Easter 2018....36hrs in ATL...well worth it....

We hadn't been home since Christmas so I was overdue a kid fix. Thankfully my Mom and one sister had been down for visits so I had seen family but I needed to see all the kiddos. We had things on our sched on Fri and Mon of Easter weekend so we had to make it a quick trip...up EARLY on Sat morn and back on Sunday nite...we were a bit tired but it was great.

Our newest addition...sweet Evelyn is 4mths old now...was so happy to get some snuggle time...this trip was already worth not sleeping..

Uncle D gets in some card playing with Dylan...Dylan told him.."Uncle Denny I'm crushing you"...
cracked me up...

Then it was time to dye eggs and decorate Easter cookies...it took every adult that was there, they almost out-numbered us!!

Just a little fun....look at our egg, it's great!!!

Mom had that cookie decorating down....maybe because she's done so many Christmas Cookies!!!

Grandma is doing a little Facetime with Mommy...so she can see what's happening.

Ella's 1st egg dying with Aunt Kelley...oh what fun....

Then we stuffed eggs, had lasagna for dinner.. baths for all kids and did all we could do be ready for morning...then we headed back to Mom's and did a little more, then off to bed.

After church, back to Deb's and time for some Easter fun...pictures, and egg hunts.. 

Uncle D with all the kiddos that were there...The Carter Boys were missing...we missed you guys...

 All the little girls.............

 The Carter Family was looking good...we missed you guys...

Egg Hunting Time...Everyone had a special color to hunt for, ....Ella was yellow

What a fun Easter and the weather was gorgeous...so glad we made the trip.
Came home a bit tired, but very glad we went....

Chocolate Factory Tour...

Well...we learned it's actually a vegetable and has TONS of antioxidants...see, it is good for you!!!
Finally some good news about chocolate....LOL

I'd seen a Groupon for this tour so as we were leaving Orlando area we decided to give it a try...was actually very educational. Worth the Groupon, but not the regular price. Cocoa started back in the time of Aztec Indians in the early 1500's...they would mix the ground beans with water and chili  pepper and thought it was great ...we were given some to taste...nope, not so great. It was not until the late 1500's that the drink got better, by adding sugar and vanilla and taking out the chili pepper. By mid 1600's Chocolate Houses were opening up all over Europe...it took until 1640' for Chocolate to make to the USA...via boat to St. Augustine, FL. And by 1670 made its way to Boston...it just got better from there.

Many products are made from the beans

Rather than tea sets, people had Hot Chocolate sets..

This Royalty from England was the first declare Hot Chocolate time, rather than tea time...she had something like 15-20 cups a day...not sure i could even do that.  

Older Equipment used to make chocolate... but not anymore 

Supply and demand are getting tough....

Sculptures made out of chocolate...amazing

Small items also made out of chocolate...very detailed

Lots of different containers chocolate has been sold in through the years..

A ballerina....yep, made of chocolate

And our tasting....some were very good...some, not for me. Denny just watched me taste.

And so many wrappers chocolate has been sold in...some we knew, many we didn't

It was a fun tour, lasted about 45min and was well done. I bought 2 small pieces and we were on the road again. It was very spendy, they used lots of eatable paint colors...they were pretty, and my 2 pieces were good, but I can buy just as good a chocolate for less...but was glad we had done the tour.

Since we'd had breakfast with Floyd and Marilyn we headed home. We stopped to look at a housing development we'd been curious about...nope not moving, just curious...and then we stopped at Keel and Curly Winery. We'd been here a long time ago and it's really changed and grown. We did some tasting and purchasing and headed home. It had been a fast 2 nites and 3 days but lots of fun...we'll see you guys next winter when you're down.