America 2016: With My Kids

This happens every year, of course, almost like clockwork.  We fly to Atlanta from Amsterdam, spend a few days with my kids, then a few days with Bob and Peggy south of Atlanta, 5 days with the kids at the cabin in the North Georgia mountains, and then back to the Atlanta area before we fly back home.

THIS is the post with the kids.  Next post will be with Bob and Peggy.

The first thing after arriving on Wednesday evening was seeing Amy and Dennis' new home.

They bought this house, sold their old house, all within weeks of each other in September.

Exploring the new neighborhood was one of the first things we did

during my favorite time of the year.

Astrid had even researched the area before we went, knowing we'd want to walk to the Settles Bridge 
spanning the Chattahoochee River just a 40-minute walk away. 

And yes, we had to climb down and back up to get the full view.

But, back to the house, the side porch to the kitchen is a favorite resting spot for all.

I watched the October 19th Presidential debate out there.  HA!

Remember the goofball collage I did of Astrid and Nicholas two years ago (2014)?

We had to do it again, just for the halibut.

Man alive.  He's really growing up (11th grade this year).

And because this was a very special and long-awaited event...buying a new house...

a house-warming gift was in order from my obligatory 71-1/2-year tax cash-out (investments),

which I had also done the year before for Mark's new apartment.

It was totally educational watching the pool table being put together by these 3 competent men!

I now think of the hours of fun the entire family will have in that room.

Speaking of house-warming gifts, the basketball hoop that Astrid bought arrived while we were there,

and was put together the weekend after we left by Mark, Dennis and Bill (ex-husband).

Thanks to Amy for these pics.  Once I get a pic of Nicholas playing, I'll add it!

Mark invited us to his apartment again, like last year, for the family potato-sausage soup recipe.

It's a great tradition now and you don't have to ask us twice!  

And on Saturday, because we're all football fans, we watched MICHIGAN play:

Do you know how fun it was to watch my alma mater Michigan play and WIN a game again?!?!

They're on a roll this year, thankfully.

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At this point we went to visit Bob and Peggy from Sunday to Thursday (next post).

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By now you know how much we LOVE our cabin time in the Blue Ridge mountains!

(panorama photo from the deck, thanks to Astrid)

The same day we returned from Bob and Peggy, Thursday, we drove up to the mountains.

THIS is why.  And besides, it's "neutral" territory for us all.

It's also the walks at this peak time of autumn....

which both Nicholas and Mark took with us this year.

It's also the cards (Spades) with Mark and moi against Amy and Dennis,

something we've done for years now...while Astrid and Nicholas do their own fun.

Like shooting pool and playing ping-pong, for instance.

It's a great cabin...already reserved for next year!

A total surprise this year was Amy conniving with Astrid to make two 750-pc. puzzles for me,

using two collages from our Malta trip last April.

We finished the seafood puzzle this year and plan to do the luzzu boats next year.

What a gift!  THANK YOU, Amy and Astrid.

We eat together, of course, for breakfast and dinner, with Amy and Dennis as cooks.

Astrid and I do the dishes, which makes for a win-win situation all around.
And, oh, yes, can't forget the bran-muffin mix Mark brings for us.

Dinners are especially homey and heart-warming.

Dennis even had a friend join us for one of the meals (bottom-right)...like one of the family.

And then on Monday, going back down the mountain, we continued our tradition

of stopping at Waffle House for breakfast...this time on Halloween day.  Fun.

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Since it was Halloween, that evening we joined the neighbors at the bottom of the cul-de-sac

for the trick-or-treating festivities.  

What a great chance for all of us to meet each other.

And the next day, before heading off to the airport for home,

we rendezvoused for lunch with Sheila, a long-ago Sun Data/Solarcom co-worker.

It was like picking up from where we last left off.

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And now, today (Election Day), we await the news on who will be the next POTUS.

I'm going out on a limb to say:  HILLARY.

My prediction is she will win both the electoral and popular votes.

But what will the fallout be?

"Let there be Peace on earth and let it begin with me" is my new daily mantra....
We have a lot of healing to do as a country!

UPDATE:  WRONG WRONG WRONG.
It's Trump.  He won the electoral vote; she won the popular vote.
And I still wonder about the fallout!