Wednesday in a Log House Near Blue Ridge, Georgia

 After leaving Macon and Atlanta, we headed north on Tuesday night toward the northern border of Georgia. Since we are eager to go home, but can't leave Georgia until our Interstate Compact paperwork clears Georgia and Wisconsin, we decided to get just as close to the border as possible, in order to ultimately shorten our trip home. (Besides, it's HOT in Georgia, and heading south to vacation where it's even hotter was not sounding appealing to these Wisconsinites.)

We found a magnificent log home available for rent, in the mountains just outside Blue Ridge, Georgia. I sent out many emails in search of a rental home, inquiring what kind of rate they'd be willing to give a traveling family of nine who needs to stay in Georgia until adoption paperwork clears. The woman who owns this home answered promptly and proposed a rock-bottom rate (much, much lower than what was advertised on her site), because we are an adoptive family. She said her sister has adopted trans-racially, and she was intrigued by our story and wanted to help us out. So, we've spent the last two days enjoying the beautiful north Georgia mountains from the comfort of a log home that sleeps all of us very easily—no sleeping bags required. We'll stay here until we receive the clearance to leave Georgia. From here, we'll make the fourteen-hour trip home. Hey, that's just a hop-skip-and-a-jump, compared to the seventeen-hour marathon trip we did on the way down here...  :)

Kathleen and Marguerite get some snuggle time with Lucia.

Beautiful log home! Such a great place for us to spend a few days with our clan.

Andrew and Therese wait for Dad to put the ping pong table top on the pool table in the loft.

Kathleen and Lucia from above.

A table big enough to seat all of us!

The kids love holding Lucia. Sometimes they have to wait in line.

Therese remembers that she was too young to feed Marguerite and is enjoying helping out with her newest baby sister.

Look at our pretty girl!

Miss Lucia Rose—all cozy on the bed where Mom and Dad have been sleeping.
The little foldable "Snuggle Nest" in which she is lying has been a great portable bed for Lucia. It's the same one we used when we were on the road with newborn Marguerite.

Andrew gets some quality time with Lucia in the morning.