Atlanta Adventure!!

We just returned from our Amazing Atlanta Adventure - with Ellie, Abby, Granna & Mommy!!!
It was a surprise birthday trip for Ellie to Atlanta to go to the American Girl store (more on American Girl store in next post!!!  Yay!! Soo fun!). 

Here are some of the highlights of our Atlanta Adventure. . . 



Ladies' lunch at Panera in Tuscaloosa.



Granna getting gas!

Gobbling tacos at Moe's.

The hotel pools were great!  Ellie made a new friend, Taylor, and they enjoyed swimming together (and discussing their American Girl shop experiences!).

NORDSTROM!!!!!!!!  Our favorite store. Ever.

Delicious supper in the Nordstrom Cafe.  It was my VERY favorite place for Mother/Daughter lunches when I was a little girl -- so it was extra special to have a meal with Granna & Ellie and Abby!  Ellie ate a grilled shrimp, sweet corn & arugula salad with warm polenta croutons (definitely have to figure out how to make those!), just like Granna.   Mmm!!  Tasty!!  Abby enjoyed her special fruit, cheese and crackers selection from the children's menu.   My spinach, goat cheese, chicken & strawberry salad was divine!

Both girls purchased items in Nordstrom -- Abby chose sparkly sunglasses, which she wore through the store like a Rock Star.  Ellie was treated like a Queen in the children's shoes department where she selected some fun white sandals.

They shopped until they dropped!!!

The hotel breakfast was fabulous.  Granna & I enjoyed vegetable omelette's while the girls had Belgian waffles, turkey sausage and eggs with bowls of cereal on the side!  They ate for nearly an hour. 

Packed up & ready to head home!!!  An Amazing Atlanta Adventure for sure!!!!   The perfect Girls Trip!!

Friday Farmer's Market

On Friday, Brookhaven's downtown Farmer's Market started up for the summer.  I was sooo excited to take Ellie & Abby.  Usually they go with Granna while I'm at work.  They have the most wonderful time with Granna exploring all the booths, and come home with all sorts of delicious treasures and precious stories about their "Farmer's Market Friends"!   They make such sweet memories with Granna at their beloved Farmer's Market!

We saw Ellie's friend, Mrs. Wood, {Ellie LOVES her cheese straws}.  Mrs. Wood always bakes the girls special 'nut-free'  muffins and has them waiting for Ellie & Abby on Friday mornings.  This week she baked Carrot Raisin muffins, which the girls gobbled up as soon as we got home. We also ran into one of Tim's cousins, Holly.  This was Holly's first time at our  market and she had a gorgeous booth full of vegetables and fresh herbs.  Next week, she'll have flowers. YAY!!!

Abby selected the "wiggly" carrots and we also purchased several cheeses, zucchini, green tomatoes and Ellie's cheese straws. 

Ellie wanted to try Fried Green Tomatoes so she looked up the recipe online by herself, gathered & measured her ingredients, and prepared the tomatoes for frying {I did that part!}.

Abby helped make the Roasted New Potatoes, our side dish.  She also ate all the leftover pieces of fresh sliced green tomato.

Ellie's Fried Green Tomato BLT's with Comeback sauce were delicious!!!!! 
They are definitely going to be a summer staple in our house.

Coppelia & Cinderella

(not sure why the photos are sideways)
Ellie's Spring Ballet recital was Tuesday night.  It was gorgeous, as usual.  Mrs. Kathy does a fabulous job with all the ballerinas.  They performed several Praise dances, Coppelia and Cinderella. 

Ellie with some of her friends, pre-show.  Annie, Jason Michael, Ellie and Abby

This Abby was sooo excited about watching the ballet.  She had her special tutu dress, snack and front row seat.  Perfect place to watch.  She REALLY wanted to get on stage with the ballerinas.  Several times she snuck a few twirls in front of our seat. She's definitely ready to start ballet lessons this fall.

Our little ballerina eady to twirl in the Praise dance.

The girls changed headpieces several times -- sashes for praise dances, tiaras for Coppelia (they were 'Music Box Dancers') and mouse ears & horse manes for Cinderella

Cinderella's mice

Margaret was a lovely Cinderella!

Horses arrive

The glass slipper fits!

Cinderella's carriage

Ms Kathy, Ellie, Maggie & Anna

Adoring Grandmothers

(the grandpas were outside getting a little fresh air --a late May recital in a non-air-conditioned auditorium is pretty hot!)

Summer's started!

Last day of First Grade!

Today was Ellie's very last day of First Grade!   This photo is from her very first day of first grade. 

And here she is today, on her last day! 

She's grown and learned so much this year.   She made all A's the entire year!  Awesome!  And she read (3 times each) and took tests on 263 AR books, she's now at a 4.8 reading level!    Hooray for our little scholar!

Today we were invited to Awards Day in Ellie's classroom.  It was a special morning visiting her first grade classroom for the last time.

Olivia & Ellie
Before Awards Day, the children had a little yearbook signing session.  So cute!

Ellie & Annie

Each student stood before the classroom (full of children, parents and grandparents!) and read a short story they wrote about their experiences in first grade. 
Here's what Ellie wrote: 
First grade was fun.  I enjoyed first grade and will never forget the best times I had.  I loved learing with Mrs. Cox.  She makes learing fun.  I will never forget Mrs. Cox ever.

After the children read their stories, they presented their parents with special binders containing special schoolwork papers, photos, their awards and report cards.  Ellie received certificates for Rising Star Scholar, All A's Honor Roll and for Most AR Books Read.  A keepsake for sure!



Hugs for Mommy!!




Happy girl with Papa & Granna



Daddy hugs!

Mrs. Cox & Ms. Black gave Ellie a surprise for reading the most AR books.  Inside was a cute little bear, stickers and a Walmart gift card!

Very special hug from Mrs. Cox.  What an amazing school year!! 

Bike Wreck

Ellie had her first bike wreck tonight.  She hit a bump on the sidewalk a few blocks away, while out on a ride with Daddy & Abby, but she was a total champ about hopping back on her bike to ride home.

 When she arrived, we assessed the damage. . .  a little road rash on her forehead. . .

the worst injury -- the bloody knee. . .

skinned elbow. . .

other elbow skinned, too. . .

Sympathy face.

After a good wound cleaning and bandaging up by Daddy, she was all smiles again.