High School Senior Casual Pose

This is my new do. I donated my hippie-like locks to locks of love ~ at least it wasn't all in vain. Clara looked at me and said 'Mommy who's that?'

Hey ~ now where was I? Ah yes Suwannee Springfest...After Easter weekend we came home for a couple of days worked and did our usual business (blah blah). Thursday after work the RV was back on the curb in front of our house----Klassy! We left out early Friday morning and drove to Live Oak, Florida. It is always so much easier to drive 4 hours in an RV than in a car. We pulled in around 11 am and started our search for our campsite. We pulled around to the back of the campground where we never even ventured last year and discovered a huge camping area. We parked the ole girl right next to a pull behind camper (we are not elitist about this(hierarchies exist in all communities)). We saw a couple of toys strewn about their site and thought it might be nice to bunk up with some other parents. We talked to them they seemed nice enough so we faced our doors towards one another and became fast neighbors. They had two families and some strays hanging around and a little girl Drew and a little boy Chase and one more momma on the way with a 2 month old name Jackson. They were awesome. We really lucked out. The first day we went and saw Verlon Thompson and Jim Lauderdale, Donna the Buffalo, and a little girl with an enormous stand up base from Memphis. We went to a couple different stages but the kids were best suited to the ampitheater stage. It has tons of live oaks dripping with spanish moss and little hammocks hung up in the trees for anyone to swing in. it is shady and has plenty of room to spread out a quilt and park a wagon and a jogging stroller. Clara went to this festival last year and did a lot more playing in the dirt than dancing but this year she came to jam. She pretty much danced and ran in circles the whole time. She would insist Brad go with her to the front of the stage so she could check it out and really get her moves down. She met a couple of friends while on tour. One was a little girl named Sascha who had never eaten popcorn until she met Clara (she is our little trail blazer). Wiley literally rocked it out at all of the shows when he wasn't eating. He liked to sit on your knee and buck back and forth until he head butts you or bust your lip open. That night we wanted to see all the late bands like the Waybacks but had to settle for hearing them on the radio at the camp so we could wash up the kids and put them to sleep. We got everyone settled and Brad cooked us some tuna steaks and I prepped the sides. It was a good meal listened to some good music. Went to bed early. Wiley slept with us and by morning we were all 4 in the bed (some of you know how we roll in snuggle-town). The next day we did more of the same. We mostly stayed at the main stage saw David Grisman and the Stringdusters to name a few. That night we hung out around the fire our neighbors made. We chatted and listened to Peter Rowan and the Free Mexican Airforce. (I imagine he was wearing a cape or a cloak while performing as is his usual styling. So sassy...) We drank wine and roasted marshmellows and watched the golf carts filled with trustafarians(must have been ~ those things were 350$ for the weekend) pass by us. right before we called it a night a guy drove by us yelled something very obscene that only a man would yell but as Brad pointed out he did it so nicely it was hardly offensive. I laughed so hard I had to go to sleep between the marshmellows, wine, and obscene gesturing I had enough! The next morning everyone was in a rush to leave but we had one more day so we took it easy bought Clara a cool T-shirt that she will be able to kick down to Wiley walked around for a little while longer and decided we would head back towards home. We took our usual long cut(my term for Brad's chosen route whenever he looks at a map). It is shortest in miles on the smallest of roads that takes the longest amount of time. But is usually the coolest route especially if you've got the time. We drove West on 90 through Florida and then took 19 through Thomasville Pelham and Camila all he way to Albany. And get this Mama made her debut behind the wheel. I thought I was a pro but Daddy seemed a bit queasy. COME ON! He's all over the road, driving with his long silly toes, spitting out seeds, talking on his cell phone. While I am making him a sandwich, changing a diaper, being flung all around trying to get a sippy cup made. I simply scooted up the seat parked my hands at 10 and 2 and rolled on with it. It may have been a little wobbly at first but he definitely was losing his cool. We pulled into Chehaw State park in Albany recommended by the Senns. It was so nice the play ground was so cool and Brad was very excited by the BMX course. We will have to go back to see the train and the wild animal park when we have more time. We plugged into the water and electric there and ended up in bed around 8:30 pm (we love to party hard). The next morning we drove past Andersonville prison site and saw all the graves and the old lay out of the prison it was pretty neat Brad only let me drive for a second or two this day because I was wearing my spectacles and this reminded him of my poor vision (sorry mr 20/20). Well we made it home in one piece and things started flying out of the RV as soon as we were curbside. Every trip gets more and more fun. Learning the tricks of the trade. next stop will most likely be Beach Bum parade in Tybee next to the Cable's Tybee Tara - Country done come to town!

Hey anyone there?? The past two weekends have been a blast we did our 'test run' in the RV Easter weekend. (We had not taken the RV since last summer when we went to Sally and T's wedding in Edisto, SC. I was still pregnant with Wiley at the time. We took Clara and camped at a great site right next to the beach.) Back to the test run in Munner's school bus as Clara calls it. We set out for Dauset trails for the Bluegrass and Bluebirds festival. It was a great event we saw a lot of people from Macon but mainly strolled around with the Senn family. Clara thinks Drew is the bees knees and he held her hand and walked her through the nature trail. Wiley and Baby Wil were escorted by their mothers and were happy to be out in the sunshine checking out the scene. The Packway Handle Band from Athens played they were great and fairly foxy to boot!
After we had our fill of the festival we ambled back to the RV for nap time and to ride out to Indian Springs to see if there was a site available. The whole town was having a grand re-opening of all the little store fronts it looked so cute but with no nap we had to forge onward to our camp ground. Indian Springs was very clean and had nice sites with cable and picnic tables. We settled in and cooked dinner, put the kids to bed and followed not to far behind. The next morning Brad took Clara for a walk as they came over a hill they stumbled on to an Easter Service and while they were gone the Easter Bunny came to the camp site and dropped off the Easter baskets. Clara grabbed her M&M bunny and Wiley chewed on his stuffed bunny's face. We then cleaned up with a quick Shower(all showers in the RV are quick) and headed for Grandma's in McDonough. It was so good to see my cousins and all of their kids and my aunts and especially Grandma herself! She is so amazing and there is nothing more amazing than her fried okra and green tomato hash with hot peppers. They are slap yo mama good(sorry mom)! Aunt Donna came about three hours later than us but I was glad to wait to see her, mainly because she had my girl scout cookies but good to see her as always. After no nap and tons of chocolate we loaded up and headed to Brad's family's compound in Bolingbroke. We hung out with Munner (Clara's attempt at grandmother) and Aunt T and Uncle Tommy. It was a good visit and Clara managed to down a few more M&M's. Kayde and Karli came to visit their little cousins for a bit and were amazed with them I am sure as most people are when they see my children!

Well that was the test run I will post later on the Suwanne Springfest.