June 2023, Part 2: Georgia

On June 7th, the kids and I took a direct redeye flight from Anchorage to Atlanta. The kids did amazing! We were all laughing when we were boarding because every single person on our flight was sharing vacation photos, and then the pilot said "I'm sorry to say your Alaskan adventure is coming to an end." It was definitely a different experience flying in and out of Anchroage during tourist season! Our flight left at about 8pm, so I let the kids each watch one or two movies and then we all settled in and tried to get a little sleep before landing around 6:30am Eastern time. 

{obligatory photo courtesy of Grampy when he picked us up from airport!}

After my parents picked us up from the airport, we headed over to my sister's house to spend the morning with her fam.

Then we drove to my parents' house that afternoon, and we enjoyed two things we never get to do in Alaska--swimming & Chick-fil-a!

We took it nice & easy the next day {Friday} to catch up from our long travel day. The rope swing was high on the kids' list of things they wanted to do!

On Saturday, the kids hung out with Grammy & Grampy all day while I spent the day with my friend Angela who now only lives about an hour away from my parents' house. We spent nine hours together, and it still wasn't enough! It was the most delightful day. Then on Sunday, my sister & her crew drove to my parents' house to spend the day with us. The kids had so much fun together! And much to Shelby's delight, we were able to squeeze in a couple rounds of Euchre with Grampy & Auntie Em.

We also got to spend lots of time with Derek's family while we were in town. Cousins are the best!!

{This might be favorite picture ever of the five of them..thank you, Uncle Lucas!}

Grandma & Granddad hosted a tea party for us one evening, and it was a big hit!

The kids & I took another day to drive out to Angela's new house and spend the day with their sweet fam. We spent our first five years of parenting young children alongside one another, so to see all seven of our big kids together is so surreal. 

As we were saying our tearful goodbyes on their driveway that evening, fireflies started popping up everywhere & the kids had the most magical time chasing after them together. The picture below makes me tear up even now seeing the big kids all crowded around Ben. That moment brought me right back to the Goins' living room with Ben throwing the little kids on bean bags and wrestling with them. We did so much life with the Goins, and it's such a blessing to pick up right where we left off. 

Duck Donuts is a favorite of ours from San Antonio, and we discovered there is Duck Donuts location not too far from my parents....so off we went!

There was a park nearby Duck Donuts that we stopped by after breakfast, but we very quickly got rained out. If lightning wouldn't have started, I would have let the kids play longer in the rain. It was their first time hearing thunder/seeing lightning since we've moved to Alaska! 

{sad that we had to get back in the car}

{but soooo happy to experience summer storms again}

We met my friend Lindsey for lunch one day at Chick-fil-a, and this is what Brady's front tooth looked like at the beginning of the meal....

One bite into his ice cream cone, and out it came!!

We had such an amazing week in Georgia spending time with friends & family. The weather was glorious while we were there, and we soaked up so much time sitting out on my parents' patio or taking leisurely walks around their neighborhood together. The trees in Georgia seem bigger & bigger every single time we go back--they just don't grow them like that in Texas or Alaska! 

Next up, Ormond Beach!