Blue Springs

This weekend we went to Blue Springs for the 4th where we met my parents, sister and some extended family. Blue Springs is a really small community on the Savannah River. It's just outside of Newington a really small town in South Georgia {between Augusta and Savannah}. For over three generations my family has spent time there. It was a niiiice time with my family: we spent time on the river; we searched for a different natural spring in the area; ate good food; celebrated the 4th with Mexican food and fireworks; and we did some major yard-work.

When I was a little girl, we spent several weeks each summer there. My mom, sister and I would stay during the week and Dad would drive up during the weekends. Each morning my sister and I had to make our bed and sweep out the cabin. It was our little chore, and we were motivated to get it done. As soon as we finished, we could spend the rest of the day swimming and playing outside. I learned to swim and how to ride my bike at the Springs. Seriously, the Springs is one of my favorite places in the entire world.

We would have these big family get-togethers there too. My mom is one of five kids. Somehow, we managed to fit LOTS of people in one tiny cabin: aunts, uncles, cousins, grandkids, grandparents, pets, parents, friends, etc. People slept on the porch, in tents, and two of my cousins had to sleep in my Aunt Geri's conversion van. I LOVED these times together as a little girl, even if I was too shy to speak to people. I loved how all the parents stayed up late to play Trivial Pursuit, how my Grandmama sat in the cabin all day memorizing the Trivial Pursuit answers {where she kept the air conditioner on sub-artic temperatures}, how the kids ate lunch on the porch {it's where my cousins taught me the to put chips on my sandwich}.

Last weekend was the third time this summer I've been to the Springs. One time was for one of the epic family get-togethers {over Memorial Day} and one time was to begin cleaning out the cabin. Unfortunately, after my Granddaddy passed away {nine years ago}, the family neglected the cabin. After all the yard work last weekend, it became obvious how badly the cabin needs to be painted.

In the next couple of months, I plan to document our clean-up of the place. I just wish I had before and after pictures from the last two clean-up weekends. I'll share more on those weekends in a post sometime next week--once we get the "after" picture from the yard work developed. {Yes, we are still using a Film SLR}.