This is our crew for the hike up Stone Mountain. Magan was taking a break this day chilling out at the spa getting a massage and pedicure, so my plan was to hike up the mountain (guy on the train said 1 mile, about 45 minutes), then take the gondola ride down, and play at some of the areas we had so much fun at the day before.
The day began hot, and I mean very hot, and so our hike began. You can all guess how long it took Davis to start complaining about his knees. But all in all, we were doing pretty well, but I quickly realized this was a lot harder of an uphill hike than I thought it would be. Perhaps it was just trying to keep the kids going. And Belle was on my shoulders from about step 1, so as group lead, I pushed this crew forward stopping periodically for water. Running 10 miles a week has definitely made a hike like this more bearable with a little girl on my shoulders.
So we finally made it about 3/4 of the way up, and that's when I hear from Jasper "Hey, Where is my Ipod?" Gone, he had played us a song from the Ipod at one of our water breaks at about the 1/2 way up point. So down the mountain I go with Jasper looking for the Ipod, we made it back to our stopping place, and did not see it, so back to to the crew...no Ipod.
So we started up the last 1/4 of the mountain, and let me just say this is a VERY steep section, requiring handrails for one big climb. But we made it to the top, by this time Belle was whining because my "head is wet", and she does not want to hold on. At the top, we told the ranger about the lost IPOD, picked up some powerades, and went to wait on the gondola. On our way to that area, a nice young kid informed me that the gondola was not running right now. I politely asked him if he knew when it would be going again, and he told me "when it was fixed". And perhaps because I had just hiked up the mountain with 5 kids, and was a little wore out, some of the Junkin in me slipped out to inform Richard (Yep, that was his name, fit him perfectly) how much I appreciated his smart aleck remarks. We later sat in a waiting area, and got to hear good ole Richard talk about how he was trying to fix the problem, but in talking with him, I got a good sense of why his mother probably named him that. So we finally to leave Richard, and hike back down. One of those guys that you almost cringe to hear talking. Typical Richard.
The hike down was much better...the only funny part I remember was Belle crying and fussing at me that I had made her pretty pants wet (from the sweat on my arm). :) Such a girlie girl. Oh...and Jasper's Ipod was turned in at the museum at the bottom of the mountain. Miranda was very happy.
Since my hour hiking plan did not turn out like I was originally intended, and most of our hiking crew was hallucinating from the heat, we decided to return to the hotel to play in the pool instead of going to the stone mountain attractions (Got 1 day pass to use later this summer now!!). The pool was a much better choice to cool off and relax prior to the Braves game.
That evening we set off to Turner field. The Pirates were in town, so Sam was happy to cheer them on, and this was the first braves game for Jasper and Jude. These guys are athletes to the core, and were very excited to be at the game. After taking some pictures outside the park, we walked over to the Right Field fence where one of the Pirates threw a ball up to Jude. Pretty cool!
Magan stayed and rested while I took our kids shopping. They are not ones to sit for 9 innings of a ball game. But Sam got a Mickey Mouse Braves Pin, Davis found a "super special" atlanta braves bear, and Belle...she wanted an Atlanta Braves...Pig. yeah, I don't know, but they got my money, cause she's got my heart.
The game was perfect, Braves tied up the game in late innings, then in the bottom of the 10th, they had a walk off double. Sam and Davis: As you guys read this many years from now, and you are taking your kids to a braves game, and they fight over who gets to hold the nacho chips and cheese, then they cry as you take away the chips and drink because of their fighting, remember this moment, and get two plastic containers to evenly split the snack...or just take away the chips and drink, they will get over it.
Dear me, just realizing how extremely frustrating Colby and I must have been to Granny and Granddaddy. And they are reading just laughing at how I am being paid back. :)
Davis, Jasper and Jude kept dancing and almost got in camera view in their attempts to...get on the big screen at the game. I had the camera ready as I thought they were going to make it one time. Those boys are crazy. Of course Sam sat beside me saying "Why would they want to be on the TV?" That boy is too much like his dad. Belle, that cutie, was the sweetest little Braves fan you ever did see...She did the tomahawk chop every time. She just kept grinning at the large Chick-Fil-A cow that led the chop.
