thrown at him, or having all of his bath toys taken away at some point.

Perfect.

Daddy's last night at home with us before he does his part of the move.

Before bed, Sawyer took a trip to the office...

...and made a few Skype calls to Aunt Didi and Uncle Darrin (who had snuck into Grandma's house while she was gone).

Once the kiddos were in bed, the age 11 and above crowd indulged in and enjoyed our DELICIOUS cupcakes from Gigi's cupcakes.

Katie chose the Wedding Cake cupcake.

 Alex chose the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcake.

Bare went with the Salted Caramel cupcake.

Grandma and I chose the same one...

...The Strawberry Shortcake cupcake.

It was such a productive day...and perfect. I loved my time with everyone and a great "last day in Georgia" for Alex.

Fabulousness.