Atlanta / George Strait Concert Weekend

My best friend from college, Stephanie & I have always had on our bucket list, to see George Strait in concert. Last fall, Robbie gave me a ticket for my birthday and Jonathan gave Stephanie a ticket for their anniversary. We were finally going to see George live! The concert was this past weekend in Atlanta. We all headed over Friday. We had a great sushi dinner Friday night and then Saturday, Stephanie & I shopped while the husbands watched basketball. Then that evening, we all headed downtown for the concert. (Only Stephanie & I were going to the concert, Robbie & Jonathan were just hanging out at a nearby restaurant. Such sweet husbands! They came with us, even though they weren't going to the actual concert, just to make sure we got everywhere safely. Stephanie & I are the equivalent of 2 ten-year-old's in a big city.) 

Downtown before the concert

At the concert!

It's hard to tell, but we really had great seats! 

Sheryl Crow opened for George & she was great as well! She came out & sang a duet with George which everyone went crazy for.

George was absolutely amazing and Stephanie & I had a great time! The whole weekend was awesome. We got to eat great food, shop, had no schedule and no kids to have to work around! (Thanks to my parents & Stephanie's parents for watching the kids while we were gone!) 

So what was Jake doing while we were gone? Having a horrible time being spoiled great time of course. The snowbirds have moved out of my parent's condo at the beach, so my parents, Jake, my brother & his family all headed down. I'm pretty sure Jake didn't miss us at all.

 Rob & I got home from Atlanta on Sunday, and then Monday morning I left for Chattanooga for work. This week is Jake's spring break, so he stayed with my parents a few extra days. 

Jake has been dying to go fishing!
So my dad took him to a little pond on our family land.

He is using an adult size pole.
My parents have some kiddie poles, but since they are my nieces
(and are pink), Jake refused to use them. 

Week in Review, Ending with Weekend in Chattanooga

On Monday, we finally had a pretty day that was warm. So we took advantage of it and went down to the park to play. And Jake lost his 2nd tooth!

Those winter white legs shining bright

Funny Jake Story:

Jake loves the Auburn song Glory. At the end of the song, it spells out Auburn. I heard Jake singing it. When it came to the end, to spell out Auburn, he sang "A-U-B-U-S-H". Ha!

On Friday night, I had dinner with 2 of my sorority sisters from Troy. We had such a good time, but of course took no picture! We all moved to Birmingham after Troy, and lived here as single girls. We'd have supper club each week at someone's house, along with several of our other friends from Troy. So I saw these girls weekly for several years. Many years have pasted, and we now are all married, with children, busy lives. So we don't see each other as often, but we are going to change that! It was such a much needed girls night!

Jake had baseball practice Saturday morning. We'd not been up to Chattanooga as a family since August, so we decided to head up after practice. I'm so glad we did! Saturday night, our friends cooked out and invited a few people over. After dinner, the guys were in the screened in porch, the girls were in the kitchen & the kids were in the den. There was a little kiddie pool filled with balls as a ball pit. Evidently a ball fight started between the kids & the dads. There were balls flying everywhere! It was the funniest thing to watch!

Usually, I'm very "let's not make a mess, let's use our indoor voices, let's not throw things, etc..." The ball fight was a good reminder that sometimes it's okay to let loose and have fun. The kids had such a great time and everyone was dying laughing. It was a very fun memory.

Sunday, we met our very good friend Lara for lunch. Loved getting to catch up with her!

Then Sunday afternoon we went to Jonathan's 4th Birthday party. Jake had such a great time!

Jumping into the foam pit

Sweet Tyler was unsure about all these crazy kids!

Jake (with his sad face) & Addie
Jake cried when we had to leave
(I'm sure it had nothing to do with him being dead tired
from staying up so late the night before!)

Introducing... Gaines Alton Harvard

20 months ago, I wrote about my little sister, having her first child here. Now I'm writing about her having her 2nd baby! Yes, her children are 20 months apart. Not exactly how they originally planned, but a blessing that everyone is so thankful for. Gaines Alton Harvard "Gaines" was born March 7 at 11:35 AM at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. He weighed 8 lb 12 oz and was 21 1/4 inches long. He is a beautiful precious little baby boy!

My mom had been over in Atlanta all week helping my sister. (Which, my sister is a superstar. She is a 4th grade teacher and her c-section was schedule for Friday. She worked all the way up through end of day Thursday! Along with taking care of a very active 20 month old! I get tired just writing all of that!) My dad & I rode together and went up Friday. I had so much fun riding with my dad. We have always been close, and I've always been a daddy's girl. Usually when we see each other, the grandkids all occupy his time (they all adore him), so it was nice for he & I to just get some one-on-one time. We talked about work, business, life, sports, kids, the future, everything. I love my dad so much, and was happy to have a weekend with him!

After a slight miscue with with GPS (I selected 1000 Johnson Road NE, instead of 1000 Johnson Ferry Road NE), a 20 minute drive through a sketchy neighborhood in Atlanta arriving at our expected destination which was an old, abandoned warehouse, we finally got back on track and got to the hospital around lunchtime. We ate some lunch and by that time, Lindsey was all fixed up and in her room with baby Gaines!

Welcome to world Gaines!!

(I stole this picture from my brother-in-law. Isn't it the best?!?! This was right after Gaines was born! He was wide awake and waving to the world. How cute!)

Nana holding her 5th grandchild

Gran holding his 3rd grandson



Gaines is the most alert baby I've ever met!
You can just tell he is going to do big things in life!



Look at all those car seats in my sister's car!

 Later that afternoon, Brooks parents brought big brother Woody by to meet Gaines. Woody was not too impressed, but he was very excited to see his mamma!

Sweet brothers.... Woody & Gaines

Much happier on daddy's shoulders

Saturday afternoon, we watched Woody, so the Harvard's could spend some time at the hospital with Gaines. I just love Woody so much. He is the funniest little thing and has such a big personality. I forgot how curious a 20 month old is. You have to keep your eyes on them every second! But they are so easily entertained and are so very lovable. I just loved getting to hang out with Woody. 

Big brother Woody

Playing on his new tractor

Taking selfies Sunday morning

 My dad & I watched Woody Sunday morning, while everyone else went to the hospital. Then on my dad & I's way out of town, we stopped by one last time to see Lindsey & Gaines. Gaines is just so precious & I can't wait to get my hands on him again soon!

Jake had baseball practice at 11 on Saturday, which is why he & Robbie stayed in Birmingham. Chuck (my father-in-law) picked him up from school Friday and once Judy got off from school, they headed down to Auburn to see the gymnastics meet. I don't know how much Jake cared about the gymnastics, but he loved the balloon dog & glow in the dark bracelet Mimi & Granddad bought him!




Sweet boy loves spending time in Auburn and with his Mimi & Granddad

 

Enjoying breakfast at Waffle House with Daddy



Watching a movie upstairs with Daddy



Pretty safe to say, everyone had a great weekend!!

Things about Jake I want to remember

Random entry title, I know. I swear, every day, something funny happens, and I think "oh I need to write this down so I can remember it later". Of course I never do. So I'm trying to get better at that. Here are things recently, that literally made me laugh out loud.

Jake has been dying to spend a weekend at Nana & Gran's. A few weekends ago, after baseball practice, I took Jake down to my parent's to spend the rest of the weekend through Monday. Here are pictures of Jake & his cousins playing in the creek and climbing trees.

I am too lazy to go back through & flip the picture!

The other day, Jake & I were running errands and I was taking a package of baby gifts I had made for my sister's new baby (named Gaines) that I needed to mail. Jake was very curious about the package, who was it for, what was in it, etc... Here is how part of our conversation went:
Jake: Who is that box for?
Me: It's for baby Gaines.
Jake: Baby's can't have games. Games are only for big kids.
Me. The baby's name is Gaines, not games. You know, Woody is going to have a new baby brother, named Gaines.
Jake: What games are we giving Woody?
Me: There are no games for Woody. The baby's name is Gaines. Like your name is Jake, this baby's name is Gaines.
Jake: So what games are we giving this baby?
Me: Never mind.

I lost my mom of the year award, many years ago, and this story will not help me get it back. But it's too funny for me to forget. Jake has a new favorite show. "My 600 lb Life" (which he calls "Girl with the Big Legs"). I kid you not. It started one evening, Jake was watching his own show in our bedroom before bedtime. Robbie & I were in the living room, flipping channels and stopped on TLC on the show My 600 lb Life. It follows a different individual each week and shows their life over the course of a year. These people are extremely obese and there is a doctor in Texas that operates on them and tries to help them loose weight. It follows them from the beginning of their journey with this doctor for a whole year. Well, Jake happened to walk in while we were watching it. He was fascinated and insisted on staying in the living room to watch the show. He was especially interested in the part where the doctor was operating on the person. I don't know if it is impressive or scary that he was so interested in it. (I thought it was disgusting and had to look away.) He has talked nonstop about becoming a doctor now though. He wants to help people with big legs (in his own words). Since I was letting Jake watch this show that was probably inappropriate for a 5 year old, I figured we might as well make it a learning experience. We talked with Jake about why these people got so big. How important it is to eat healthy, drink lots of water and exercise. Now if we are ever flipping channels and Jake sees this show on the guide, he throws a fit to watch it. He even picked it over cartoons the other day. Again, not sure if that is impressive or morbid. And now if there is a show on TV taking place in a hospital, he asks if this is the show about the girl with the big legs.