Our Week - The One with a High School Football Game and a Georgia Game in Atlanta

College football is BACK, BABBBBYYYY, and my house is all decorated for fall!  Could I be any more excited?!  As you can probably already guess, we had the best week because it’s the most wonderful time of the year!  September – December are my favorite months of the year, and they’re finally heeeere!  Y’all ready for the recap?!  Let’s go!

Monday, August 29

Monday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then headed to drop my car off for a service appointment.  Since B works from home on Monday, he was able to pick me up and take me back home until it was ready.  I spent the morning working on laundry and blog stuff, and then at lunchtime, we headed back over to the dealership to pick it up.  I also worked on tweaking some of the fall decor.

Monday afternoon, I picked the kids up from school, and Jacob and I dropped Olivia at dance and then headed to the pediatrician for his 11-year old well visit.  He also had to get a sports physical to play golf for his school, so we were able to knock it all out at once. 

The appointment took longer than expected, so Brian had to pick Olivia up from dance, and then Jacob and I met back up with them at home.  We made breakfast for dinner, and then it was more laundry, an arms workout, some America’s Got Talent, and then Vampire Diaries to round out the evening.

Tuesday, August 30

Tuesday morning after I dropped the kids at school, I headed to Target to return a couple of things.  While I was there, I saw that they’d put out all of the Halloween stuff, so I spent the next 45 minutes browsing around checking it all out… you know, just living my best basic fall life!!  Haha.  My gosh, I love fall.  

They had some great decor in the Dollar Spot and I couldn't resist these cuties.  I also grabbed some candy corn for my pumpkin jar.

The rest of the day was spent working on blog stuff and getting some items photographed and uploaded to Poshmark, and I also had to go back to the school midday to attend a Home and School meeting.  While I was there, Olivia was playing on the playground, so I was able to give her a quick hug and a kiss.  I love being able to sneak over and get hugs during the middle of the school day! 

After school, the kids and I ran home to work on homework and then Jacob and I had to get Olivia to dance at 5 for her two Tuesday classes.  After we dropped her, Jacob and I ran back home to get everything prepped for Wednesday, and then we had to be back at the studio at 6:30 to pick her up. 

I was utterly exhausted by the time we got home for the fifth and final time, and I realized that I had spent a ridiculous amount of my day in the car on Tuesday.  I calculated, and I spent FOUR HOURS in the car on Tuesday.  Seriously.  In that amount of time, I could have easily driven to any other state that borders the state of Georgia and then some.  Haha.

Brian had tennis Tuesday evening, so unfortunately, he couldn’t help with any of the shuttling, which meant that when the kids and I got home at 6:45 I still had to cook dinner and eat, and Olivia still had homework to finish.  By 8 o’clock, I was still cleaning the kitchen and helping Olivia with homework, and Jacob was just starting to get showered and ready for bed.  I still had laundry and a workout to do, so I squeezed in a quick arms workout, and then we squeezed in 20 minutes of AGT when Brian got home from tennis. 

After that, it was bedtime for the kiddos, and lazy time for Brian and me.  We watched two episodes of Vampire Diaries Tuesday evening, and then we called it a night.  I was close to passing out on the couch because I was so pooped.

Wednesday, August 31

Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids and headed home to work all morning.  I had an appointment with my therapist around lunchtime, and then it was back home to tie up some loose ends before it was time to pick up the kids from school.  

I noticed on Wednesday that my hydrangea started blooming which was totally unexpected, and I was so excited even though the bloom was small.

Jacob had his first golf practice Wednesday evening, so the kids and I had just enough time to run home after school and do snacks and homework, and then we met Brian at the golf course. 

While Brian and Jacob were at golf practice, Olivia and I headed home so she could finish homework, and I finished up with the laundry and started cooking.  I had dinner on the table when the boys got home, and then after dinner, I headed out to get in three miles while the kids showered and got ready for bed. 

After my walk/jog, we watched some more of America’s Got Talent, and then after the kids were in bed, Brian and I watched another Vampire Diaries.

Thursday, September 1

Thursday morning, I had a Home and School Advisory Board meeting right after dropoff, and we got a lot accomplished to set the tone for a great year!  I headed home after that to work for the rest of the day.

After school, the kids had music, so we ran home to grab snacks, and then we headed that way.  Jacob and Olivia have lessons back-to-back, so we’re always there for an hour each week, and I love it because I use that time to get organized.  They have a nice spacious (usually empty) waiting area with tables and chairs, so I typically use that time to spread out my planner and catch up on things before the weekend.

We found out on Wednesday that every single golf match is going to be on Thursdays this season, so that was a big bummer since that’s the one day of the week that he has piano lessons.  Fortunately, they were able to work with us and move his piano lessons to Mondays for the next couple of months, and I’m crossing all of my fingers and toes that nobody takes his current Thursday slot, so we can slide right back in there after golf is done in October.

After music lessons, we swung by my parents’ house to pick up some leftovers, and we ended up staying over there for about 30 minutes visiting with them.  My Momma’s leftovers came right on time, too, because by Thursday I was burned out, and cooking was the last thing I wanted to do.  Instead, I heated up her leftovers (stir fry) and made some rice and green beans to go along with it, and I made some chicken nuggets for the kids since they’re so dang picky.  Haha.

Olivia wanted fall ice cream for dessert since it was September 1, so she scooped some Dulce de Leche ice cream into a bowl and added candy corn.  I just love her festive heart.  

After dinner, the kiddos headed upstairs to hang out for a while and then get ready for bed, and I went out for a run… an actual run this time, and none of the hybrid walk/jog stuff I’ve been doing lately.  I ended up getting in 2.3 miles.  After I finished up, I took Maui for a short walk, and then I headed back inside to watch more AGT with Brian and the kids.

Once the kids were in bed, I got showered, and then Brian and I watched a Vampire Diaries and some college football before bed! 

Friday, September 2

Friday was College Team Spirit Day, so I dropped the kids off in their Georgia best and then I went back home to work on the blog all morning.  After B and I ate lunch together, I did a few things around the house – adding some more fall touches and prepping for going out of town on Saturday.

After school, we all headed home, and then Brian and Jacob headed to get haircuts.  Olivia wanted to tag along with them, and I stayed home to finish setting up my fall mantle since the last of my décor had arrived in the mail.  I decided to buy some battery operated candlesticks to add this year because I just couldn’t get the mantle the way I wanted it last year, and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. 

I had to play with all of the décor for a while to get it just right, but once I figured out the perfect combination, it was true love!  I cannot wait to share it with all of you, hopefully next week!  In the meantime, here’s a little sneak peek!

When Brian and the kids came home, we all loaded up and headed out to one of our favorite local restaurants for dinner.  B and I had a round of beers, and I had their BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado) and it was so delicious.

We headed to the kids’ school after that to catch the high school football game, and it was the most fun evening hanging with all of our school fam.  The kids ran around with their friends all evening just living their best lives, but they did both stop by the bleachers once to ask for money to grab icies, so these were the only two pictures I was able to take all night.  Haha.

Our team was whooping the other team at halftime, so we left early to get home at a decent hour because we had a big day on Saturday.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched a couple of episodes of Vampire Diaries, and then we headed to bed, too. 

Saturday, September 3

Saturday morning was the first Georgia football game of the year, and we were SOOOO EXCITED!!  I made homemade waffles and then we all got ready and headed to Atlanta because our Georgia Bulldogs were playing Oregon in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium (where the Atlanta Falcons play). 

On the way there, we streamed ESPN College GameDay on Brian’s phone and we made a stop at Chick-Fil-A for an early lunch as we do pretty much every time. 

The drive was quick and uneventful, and we managed to arrive right as the Dawg Walk was starting.  We didn’t have a great view of the players and coaches, but it was neat being able to see everything from above and not have to get in the middle of the crowds. 

After the Dawg Walk, we made our way to the World Congress Center (next door to the stadium) to meet up with my aunt, uncle, and my cousin’s girlfriend.  We always love going there because it’s huge, it’s air conditioned, there are bathrooms, and there are bars to get drinks.  It’s the perfect place to hang before the games.

We hung out with them for a little over an hour and we all had a round of drinks, and then around 2:45 we headed over to the stadium.  It was PACKED and the lines to get in were long, but thankfully, it didn’t take too long to get in.

Once we were in the gate, we made a pit stop to take a picture with the falcon out front, and then we headed straight to our seats.  We were waaaay up in the nosebleeds… like the 7th row from the very top, so the view was crazy, and it made me a little nervous having the kids go up and down all those steep steps.  We’ve been to many events at the Benz, but we’ve never had to sit up that high before… we were just grateful to be there, though!  Haha.

Before the game started, the entire stadium sang Happy Birthday to Vince Dooley, our beloved coach from the 1960’s – 1980’s, and they had a huge cake for him down on the field.  There were also thousands of Chick-Fil-A cows released from the ceiling (since it was the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game) and they had little parachutes on, so they glided down into the crowd.  We were too high up to get one, but it was cool to watch them, though!

 

The game ended up being super fun, and Georgia ended up beating Oregon 49-3.  Our offense was FIRE on Saturday, scoring a touchdown on every single possession except for the last one.  Stetson Bennett (our QB) was a total BOSS, and I cannot wait to see what else our boys do this season!

Since we were so far ahead in the fourth quarter, we asked the kids if they wanted to leave a couple of minutes early to beat the crowds, and they both said they wanted to stay until the very end, so we did.  Those babies love them some Georgia football!!

Getting back to the car took about 30 minutes, and traffic was a little rough starting out, but thankfully, it wasn’t too bad, and we made it home by 9.  We watched the Notre Dame vs. Ohio State game on the way home, so that passed the time quickly. 

Both kids were whooped by the time we got home, so they went straight to bed, and then B and I finished watching the Notre Dame/Ohio State game and then we headed to bed, too.

 

Sunday, September 4

Sunday morning was laaaazy.  I made cinnamon rolls and then we all watched two episodes of Nailed It while snuggling on the couch in our PJs.  After that was done, I did a couple of things in my office, and then it was time to get ready to go to my MIL and step-FIL’s for lunch. 

 

They made a delicious spread with cube steak and mashed potatoes and a bunch of sides, and then we all sat around chatting while the kiddos played together.

We headed home in the late afternoon, and the kids played video games while I worked on some blog stuff in my office.  It was dark and cloudy and eventually stormy all afternoon and evening, so it was the perfect day to be lazy. 

While I worked, I watched Save the Last Dance because it’s now on Netflix!!!!  Y’all, I LOVE THAT MOVIE SO MUCH!!!!  I owned the DVD growing up, and I probably watched it a hundred times.  I hadn’t watched it in probably 15 years, though, and I had forgotten just how dang good it was.  Man, I miss those teenager/romcom movies that they used to make in the 90’s and early 2000’s!  Why don’t they make stuff like that anymore?!

We headed to my parents’ house around 5:30 and spent the rest of the evening over there.  My brother and sister-in-law were in town with the kids for the long weekend, so we got to hang out with them, and y’all, it was LOUD up in my parents’ house all night.  Haha.  Those kids were wild and crazy and soooo excited to see each other!

My Momma made her famous vegetable lasagna (a crowd favorite) along with a big salad and garlic cheesy bread, and then we had brownie sundaes for dessert.  Yum yum yum.

Our fam left around 8:30 and then when we got home, we got the kiddos in the bed, and then B and I watched House of the Dragon followed by an episode of Vampire Diaries since it was a holiday weekend and we had Monday off. 

Monday was another fun day for the kiddos, but I’ll recap it in next week’s recap!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!