Atlanta, Georgia

Damarise and I have now lived in Georgia for about two years, but never have we visited the capital of our "home" state. With Spring Break coming to an end, and Damarise and I both itching to travel anywhere, we decided to hit the road and go tour Atlanta for a day.

Friday morning our Atlanta adventure began. We woke to the sun shining, clear skies, and an entire day freed up for travel and excitement.

We drove down the mountain and went to pick Micah up at his house. The sky was just beginning to clear up from the rain the day before. Having the sun shine through random openings in the clouds was a gorgeous way to start the day.

After the drive to Atlanta we arrived at our first stop – Ikea. Damarise and I love Ikea. And within minutes of walking into the store, Micah loved Ikea too. We didn't buy anything, but we had a blast walking through all the display rooms and taking pictures.

A map on the wall at Ikea.

Mirrors.

Another mirror picture.

After spending a few hours roaming through Ikea we hit the road once more headed for downtown Atlanta. Damarise was an amazing driver and got us to a cheap parking lot safely.

We parked the car and then headed out into Atlanta to see what we could see.

First sight: An old brick building. I'm not sure if you can see it, but at the top it has a very faded Salvation Army sign. Also, these budding trees are gorgeous!

Second sight: The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. The tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere.

We went into the hotel and climbed up a few flights of stairs...

And then took the elevator all the way to the 72nd floor. The Westin is a round hotel with glass windows all around, which means that we saw a 360º view of Atlanta from way up above. It was amazing!

We were excited to be up there.

The view was incredible all the way around.

We then hopped back in the elevator and rode it back to the bottom. It went fast and was definitely an experience.

Third sight: Random statue along the road.

Fourth sight: Centennial Park

Damarise and I with a statue of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of modern olympics.

Underneath the Olympic Rings.

Fifth sight: The Coca-Cola Factory.

We didn't want to pay to go into the Coca-Cola factory, so we just visited the gift shop instead.

We went back to Centennial Park and walked around looking at the random names written on bricks throughout the park.

Sixth sight: CNN Center

We didn't go on the CNN center tour, but we did get to see inside the building, and enjoy lunch from the food court inside.

After several hours, lots of laughs, and many miles walked, we headed back to the car to head home.

Until we hit rush hour traffic. Instead of waiting in the traffic, we went back into Atlanta and drove around to see more of the many sights that Atlanta has to offer.

When the sun had set, and the traffic had died down, we drove a little ways, rested a bit in a Starbucks and then left the bustling city of Atlanta and moseyed on home.

Touring Atlanta = Wonderful.

Sights seen = Incredible.

The people involved = Amazing.

Traveling Itch Satisfied = For now... :]

A Good Reminder

Damarise and I were sitting in Starbucks. Studying is what we claimed we were doing, but in reality we were just spending time with each other doing homework amidst the giggling and talking. We were sitting at a table with our laptops out in front of us when we looked up and saw a familiar face.

One of the Resident Directors at Covenant College walked over to the counter to order her drink. She then came over and said hello to Damarise and me. We introduced ourselves and as we talked she mentioned that she heard our family had just moved to Africa. She continued to say that she'd been praying for Damarise and me the night before and would continue to pray for us.

Wow. It's during times like this that I realize just how powerful the body of Christ is. Even though this person had never met us, and didn't know our family, she was praying for us and our family during this new time of our lives. She was praying to the God of peace and comfort.

And right then, sitting in Starbucks, having a "stranger" come up to us just to say she was praying for us, that was immensely comforting.

We hadn't heard from the family yet since their flight took off from Atlanta. And I was beginning to feel anxious not knowing whether or not they made it to Africa safely. But this was yet another reminder that God is in control, and everything is in His hands. How awesome it is to pray to and trust in the God who leads, provides, and cares.

Thank you to all of you who have come around our family during this time. Whether through prayers, encouragement, or even the offer of meals, places to stay for the summer, or just someone to talk to. It has been a huge blessing, and has meant so much to me. I am so thankful for the family of believers God has placed in my life.

(Also, in case you were wondering, we did hear from the family this morning, and they are safely in South Africa.)

Starbucks Studying?

On the first day of Spring Break, Damarise and I decided to settle down into a local Starbucks and study. Or so we told ourselves. After finally finding a Starbucks that we could park at, we ambled inside to use Damarise's free birthday Starbucks drink. Then we sat down to study. Damarise has read a bit of her paper, and I have written a bit of my paper. But for the most part we've just been sitting here laughing, talking, and enjoying each other's company. I love my older sis.

As for the studying, hey, it's Spring Break...we have time to do homework :)