The Big Day

The day we've dreaded, but knew would come, finally came last Thursday, when Ben packed up his new truck and started the long drive to New Jersey for a 3-month stint to solar power Seabox's manufacturing headquarters. 

I was reading some older posts on our blog yesterday, and reading one in particular from not quite 2 years ago. I wrote that Craig was heading to town to help Ben with his very first solar installation. Fast forward 22 months and the duo are up in New Jersey getting ready to start their largest ever solar project, and among the largest in the country so far. It blows my mind how far Ben has come so fast.  I'm beyond proud of him. It takes so much sacrifice on everyone's part to see this dream of his come to fruition. But I really feel this is his time, and this project will prove to be the impetus for only good things to come for Georgia Solar. 

We're so proud of you Ben! Knock 'em dead!!

To Infinity...And Beyond!

Ben bought Matty a pretty awesome Buzz Lightyear action figure the other day. Matty's done few things without him since. What I find cutest about this relationship, is how it illustrates how his little imagination is blossoming.

Matty was in the backseat the other day and he was having Buzz dive off the car door over and over boldly shouting "to infinity, and beyond!" I turned the video on a bit too late to catch his imagination at play, but I was able to capture something equally as sweet: Matty being Matty when he thinks no one is watching...

Metamorphosis

To quote my son - oh my goodness! Last weekend I took two friends, Caroline and Layce, to Apple Mountain for a ladies' spa retreat weekend. Our hubbies had recently retreated themselves to an Auburn golf weekend, and Caroline decided we were due our turn for a weekend off. So glad she thought of it! Highlands has one of the top spas in the country, at the Old Edwards Inn, and while I've often recommended it, I've never take part in the spa experience myself. Oh dear God, that has been a terrible mistake. How have we vacationed here for 8 years and I have never spent a day like this?

Caroline and I were spa-novices but Layce, a seasoned pro, led us by the hand into our spa shoes and showed us the robes, er ropes. Did you know at a nice spa you can spend as long as you want there? Well, why didn't you tell me this!? While Layce was treated to her spa experience and Caroline and I awaited our appointments, we used their eucalyptus steam room, dry sauna, mineral whirl pool. We curled up in the most luxurious robes you've ever laid hands on and curled up on chenille chaise lounges overlooking an overcast sky and slate roofs, dove into our books, sipped complimentary tea and drifted to nap all before the treatments we actually paid for!


My treatment, a Metamorphosis massage, is aptly named. I've had a few massages myself. Some good ones, some not-so-good ones, but this one blew me away. Patsy, Jen, Trish...get ready, because you have to check this place out!

Great Geckos!

That's it. I'm done. I have no more patience for this summer. This heat is killing my good humor! But somehow we are finding ways to stay busy, entertained and cool at the same time. The Fernbank Museum of Natural History has had an exhibit of dozens of species of geckos, and while it sounded pretty neat, I secretly thought Matty was too young to really enjoy it. But as he does every time I give him the chance to, he proved me wrong.

Two weekends ago the three of us trekked to Decatur to check out these green geckos and what a neat experience it was. Not only are there tons of varieties of geckos in these vignettes, colors and sizes I never imagined, it's also nice and air conditioned! And full of families all doing the same thing.

Matty ran from exhibit to exhibit shouting "oh my goodness!" at the tiny slimeys. We played peek-a-boo with them and tried to find the ones that were "camoflagued," picked out our favorite color skin and somehow made it through the gift shop without spending a dime. That's a first...