Blue Ridge, GA

A much needed NO KIDS weekend!!!

6weeks or so ago, we decided it was time to start planning a girls weekend. Sarah P booked the cabin and 8 of us commited. Then we waited. and waited and waited and waited. This was especially exciting for me since these were my friends that live in Woodstock so I was super excited to see them again.

Friday came and I dropped the kids off and headed out to GA. What was supposed to be a 3.5hr drive for me turned out 4.5hrs since of course I got lost. But I did make it to beautiful Blue Ridge! Our cabin was little but super cute!!!

The cabin had a hottub that was supppppposed to fit 6 people... so we tried it out.

We got 5....
How bout 6...

only 7??? Nope, for a few moments, we had all 8 of us in this puppy!!
Where'd the water go?!?!?

We played some fun cardgames!!

Here's the group of us right before rafting
And after.. nothing like a lunch at Sonic!!

Saturday night we decided to check out the town of McCaysville, GA.... Cute street name huh?
This was one lucky indian!

I crossed the line!!

This was the mexican resturant where we learned that enchilada/taco seasoned water can be substituted for mild salsa.... huh. Thanks again Amber for dinner!!

Only in small southern towns can you find this!
Something we all should follow!

Little sleep and good friends make for one tired group!
But that didn't stop us for a round of Phase 10!

And then it was time to go home. It was a super fun weekend and I'm so glad we were all able to make it!! Hopefully we can do this more often! And I only got lost once going home! I ended up driving through some national forest I don't remember seeing before but it sure was a pretty drive even though it added about 20 extra miles!

Thank you ladies!!!

Girls Weekend... white water rafting

I'll soon be able to sit down and post all about the wonderful weekend I just got back from. But in short, myself and 7 of my friends from GA got together in a super cute cabin in Blue Ridge, GA for a weekend. One of the activities we did was go white water rafting down the Ocoee river.

7 out of 8 of our group waiting for our turn down the river! Meredith, Sarah, Mary Jo, Siciley, Rebecca, Brenda and myself-- Amber was taking the picture.

Fresh faced and ready to go!!!

Amber was practicing.. hard!

This guy that you can't see very good was the most beautiful rafting instructor our there!!! Too bad he was with a different company!

Before risking our lives!

and here we go!

Amber and Merediths raft

So our guide, Greg, had us play a little game of "trust".. where we all had to stand on the side of the raft and hold hands and whoever touches grey in the middle gets pushed into the water. He then makes us let go of hands and just balance. Needless to say, we were all thrown into the water. Thank you Greg!

This poor group got stuck on the rocks and their guide made them all get out to get in unstuck..

***These were all pictures taken by the company as we were coming by. The first two shots are Ambers and Merediths raft with Amber in the front and Meredith in the orange.

***This was our raft of Siciley, Mary Jo, myself, Brenda, Sarah and Rebecca***

Siciley was fortunate (or unfortunate) to "ride the bull"

Yup- those are her feet in the air there!

The funny thing about these pictures is good ol Mary Jo in the back smiling for the camera each time!

Before we finished our run, Greg took us down these rapids that were pretty intense. I guess it was called "Hero"... well needless to say, because we followed his directions, our whole raft tipped and we all fell out!!! Poor Sarah- she was stuck under the raft and for some off reason, she thought she was supposed to stay there. So she did.. and she waited for all of us to come underneath the raft too!!! Greg rescued her but boy did we have a good laugh! This was right after he said no matter what, do not stay under the raft should it tip.

We survived! And we're STILL smiling!! It was awesome!!

Just ponderings of my mind

It's been one of those weeks. I'm not even sure how I can describe how I've been feeling lately but I can tell you- it's not pleasant. A mixture of depression, inadequesy, loneliness, overwhelmed, stressed.. and this is all on top of day to day chaos!

So I've been trying to think why this is going on.

Bear with me here while I try to sort it all out while I type.
I realized lately that I really don't feel like I belong or am a part of a unit that I'm supposed to feel the most comfortable and welcome and at home with.

I have guilt when I think or say something that is not in accordance with what others may feel or say... and not because I should feel guilty but because I'm made to feel that way. Make sense?

I'll continue

I am an opinionated, emotional, compassionate person that should be able to think my own way at all times and in all situations.. right? Well lately, I am apparently not supposed to. I am not supposed to disagree with things. I'm not supposed to want something else that others not may want or visa versa. I am supposed to be 100% supportive even when I'm not. And heaven forbid I express myself as much.

Why is this?
Why am I even saying all this?
Oh who knows!

Weren't we all put on this earth to have our freedom of speech.. and even more than that, free agency? Why does it then only apply to certain things? Why should others intentionally try to make us feel bad when we do feel differently? Especially those who are supposed to be closest to us?

And why do I LET this get me down?!?!!?

Confused?

Yeah me too....

I also feel very forgotten. And that is a very very VERY lonely feeling. And then expressing these feelings takes me back to my issue above-- I can't do it without ending up feeling bad.
What happened to that confident girl I used to be? I'm a women for petes sakes..!!! (who's Pete?) Not just a mom, not just a wife.. not just Sister Harris. I'm a freakin ADULT woman and some reason, I feel more the child than I felt when I was the child!

And what about my confidence??? I 2nd guess everything I do.. everything I say, how people are going to think of me, am I raising my children right, am I doing the right things, am I following the path to be who I am supposed to be, who AM I supposed to be, etc etc etc. AHHHHHHH!!!!!

And then I wonder.. where did Shannon go? When did she get lost? Why can't I find that balance between motherhood, wifehood (if thats a word) and my own individual-hood??? Did I have to sacrafice that part of me or can I still find it somewhere?

And since I'm wallowing in self-pity, I have to wonder that lamest shouldn't freakin care at all thought that I think we have all wondered a time or two... do people like me?!?!?!?!? Am I a likeable person? I'm not writing this for people to say how wonderful I am or to make anyone feel sorry. I just want to have a record of how I feel right now so maybe someday I can appreciate the good days.

Well if you're still wondering what the heck I'm talking about, just know you're not alone. Someday I'll figure it out. But then what will I stress about? I'm sure I'll find something- stay tuned!

Let them be little

And little they were because I doubt adults would do this... although it looked tempting!

Reese made real good friends with a boy a few buildings down so we all decided to meet up at the apartment playground yesterday- me with my 2 and our new friends. It started out innocently enough.. until their mom got the hose to the carwash!!! It had rained a ton that day already so there were mud puddles. Let me tell you- the kids were in heaven and it just wasn't worth not letting them have their MESSY fun!!!

And the spraying begins!

Reese and his buddy JW having a dirty puddle water fight

That smile just tells it all!!!

The AFTERMATH!!!

(Im still finding pieces of something in her hair even after a long shower and washing!- and the uni-brow did come off)