A lot has happened since the last post. Over a month has past and many, many, many things have taken place in the world of the Sniper’s. Rather than have a hum-drum long post going into great detail, I figured I’d give a quick recap. So here goes (in no particular order)…
I say, no particular order, but this certainly stands out as one of the bigger moments in not just the past month, but Jess’ and I’s relationship. We moved from our tiny apartment in Dunwoody to a large, spacious, house in Hampton. There were a TON of factors that led to the move, and thus far we are VERY please with our choice. The house is much bigger than the cramped apartment. We have room to grow, room to put all our stuff out, room for the dog to run around, and room to breathe. Jess has cut her commute by over half, Chase has several new friends around the neighborhood that he plays with on the daily, I got room to put all my tools (and toys) so now I can start on all those handy-man projects, and the Sniper’s are generally a happier bunch. There really aren’t enough words to describe the joy of being in this house. It has lifted our spirits tenfold. We may be further away from some of our friends and family, but we are miles closer to our happy place. Knowing that we had a birthday coming up, it took us no time to get things set up and ready for a lil’ shin-dig.
Speaking of shin-dig’s, Ol’ Man Sniper just turned 31. To celebrate Jess took an entire week off of school (it just so happen to be the same week as fall break)! To kick off the fall break (and my week long birthday celebration) SJ and I hit up Fright Fest. It had been many moons since I had been to Six Flags during Fright Fest, and she admitted that she had never been. I have to say, that it was a lot better than I remember. The park wasn’t too crowded, but the use of the Flash Pass was certainly a must. As with any thing “fright” related, there were creepies and ghouls, and scaries, all around. Jess is not a huge fan of that which goes bump in the night, but she was a trooper and pushed through it. She even one-up’d herself and went through the haunted house with me. After the first few rooms, figuring out the timing of the scares, she was fine. This was the first haunted house she had ever been in. Another first was riding in the front seat of a roller coaster. Imagine all these years, riding coasters, never having ridden in the front seat. It was an eye opening experience for her and she never wants to ride any where else now. Six Flags was such an enjoyable experience and I can’t wait to go back next year (I think we have a new SFoG tradition brewing). Six Flags photos.
Though Six Flags was fun and thrilling, it was nothing like the Perry Fair. If there’s one thing that defines “fall” for me, it’s a good old fashion fair. So on the last Friday of her fall break, SJ, Lil’ Sniper, Jess’ best friend Heather and Adam, their two kids, and I loaded up the van and headed south. I had only ever been to the North Georgia State Fair (just a few weeks prior in fact), and was blown away by the size and scale of things in Perry. There were at least a dozen more rides, vendors, eateries, and people to watch. Despite the numbers of people there the waits for rides and to get food was hardly noticeable. We spent the afternoon wandering around, taking in all the smells, the sites, the sounds, everything that just screams “fair.” Unless you’ve been to one, you can’t appreciate how fun they really are. You buy stacks of tickets so you can wait in line to ride a ride that is held together with duct tape and operated by a toothless man with a mullet. You load up on as much fried delights as possible, you walk back and forth deciding on which game you think you might be able to win, despite knowing that they are all rigged in some way. You do all this, and smile with every moment. I will never forget my first trip to the Perry Fair. It was truly an amazing experience. Photos from the Perry Fair.
For the actual party we wanted everything just right, so we got the house all decorated up with all things Halloween, threw some burgers and dogs on the grill, and threw down like only the Sniper’s can. The party was a lot of fun. It was the first real party that Jess and I have hosted as a couple. We’ve had a few smaller gatherings back in Dunwoody, but nothing like this. Our friend’s Kim and James showed up early to help get a few last minute house preparations out of the way (I still owe you like crazy Mr. T). The party started off a bit tame, with a few people having some drinks and food, people off in their own little clique’s, loads of football watching, etc. But then as the night went on, the fun really started picking up. More and more people got here and people started mingling a lot more. New friendships were formed, people shared stories, laughed, and generally had a good time. By the end of the night there were only a handful of people left, and we all sat, crowded around the fire pit. It was a chilly night and perfect for sitting outside enjoying the company of good friends. Eventually, everyone headed home, some with longer journey’s ahead than other. The house was surprisingly clean(ish) the next morning and we spend Sunday recovering and enjoying a lazy day. Party Photos.
Monday was back to work for me. Jess still had another day off to run some errands and get caught up on some sleep. So in the span of a month, we moved, got the house set up and presentable, got everything set up for Halloween and a party, went to Six Flags, the Perry Fair, ran a few instances, and went to work. It was a whirlwind past few weeks but we’ve made it. Now things are calming down. Everyone’s back to work and life is returning to normal. We still have Halloween and SJ is heading off to D.C. to hopefully restore some sanity to this great nation of ours.
So that’s that. I’m sure I’ve left some things out, but it’s all good. We’re going to try and update this a bit more frequently so we don’t have so much to cram into a single post.