Return to Stockholm/Audra's 11th Birthday

July 28, 2014

After three flights and a lot of great movies we arrived back in Stockholm after a month away.  We arrived during the big heat wave and were unfortunately a couple weeks behind everyone else buying fans.  It seems that every major store in the country was sold out.  We finally found what I believe were the last two fans for sale in the city and bought them.  Gabby still does not understand why we don't have air conditioning.

It felt familiar and weird to be back in Stockholm.  I definitely feel like I'm in a European city just from the sound.  With our windows open, hoping to catch a breeze, I love listening to our neighborhood, cars, bikes, babies, dogs, people, languages, scooters, seagulls...

Frankfurt at 6am... waiting for the final flight home to Stockholm

it still thrills me to see the random, fully uniformed parade of horses through the city

Audra celebrated her 11th birthday with a breakfast of beignets and bacon followed by an afternoon of family bowling at Marion's Gastro Diner.  Dinner was at her new favorite restaurant Vapiano's and a homemade birthday cake at home.  

beignets

Marion's Gastro Diner and Bowling

Audra's birthday cake

happy 11th sweet Audra!

Audra had friends sleep over the week before school started.... they talked until 1am

Atlanta, Georgia

July 2014 -

After 11 months the girls were finally back in Atlanta.  We were greeted at our home away from home, the 'Damaraion's', with sweet signs made by Ella and Zeke.  The only way we could really tell we'd been gone for an extended period of time was by how much all the kids we left had grown and changed!

sweet welcome home signs by Ella and Zeke

 

the girls have talked about their favorite restaurant all year!

 

Gabby was spoiled rotten by friends as soon as we arrived in Atlanta.  Swimming with Ella Bennett and Molly Haynes at Ansley, spending a whole day with Molly and Sara Haynes doing whatever it is she wanted to do... Doc Chey's, Krispy Kreme, Moe's, seeing Fault in Our Stars, shopping, seeing our bunny Goober and a decadent birthday dinner with Molly at the Lawrence.  Two days later Carrie, Colleen and Mark Miller planned another whole day of fun - Stone Mountain park and Pizzeria Venti. 

Molly, Ella and Gabby

Gabby and Molly at Krispy Kreme

Gabby and Molly in front of our house

Gab and Molly at dinner

Carrie, Gabby and Colleen

Carrie and Gabby at Stone Mountain

Audra was excited to connect with her buddies too.  First swimming with Riley, a sleepover with Kylie, then Skyzone (indoor trampoline park) with Nicole.  I have not missed the Atlanta driving and traffic! Sofia was the luckiest with an ongoing, two week sleepover with her best buddies Ella and Zeke Dameron.  She also got to spend time with her good buddy from Kindergarten, Caroline Gray (who, unfortunately had just gotten over missing her!!). 

Riley and Audra

Atlanta traffic

Skyzone - indoor trampoline fun - Audra, Gabby and Zeke

Nicole and Audra

Sally and her girls

A huge thank you to Beth, Rob, Ian and Nina Shaw for taking such good care of Goober for us (like I gave them a choice?!). 

Sofia and Goober

One of the things this expat adventure has taught me is to never take friends for granted.  It's so easy to get caught up in errands and laundry and put off time with friends.  Spend time with the people who make you feel happy, special and loved! Sometimes, however, you do need to stop and buy milk!

Sweet friends, Kellie Bruce, Diane Macaluso and Kimberly Shuman threw a gorgeous, fun cocktail party the night before I left Atlanta.  It was wonderful to catch up with so many friends!  

Kellie and Di

Nancy and Kimberly

Jincy, Beth and Heather

Lynda and Lola

Di's porch, the perfect setting

A few Atlanta treasures:

Alon's is the best bakery in the world... best cookies, pastries, buttery scones, decadent desserts, best sandwiches and prepared food not to mention an extensive cheese counter and wine selection.  I challenge anyone to find a better scone or double chocolate chunk cookie anywhere!! 

Bagels - I am sorry I took you for granted, I have missed a good, toasted bagel with cream cheese! 

bagels!!

The Varsity (with it's own lingo)- "What'll ya have?" -  a Naked Dog, Walk a Dog (hot dog to go), Heavy Weight (hot dog with extra chili), Red Dog (hot dog with ketchup), Sideways (onion rings on the side), Strings (french fries), F.O. (frosted orange milkshake) to name a few!

Frank Gordy opened the original Varsity in 1928. The downtown Atlanta location, on more than two acres, is the World's Largest Drive-in accommodating 600 cars and over 800 people inside. Two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onions, 2500 pounds of potatoes, 5000 fried pies and 300 gallons of chili are made from scratch daily.

sometimes 3,000 people are served per day!

Ben and Gabby with their F.O. (frosted orange shakes)

Krispy Kreme - making donuts since 1937.  The stores are famous for their red neon signs glowing 'HOT Donuts NOW!', though that sign has only been around since 1992!  Happy to discover Krispy Kreme has 500 international locations... none in Sweden but some in the UK!  

a dozen glazed

It was wonderful to reconnect over dinner or coffee with so many friends after time away.  It's nice to know Atlanta will always be home no matter where we live.

our last meal at Doc Chey's with the Damerons before leaving Atlanta

Lake Burton Video - 2014

Shot over six days and nights, the kids always putting on the same clothes... 

Get Lucky - Lake Burton - 2014

Executive Producer, Director, Camera, Editor

 Scott Currie

Cast of Characters
Jewell, Katie, Maddie, Scott and Taylor Currie; Audra, Gabby, Gordon, Nancy and Sofia Castle; Ben, Ella, John and Zeke Dameron; Ashton and Henry Edmeades;  Claire, Tim and William Hagan; O'Jer; Lynda Maraia; Melissa McKay; Clark, Kelli and Tom Rice, Lola Thigpen

Apologies for accidentally omitting any participants!!

Lake Burton, Georgia

Lake Burton, Georgia 

July 14-21, 2014

Long before the responsibility of mortgages and kids when the most pressing decision was what's happening this weekend (and how much beer we should buy)...

During the 1990's a group of people who have become known as the Usual Suspects gathered for what I call our High Holidays... Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day Weekend.  In the beginning we were a hardy group, camping in tents on the islands of Lakes Lanier and Hartwell in Georgia.  In 2002 we bought our house on Lake Burton, since then we've become soft.  Twenty of us, give or take a few,  spend one week together every July (the week of 4th of July if possible).  Our week together has become even more special as we've become more spread out with one family living in Louisville and us now in Sweden.

The lake house, a.k.a. the commune.... 10+ kids, 10+ adults, two dogs, one bunny, (minus one dog and one cat left behind in Sweden). 

Lake Burton - I love how the house smiles... the hammock (smile) and umbrellas (eyes)

 

We are a finally tuned machine with spreadsheets for meals and supplies.  We jokingly call each other sister wives but we couldn't do without it each other.  Each person knows what needs to be done and does it whether it's cooking, prepping for meals, dishes, laundry, applying sunscreen (x10) or watching the kids in the water.

breakfast!

business as usual - Scott prepping 10 lunch baskets... a few years ago I discovered how much easier baskets are with kids... less spilling and easy cleanup!

homage to bacon... we love bacon!!  We cooked 20 pounds for 20 people over one week this year... not exactly a record to strive for

yes, we even have a kid schedule for dishes

the meal spreadsheet

Dinner each night is our main event.  We are known for our gourmet, competitive cooking, usually trying new recipes each time.  Everyone brings copies of their recipes and leaves them clipped to the refrigerator.  Over several years I collected the recipes from the refrigerator and organized them into a cookbook.  We do have some tried and true favorites (Drive-in burgers, John's French toast) and classics like hamburgers and hotdogs... all the meals are amazing, we never go hungry.  A few years ago we got smart and built in some 'leftover' days because we always cook for a crowd and have too much food. 

Drive-in burgers!!

orzo salad - served with amazing pork medallions and blue cheese sauce!

John's French toast... custardy perfection, no syrup necessary!

churro ice cream sandwiches for dessert

dinner inside due to rain

The kids have grown up coming to the lake.  This year it took them 30 seconds before they were all in swimsuits, wearing life jacket 'diapers' (put on through legs instead of arms, so you sit in the jacket), floating in the lake, talking and laughing. This year they made friends which each other in their own right staying up until midnight or later playing cards, talking and laughing some more. When asked what they talked about at night Gabby replied that one night they talked about public bathrooms, another they took a bunch of selfies (stretching the no electronics policy a bit!).  While the kids were tubing I overheard one topic of conversation... favorite pies... So far nice innocent stuff.

Clark, Gabby, Ben, Audra, Taylor and Maddie - October 2003

2014 - the kids reconnecting after a year apart

Ben, Maddie, Taylor, Gabby

Sofia and Ella diving for colorful stones

Taylor, Sofia and Audra

playing cards on the dock

late night selfies

Taylor's note

2014 - Official kid picture - Ella, Maddie, Audra, Katie, Ben, Zeke, Gabby, Taylor, Sofia

From the beginning we have had a no electronics policy (including tv) at the lake, meaning everyone hangs out together, plays games, etc.

Gabby, Taylor, Katie and Audra

Maddie, Ben and Clark

for once the bunny Sofia is hanging with is real - the girls enjoyed one week with our bunny, Goober

Along with the traditional lake activities of swimming, tubing, wake-boarding and water skiing (the kids learned here) we have created many of our own traditions: 

• at the end of a tubing run, before docking the boat we stop near the house, the kids jump off and swim in

swimming in from the boat

• to the side of our dock is the 'secret spot', a hollow area under the trees overhanging the water... when the kids were babies they loved swinging in a baby swing through the water there.  Now the kids play and build with rocks in the secret spot.
• water tether ball and zip lining through the yard

water tetherball - girls vs. boys

• most afternoons we pile in the boat and head to one of the marinas (the 'old'  or the 'new' one) for ice cream (and mango margaritas for the adults)

afternoon treats at the marina

ping pong at the 'new' marina - LaPrade's

• the kids like to swim at the shallow spot in the middle of lake
• when the now 13 year-olds were five they went to Camp High Harbor day camp for five years... we were a machine of backpacks, sunscreen and life jackets to get them to camp every morning at 8:30
• kayaking and swimming across the cove burns off extra energy
• sometimes the group will go to nearby 'sliding rock' on Wildcat Creek
• surfing behind the boat - it's usually the dads... my favorite was the time the kids talked trash about who's dad was a better surfer while they videoed them!
• for the past two years John has driven his VW camper bus up for the kids to sleep in.  Tom and Kelli also set up a tent... which the kids had a blast in this year.

John's VW camper

• two years ago Scott created our own version of Carly Rae Jepson's popular song Call Me Maybe... this year we're anxiously awaiting the Lake Burton video version of Get Lucky by Daft Punk (G rated)!!  

getting direction for the video shoot

• morning starts on the screen porch where the early risers quietly hang out until the rest of the house is awake 

hanging out on the porch

morning, Lynda and Ben!

the Currie girls - Maddie, Jewell, Taylor and Katie

• birthdays and Fourth of July fireworks... which are amazing for a small lake community and because everyone on the lake anchors out in their boats to watch the show

  

  celebrating O'Jer's birthday!  We celebrate several birthdays here... Lynda, Henry, Audra, Nancy

• dance parties, old-fashioned Tiger Drive-In movie, boating to the dam, jumping off friends' boat houses, group book reading, growth chart, fire pit

the kids' growth chart

s'mores around the fire pit

• We've run the Lake Burton Fun Run (two miles) from 2006-2012, missing the last 2 years.  In 2012 Gabby placed third in her age group!

Gabby - 2012

• 2012 we decided to hold our own Duck Tape Regatta, three teams (4 kids and 2 adults each) had to build a boat, each team had a sheet of plywood and a roll of duck tape...  the finished boats had to be paddled from one side of the dock to the other

Luckily we've only had a couple trips to the emergency room 30 minutes away.  When Audra was two she 'fell' off a kitchen chair and knocked out a front tooth.  It wasn't until this year (eight years later) that Audra and Gabby confessed that Gabby pushed Audra off the chair.  Nice.  The second trip was at the end of a week of day camp, Katie had a fever, a trip to the ER revealed H1N1 (swine flu) which was big that summer.  After 20 prescriptions for Tamiflu were written we were lucky that only a handful more got sick. 

the summer of H1N1!

I am sure I've forgotten to mention many things, too many late nights playing cards or sitting around the fire will do that!  For now we have pushed PAUSE for another year and are already looking forward to next summer.

twilight on Lake Burton - Cherokee Cove

sunset

this boat house has a had the Statue of Liberty on it forever... everyone uses it as a point of direction

the light fixture I created... the lake house is filled with an eclectic mix of kitschy fun (if I do say so myself!)

Tucker - sleeping with his humans but not wanting to miss anything

one tired dog