A Successful Weekend Trip!

Sleeping Reed
Sleeping Cassidy

The true mark of a successful family trip...exhausted kids! We had a great time!

Providence Canyon State Park

Exploring

Looking down into Providence Canyon.

We hiked to the top of the canyons.

The kids found walking sticks to use.

I had to take a picture because it reminded of a certain Pa Gary!

My beautiful kids!

At the bottom of the canyon.

Aren't they cute?!?

Team Blankinship ready to start the hike.

I gave myself a deadline to post the last set of pictures of our Georgia weekend before the end of October...I am ahead of schedule!

On Sunday, we went to Providence Canyon State Park. This park was actually the reason I chose this section of Georgia for our trip this year. In researching it though, I realized there was only one hiking trail we could attempt (the 7 mile hike seemed a little much to ask of Reed and Cass) so we only needed one day to explore this park. That was when I started looking for nearby attractions and cities and found the Science center and Westville.

Providence Canyon was very pretty and a nice 3.5-4 mile hike. It is a huge reminder of how humans impact the environment. This canyon did not exist 160 years ago. It is a direct result of clearing the land for farming and removing the native flora that stopped/slowed erosion of the soils. Most, if not all of the trees you see in the pictures and in the canyons were planted by the CCC in the 1930s in an attempt to replace flora and slow the erosion down. One thing they planted that has had very unintended consequences was Kudzu vine. But we enjoyed the park and the hike.

And yes, if you are keeping track, Team Blankinship did not forsake the assembly. We did go to church. We attended the First Street Church of Christ in Cordele, GA. I'm just sayin'!

Westville Living History Museum

My pioneer family!
Washing clothes demonstration.

Casting lead bullets

Reed with the school master and the mayor

The cotton that had been sent through the gin

The man running the cotton gin. He would stomp on the floor twice and the mules would start to turn the gin. This was SO cool to Randy and I! I have taught about this, but this was the first time I had ever seen it!

Our mule ride through town.

Stopping for a bite of gingerbread made in the cast iron, wood burning cook stove...very good.

Playing checkers outside the tavern. Reed is looking a picture on glass the man was developing.

Reed watching some of the soldiers drill. Duh.

Talking with one of the ladies about her home and kids.

The kids being recruited for the Confederate Army. That's a big ol' NO SIR!

So, we got all the science/technical stuff out of the way on Friday and it was on to my personal favorite...HISTORY! In researching the area, I found a living history museum that simulates a 1850's town complete with actual buildings and people in period clothes. So, of course, I drug the fam!

In case anyone may be unaware, Oct. 18 is Georgia Secessionist Day. As in: The day Georgia seceded from the Union. Without being too political, I'm not so sure this is something to celebrate, but it is historical. And, in our case, it really worked to our favor! Westville was celebrating the day and had brought in a full "cast of characters" to man all of their buildings. We spent about 6 hours walking through the streets of the town, going into all the homes and shops, viewing the different crafts and chores, and talking to the people. We all really enjoyed it!

The experience reminded me again how glad I am to not have to make my own soap from animal fat (amazingly pleasant smelling, but still inherently icky), plant, harvest and prepare my own produce, wash clothes by hand and all the other amazingly difficult and time-consuming chores that women had to do on a daily basis back then. I really need to stop complaining about how time consuming folding and putting away dry clothes is!

Coca Cola Space Science Center - Columbus, GA

Cassidy and I forecasting the weather. I may be revealing to much, but this was really fun for me. I found myself going back over there to "track the thunderstorms." Hmmmm...
Reed and Randy (far plane) shooting down enemy craft. Yes, I avoided this ride as it also simulated hurtling and such.

Everybody (Reed is in the far plane) with strong constitutions flying fighter jets

We had a great weekend visit to western Georgia last weekend! They call the part of GA we visited the "Presidential Pathways" because FDR lived in the area and it is the hometown and current home of President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter. And, in case you were getting a false impression, it is also "the boonies." Most of the towns we drove through, including the city of Plains (the Carter's town), probably had less than 1500 people and no lodging. Anyhoo...we drove most of the way and late into the night on Thursday so we would have a full day on Friday to enjoy.

On Friday, we drove to Columbus,GA. It is on the Chattahoochee River (very cool to the history nerd) and, thus, on the GA-AL border. It is also the home of Fort Benning. We went to the Coca Cola Space Science Center on the college campus there. We had a blast (get it...space...blast!)! It is relatively small, but they have a number of cool, interactive exhibits and a planetarium style theater. We picked a fabulous day to go as there were only 2 other families there the whole time. We stayed for over 3 hours playing with all of the gizmos. We also watched a movie about Black Holes. It was interesting (to Randy), nauseating (to me...hurtling through space is not for the faint of stomach) and boring (to 2 small children with the attention spans of gnats and possibly to me who really doesn't care to think about things that are "millions of light years away"). But we had a really good time and it was fun to find something that appealed to all of us!

By-the-by, I finally "landed" my rocket without crashing...it only took me 7 tries and forcing Randy to "go away and quit harassing/heckling me". It really is harder than it looks to keep your little triangle in the middle of the circle! Oh, you might also be wondering if Randy liked forecasting the weather...no, he is apparently "too cool" to forecast pretend weather. Harumph!

Project Due Tomorrow!

A diorama "symbolizing our family"

That's me on 2nd base...aren't I a shapely gal (and slightly askew)!

Poor Skipper ended up a wiener dog...a fate worse than death in my opinion.

The poster about our family.

Sorry about the flash covering your faces, Mom!

He's just happy to be done. Here's hoping he aces his presentation!

I'm sorry for the forever-long lapse in posting! Things have been slightly hectic...to the point that I have only had the chance to sit down and check email and catch up on the blogs I read twice since we've returned from our Georgia weekend! But I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...laundry done, floors done (hallelujah!) and rent car parked in driveway (never ending repair on the Suburban). AND...we have finally completed Reed's first official first grade project. Yes, WE all had to work on it. Trust me...the child needed some organizational help. He did all of the writing, coloring and placement...we just helped with the organizational framework and the technical points. And yes, it does take 2 adults and a child 2 ENTIRE evenings to complete a poster about our family and a diorama about our family. So stay tuned...Georgia pictures are coming soon!

Enjoying Pa David!

Cassidy was Pa David's "shadow" the entire time he was here...

a very chatty, demanding shadow!

Canoeing on the Little Manatee River
Randy and I call this, "Scrunched down with blessings!" I'm sure David is just glad the kids didn't flip the canoe over with both of them up in his space!

Before church on Sunday morning. And the kids are wearing the new duds Pa David and Gran Debbie bought them...thanks!

Can't you see the family resemblance?!? Too cute!

We had such a great visit with Pa David! Thanks for coming!

Who Had More Fun?

The grease monkeys! Check out Randy's hands!
Reed watching the sharks.
Cassidy NOT watching the sharks, but blantantly disregarding

the rules about hanging on the rails.

A stare off: Cow nosed Ray vs. Reed and Cassidy
In front of the manatees

We were all so glad to have Randy back from his 4 day trip to DC, but there was no rest for the weary...regardless of what you may have been weary of (work-Randy, kids-me)! The Camry (bless its heart) was in dire need of brake work and some other maintenance, so Randy and Paul (a BIG bless his heart) scheduled Saturday to take it all apart and fix it. And they did...12 hours later!



I really couldn't face another day at home with the kids, so Lori (bless her heart) and I took the kids to Michaels, Burlington Coat Factory,Mote Aquarium,Sweetberries (frozen custard place), the Ellenton Outlet Malls (Cassidy only) and Wal Mart. It was a full day.



On Sunday afternoon...WE RESTED!