White Water Rafting on the Ocoee

Kelley arranged a white water rafting trip with several friends from the neighborhood and her friend Tabitha.  We got pics before we left the street.  Todd was happy to stay at home with the kids. :)  Rod, Bruce, Steve and Shannon came along.  Their wives were all out taking pics before we drove off, blowing kisses and yelling "Thanks for taking my husband off my hands so I have a day of peace and quiet!"

We stopped in Jasper to pick up subs/munchies and Tabitha, then kept driving until we crossed over the border into Tennessee to go rafting on the Ocoee.  We went down the Upper and Middle Sections, which was a good four hours on the water.  The Upper Ocoee was used during the 1996 Olympics.  There were Class III and IV rapids on both sections of the river.

It was such a fabulous day, both in weather and in the company.  Non-stop laughter and permagrins on all our faces!

We all got a good splash going through this Class IV rapid!

We made it out without a problem and just kept on rowing.

All of us (with the exception of Bruce and Rod) fell out of the raft at least once going down the river.  As long as we pointed our feet up to the sky and downstream, we were fine and got pulled back into the raft as soon as the water calmed down.  There were three different points where one of us got to "Ride the Bull" and sit on the front of the raft.  Shannon was the first to volunteer.  Rod and Steve went on the following rapids, but there aren't any pics of that.

This was such a fun day for all of us!  We left before noon and didn't get home until after 10pm.  We were all beat.

Can't wait to plan another rafting trip next year!!!

Soccer Meet & Greet

Chloe got to meet Coach Rob this morning, although she already knows him because he lives down the street from us.  She was so proud to put on her new shirt right away!  Then we ran down the hill to check out the new soccer fields.

She is getting to be like her momma, wearing sunglasses on top of her head.

Chloe had fun running around the soccer field and mostly chased bugs.

Owen spent the whole 30 minutes kicking a soccer ball from one end of the field to the other.  Over and over.  This boy loves soccer!  I love how the fields are surrounded by tall trees.

Chloe was on the hunt for butterflies.

And unintentionally smashed its wings between her hands as she carried it around to show anyone who would look.

We are back to now hearing the soccer ball banging against the front door every waking moment when we are not eating or doing homework.  Did you know this boy loves soccer?

Kelley's Weekend in Philadelphia

Kelley's friend Cas came over to spend the night before they flew up to Philadelphia to hang out with other girl friends and go shopping at BeadFest 2010.

Had fun playing with our cameras on the flight up.

It had only been a few weeks since Lori flew down to Atlanta from New York to visit, but it was sooo good to see her again!

Here was the whole gang...we stuck together for the whole weekend.  Nancy is next to Lori and shared our hotel room with the four of us.  Kerry is another lampworker from New York and had been teaching a jewelry design class at BeadFest before we arrived.

Also got to hang out with Diane and Melanie, who are two well know ceramic bead artists.

Hard coming home after having so much fun with these women, but I was filled with inspiration and new ideas by the time I got home!

Dinner with Papa Ford

After an afternoon of getting spoiled by Papa with shopping for Silly Bandz and then playing with legos on the floor for over an hour, we went out for Mexican.  It was soooooo goood.  I begged to sit outside, even though it was still about 90 in the shade.  I knew the light would be perfect for pictures and I wasn't disappointed.

Silly Bandz are all the rage.  They even have Silly Bandz for the fingers!  The kids love them and they drive me nuts because I find them EVERYWHERE in the house, in the car, left behind in restaurants.  And then there are tears and panic on the hunt for where they could have been left.

While Owen organized, Chloe played tic-tac-toe with Papa.  Can you tell there might have been a little cheating going on here? ;)

Before our food arrived, I asked for some Papa hugs for pics.  I thought they turned out great.  Now we finally have some pics of the kids with Papa that are recent.  Woot!

Both kids behaved excellently while we were out for dinner.  They both did a good job eating their dinners and we even ordered dessert (a rarity!) of fried ice cream.  It was delicious!

Chloe was being a siller with her Silly Bandz and giggling non-stop.

Bike Ride Benefit for Kylan Warren

Kylan was working in a Georgia Power bucket truck and jumped out to avoid an explosion when co-workers accidentally drilled into a gas line one month ago. He was only 25 and died yesterday morning before the ride began.  He had only been married for three months.  My heart breaks for his wife.  Coworkers and fellow bikers from Georgia Power organized this ride. In the planning process, coworker Michael Hyde was in a motorcycle accident and his wife died.  Here are a few pics of close to 60 bikes waiting in a nearby town, ready to join the big procession that started in downtown Atlanta and rode up to Ellijay (a North Georgia town).

This was the fun part...photographing all the bikes and seeing what made each one unique.  I overheard a few conversations contemplating whether or not I would be riding a bike with them, or if I was not really the biker type.  I think the general consensus was I was not the biker type.  I just smiled. 

Hmmmm, this would safely hold a camera....

Can you tell they are passionate about their bikes?

Seriously, if you can't trust a biker, who can you trust?

I spy.....Kelley?

Before they roared up their bikes, Tabitha and I took off and drove up the highway a mile or so.  We took some test shots and scoped out the area to see where the best vantage point might be.

This was emotionally overwhelming watching 300+ bikers drive by and so many of them waving thanks for coming out. Their sense of community for each other was amazing.  Well over a dozen police escorted this ride from the start to the back end.  This Frito Lay truck pulled over at the start and stayed put until the last police car drove by.  How respectful?!

I was lying on my stomach on the shoulder of the highway to take pics.  I used my elbows for a tripod to steady my camera and now have some nice scrapes.  They functioned ok for a tripod, but it was hard to keep myself together.  With every wave and passing biker, I cried harder and struggled to see through my viewfinder.  What an incredible celebration of Kylan's life with hundreds of men and women participating in a ride, doing something that Kylan loved.

I bet in real life, this lady is a hoot to be around.  Can you see her long braids coming out of the helmet?

I didn't realize there were any children on the ride until I uploaded this picture.  I found even more people waving in the pics than I had seen at the time.

I felt privileged to be there to capture these moments.  Since I have posted pics on facebook, I have received thank you notes and friend requests from folks who were there on the ride.  I was so touched.  Apparently they were, too.