Georgia on my mind...part 2

In continuation of Savannah, GA part 1- here is the continuation.

The next day we were in Savannah it was Sunday so we thought it would be a righteous decision to hit up (at least) sacrament meeting in the ward Blake served in. I know you know what I mean when I say "vacation rules apply"- so I don't need to explain that we only stayed for sacrament meeting, and not all 3 hours of church.... oh don't look at me that way... you may call it something else- but it's basically the same thing. So since Blake hadn't been back to visit his mission since going home in 2002, much had changed and he really only recognized about 4 or 5 families in the ward. We stayed after the meeting and chatted with a few people, but overall I'm sure he was a bit sad at the lack of people he recognized.

So after church we did what all tourists do and had some real southern BBQ for lunch at a lovely place called Sticky Fingers. Hit 'em up if you ever head down south. Granted they originated in Memphis- but I guess that's still considered "the south" to Southerners. Whatever, regardless it was phasing. Then we drove to downtown Savannah and admired all the spanish moss hanging from the trees...

Walked through several of the many "squares" (aka parks) that separate one way roads- all of which have some historical tie and were named after famous people or events of the late 1700's. And being that it was Sunday we thought that it would also be appropriate to give a shout out to the Catholics at the famous Cathedral of St. John the Baptist- built in 1876...What a beautifully ornate structure. My eyes were just transfixed on all of the stained glass and paintings everywhere. Imagine a person with ADD in that place- I doubt they could ever focus on an entire sermon (that being said in the most respectable church-like way, of course)After walking through the church and listening to the lovely pipe organ play hymns, we also thought it would be most appropriate to visit a truly humbling place- the Colonial Park cemetary. I don't know if anyone else feels the way I do about cemetaries- but I honestly feel so at peace when I'm there- especially this one. Whenever I go to places that have so much history I try to put myself in the shoes of people who walked there when the place first existed (ok, don't be a smart alek- I know you could do that just about anywhere, but the east coast is the oldest part in our nation- so naturally I felt really neat being in one of the oldest places) and this way just an amazing place. The headstones were so old that much of the writing was so weathered you couldn't make out much of what it said- but many of Savannah's "greats" rested in this cemetary. It was dated back in use from 1750-1853 .

After our afternoon spent around the more "spiritual" side of Savannah we had a "supper" appointment to get ready for. As Blake is a planner, a few weeks prior to our going on vacation he contacted a family that he and his companion spent many hours each week hanging out with- the DiNatalie's...and for good reason. Judy (the mom) invited us to have "supper" (see, already the southern hospitality kicking in) at their house that night- which we happily abliged. This lady is SERIOUSLY an amazing cook and there was so much food it could have fed an army. I got kinda scared when she came out with all of the food (as Blake had explained many times that Southerners thought it was rude if you didn't eat all the food they served for you on a plate) and already the baby was making my stomach shrink so I couldn't eat a lot at one time (just in small increments). Luckily the first thing Judy said was not to feel obligated to eat everything- which was a huge relief. Honestly though- my mom and my mom-in-law make the best food in the world- but this could have given then both a run for their money (love you guys!)... I think it was the twice baked potatoes that really did me in- they were AMAZING! So we spent about 6 hours just talking and doing a ton of laughing about old pranks Blake would pull on his companions- I don't think I'd laughed that hard for a long time...Thank you DiNatalie's for such a fun night! Shout outs to Judy, Joe, Leah, Victoria, and Joseph!