Cora had a visit from her honorary aunties Becky, Brianne, and Hikari over Memorial Day weekend. I met these wonderful ladies while in college at UGA. I completely took for granted the years we shared the same zip code and in Hikari’s case, the same apartment. We try to see each other at least once a year, but it’s not nearly enough.
I have such fond memories of our time in Athens. One particular memory was after the 2004 presidential election when we all went out to lunch together. Brianne calmly made the statement that she “would like to have a baby by the next presidential election”. I immediately began to hyperventilate thinking
While the were in Chattanooga, another former roommate, Kerry, came through with her entourage. We hadn't all been together for over 5 years, and Chattanooga will probably never be the same. I love these women, and Cora will grow to love them too, especially when she finds out how much blackmail they have on me.
Soon after what Hikari coined as “Panty Party 2010”, the Bennett’s headed for the beach. Daniel and I honeymooned on Cape Cod, and we were thrilled at the opportunity to return to Chatham, MA with Cora in tow. Cora and I flew up a few days earlier than Daniel and met his mom, cousin Bea, and sister Beth at The Avola. The ocean air was relaxing and has been attributed to Cora’s hair growing like a weed and the appearance of Cora’s first four teeth. Other milestones accomplished during our stay were pulling up and learning how to crack lobsters! Okay, the latter still needs a bit of work, but she’s well on her way.
While in Massachusetts, we met up with a friend from grad school, Heather, and her husband Matt. They were gracious enough to come have dinner with us before Cora’s bed time which technically means we had something more along the lines of lunch, but whatever you want to call it, it was great seeing them.
Once back in Chattanooga, we met up with yet another UGA friend, Mary, her husband, Steve, and their adorable kids Mason and Reagan. We spent the day exploring the Coolidge Park and feasting at Tony’s. There is nothing like out-of-towners making you take advantage of your own back yard!
In addition to a wonderful education, I’m most thankful for the amazing people I met during college. A liberal arts education changes your worldview, but these people have changed my life. Having the opportunity to reconnect and introduce Cora to several of them has been the highlight of summer vacation.
After nearly three weeks, vacation came to a screeching halt. Daniel has been hard at work putting the finishing touches on his MA degree which should be completed by the end of the month. My job as a college advisor is heading into its peak season, so my workdays are so jam-packed that I barely have time to pump the bumps let alone think about updating Cora’s blog. But thanks for bearing with me. More to come soon!
