Summer Vaca (pronounced Vacay) 2010

It is always hard coming back from vacation and entering back into the real world, especially when we had such a great past week. We had planned to go to the beach with some friends and had gotten the time off and reserved the condo. Then the oil spill happened which changed everything. We went back and forth about wether we were going to go to the beach or not. Finally two weeks before our trip to Gulf Shores we decided to not go since most likely we could not even go in the water.

We instead decided that we were going to do a day trip to Guntersville, Alabama which is about 2 and a half hours north of Tuscaloosa on Thursday and then go to Thad's parents house for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We had a great time. Wendesday we both got off early and went and saw Toy Story 3 in 3D and then on Thursday a trip to Guntersville, Friday we relaxed, played and ate dinner in Florence at Ricatonis (love their bread) our favorite restaurants in Florence. Saturday we went canoeing all day with Derek, Laura and Dawson and then were literally asleep on the couch by 8 pm. Sunday was church and naps. So it was nothing but enjoyable......it was perfect!


Thad at the Guntersville Lodge, over looking Lake Guntersville





There is a place called Kinlock Falls right outside of Thad's hometown of Haleyville and it looked so fun. There were all these high schoolers there who were getting cooled off!


Thad talking to a high schooler who was getting ready to jump off the six foot cliff. I know Thad wanted to join them...


Here he is jumping


On Friday Thad went on a hike in the woods, his favorite past-time


We went canoeing down Bear Creek with Derek, Laura and Dawson


Thad was so in his element canoeing...

Haleyville 9-1-1 Festival 2010

As you enter into Haleyville there is a sign on City Hall that reads home of "9-1-1". Each year there is a 9-1-1 Festival held in downtown Haleyville to commerate the place where it all began and since Thad and I met I have loved that Haleyville, his hometown, is the home of "9-1-1". This year we made a special effort to be there for the festival. There were vendors of all kind, rides, music and even a BBQ contest. I loved it and there was a fun energy there. As we strolled through the festival Thad kept running into long lost classmates, friends and family. It was a great time and we will definitly be at next years 9-1-1Festival 2011!

Here is what Wikepedia says about it.....

"Bob Gallagher, then-president of the independent Alabama Telephone Company (ATC), read an article in the Wall Street Journal from January 15, 1968, which reported the AT&T 9-1-1 announcement. Gallagher’s competitive spirit motivated him to beat AT&T to the punch by being the first to implement the 9-1-1 service. In need of a suitable spot within his company's territory to implement 9-1-1, he contacted Robert Fitzgerald, who was Inside State Plant Manager for ATC. Fitzgerald recommended Haleyville, Alabama as the prime site. Gallagher later issued a press release announcing that 9-1-1 service would begin in Haleyville on Feb. 16, 1968. Fitzgerald designed the circuitry, and with the assistance of technicians Jimmy White, Glenn Johnston, Al Bush and Pete Gosa, they quickly completed the central office work and installation.[16] Just 35 days after AT&T's announcement, on February 16, 1968, the first-ever 9-1-1 call was placed by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite, from Haleyville City Hall, to U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill, at the city's police station. Bevill reportedly answered the phone with "Hello". At the City Hall with Fite was Haleyville mayor James Whitt; at the police station with Bevill were Gallagher and Alabama Public Service Commission director Eugene "Bull" Connor. Fitzgerald was at the ATC central office serving Haleyville, and actually observed the call pass through the switching gear as the mechanical equipment clunked out "9-1-1". The phone used to answer the first 9-1-1 call, a bright red model, is now in a museum in Haleyville, while a duplicate phone is still in use at the police station."

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

Ok so I feel like Thad and I had the best Memorial Day around. We started out with a quick 2 day road trip to Savannah (a surprise trip from Thad) which was so great. Savannah truly was a city filled with history, charm and beauty. Once we returned home we spent Monday at the pool and bbq with some friends, yep it was pretty much a blast. Here are some pics of our adventures......


This is the famous River Street in Savannah that is right along the river....pretty but a tourist trap


We took a picture here because the stairs were so steep and tall


There was this yummy candy shop full of freshly made treats (I heart anything with pecans in them)


I loved this little bridge with the ivy arch-way


In the background is the restaurant Lady and Sons, the main purpose of the trip and they were booked and we never got to eat there


I made Thad stand under the gorgeous moss, so pretty (not Thad, the moss)


Can you imagine taking a ghost tour of Savannah in this car at night? Very cool

We search high and low for the bench that Forrest Gump sat on with his box of chocolates......but found out that the bench was in a museum now but found the park the bench use to be in(this is Thad impersonating Forrest Gump)



We got away from all the tourists and strolled the neighborhoods and fell in love with all the neat old homes


We stumbled upon a gorgeous church and to make it more quaint there was a couple getting married in the park across the street


Ever wonder how peaches or fruit get to us all pretty and shiny? Well on our way home we came across a peach factory and you could take a tour through the factory. I was very impressed and really was fascinated by what a perfect system they have going









Then on Monday we went to the pool by our house and had a lovely time










It was a great Memorial Day Weekend!