Amanda turns 20

On the last day of her life as a teenager, Amanda had to work. But then she got to go out to eat with her mother, father, brother, and boyfriend. We went to Pappadeaux's. We were out much later than we are used to, but the meals and desserts were delicious. Alex took her out on her actual birthday (after she studied all day of course) and gave her a necklace.

Tennis champion

Last Saturday, Alan became the City Champion of League Tennis again! He won last year too. It was a good day to sit in the shade and watch him play! David and Penny joined me. It was hot on the courts in the direct sunlight. Alan's opponent was good but he just couldn't match Alan's stamina and skill!

Labor Day Weekend 2013

Another wonderful weekend! Kirsten, Tony, Karen, Joe, Chloe, Alan, and I enjoyed quality friend time! Joe spent a lot of time on the couch. He was happy there! Saturday, we enjoyed a day at the beach and a night of a steak and shrimp dinner in front of the Georgia game. Sunday was another great day at the beach! The dolphins were close to shore. Chloe, Karen, and Kirsten tried to swim with them, but they just couldn't get close enough! I love these people!

Mountain weekend

Alan and I spent a wonderful weekend in the mountains with the Brannens. The weather was Great. It felt more like October than August. On Saturday, we went to Loganberry Farms in Cleveland for Garlic Fest. Afterward, we stopped at a winery with spectacular mountain views. We sampled their products and drank in the scenery. After a bar-b-q dinner, the boys went to Helen to listen to music. They really enjoyed the Fiddleheads. Diane and I really enjoyed the quiet! It was all good!

Our new outdoor space

We started a backyard renovation in May. It started with fixing the collapsing retaining wall and the falling fence and ended up with a new deck, patio, and fire pit as a bonus! We invited the family over in August to celebrate the summer birthdays and enjoy our new outdoor space!

Beach week

We spent the last week of July on St. George Island. Kim and Pete, friends from our Georgia Southern days, joined us. It was a very relaxing week. Rain fell at some point almost every day, but we were still able to get beach time in! Austin and Greg came down to fish for a few days too. Our 27th anniversary was on Friday. We drove back to Marietta on our anniversary so that we could see Little Big Town and Keith Urban in concert on Saturday. It was a great week!

July 4, 2013

We are fortunate to have friends with a mobile mansion on Lake Allatoona. We usually spend the 4th of July week with them at the lake. It rained a lot this week. They only made it to the boat a couple of times. We spent most of our time chatting on the deck. Amanda spent the weekend before the 4th recovering from her wisdom teeth surgery. She had to work on the 4th and couldn't be with us, but Gina had our traditional patriotic shirts for her and Alex too.