Fall Tradition

This has been the most fun weekend! Friday was totally low key, but we made up for it on Saturday! Up early, we started with basketball evaluations for Landon and then raced directly to Tanner's game...just in time to see his first at-bat and a standing double that made it all the way to the fence!! He had a super ballgame, going 5 for 5 and got the offensive player of the game! As soon as we finished, the other two coaches and their families (those that weren't going to princesses on ice) for lunch at Taco Mac...and the fall festival at the little boys' school...which was sooo fun for all! They were toast after going all day without a nap, but they perked right up when we offered to let them roast their dinner over the fire pit...and finish with smores!

Today we made our yearly pilgrimage to north Georgia to get our pumpkins at Burts and then to hike the Amacalola Falls trail. Seriously people, this day could not have been any more perfect!! The sun was bright but the air was neither too warm or too cool...just perfect!! We had the best time with our dear friends the Robinsons on the hay ride and picking the perfect pumpkins! We had also run into the Johnsons on the way out of church who were also on their way to Burts so we had a fun time seeing them too! After securing the perfect pumpkins (we had to get one for each member of the family, plus one for P4 and two for Tanner's frogs), we bid farewell to the Robinsons and headed to the state park...along with several hundred like minded north Georgians!! It was packed!! The boys voted that they wanted to do the Creek trail from the visitor's center to the base of the falls and then head up the path by the falls to those 175 stairs that take you to the overlook about 1/2 way up. So, it is a rather mellow hike, but there are several areas with large steps and lots of roots and rocks in the path, so I was a little curious to see how Mathis would do...silly me! Even though several times he was stepping up almost as high as his hips, he never slowed down and kept reminding me "I'm a big boy, and a big hiker!" Adorable! All three boys climbed all the stairs without even slowing down and really enjoyed the view! Surprisingly enough, even without a nap, all three did great both on the trip up and on the trip back to the car...and didn't even fall asleep on the way to dinner!

So, true to form, we were having trouble coming up with a dinner plan...We had intended to hit a Smith house type restaurant up in the mountains, but never came across one, so we had headed back towards home and ended up introducing the boys to the wonder that is Golden Corral (affectionately known as "the trough"). While we thought they would be blown away by the bounty offered, they stuck with tried and true (rotisserie chicken, mac n cheese, biscuits). However...when they saw that dessert counter...and the chocolate fountain for dipping marshmallows and rice crispies treats...well my friends, it was all over!! Needless to say, they are more than happy to return to the trough again...even when we told them that next time they would have to eat more veggies...I think that soft serve and chocolate fountain is worth it!! :)

The boys have the day off school tomorrow for a teacher work day...so we are going to see what kind of adventures we can find...but I am guessing it will include a corn maze and maybe even a corn cannon...ah...fall in Georgia!! Get out and enjoy this amazing weather!! We love ya'll!