Humidity and Highlights

Kalianna and I just got back from a trip to Atlanta, for Bryan and Ricci's reception out there. It was a fun trip, but we were sad Matt couldn't join us. I loved being on the east coast again, it's so gorgeous out there! So many things reminded me of Virginia! And, call me crazy, but I actually enjoy humidity. It's thick, it's warm, and it's like being wrapped in nature's blanket every time you step outside. Plus Kalianna's hair was so curly out there, it was super cute! I could give you a play-by-play of each day, but instead I'll just tell you the highlights from the trip:

Wednesday -

We left in several different groups (thanks to frequent flyer miles). Kalianna and I flew with my dad, Kristine and Ian. She did quite well on the airplane, considering it was a four hour flight. Thanks to Grandpa's magic touch, she slept most of the ride. After landing in Atlanta, Bryan and Ricci took us to her mom's house for a yummy dinner. We visited and then crashed at the hotel.

Thursday -

We slept in, since we were still on Utah time and my roomie (Theresa) didn't get in until after 2:00 am. We went swimming at the hotel pool and then we went to Stone Mountain, Georgia. For those of you who are 30 rock fans, no I didn't see Kenneth or any of his family. And yes, I did look. We walked around a plantation, visited the petting zoo, and then went on an awesome hike up the mountain. Which is literally pure stone. Thank goodness there were lots of strong men willing to help carry my baby (who slept most of the way up) otherwise, I don't think I would have made it! The hike was straight up this rock mountain, the closest thing I can compare it to is hiking Delicate Arch in Moab. Such a fun hike though! I really enjoyed it! (thanks to P90X, I had more stamina and strength). Then a bunch of us staked out a spot on the grass for the laser show. When they started playing some music over the speakers, Kalianna started dancing! That night after dark, we watched a laser show they do on the side of the mountain. Fun music, and fun show, but Kalianna did Not appreciate the noise. She was trying to sleep and they had the audacity to shoot off fireworks! So rude! I was finally able to get her calm again, and I put her blanket around her head to muffle the sound. After that, she was gone!

One of my favorite pictures from the whole trip! Can you tell how much grandpa loves this little girl?

All those lovely black holes at the top of the mountain is where lightening has struck. Glad we weren't hiking this in the rain!

Friday -

We went to the Georgia Aquarium with my parents, Theresa, and Brent. Everyone else hung out at the hotel, by the pool. It was a pretty nice aquarium. Most of the tanks were the entire wall, so you could stand right next to the different fish and watch them swim by you. Kalianna loved being able to see everything so close! The best part of the aquarium was when we went to see the penguins. You could crawl through this little tunnel and then pop your head up one of the holes in the middle of the penguin habitat. So you are literally right next to the penguins! The only thing separating you is a clear plastic bubble thing. By this point, Kalianna was getting hungry and tired, so she was a bit cranky. But I made her crawl into the tunnel with me (so mean!). She screamed and screamed until it was our turn to stand up. The second we did, she stopped screaming. She was face to face with a penguin! It tapped on the plastic and Kalianna put her hand up, so it looked like the penguin was tapping her hand. Seriously, the coolest thing ever! She was ecstatic! Then, sadly, we had to give someone else a turn and the screaming ensued until she had a chicken nugget in her mouth. After the aquarium, we went next door to The World of Coke. Did you know coke was invented in Georgia? I didn't either. But cool! My mom and Theresa worshiped the statue of the inventor, before we actually went in. It was fun to walk around and see all the memorabilia, learn more about how and when it was invented, and see the Coca-Cola polar bear! The best part was the tasting room, where you could taste drinks from all over the world. Some were quite nasty. One thing I learned, is when everyone makes a big deal about trying a certain drink, whatever you do, DON'T TRY IT! Nastiest thing I have ever put in my mouth! I think my taste buds are still angry. But they forgave me slightly when we spent a good deal of time at the Coke station drinking cup after cup of cherry, vanilla, and regular coke. We were so much fun to be around that night! When we got back to the hotel, my siblings who had stayed behind surprised Theresa for her birthday. They had filled our hotel room with balloons and short-sheeted our bed (as we found out later that night). Kalianna loved those balloons! The next morning, first thing she did was go in the front room and play with them again. Even when they popped in her face, she went back for more. Such a tough kid! Then later that night we all went to Ricci's mom's house again for a BBQ with her family. We were supposed to have a pool party too, but it started raining. That night, Theresa, Brent, Logan, and I all played games after everyone else went to bed. We laughed a lot! Which I'm willing to bet had something to do with all that coke.

There is a Beluga whale swimming right in front of us, and she is more interested in this girl's backpack. Lol!

I'm pointing out which otter I want to take home. They were so cute!

Saturday -

We got up and went swimming and enjoyed the sun! So wonderful! This was the only day that Kalianna got a nap in her crib at the hotel. I use the term 'crib' loosely. It was really a cage. Has anyone ever used a hotel-provided crib before? They are so cool! They can be doubled as a dog cage too! =) While she slept, everyone went to lunch and brought us food back. That evening was the ring ceremony/reception at Ricci's bishop's house. His house and yard were huge! Everything was beautiful! We got to meet lots of people and Kalianna got to eat lots of food (red velvet cake=yum!). The tables were all set up around the outside of their swimming pool. At least 3 kids went in by the end of the night. But hey, it was hot, the water was cool, and I totally would have followed them in if I hadn't been wearing a white shirt! Kalianna didn't seem to enjoy the humidity as much as I did, so we spent the majority of the evening inside, watching their wedding video and chatting with people in there. We did make it out to the garden briefly, so Kristine could take some pictures of us. And Kalianna found a soccer ball to chase (her daddy would have been so proud!) That night we had to say all our good-byes to Ricci's family (which was sad, cause we like them).

Sunday -

Had to get up bright and early at 4:45 am to make our plane. Yuck! We were so tired! Kalianna had a rougher time on the flight home, but she still did pretty well, all things considering. We finally made it home! We were both super happy to see Matt, Sobaka, and Kutse again! Then I crashed for a much-needed nap. It was a short, fun trip! But it feels good to be home again too!

(And those were just the highlights!)