Your Southern Peach: memories

Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts

Little Things

I know I've been a little quiet here on the blog lately but I assure you life is still going full speed ahead here in Georgia. As much as I adore blogging, there are times when life sweeps me away at such a fast pace that there's barely a moment to sit down and write about it. And I have to remind myself that that's okay.When life gets hectic I try to focus on the little things. You know... the ones that make your heart smile? And luckily there's Instagram to capture life as it happens! In an effort to cherish the little things, here are some more moments that I never want to forget.

- Luke playing his first season of flag football. Pulling his first flag. Throwing the football in the backyard with Daniel.

- Watching my amazing husband coach the team with tenderness and patience.

- Jett pulling his big brother to safety by the belt loop as the GA Tech marching band paraded through. He's always watching out for him and I love that.

- The boys dancing around like ninjas at the sound of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" theme song.

- The look on Luke's face when I told him he made 100% on his first science test about the water cycle. He was so proud but insisted it was "easy."

- Jett's hilarious sense of humor and the way he uses the phrase, "Because I'm cute" when he negotiates with me.

- Luke pondering life one morning on the way to school, listening to the birds singing and asking me, "Mommy, what do you think the birds are saying?"

- Jett's enthusiasm when he shows me his daily art projects from preschool. Am I the only one that hoards these little treasures?

- The boys praying before meal time. So simple and sweet and absolutely perfect. "Johnny Appleseed"

is always on standby.

Thank you for letting me share these! I hope your day is full of little things too.

Life at its finest

Happy weekend fellow peaches. We're wrapping up our week here at the beach and while I'm always sad to leave this beautiful place, I'm looking forward to returning home and welcoming a brand new season tomorrow! September 22 is officially the first day of fall and I have some really fun posts/series planned for the season. I've had the chance to slow down, refresh and ponder the blog a lot this week. It's always such a motivation for me and I want to continue to grow, evolve and expand this space for all of us. Thanks for sharing your summer with me and hope to see you this fall.

Your Southern Peach,
Amy

Welcome Kindergarten!

Our family has begun a new chapter. "Real" school. Luke started kindergarten yesterday and I confess I didn't let him go without a flood of tears. They started months ago. Here's a short list of my tearful moments:

- When I dropped him off for his last day of pre-k back in May

- When he graduated pre-k in May

- When I ordered his school uniforms in June

- When I shopped for school supplies a few weeks ago (yep, right in the middle of Target!)

- Walking into the "Meet and Greet" the day before kindergarten

- The night before kindergarten

Yes, that's the short list. So you're thinking I was a hot mess when the morning actually arrived, right? Well, be proud because I held it together and I owe it all to this little guy.

During breakfast, Luke actually had a flood of tears come over him too. He crawled on my lap and sobbed. Really sobbed. It was not a whiny cry but more of a complete emotional release. The anticipation of the day and the new beginning had overcome him. Somehow, I managed to contain myself and give my little rockstar a pep talk without a single tear from myself. I reminded him of all the hard work he had done in preschool to prepare for kindergarten. We talked about all the things we had practiced this summer together. I knew once it was "go time" his usual confidence would reveal itself but sometimes even the bravest of us need a little encouragement.

When we pulled up to school, I was still undecided as to whether I would walk him in or drop him off in the carpool, which was highly recommended by the staff. I was debating with myself out loud when Luke suddenly said, "Mom, I want to do carpool. It will be fun to try something new." So we did. He hopped out wearing the biggest smile! Somehow, I think he knew that walking into that big school might be too much for me to handle. He was right.

When I was finally out of sight, I cried. Okay, I sobbed. I wasn't prepared for this day to get here but I knew Luke was perfectly fine inside. Shortly after drop off, the parents joined the kids for chapel service. Afterwards, I caught a glimpse of him walking out and he proudly waved to me. I waved back without a single tear and snapped a photo. Then, I saw another little boy (who was crying) run into his mother's arms, which in turn made her break out in tears. I was relieved I didn't have to bear that and my heart ached for her. Once more I yelled goodbye to Luke but he was too focused on staying in line with his new friends. He didn't turn around again.

At that moment, I decided there would be no more tears. Only smiles and happy waves. Luke was ready to go on a new adventure and I didn't want to miss the ride.

Capture the Moment

Hi there! How was your weekend? We made it home safely and wow, what a difference a week makes! For all of us. I think the boys were ready for a break and I know my husband and I were ready to unplug a bit. I really focused on being present, soaking up every precious moment together as a family.

Like our sunset walks on the beach. This is my favorite time to be on the beach. It's calm and peaceful and it's the perfect time to take in the day.

I tried to capture those tender moments... I just love these guys so much.

The boys also had a ball in the pool and Jett took to it like a little fish, despite a sunscreen allergy the first day. We found one that worked for him and he was ready for more swimming by day two. Luke was proud to be practicing his strokes, free of his arm Floaties.

And most days, we ate lunch under the gazebo. We kept things simple with sandwiches, chips and fruit but having the ocean waves as our background made it extra special.

We also flew a kite for the first time with the boys which they loved, especially Luke. I had never flown a kite before but my husband was an excellent instructor.

And for my own records sake, Luke discovered his first loose tooth! I was shocked when he mentioned it but when I looked closer, sure enough, it was wiggly! So many times, I looked at him this past week and realized he is maturing and growing so quickly. If I haven't said it before, five is really a wonderful age.

Thanks for staying with me while I took a little time off. I hope you're enjoying the simple pleasures of life today. Join me tomorrow when I share how to beat the post vacation blues.

Eat. Love. Play.

As of today, school is officially back in session here in GA and I'm left wondering, "What did we DO all summer?" Of course, my kids watched too much TV and we indulged in more than one PJ day but that didn't stop us from doing some of very favorite things together.

Eat.

Love.

Play.

My little guys have one week left until preschool begins and I'm gonna savor every moment with them. Tomorrow, we're headed here again by special request. Twist my arm.

Marital Bliss

I met my husband 17 years ago and coincidentally I was just 17. Today, we've been married for eight years.

(Cue the music)

Coincidentally, we also met while dancing. Weird.

I dont' want to give you the impression that it's been all rosy since the moment we met because in the words of the priest that led our premarital counseling, watched us both shed an exorbitant amount of tears and eventually married us, "If you went through all of that and you still want to marry each other, I cannot deny you my blessing." (Insert sigh of relief.)

Without boring you with details, I will tell you that my husband and I agree that we both fell in love at first sight. We both just knew from the moment we met that we would marry one day, even at the young ages of 17 and 19. It only took us nine years to eventually walk down the aisle!

Are we a perfect couple? Absolutely not.

But the one thing we have learned in our short eight years of marriage and seventeen years of loving each other is that love is not about perfection. Not one bit. It is more about the imperfections and learning to love one another unconditionally.

Acknowledge your own imperfections. (Lord knows we all have plenty of them!) Accept your spouse's imperfections. Pray for one another. Live happily ever after. There's my eight year anniversary advice in a nutshell.

Thanks to all of you for your well wishes and congratulations. We're staying close to home tonight and hitting up our favorite local date spot for a casual dinner.

Now if I could only have that seventeen year old body back....

The Varsity

Do you know I've lived in Atlanta almost my entire life and I've never actually eaten at The Varsity? For those who aren't native Atlantans, The Varsity is a famous landmark and restaurant as well as the world's largest drive-in, established in 1928. My lack of indulgence at The Varsity is like my friend who grew up in New York and never visited Grand Central Station until she was in her twenties.

So in the interest of keeping summer interesting for me and the kiddos, we went downtown last week for our first visit to The Varsity but only after dragging my husband away from his office for the monumental lunch break. The Varsity is an experience to be had, let me tell you. It was hustle and bustle from the moment we stepped in the door.

On the drive into town, Luke and I practiced our order in the car anticipating the famous lingo from the staff who quickly asks customers, "What'll ya have? What'll ya have?" and urges them to "Have your order in your mind and your money in your hand!" We weren't shy while ordering and went for the full monty as you can see.

The best onion rings known to man or woman...

I am amazed at the volume of food that is made each day:

"Two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onions, 2500 pounds of potatoes, 5000 fried pies and 300 gallons of chili are made from scratch daily."

Everything was great but we certainly had our favorites!

How about you? Are there any famous places in your hometown that you've taken for granted for too long? I'd love to hear from ya'll and learn more about your neck of the woods.

Happy Monday fellow peaches!

One Year Ago

via

A year ago I threw caution to the wind and started this little blog with no clue what I was doing. I didn't follow any blogs, I didn't read any blogs and I certainly had no idea what to do with Twitter. I recall stumbling upon a few blogs while searching for inspiration for our kitchen renovation and thought, "Hey I'll start my own blog where I can write about all my favorite things and share some of my amateur photography!" I also loved the idea of a space in my life that would always be neat and tidy and where I made all the decisions. (Control issues, I know.)

Truth be told, it had only been two months since the birth of my second son and I think I was afraid of losing myself. I was fearful of becoming a glazed over mom who didn't know how to talk about anything other than potty training and night time feedings. Please understand. I absolutely adore being a mother but there are still things outside of motherhood that I enjoy on a daily basis like cooking, gardening, photography, fashion, yoga and writing. I knew I wanted this space to reflect who I was collectively as a person. I also knew I wanted to write for other people which is why I named the blog, "Your Southern Peach."

And so, as I reflect on the past year, I want to thank you friends, old and new. Thank you for your encouragement, your sweet comments, your praise, your virtual smiles and for allowing me to be yours. I never tire of writing this sweet, stylish, southern blog and I'm so very, very happy you choose to read.

Yours,

Amy

Weekend of Firsts

This weekend was busy as ever and full of some fun "firsts" for our family. Saturday was one of those days where we packed in as much as we could starting with Luke's last T-ball game of the season. Afterwards, he received his first set of trophies of which he is so very, very proud. I think he has slept with them every night since.

After the T-ball game, we took him to his first ever concert by the Imagination Movers Any other mom's out there love these guys? They're like the Beastie Boys for preschoolers. I was so impressed by their show and it's always an awesome feeling to see your child having so much fun! The guys kept the kids on their feet and interacted with them a lot. Luke got to shake hands with Mover Dave which was quite a highlight for him. He also got his first tour t-shirt... a must.

After the concert, we went to our favorite date place, Pinkberry. It was my husband's first time at Pinkberry and I think he's now officially a fan! I had the Lychee flavor while my husband and Luke both went with the Original. Here's our yummy creations...or what's left of them!

I also had endive for the first time this weekend. I stuffed the leaves with chicken, red peppers and a Dijon vinaigrette but I must admit...I was not a fan. Anyone else out there not like endive? I found it too bitter but maybe I just picked some bad ones? I'm not sharing the recipe on the blog because it's just not good enough for ya'll! I promise to only share my favorites here. There's nothing worse than trying a recipe posted on a blog only for it to turn out less than great. Who has time for that?

On Sunday, we kept it classy and filled up the $10 plastic pool on the back deck for the first time this year. Worth every penny! I did my nails and folded a basket of laundry while the kiddos splashed around and cooled off.

I also thought I'd share some garden photos with ya'll. Here are my lilies going strong after being divided last year!

And my first pink hydrangea bloom from a plant that was rooted from my sister's yard. Must plant more hydrangea....I love them so.

And here's little man Jett having fun with a giant plastic ball. It's all about the cheap entertainment folks.

Thanks for checking in today. Did you enjoy any fun "firsts" this weekend?

The Royal Hat and Kate Middleton

Are you looking forward to the royal wedding as much as I am?

I can still vaguely remember watching the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles on TV when I was a little girl. I vividly recall how her train went on forever and wishing I could have been one of the many little girls in the wedding party. I also remember my mom being really excited over the event. I was only five years old at the time! Isn't funny which memories choose to "stick with us?"

My mom tells me that as a little girl, I adored wearing hats. Anything that I could put on my head really. I often thought that if I could start over on my career choices and have a true "dream job," it would be a milliner. I've always thought of it as a lost art and secretly hope that hats will one day become more acceptable as the norm again.

Will Kate be the leading lady to bring this trend back? That's the buzz anyways. Rumor is, she's a big fan of the fascinator and has chosen Philip Treacy to design her wedding day headpiece. I'm interested to see if she chooses a more traditional style or something more youthful. Isn't she just absolutely gorgeous? What a breath of fresh air for the royal family.

Here's some fascinators and hats that make my heart go pitter-patter....

1/2/3

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

Are you a fan of hats? Will you be watching the royal wedding on Friday? Any die hard fans getting up at 4 am? I'm thinking I may have to in order to watch it in peace and quiet.

Thanksgiving Inspiration

I love when I come up in the rotation for hosting Thanksgiving. I look forward to it for months. But this year, my mother-in-law has graciously offered to host everyone at her house. All the fixin's will be the same with Southern favorites like sweet potato casserole, cornbread pudding and green bean casserole but I'll still miss the preparation and decorating.

Anytime I set the table, particularly for special occasions like Thanksgiving, I think of it as my gift to the family. Sometimes the meal doesn't turn out a perfect 10 but the table will always be beautiful and set with love.

Here are a few photos from last year's humble Thanksgiving feast at my house. Of course, mom helped me with the turkey and everyone brought their favorite side dish. (Thank goodness! You can see in the picture I was very pregnant!) The kids each had a personalized pilgrim with their own photo. We also used Grandmother Lorene's glassware to remember her sweet soul.

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year? If so, enjoy these lovely inspiration photos. May your days be filled with blessings and your heart be filled with gratitude.