Big Canoe Visit

I know I have fallen off of the blogging bandwagon and that it has been forever since I last posted. I think I get my picture-sharing-fill with Instagram these days. But, I think I will try to be better about blogging. It really is a digital scrapbook and I have fun going back and reading old posts. Anyways...

Last week I went up to the North Georgia mountains to spend some time with my parents and help take care of my mom as she recovered from eye surgery. For the past two years or so my mom's eyes have constantly watered. She was basically crying all the time. As you can imagine it was no fun for her. She looked upset or sad most of the time and couldn't wear eye makeup, plus it has to be obnoxious to be tearing up constantly. After a couple of failed surgeries to fix the problem, the doctors and my mom decided to put glass tubes (ahhh!) in her eyes to drain the tears. That's about all I know about the procedure because the details make me feel squirmy. Mom had a rough recovery after the surgery prior to this one (which was less invasive) so I volunteered to come up and help her out this go around. 

I went up the day before the surgery. My parents took me to the club for dinner and I just have to share the view. So pretty! So different from the coast! It always strikes me how much I miss the hills when I drive back home. These are more mountains than hills, I know, but it's much more similar to what home feels like to me than the flat, marshy beauty of the low country. This is also the first time I visited my parents since they have lived permanently in their mountain house. I'm kinda nostalgic and sad that mom and dad moved away from the city, but with a view like this, can you really blame them? Plus, no traffic! 

Skipping on to Thursday, the day of the surgery... Mom's surgery was in the morning and my dad took her to the hospital and home again while I stayed at the house to take care of my parents' senior-citizen dog who needs to be let out every hour or so.  The rest of the day was pretty much spent like this:

Ice packs and snoozing. 

Great news is that the surgery seems to have worked! Yay!!! Also, my mom did really amazing for just having someone cut her up! She didn't act loopy or pitiful at all. In fact, I had to (playfully) scold her multiple times for not taking it easy or for lifting things (not allowed to lift for 2 weeks!).  The only other highlight that I can think of is we finished off the day by watching Project Runway together, which is a treat since we (the 3 Leeper ladies) usually just text each other during the show. (Yay for Korina being gone btw!) 

Friday was a busy, fun day! My parents took me exploring all around North Georgia and I got to experience the way of life up there. First stop was Wolfscratch Farms. Apparently my parents buy their produce at local farmers markets and the farm also supplies items to one of my mom and dad's favorite restaurants. This was the first time any of us visited the farm in person though. 

Wolfscratch farm is kinda sketchy to get to (not really, just one way, gravel roads that make me feel like we are in the middle of nowhere!) but is well worth the adventure! The farm is directly behind the farmer's private home. In addition to various crops are beautiful, tall wildflowers, roaming chickens, ducks in a pond, and (my favorite) goats!

The farmer had a booth with some produce set up so my parents choose some goodies to take home with us.

We talked to the owner/farmer for a long while and he described his crops and water flow and much, much more. He was a very passionate man.  

The next stop was a little farther away. My parents took me to the Farm Store to see the animals and also get some great meat. We purchased bone-in pork chops, bacon, and eggs. 

However, the best thing by far was the BABY GOAT TRIPLETS! It was cuteness overload!

(Left, not a baby goat, but curious enough to sniff my dad's hand. Right, baby goat!)

Look at this little guy! He fits in the feeding dish!

Poor baby goat was minding his own business on the rock and then rudely got kicked off. 

The farm also had pigs, a cow, a horse, chickens, and rabbits!

After the Farm Store we went to BJ Reece Orchards so that I could pick apples! For years I've seen many friends post photos of picking this or that and I've always wanted to try my hand at picking too! So glad we were finally able to make it happen. Especially since my parents live in 'apple country' now! 

Before we went to the orchards we stopped in the store so see what goodies they had to offer. My goodness! I was not expecting so many people inside! This is by far the largest grouping of people I've seen the whole time my parents have lived in North Georgia!

They had a range of delicious looking pastries and breads as well as a variety of jams and jellies. They also offered other locally grown fruits and veggies. And as you can see by my mom's modeling below, the produce was quite large!!

(Doesn't my mom look crazy beautiful for having JUST had EYE SURGERY the day before?!)

We also got to peek in the back and see the guys sorting the incoming apples. They were a busy bunch!

Next we headed out to the orchards to get our apple picking on!

We picked both red and green apples. The lower branches had definitely been picked pretty clean and we were all surprised by how many apples were on the ground, but we were able to get up in the branches and get some good ones. 

Our last stop for the day was to 61 Main to get some yummy dinner. This place is great! The wait staff is very pleasant and the kitchen works with you to make sure you can eat a meal designed around your dietary restrictions. Plus the menu changes daily and is seasonal.  I had duck confit and beans... yum!

The next day my mom was feeling a little under the weather so stayed home to rest while my dad and I walked up the street to Big Canoe's Oktoberfest. It was a warm and beautiful afternoon. There were food and beer tents set up, live German music (featuring the organist from the Brave's game), and arts and crafts vendors. 

We had some fun daddy/daughter time and enjoyed the break from watching football (UGA and WVU both won! Yay!). It was so nice being up in the mountains and seeing a sneak peak of fall! The leaves even changed in the five days I was there!

Sadly, that ended my visit and Sunday I headed home in the rain. My mom really was doing so well and didn't need my help much by the time I left. I'm really glad I have a flexible schedule and was able to head up and help out though. Plus it was fun to spend time just the three of us. Can't wait to go back around Christmas and celebrate with the whole family (my new nephew included)! 

From rain and mountains to blue sky and the flat coast

Hilton Head 2012: Lasting Memories

My family and I started visiting Hilton Head Island for vacation when I was just one year old. We lived in Texas at the time and we were a family of four living on a seminary student's income, so as I'm sure you can imagine, a beach vacation was a huge treat for us! Hilton Head charmed its way into my family's heart that summer and has never left since. Bob-bob and Lo-lo (my grandparents on my Dad's side) treated us to a two-week stay for almost every one of my childhood summers. Countless memories come to mind when I think of Hilton Head. It has that "special" factor that just warms my heart and makes me smile when I think of it. The feeling of pride and ownership I have for Hilton Head rivals that of one's feeling of their hometown. Both Bob-bob and Lo-lo are partying with Christ these days, but we are continuing the Hilton Head family tradition. Sarah, my sister, wrote about it on her blog too and I encourage you to check it out here... I also am "borrowing" some pictures from her post. 

Harbor Town: Year 2012

Harbor Town: Year:..early 90's judging by our awesome attire. 

It was such a ball to introduce Karis to Hilton Head! We were so excited to recreate our childhood memories with her! Some of which include sitting in this small, wooden boat in Harbor Town as well as posing with the pensive, reader statue. I wish I could find some pictures of us in that boat. We were determined to fit in it and pose for a picture up until our late teen years. Perhaps if Karis wasn't there one of us would be modeling in this picture instead... another good reason for the addition of Kar-Bear to our family!

We also had to take Karis to see Gregg Russell. Gregg Russell has performed at Harbor Town for over 25 years and is a staple to my Hilton Head memories. He sings silly songs that kids love and, really, half of his show is pretty much stand up comedy. Even during our Hilton Head trips since adulthood, we've made it a priority to go to Gregg Russell's show. 

Though his crowd has certainly grown and he sings some new songs that we don't know, it's still a great time. 

I don't have any pictures of Sarah and me as children up on Gregg Russell's stage. The closest I have is of us at a similarly significant Hilton Head must and kid entertainer Rick Hubbard.

Sarah and I are the two on the right

Not only is it fun to share Hilton Head with Karis, but we've also had a ball bringing Miguel and Jared too!

Karis, what are you doing behind that bush? 

Haha, yep... having Uncle Miguel at Hilton Head certainly brings another side of entertainment! It definitely wouldn't be the same with out either Miguel or Jared though now!

As someone who doesn't like change much, it's good to see how much fun it is to bring others into our special family memories. It really only keeps getting better and better, and I just love continuing experiences through Karis!

Karis and her Poppa at Hilton Head

Sarah and me with Bob-bob in Hilton Head

 I just love Hilton Head and had such a great time on our family vacation there this year... I really could go on and on, but I have to get in the shower and go to work... bla ;) So since I have to cut it short, I will just leave you with this gem from a past Hilton Head Vacation. Aren't I so lucky I never went through that "ugly duckling" stage?!