Visit from Melissa

We had a great weekend this past weekend! Melissa, a long time friend of ours came down from PA for a four day weekend. We went to the brewery, hung out by the pool, played cards, and... we went to shoot the hooch! We had a blast, this time we put in from further up and it took us a whopping 6 hours to get down! Needless to say, Melissa and I were burt to a crisp, and I think everyone but me managed to fall out of their raft at some point (I fell out last time so everyone else was due for a turn). I think Melissa's topped it all off with skinned/bruised knees from falling out at the most rocky part of a long slow rapid. Everyone was ok, never in any real danger, but the river showed us no mercy :o) . We had a blast, but I don't know if I would want to spend another hot, blistering, 6 hour day on the Chattahoochee again, so I think we willl stick to the shorter 3 and 1/2 hour float next time. Before we knew it, it was time to take Melissa back to the airport- we made some awesome memories, and had a blast with her. We are so glad that she came down to visit.

Now it's time to prepare for our trip to Stone Harbor! We can't wait to spend some quality relaxation time at our favorite vacation spot with Ben's extended family. My mom gets the privilege of watching both of our puppies, she couldn't be more excited! Not only do we get to go on vacation to Stone Harbor and see my family for a day, but we will even manage to squeak a Phillies game in!! Needless to say, we can't wait!

The whirlwind continues... :o) Miss and love you all.

Quick Visit to PA

The entire Schirmer family, 3 generations!

My very quick visit started with Dad picking me up from the airport late Friday night. Saturday morning we got up, put the kayaks on the truck and headed off to the park for my grandfather's 75th birthday celebration. We spent a hot and humid day outside underneath the pavilion, eating picnic food, kayaking on the lake, and playing yard games. I couldn't have asked for a better day! And to top it all off, we met my mom at 3B's (one of the best ice cream places ever). Sunday, my mom, Lauren, and my mother's parents all met for lunch and had a great time catching up. My mom and I spent the rest of the afternoon together, and before I knew it, I was back on a plane heading for ATL.

It was WAY too quick of a visit, but I'm just glad that I could go home at all. For those of you that I missed, I'm terribly sorry, but as you can read- I didn't have much time to spare. I miss you all, and anyone is welcome to stay in our guest room anytime you are up for a visit! Speaking of which, our friend Melissa is coming to visit in 2 weeks and we can't wait to show her more of ATL (she visited once before)!

Here are some pictures below of my weekend in PA, Enjoy! Love and miss you all <3


Such a great pic of my mom and I :o)


Lauren and Jeff! What a lovely couple.




Memorial Lake and Blue Mountain

Shoot the Hooch, Wings and Classic Rock, and PA

Two weekends ago we finally went on our float down the Chattahoochee River. We bought river floating tubes and loaded into a friend's truck and were on our way! The water was freezing, but it was so good to finally be back on a river and in the middle of nature. We were on the float for about 3 and 1/2 hours and stopped along the way on a beach to warm up (from the cold water) and drink a few beers. There were many others doing the same thing we were doing, and our group of friends already has another trip scheduled! Unfortunately, I will miss this trip because I will be in PA for my grandfather's 75th birthday party.

This past weekend, Ben found a very nice event in Marietta. It was a wing and rock fest. There were classic rock cover bands all afternoon playing on a stage in the middle of the square in Marietta (north of Atlanta) and about 15 different wing vendors. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we had a great time eating wings with our friends. Meanwhile, we are still hanging out by the pool when it isn't raining with a passing shower, and just spending time with the pups.

As I mentioned earlier, I am going home to PA for this upcoming weekend. It will be a very quick visit, I always wish they were longer... I arrive late Friday evening, and leave Sunday around dinner time. Just enough time for the birthday party for my grandpa Schirmer and to spend a day with my mom. I'm excited to go to the birthday bash because every member of the Schirmer side will be there! Also, it doesn't hurt that dad is breaking out the kayaks at the lake (where the birthday party is) :o) . I'm sad to be leaving behind Ben and my two pups, but I know that they will have fun without me, Ben will be busy shooting the Hooch, and the pups will keep busy playing. The weekend will be here and over before we know it!

PA here I come <3

East ATL Beerfest

This past weekend I went to my very first beerfest! Below, are some pictures of our friends down here in ATL. We went with JP, Melissa, John, Will, and Chad. Ben met them from GT and a few of them work together. We kinda joined their group and we have been having great fun! This is the same group of people that we go to ABC brewery with most Fridays for happy hour. The beerfest was outside at a park in east ATL, we had great weather, no rain, but a little humid. Overall, it was a good experience, I would def. go again! Then today, we hung out with the same group of people at our pool. It was about ninety degrees and not a cloud in the sky- perfect pool weather.

Work is going well, my boss is helping me to take more of a leadership roll to help the new employees learn how to do their best in the facility. Things are quite stressful at times regarding rehabs relationship with the nursing department, but people in respected positions are trying to help the situation get better. Ben is enjoying his job, and actually has off for Memorial day :o)

This Saturday we are going to Shoot the Hooch. We are floating down the Chatahoochee river on intertubes with the same group of friends as the beerfest. We are going about 6 miles and should take about 4 hours. I'm very excited to finally get back on a river... even if it is only a float :o)

Enjoy some pictures below of the beerfest at the park. Love and miss you all.

Ben's Graduation!!

This weekend Ben graduated from Georgia Tech with his masters in Chemistry! His family (mom, dad, brother, and grandparents) came down on Thursday and spent the weekend in Atlanta. We had a great weekend! It started Friday by going to the GA Aquarium, then to Ben's graduation Friday night. It was a very nice ceremony and the key note speaker was Steven Chu, the Secretary of Energy. Saturday we went to The Fabulous Fox Theater to see Mary Poppins and Saturday night we went back to tech to see their baseball team play. The play was fantastic and we had great weather for the game! Then Sunday we went to breakfast for mother's day and said fair well to everyone.
It is always such a whirlwind when we have visitors and they are gone before we know it. Ben was happy to graduate and have it be official even though he has been done since the fall semester. It was nice to have a formal celebration of his wonderful accomplishment! It was also very nice to see Ben's family, I miss everyone terribly, and their short visit helped give me that "family fix". Enjoy some pictures below, there are more posted on Facebook.

We have very busy weekends coming up but I will try to keep you all posted :o)

April in the ATL

Aren't our little puppies adorable!? Ben had them under the commands of sit and stay. They couldn't be getting along any better. They play together, sleep together, and sit by the window and watch together. We officially took down her crate today because we haven't used it in over a week. She got fixed last Friday and was a little woozy the first two days but now she back to normal. We have to take her back to the vet's office sometime this week to get her stitches out. We have been taking both of them to happy hour at ABC Brewery and hang out outside and they get lots of attention :o)

This work week was typical for both of us and this weekend is time for relaxation! Next weekend I have to work Sunday because the following week the Smith family is coming for Ben's graduation! We are both very excited to see everyone and show them around.

In addition to a normal work week, we got to see the Phillies play the Braves! And... the Phillies won! We had club level seats, which we would get again, we had a great view and the fans up there were a nicer to us outcasts :o) We are taking Flat Stanley around with us, so he came to the game as well! Flat Stanley is a project that a lot of elementary school children have, he is a cut out of a boy and travels in the mail to places far away from home. Ben's cousin Jake made him and we are showing him around Atlanta. We are having lots of fun with him.



The weather has been great, lots of pollen, and a few thunderstorms but it is almsot pool season and we are very excited for that. It's getting warmer down here in ATL, spring has officially sprung :o)

Happy Easter!

It is much different celebrating Easter down here in GA. For one, the weather is MUCH warmer- it feels about mid-high 80s and is sunny. I also didn't get to go to church for the first Easter, in I don't know how long. Instead, I watched it online. The past 4 or 5 weeks I have watched a church service online every sunday at 11:00. It is a church that Ben's mom heard of from her church at home, so she took me, and I loved it. The only problem is that it takes so long to fight traffic and what not, since it is in the heart of Buckhead. So I choose to watch it online instead, same service, but less time and more convenient. Ben and I decided to make peanut butter eggs from scratch, boy did they turn out yummy! I also made a ham for Ben and I for dinner, it turned out ok, nothing like a homemade meal made from the ones you love. I miss my family terribly today, but know that it will only make it that much better when I do see them.

Ben loves his job and is fitting in very well. He comes home happy every day, and is starting to take more independence in his duties. I just finished working toward my certification to use modalities (heat, ice, electrical stimulation, ultrasound etc) to promote healing. So, overall- everything is going well!

Love and miss you all, enjoy some more pictures below :o)







in the process of making our eggs!


The finished product... mmm