The past couple of months seem like such an amazing blur to me. Good thing I took so many pictures or else I wouldn't remember all of the fun memories Peter and I have made while in Utah with my family and Atlanta with his. Typing up all of the details of our break from school and from Rexburg would make this one boring blog post. So, like my Christmas post, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking again.
The past month has been full of...
Nieces and nephew at City Creek in Salt Lake City,
 | ||||||||||||||
| This originally was a picture of the both of us. A great one of him, not such a great one of me. Hence, the cropping-me-out-of-the-picture bit. |
Going to a best friend's wedding,
 |
| Such a fun couple! |
Celebrating Dad's birthday,
Lil' Mike spending the night in our bedroom,
Spending quality time with Thomas and Emily in a good game of "Putt-Putt",
 |
| The hole-in-one pose by Thomas... |
 |
| ...and the hole-in-one pose by Peter. |
A short stop in the Vegas airport,
Finally landing in Atlanta and seeing the Barnes' beautiful property,
Playing in the pool (not to mention taking some classy photos of Lisa) and catching frogs in the backyard pond,
Trying some authentic southern barbecue for the first time,
 |
| Random pig cut out with Chris's name on it. |
Panning for some gold and exploring an old gold mine,
Walking through scenic Amicalola Falls (pretty sure I butchered that name),
Walking through Cheatham Hill with Lisa,
Feeding, and eventually chasing wild turkeys off the yard,
Having fun at a rodeo and enjoying a walk with Lisa and Katie,
 |
| Another 'nice' photo of Lisa;) |
Playing with Caroline,
Making the necessary preparations for Lori and Zach's Wedding Barbecue,
And then finally watching them take the plunge,
The next day we said our sad goodbyes to our family in Georgia and reunited with our family in Utah, starting with a baseball game in Salt Lake City,
Peter bonding with his Father-in-law over a grueling hike up Adam's Canyon and living to tell the tale,
And spending our last few days taking pictures of us being recognized by a park and a street,
 |
| That's Barnes Drive, in case you can't read it. |
This trip was, for lack of a better term, unforgettable. I always love seeing my parents and my brothers and sister when I get the chance. I will never forget my brother, Michael, giving me laughing gas for the first time as he worked on my teeth, and I loved having him, Cambri, and my parents come to Lava Hot Springs with us on the way back to Rexburg (We did, however, miss Daniel, Cassie, Emily, and Thomas joining us though). Saying goodbye to my family is on top of the list of things that I hate to do most and I can only count down the days before I see them again.
Atlanta was magical! Not just because of the place but because of the people I got to spend time with. I never felt more part of the Barnes' family than when they shared their home with me and let me be a part of the wedding festivities. I loved growing closer to Chris and Annette and love them even more as my father-in-law and my mother-in-law. I loved getting closer to Drew, Jessie, Christie, Caroline, Lisa, Lori, Zach, and Katie Jo. I am so lucky to have them in my life and blessed to be able to call them family.
As sad as we were to leave our fun and head back to reality, Peter and I were looking forward to going back to our own home and enjoying our own little family for a little bit before school started again. It's been a week into the semester and it's been more or less stressful. With me constantly studying for tests and getting ready for my student teaching and Peter trying to find internships and dealing with complicated assignments that only a genius like him can handle, we find our minds occasionally wandering back to Utah and Atlanta and we can't help but be a little homesick for everyone. But with our parents a phone call away, Lori and Zach just minutes away from us, and Lisa soon coming to live with us, we will enjoy having family around us once again.
We love you all and we cannot wait to see everyone again during the holidays!
