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Chattanooga Chapter 4

PERSONAL

Our last day in Chattanooga was something I like to call “A Family Fun Day”.  We don’t get that many…mostly because free days at home are eaten up with wedding shower preparations and home renovations.  oh and blogging.  and photo editing.  You know…the important stuff in life. 

So needless to say, I was really excited about our time that we would get together.  We said goodbye to Uncle Torrey and packed all our things.

We had planned on doing a little biking.  Jeremy was gonna mountain bike with his guys and I was gonna do a leisurely bike on pavement with Will and a few of the other wives.  Unfortunately, the boys didn’t feel up to par.  I blame the Testosterone Battles 🙂 

So to the new Volkswagon park we went…with the bikes and toddler in tow.

Jeremy is hardcore about the mountain biking.  Me?  Notsomuch. 

Plus, I got the WeeRide in between my legs making me peddle like a frog.  Oh and the twenty five extra pounds in the WeeRide doesn’t help either. 

 

Afterward we were all pretty exhausted and hungry so we stopped at the nearest fast food joint.  This was Will’s first experience with the delicacy known as a corndog. 

Yeah he loved it.  And yeah – the entire time he would put it in his mouth with his little pinky in the air.  My baby knows how to classy-up a corndog 🙂

Will has a fascination with straws.  He loves drinking from them.  If I am drinking water and he has water in his sippy cup, he will drain my cup and refuse to take his.  Only because of the straw.

After the bike ride and the quickie lunch we decided to head home. 

That’s when we hit tragedy.  An hour of not moving.  People were out of their cars.  Everyone was in park.  The thought went through my mind that something horrible had happened – like TVA was bombed or something – and everyone was fleeing town.  I am usually the last to know about big events so the possibility existed that we were coincidentally in the mix of people trying to avoid nuclear fallout.  I know.  It’s weird that my brain goes there.  I blame too many save-the-world type movies.

Here’s Will entertaining the people next to us…also known as staring at them.  They loved it.     

After the hour of NOT MOVING…the lanes finally started creeping and I coerced Jeremy into making another stop.  This time it was for more Family Fun Day activities.   

It was kind of an accident that we found this place.  We weren’t really looking for a beach – just a little spot for Will to get out and play.  This just happened to be perfect.  It’s called Acworth Beach.

As soon as Will spotted the water, he went straight for it.

And on the way, he found that the earth was moving below his steps.  I believe this is the very moment when he discovered sand.

It was love.  love at first throw. 

We changed him into his swimming gear that we had in the car and let him loose.

I can not describe how happy this was for me.  I know he is independent and brave and bold – which can be hard on me at times because I want him to grow up and be respectful and understand what gentleness is and what grace means and how to show love to others and disciplining just doesn’t come naturally for me…but this was one moment in my life that I can say, those attributes of independence and bravery served him well.   

He didn’t waste one second…he loved it all.  He loved discovering splashing in the water…and the fact that he could reach down and throw the sand was heavenly for him.

And even though there were other kids around – getting water in his face and chucking sand all about – he didn’t mind…he just smiled and giggled and watched them…

The sand though was really his favorite. 

He would dig and dig and dig and then stand up with clumps of sand – letting it fall between his little fingers – then would look at his dirty hands…totally confused on what to do next. 

At one point he put it in his mouth…not the brightest idea ever…and then proceded to take his sandy hands and try to wipe it out….which only made it worse.  Yup – and this guy is gonna be your president one day 🙂  

Okay – time for random pictures….

Our family photo:

The only photo of me at the beach…

Hey David Hasselhoff…

Okay – so at one point Will saw all the other kids playing in the sand…and unfortunately we didn’t have a bucket or anything for him to play with…so we just dug a hole and let it fill with water – and let Will explore that for a little bit.

And he was very good – not even trying to steal anyone else’s toys…

…and then there was this little girl.  Let’s call her Columbia…because that is the only thing I know about her from her sweet Columbian mama who chatted with me…so Columbia had an extra bucket – and let Will play with it. 

So the two of them sat there and scooped and dumped for thirty minutes!  It was amazing.

And yes – Will always finds the best looking baby girls everywhere he goes.  Columbia was the prettiest doll on the beach that day…and yes, she and her big brown eyes made my uterus ache.

It literally was the perfect free Family Fun Day ever.

Oh and did I mention the sunset? 

Yeah – the sun cast this ethereal glow on everything…it was like a dreamy movie.

Of course, it helps that in my movie, Jeremy is the lead role.  Handsome father of one woos simple girl who hides behind big black box known as a Canon.

I wish I could tell you how much I wanted to move to Acworth.  At that moment, I could think of nothing better than to pack up and be closer to such a fantastic park.  Consider me officially jealous of anyone that lives close to water.

And that my friends is the conclusion of our Chattanooga trip.  It only took me three weeks to blog about it…better late than never, right?  

So did you go on a mini vacation this summer?  Anybody have a staycation?  What did you do?  Anyone live on the water?  No don’t tell me…it’ll just make me even more green with jealousy…okay – you can tell me…just don’t rub it in.  I mean, Will reads this too and we don’t want to be cruel.  Be kind to the baby 🙂

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  1. so funny that yall stopped at Acworth Beach. My high school cross country team used to do work outs there.

  2. I live in a lakeside community and it literally takes me less than five minutes to get to our little “beach.” I don’t get to go and hang out there as much as I’d like, but knowing that it’s always there for enjoyment and getting to see the little sliver of water from my backyard is pretty relaxing.

  3. I don’t live anywhere close to a beach……but I do live in the waterpark capital of the world…..so that does count for something right?!?! (Which btw Will would love……they have slides in the water) Haha. My husband and I went “glamping” this summer up north, where I got to try water skiing for the first time. Needless to say I couldn’t get up (we did have fun cracking viagra jokes though 😉 ) I love family days like this…….set at your own pace, FREE, and just enjoying your most favoritest people in the world…..equals pure heaven to me!!!

  5. My husband loves mountain biking, so I can relate. I “sort of” liked it (except the falls…)before we had kids, now it is non existant for me! Enjoyed your pics..thanks for sharing!

  7. Hey, you were in my neck of the woods! We don’t have the luxury of living on the water, but we aren’t far from Lake Acworth and Allatoona Lake. Unfortunately, we don’t take advantage of them as much as I would like. Great pics- glad you discovered our little town! 🙂

  8. Isnt the water great! We live on a canal, which is not the best for swimming (weedy and lots of fish) but I love just sitting in the backyard and watching the water and boats go by! sounds like you guys had a perfect end to your mini vaca!

  9. What a neat little beach and beautiful photos!
    Just a little note, the country is spelled with an “o” as in ColOmbia. I learned that when I married a Colombian. I also learned that they are a little picky about it. ack… and I think the fact that I felt the need to correct you means I have official turned into one. Here is to hoping my little Colombian babies look as precious as her and have the chance to play on the beach with a sweet boy like Will.

  10. Beautiful photos! We live in Martha’s Vineyard (an island off the coast of Massachusetts), and though sometimes I can’t stand it here (lack of convenience as we have NO big stores or fast food places-the sheer horror!, crazy crowds in the summertime, etc.), to see my 3 boys splashing in the water at the beach almost daily makes me crazy happy. Will reminds me of our 20-month-old, who runs for the water as soon as we get there & would just keep on going out if we didn’t grab him. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your vacation with us!

  11. Looks like a fun trip, and a great park. We, too, took a four day mini-vacation to Charleston, SC this summer when my husband returned from a deployment. Which was all relaxing and beautiful until night two when he developed such horrific food poisoning that we ended up in the Emergency Room. Welcome back to America, sweetie! Or something like that…

  12. We love living in Acworth! Your pictures are wonderful – makes me think, we haven’t been to that park in years though. We scoot up to Chattanooga every once in a while and are lost on any other restaurant since we discovered Aretha Frankensteins. We go every time:)

  13. Great pictures!! Not sure how far in L’ville you live, but if you shoot down 78 to Stone Mountain Park, you know they have a beach, right? On the lake?

  15. quick question (and totally random): Where did you find water shoes for Will? I’ve been looking for some for our son, Crosby. I can’t find any that fit right.

  16. Your “family photo” is actually gorgeous! I LOVE the shadows with Will as the only peron in the photo….brilliant

  17. What sweet pictures! I love the pics of Will eating the corn dog. His pinky up is too darn cute! Glad you had a fun family day!

  18. I live about 5 miles from Lake Michigan. I don’t even know or can’t even comprehend a world without a lake (lake effect snow and all)!!!

  19. Today is my first day back to work from our staycation! We had family from out of town visiting and we took them to all of the local “things to see and do”. We also had a great time at the beach! For starters it was warm and that’s not alway a given in the NW!

    We too have noticed that the best Family Fun days are those that are not planned and are usually free! Great pictures!

  21. We are planning a week in the Outer Banks at the end of August – and I am sure Kate will try to eat the sand! This will be her first time at the beach, and I cannot wait to see her reaction.

    I just got a bike, and Kate likes to ride in the trailer, but my goodness she is heavy. I clip into my bike, so I’ve taken my fair share of wipe outs, but it is fun and good exercise 🙂

  23. The picture of Will staring at other drivers is soooo cute. Looks like a fun time. P.S. Uncle Torrey is pretty adorable as well.

  24. Love all of your photos Katie, it looks like Will had a blast…..I know I’ve been spoiled by living on the water all my life. Your post brought back such memeories of times spent at the beach as a kid myself and then being lucky enough to remain in the same community when we had kids of our own. I spent every day at the beach in the summer when they were little. It is so true that kids are NEVER bored at the beach. We would pack a lunch and while the time away! We are in Rhode Island if you ever feel the urge to come visit! I can hear kids on the water squealing in delight right now as I sit typing this. ….

  25. Will is so sweet playing in the water! His new little friend is adorable, but I’m a little surprised you posted pictures of a stranger’s child on the internet. Maybe I’m a little paranoid, but I feel like parents should have the right to control what info is posted online about their children.

  26. i can’t count the number of times i’ve passed that beach on the way to visit my sister-in-law and her family of 4 who live in acworth. thanks for the motivation to actually stop and play there next time we are in georgia!!

  27. Yeah – if you stop after 6 or during a weekday, I think it is free…but Saturdays & Sundays till 6pm is $10 for parking…just a little heads up.
    xo – kb

  28. Well I asked her mama if it was alright if I had her photo on my blog. I’m not really sure if she understood what a blog was per say but she said yes 🙂
    xo – kb

  31. What is lake effect snow? Is that something I should know? Because right now I am feeling really dumb.
    xo – kb

  32. Ah ok, good deal then. Hope I didn’t come off as accusatory! Too bad you didn’t give her the link because those photos of her little girl are too gorgeous!

  33. You know that they closed the swimming part, right? The nerve. Now it is just a big sandy beach…but you aren’t allowed in the water. I was totally bummed when I heard. I guess that is why Acworth Beach was so sweet to me 🙂
    xo – kb

  34. Will’s were from Walmart. We had to buy a size up but they cinch closed so they stay on really well. Happy shopping!
    xo – kb

  37. I love your baby will. He looks a little like my baby boy, he’s only 8 months old! But I look at Will and imagine my baby at that age, playing with sand and water. I’m glad you had a great time! You have a wonderful baby!

  38. So cute !!! My 2 guys love the beach and lucky for us we live near about 4 of them. In Seattle you are never too far from the water ! When my twins discoverd sand for the first time it was almost excatally the same experiance…throwing..wow..digging…double wow. eating….not so much. So fun to relive that memeory through this post thanks for sharing !!!

  39. Glad to see that my toddler is not alone in his straw obsession. I’m fairly confident we could put vinegar in a straw cup and he’d be all over it!

  40. The only thing I know about ‘lake effect snow’ is that it means we get lots and lots of snow dumped on us in the winter (I think it has to do with pressure changes near bodies of water). I live in Chicago, just 4 blocks from Lake Michigan, and am already dreading digging my car out of snow again this winter! Although living so close to the lake has its perks in the summer!

  41. When cold winds move across a large body of warmer water, they pick up water vapor which then turns into TONS OF SNOW!!!! We get MUCH more snow then our Eastern Michigan neighbors!!! (Don’t worry, you wouldn’t know about it unless you lived here and experienced it)!

  42. I have always lived within 5 minutes of a body of water, I can’t imagine not ever living that close to water! Crabbing and fishing the summer away, now that’s a life worth living! 🙂

  43. We went to Myrtle Beach in May..AMAZING!!! The weather was beautiful and it wasn’t very crowded!

    We also live about 15 minutes away from a 6 mile wide lake. We go there every year for the fireworks on the 4th and on Labor Day. This year..the main attraction was they added another slide by the “beach”. We are all sorts of fancy in the midwest! 😉

  45. We have a little guy who is just about a year younger than Will, so I am envisioning what next summer will be like while reading. We live 2 blocks from the Mississippi River…sometimes I forget just how blessed we are! So glad you had a special day at the beach together!

  46. I think it’s interesting that your thought of an emergency while on the highway.

    I pulled into our neighborhood late one night this week to find an empty parking lot with lots of empty driveways (usually most people are home by that time), so I had to call hubs to see if there was an evacuation. That’s the first place my brain went. I guess I’ve been watching too many doom movies.

    Thanks for sharing your vacation!

  47. The beach pit stop sounds perfect! Loving your posts, as always. It’s like being included with you family. Happy blogging!

  48. This post makes me sigh with nostalgia. When I was growing up we had a cabin on one of the thousands of lakes in Minnesota. We’d trek up there every month, rain, snow, or sunshine. My favorite thing was our pontoon boat and the giant whale that my dad would tow slowly behind it. Between your pictures and my memories I’m pouting! Hope you enjoyed it enough for the both of us 🙂

  49. I’m sorry you got stuck in traffic. That is why I hate Chattanooga. At least 1/2 of the times I’m passing through I get stuck in horrible traffic (worse than Atlanta’s!) First time was 3 hours with two toddlers (cross country move) by myself. Unfortunately we were creeping along and not just stopped, so I couldn’t even let my kids free 🙁

  53. What a precious baby. Your comments remind me so much of my own when my 5 year old was 1: so curious and bold compared to other babies. Enjoy his babyhood. It goes by waaaaaay too fast.

  54. Looks like you had fun! Thanks for sharing!
    Found you through YHL. Your family is beautiful! Your house looks amazing! Good for you, finding your dream house at a bargain, especially with interest rates being so low!
    I love your sarcasim! My husband sometimes thinks I am too sarcastic. But I love it! Gets me through my day.
    Thanks for sharing your family with us. May God continue to bless you!

  58. Oh Katie. I can relate so much to having a big, bold and independent boy (who is really close to Will’s age) and how wonderful and kind of heartbreaking that can be. Will is adorable and I am sure he’s going to be gentle and kind as well as bold and independent.

  59. Hey Acworth is kind of a far drive, but Ft. Yargo park had this same type of “lake beach” and I live in the Grayson area it takes me about 25 minutes to get out towards Winder. Do you know where I mean? It is still kind of far but not as far as driving to Acworth for a little lake beach fun. You should give it a try its pretty awesome. My two boys love it.

  62. I’m a reader not a commenter, but Acworth beach is about a block from our house. We love it! Wonderful beach, great restaurants, cute little small town good stuff (local pharmacy, library where the staff knows your name, tiny post office that rarely is crazy busy).
    Living in metro-Atlanta but being able to walk almost everywhere I need to go is lovely.

    The pictures are awesome! Also, oddly enough, you would have been here about the time I was stealing your little wall of curtains trick from your first house’s master bedroom for our own.

  64. We just moved to Chattanooga at the beginning of July and we love it so far! I’ve loved reading these posts. We’ve already been to Coolidge Park and the VW Park–did you guys happen to stop in on one of the open bomb shelters? Pretty neat.

    I haven’t tried Clumpie’s yet, but it’s on the list!

    You said you and Jeremy met in Chattanooga–did you all go to school here?

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