Back home in Nashville

Our first week back in Nashville was filled with joy and sadness.  On Friday morning, we drove to visit Chuck's Grandma Velma in Lafayette because she had been in the hospital about a month and had just been moved to a rehab facility.  We had a very nice visit with her and although she was very weak, she was in good spirits and hoping to get to feeling better so she could go home soon.

Crystal, Grant and Avery came to Nashville that first weekend.  They arrived Friday evening at my mom's and we enjoyed a full weekend of spending time with them and my mom.

On Friday night, GiGi (my mom) read her great-granddaughter Avery a bedtime story.

I'm not sure who enjoyed the story more:  GiGi or Avery?  I think GiGi did.  :)

On Saturday morning, we met Crystal, Grant and Avery at Opry Mills.  We walked with Avery in the mall for a little bit.

Before we left the mall, Pa gave Avery a tickly kiss...

...and then Avery gave MiMa a sweet kiss!  :)

Saturday afternoon was spent babysitting Avery back at my mom's.  "Let's go outside, MiMa!"

On Sunday morning, we received the very sad news that Chuck's Grandma Velma had passed away.  We were so saddened by her passing but so very, very thankful we had gone to visit her on Friday.  The next several days were busy with going to visitation and the funeral.  Grandma Velma was such a special lady and we will miss her dearly.  (You may remember this picture from when we first started the blog back in 2012.)

The next week was filled with annual doctors' and dentist appointments which all went very well.  We spent the rest of the month visiting friends and family around Nashville.  Chuck even got in a fishing trip with his brother Jerry on Kentucky Lake.  They caught 27 fish on Thursday...

...and 44 fish on Friday.

It had been several years since Chuck had been to "the camp" on Kentucky Lake and he said he had forgotten how pretty it is. 

After Chuck got back from his fishing trip, we went to his uncle and aunt's house, Donald and Anna, for a family get-together.

And as always when this bunch gets together, racing comes up in one form or another.  Here is Erica in her lean, mean trike machine.  :)

She raced against Ella (who is almost 4) in her Lil' Tike car.  However, the surprise winner was Ella's younger sister Tate who is only 2 and out ran them both!  :)

The month of May began with my mom having unexpected surgery.  Thankfully, she is recovering quickly.  In fact, if I didn't know better, I would think she didn't even have surgery.  :)

We'll be in Nashville a few more days unless we get a call from Crystal and Grant that Avery's baby sister is ready to arrive.  :)

More Fun with the Girls!

Our weekend back in Atlanta was filled with lots of little girls.

Can you imagine what it will be like with 5 granddaughters?  :)

We babysat Bell and Em for Taf and Cory over the weekend.  Crystal, Grant and Avery joined us Friday night for dinner and so we could watch the Tennessee-Michigan basketball game together.  Saturday was rainy, cold and very windy.  Emmaline (the youngest) wanted to go outside and kept pointing to the back door and then, of course, Isabella, did too.  I tried to explain that it was too cold.  Isabella said "but we can put on our jackets."  And then I said it was wet and rainy too.  Isabella said "but we can put on our hats".  I kept trying to explain why we couldn't go outside and she kept giving me reasons whey we could.  She almost had me convinced.  :)

Sunday morning we got Bell and Em ready and, surprisingly enough, got to church a few minutes early. Chuck and I asked each other on the way to church how did we ever get our daughters ready for anything when they were little.  :)  Everyone was pretty tired Sunday afternoon because we all took some pretty good naps.  :)  Taf and Cory arrived back home that afternoon after a fun weekend.

We woke up to a cool but beautiful day Monday morning.  Time to get some steps in and look for golf balls along the way.  :)

The redbud trees were blooming...

...and the lake was calm.

Since it was such a beautiful day, Tafanie, Bell and Emmaline came to see us at Stone Mountain on Monday.  Emmaline had a snack of some apples.

Bell practiced her photography skills by taking a picture of her apples,

her Pa,

and the latest addition to our motorhome, another 1/2 bath.  We always wanted an extra bathroom.  :)

Pa and Bell played cards for a few minutes...

...but then it was time to go to the playground.  MiMa rode with Bell down the slide a few times...

and then a couple times with Bell and Emmaline.

Then, MiMa had to rest.  :)

Crystal and Avery met us back at Tafanie's Monday night for some homemade lasagna.  We got to play with all 3 girls after supper.  Avery and I took this "selfie."  :)

Since it was such a nice evening when we got back to the camper, Chuck and I enjoyed a campfire for a couple of hours Monday night.

Very peaceful!  :)

Isabella spent the day with us Tuesday at Stone Mountain.  She told us she wanted to "go to the playground, throw pine cones in the water, and watch the geese."  We started our day with Bell by getting some of our steps in...

going to the playground, and then going to the lake to throw pine cones (and then rocks) in the water.

What form!  :)

Bell always kicks up her left foot when she throws rocks or pine cones in the water.

After eating a very good lunch, we all took naps.  After naps, we walked back down to the lake to throw a few more pine cones in the lake and to see the geese.

Chuck, Bell and I met Tafanie and Emmaline and Crystal and Avery at Panera Bread for supper.  Isabella practiced her photography skills in the car on the way to Panera.  :)

After dinner, we went back over to Crystal and Grant's for a few minutes before heading back to Stone Mountain for the evening.  We had a wonderful few days of blowing bubbles, swinging on swings, sliding on slides, throwing pine cones in the water, and doing all the fun things that grandparents get to do with their granddaughters.  :)