Johns Creek, GA

Sunday, April 21

Happy Easter from Hard Labor Creek State Park in Georgia! Easter for Tory and Aden looks different than it did when I was growing up, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as special.

I got up early Sunday morning to work out before the kids were awake and when I finished, Tory and Aden were sitting at the table eating breakfast in the RV. “Close your eyes,” I said as Andi & I surprised them with Easter bags full of treats.

Tory was thrilled to receive a new LOL Surprise! doll (her latest obsession) and Aden got a new Paw Patrol Skye helicopter to add to his collection. After presents and breakfast, Andi and I packed up the RV and headed toward Lawrenceville, Georgia for an Easter service at 12Stone church.

A few months before we left Wisconsin, Andi and I found a new church we love near the cabin. We knew we wanted to find a church on Easter, but weren’t sure where we’d be or where to go exactly. I remembered the former pastor of our home church in Wisconsin now presides at a church in Atlanta and by total coincidence, we would be driving by that church on our way to my cousin Tara’s house for Easter. It’s a good thing we allowed ourselves plenty of time to get there — this church was huge! There was even police on the roadway directing traffic into the church parking lot. With help from the church’s parking lot attendees, we found a place amongst the chaos to safely park our RV in their lot.

Once we were parked, we pulled the shades and enjoyed a very fancy Easter lunch of deli turkey, hummus, string cheese, cherry tomatoes, salad, and crackers in the RV. I felt a little sad when I thought about what my family in Nebraska was doing at that moment — likely celebrating the holiday together with a big spread of food and drinks at my mom & dad’s house but then I’d remind myself Easter isn’t not about the food, getting dressed up or giving out Easter baskets. It’s about Jesus and celebrating the special occasion with family & that’s exactly what we were doing in Georgia.

We had a wonderful Easter celebration at 12Stone church. As we walked across the parking lot, Andi bumped into one of the former pastors from our church in Wisconsin and he warmly greeted us. As a matter of fact, we were warmly greeted by everyone we met at that church! I felt self-conscious at first about not wearing the right “church clothes” for Easter, but as soon as I saw what everyone else attending the service was wearing (a mix of all kinds of fashion), I was once again reminded that Easter isn’t about what we’re wearing. It’s about Jesus! Members of 12Stone’s welcome committee connected us to the Kids Ministry where Tory and Aden stayed for the service, and Andi and I took part in an uplifting and meaningful Easter service together in the main auditorium. It was perfect!

After church, the four of us continued on to Johns Creek, Georgia to spend the rest of Easter with my cousin Tara and her family. Her family had just arrived back from another Easter celebration in Pennsylvania, and were kind enough to host our family that evening. My aunt Cindy and uncle Bob were also at Tara’s house, and it was wonderful to see them as well. Tara’s husband, Henry, grilled steaks and chicken for dinner, the kids played with sidewalk chalk and rode bikes in the drive-way for hours, and we all had a great time.

The kids were head-to-toe covered in chalk by the end of the night, so we piled them all into the tub after dinner. Little Henry read the kids a story before bedtime. The kids begged to have a sleepover and asked repeatedly when they’d see each other again. It’s so awesome how well they all get along, and how they pick up right where they left off every time they see each other.

Tara offered to let us sleep in their basement that evening, but there was no need to do so when we had our RV there. We LIKE sleeping in our RV — it feels like home! We parked the RV in her neighborhood clubhouse parking lot, and slept comfortably in our own beds that night.

Monday, April 22

Tara and I were up early Monday morning to go to her favorite local gym, Orange Theory. I was excited to see what all the buzz was about because I’d heard great things about these classes. It was tough to get up early after a late night celebrating Easter (and too much wine!) but a morning sweat session felt great once I got going. Plus, it was great to spend some one-on-one time with Tara.

After our workout, Tara and I joined Henry, Andi, Bob, Cindy and all the kids back at the house. Henry was busy in the kitchen making pancakes, bacon, and eggs for everyone. After breakfast, he had to head into work for the day so we said our good-byes to him. Andi, Tory, Aden and I hung out with Tara, Cindy, Bob and the kids for the rest of the morning. Tara’s kids were off school that day because of Easter, but they had doctor’s appointments and sports practices going on later that day. We figured it’d be a good time to head off on our way. I’m so glad we had the chance to see Tara and her family in Atlanta. Andi and I always have such a fun time with them; if only we lived closer!

After we left Tara’s, we stopped in the next suburb over to visit one of Andi’s work friends who also lives near Atlanta. I’ve heard so many great things about Lewis; it was great to meet him in person. While Andi and Lewis went for coffee, the kids and I stayed back in the RV and Tory and I did school together. It’s so awesome that we can do school wherever we are — even in a parking lot.

Without a plan for the next few days, Andi and I decided to drive until we didn’t feel like driving anymore. We ended our day at Tallulah Gorge State Park in Tallulah Falls, Georgia — about 1 1/2 hours north of Johns Creek. It’s amazing how much the landscape changed once we left the Atlanta suburbs! The geography near Tallulah Gorge was mountainous, rugged, and tree-lined. A mini Grand Canyon formed by the Tallulah River cuts through the state park to form a 1,000 ft. deep gorge. It was really beautiful there.

The campground itself was fairly empty so we were able to get a campsite without issue. We noticed a lot of kids at this campground (maybe leftover from Easter weekend?) and a few full-time RV families. Aden was itching to go for a bike ride, so the four of us walked did a loop around the campground and stopped at the playground before dinner.

We grilled brats with green beans for dinner and ate outside at the picnic table. The weather was gorgeous. I think we were all ready for a good night’s sleep after a late night the evening before. Tomorrow, we planned to explore Tallulah Gorge State Park.