loving life

If you know me well, you know I'm a very emotional and sentimental person.  Sometimes I am so overwhelmed with emotions that it is hard for me to flip the switch off.  Being home in Georgia right now has made my heart whole and gitty watching Isabelle interact with her family.  I am in awe as she runs to her Grandpa to sit in the chair with him.  He swoops her up as if she weighed 10lbs.  He sits her on his belly and they laugh and giggle as they hide under the blanket on the back of the chair.  It's hard to concentrate on the TV because the two of them are in histarics as they whisper under the blanket.  She is not even two yet and she seems to understand every joke and message Grandpa is telling her.  It also melts my heart watching my dad.  You can tell he is enjoying every moment of this time "alone" with her.  He doesn't care if he can't see the TV or if she bounces on his belly.  He is content and full of pure joy.

I can also see this same joy from everyone else that plays with Izzy.  Especially my mom.  Mom wanted so bad to take Izzy to Brusters for her first ice cream cone.  Izzy has shared ice cream cones before with me and her daddy but this trip to Brusters involved her very own cone!  The look on her face was priceless when she realized it was hers.  My mom's face was also filled with smiles ear to ear knowing she was the culprit of her first ice cream cone that soiled her clothes and was given to her even if Izzy didn't eat her dinner.  As I snapped pictures and watched the Oreo ice cream melt down into the creases of my daughters fingers and Oma looked on with pride, I couldn't help but think that we will be missing this in a week.

My sister, who is coming to visit us in California the whole month of July, is also enjoying her time with her niece.  I'm still hoping she wants to come to Cali since she has witness the worst of Miss Iz during our stay in Georgia.

Also while we were in Georgia we braved the humidity and mosquitoes and sat on the lawn to watch the Laser Show at Stone Mountain Park.  We enjoyed the company of our second family and laughed along with the strangers around us as Izzy shook her hiney to the pre-show music. 

Angie and Eli. 
 

Eli is five months younger than Izzy.  Just like everyone else we know.... she has more hair.  

 

 

While we are here the days are going by so fast.  It is hard to believe we've been here for two weeks already.  I can't keep up.  I keep snapping pictures of precious memories we are making in Georgia but cannot post and comment on them fast enough.  I have a ton more pictures to come.  Tomorrow we leave for one of my favorite places in the whole world.  When people say go to your "happy place" in your head.... this place is my happy place.  Lake Burton in the north Georgia mountains has raised me to love lake water, marinas, tubing, knee boarding, and evening boat rides.   We grew up there.  It's been five years since I was there last.  This time will be so special for me.  I am taking my own daughter to experience the morning chill, afternoon rain storms, s'mores by campfire, and the trill of swimming in a lake.  I have been looking forward to tomorrow since the last time I was up there (for my bachelorette party).  I cannot wait to make unforgettable memories with Izzy.