St. Simons Escape

We ventured to St Simons Island for our annual beach getaway with Gram. It was so nice to have a break from home during the Corona craziness. Everyone looks forward to this trip!

It was especially HOT this year, but we checked off many of our favorite activities. The highlights were Summer Waves, the dolphin boat tour, watching the sun set on the beach, and climbing the lighthouse.

We ran into the friendliest couple with snakes at the pier, and they were happy to let the boys hold their pets. Gram, Maggie, and I were only there to watch. Daddy was quick to squash the idea of adding a snake to our house when I texted him the pictures!

Tuttle and Maggie braved the tallest and darkest water slide at Summer Waves and then proceeded to ride it repeatedly until I had to pull them away to go home. Tuttle beat Maggie's tally of 15 with his 18 times down the Pirate's Passage.

Gram and I loved the dolphin tour probably more than the kids. Our guide told us the history of St. Simons and explained the recent sinking of a carrier ship that is stuck right off the harbor. We finally spotted dolphins at the end of the tour, and all three kids took a turn driving the boat.

We braved climbing all 129 steps to the top of the St. Simons Lighthouse. This was an even bigger feat because it was 1000 degrees, and we were required to wear masks. Gram might be inching close to 70 years old, but she still has the energy and determination to keep up with her grandkids!

The only tolerable time at the beach was after dinner, but we tried to make it down several times. The kids loved digging in the sand and catching waves. Gram and I primarily watched from the comfort of our beach chairs. :)

We had planned to stay for a full week, but the heat and restrictions from Covid-19 made the trip more challenging, so we went home a day early. We are so ready for everything to return to normal if that ever happens...

Thank you, Gram, for another fun year at the beach! I know these memories are so special to all the Thorne babies, but especially to me!

Summer Smiles

My Favorite Holiday

Celebrating the 4th of July looked a lot different this year with the pandemic, but we loved hosting our family at the new house! 

We definitely missed cheering on Daddy at the Peachtree Road Race. The race has been rescheduled for Thanksgiving, and we will be there to continue the running streak.

We moved in two weeks ago and have been filling our time unpacking boxes, hanging pictures, and organizing rooms. Jay has been the MVP with all the checklists that he has completed for me. We wanted to have as much of the house set up as possible.

I loved finding festive recipes to serve at the party. I let Publix handle the fried chicken, and Gram brought yummy deviled eggs and baked beans, but I created some super easy Independence Day treats!

The kids spent most of the day swimming in the pool while the adults relaxed on the porch. It was just the perfect day.

The festivities ended with an amazing fireworks show in our cul-de-sac. Jay and the kids hit up the local fireworks store earlier in the day, and our neighbors brought out the big guns as a grand finale. I think it was the latest the Thorne children have ever stayed up when they finally fell into bed after 11pm!

I know this was the start of many parties at our house. It was the main reason we moved to Roswell to have the space to entertain friends and family.

While our reality is a little crazy right now, we are still living in the best country in the world. Happy 4th of July!

Summer Lovin'

We have made time between unpacking and organizing to just enjoy summer.

Cat seems to have adjusted just fine to his new retirement home.