Etowah Indian Mounds

Things around here have changed. Chris having every weekend off means a lot of time that we aren't used to. At first we were like "oh we will have plenty of activities to fill our schedule." Now, we are like "we have got to find things to do before we strangle each other go crazy."

This past weekend we got in the car and just drove northwest. We literally picked a random direction and drove. We ended up in Cartersville, GA at the Etowah Indian Mounds.

They were breathtaking. I had driven past some other Indian mounds here in Georgia before and always thought they were cool but I had never visited them. We walked through the museum and watched a quick demo on Native American tools and games. It was all really cool. Then we headed over to the mounds.

The mounds look like a pyramid minus the top. It is huge when you are standing next to it. It was a climb up those mounds but the view was amazing. You could see forever and there were butterflies playing in the field below every where! I felt like we were in a movie.  After our trip to the top we walked down to the river to relax and watch the geese. I cannot explain the feeling there. I don't know if it was because I was baptized in that river ( a little farther down) or if it was because of history there but I felt so at peace and so close to God. It was amazing.

We finished it up the trip with a walk along the nature trail. I have decided my butt needs to get in shape. Chris didn't even break a sweat... the same cannot be said for me. Haha.

So this was adventure #1. You can find more information about the mounds and the village that was in this area here. We have so much planned in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned!

- Mal

Wine Bottle - 1, Mallory - 0

So last night I wanted wine.

 I needed wine.

Work was a nightmare, I was PMSing, and nothing had gone my way. I grabbed my corkscrew and the bottle of wine I had been saving. Not the everyday wine the good stuff.

Right away I could tell something was wrong with the cork or the corkscrew or me. It would not work. I was getting frustrated. Sure, I could have waited the 5 minutes for Chris to get home and handle it but " I am woman, hear me roar!"

I took matters into my own hands...

I tried to dig the cork out with a knife... no luck.

I tried to open it like Whitney did that time with a shoe. It had worked once before for me but this time nope.

So finally I got creative.... ( read: dangerous)
I found a screw and screwed it into the cork and then grabbed a hammer to pry the screw and the cork out. This is where I messed up. I pulled and the cork started to give and then it stopped. So I pulled harder and heard a loud crash and felt instant pain.

 Hindsight: Glass and hammers don't mix. Also, I probably should have used a table for leverage so the hammer and the glass never met. 

I looked down and my hand was gushing blood. Then bottle was still in my hand but the neck of the bottle was on the ground in half with the stubborn cork still wedged in there. Once the shock wore off I bandaged my hand, poured the wine in a fancy decanter I had also been saving and disposed of the evidence right as Chris was pulling into the driveway. He never asked about the bandage or why the decanter was out of the China cabinet. (smart man)

Then I drank the entire bottle of wine. It was the best wine I have ever had so there's that. Oh, and I didn't spill a drop during the whole fiasco.

Why can't we just stay lazy?

So Chris finally got that new job. Yay! The hours are better, the pay is great and full benefits. He is pretty happy. Actually he is a totally different person.

If you think about it we spend like 30%  (or more at his old job) of our time at work. If you hate your job that is a REALLY long time. As hard as he tried, he brought that negativity home. We fought at work over work stuff and then we fought at home because of his attitude. I tried to remind myself that he couldn't help his feelings but I got severely offended when he complained. He worked for my family and for some reason I took his hate for the job as a personal attack.

Skip ahead 3 weeks and wow. He is like living with a different person. He is happy and carefree and he laughs y'all. Like actual belly laughs. Our marriage is benefiting 10x over.

Know what else is benefiting?

His health. ( where did you think that was going?)

He has lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks. He is snoring less and his face is already looking thinner. Here is the problem... I am perfectly happy being lazy. Now that he is getting all buff and crap I am going to have to get more active. I mean, I know I need to do this anyways but he has a head start and he gets paid for his physical activity.

So I need quick workout ideas. Like 30 min every AM to get started. And how do y'all stay motivated? And which diet plans work the best?

HELP!

#1000Gifts

Two weeks ago mom came up to my desk at work talking about this book she was reading and how life changing it was.

Life changing? That caught my attention.

She explained that it was a challenge basically.

A challenge? I love a good challenge.

The book...

Find it Here

Now I am only on like Chapter 3 but it is already so good and mom and I already started our journals. Mom is already at like 524 gifts or blessings. I am at 278. It is amazing. You start looking at the little things, good memories start floating the top and it is so much easier to block out the negative. This is week two and I already feel lighter and more appreciative and closer to God. I also feel like my relationships with family and friends are more cherished. I am living in the moment and realizing how good things really are and I have decided that I might just keep going once I hit 1000. Why stop at 1000?

Beat the Heat

The heat this summer hasn't been to unbearable except the whole 100% humidity everyday. The humidity in Georgia is unbearable. You walk outside and it is pretty much instant sweat. Ick. Our AC decided to crash on us at home and at work which made me start thinking about ways to beat the heat. 

Sweet Tea 

I think the reason sweet tea is like fine wine down here in the south is that it is the perfect beat the heat drink.  It is sweet and cool and perfect. I drink mine from a chilled mason jar, and yes I did this BEFORE Pinterest said it was cool. 

Pool and lake time! 

This is a given. Here in Georgia we have a few awesome lakes. I have my favorite up in the mountains that I run too when the heat gets brutal. It is also imperative that you know someone with a pool to make it through the summers here. If your pool buddy is missing and you don't feel like hooking up the boat or SeaDoos, I recommend hiking to one of the water falls (we have a billion here) or heading to the many rivers or creeks around here. Devil'e Elbow is the local hot spot around here. 

Washing the car

You get two things taken care of in one swoop here. Friday night we washed one of the big tow trucks together as a company. It was the hottest day of the year and we needed to cool down. Plus, the truck had a car show to attend. Between soaping up the truck there was a lot of spraying each other with hoses and pretending we hated it. It felt amazing. That 106 heat index with 97% humidity was no joke. 

Homemade Ice Cream

We hit the triple digits again on Saturday but the event we were at had homemade ice cream. There is nothing in this world like homemade ice cream. Why is that? I have no idea but I had 2 cups of it and no, I don't feel even a morsel of regret. It was cold and sweet and I would love some right now... at 9am... this is why I will never be a size 2. 

Those are just a few ways I beat the heat down in here in the dirty muggy south. How do you handle the summer heat? 

Book Review: The Secret Life of Bees

So I know I am late to this party. It seems EVERYONE I know has already read this book and possibly seen the movie. It has been on my bookshelf and I just never had the time. This summer I made the time and I was not disappointed.

The book is set in South Carolina in 1964. Lily Owens, 14, is the main character. Lily has a troubled past. She lost her mother, Deborah,  and feels her death was her fault. Her father, T.Ray,  is a peach farmer that is often harsh and cold towards Lily and the only person who she feels loved by is her nanny, Rosaleen.

Rosaleen decides to register to vote and on the way they are met with a group of men that start trouble. When Rosaleen stands up for herself  she is thrown in jail and beaten. Lily finds out that when Rosaleen does get out that the men will most likely kill her and that is where the adventure begins.

Lily manages to break Rosaleen out of the hospital by fooling a guard and they end up in Tiburon, SC where they find a family of bee keepers that take them in. Lily learns so much about bees that summer and about life and the tragedies that come with it.

The Characters: I am just going to sum up the 4 that I felt had the most impact on the story
Lily
I felt bad for Lily, but at times she frustrated me. She endured so much in such a small amount of time and did what she thought she had too, but I feel like she played mind games with August. She withheld and lied and claimed she was protecting herself but I felt like she would NEVER give in.

August
I loved her. She was the rock of the little community and so wise and patient. Reading this made me want to stand in the beehouse and help jar the honey and listen to her all day.

T.Ray
I hated him but at the same time I feel like he loved his daughter. I just feel like with all the hurt he endured he let the cold move in and couldn't let go.

Rosaleen
Oh Rosaleen... I loved her but at times she was a little childish. She was sweet and determined though, and I cried happy tears when she got all dolled up to register to vote again.

Overall: 
It is a must read. I loved the setting and being a southern girl I could immerse myself in that hot summer easily. The characters were lovable and passionate and you could feel their love oozing off the pages. The story had twists and turns and kept me wanting more and I was a little sad when it ended, but I felt the ends were tied up nicely. I feel like it is one I will revisit and fine different favorite parts each time.

Wedding Bells

The past week and a half has been insanely busy. I have been busy working on getting my real estate license and got a job lined up for once I am done! We went shopping for campers, went on a date night or two and visited a dear friend in the hospital. But the biggest news... my little sister got MARRIED!!!!

It was a small ceremony at my parents house. It was simple and super casual. She was beautiful. It was perfect.

And now I am just going to photo dump...

We adore our little nephew

She wanted both daddy and Brantley to walk her down the aisle

Husband and wife! 

The beautiful family

The happy couple 

May you guys have many years of happiness ahead of you.