We enjoyed a week in Georgia before Malinda's little sister got married in a beautiful wedding ceremony to our new brother-in-law, Matt. As a teenager, Malinda spent most summers and winter breaks in Atlanta, Georgia visiting her dad, step-mom and sister, Amanda. We had a great time visiting with family and friends, and playing tourist for a few days before the wedding.
We spent the day at the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world.
One of three Whale Sharks at the Georgia Aquarium. This one was 20-feet-long! The Georgia Aquarium is the only place in the world where you can see these incredible creatures.
Malinda's aunt and godmother was in town from Tuscon, Arizona. She joined us for the day at the Georgia Aquarium.
We enjoyed the season finale of "Glee" outdoors with friends on the lawn at Atlantic Station. The audience cheered and clapped after every musical number. It was great!
Amanda, our new brother-in-law, Matt, and us at the outdoor laser and fireworks show at Stone Mountain, the largest piece of granite in North America! Next, the biggest ball of twine. Just kidding!
Laser and fireworks show at Stone Mountain, Georgia.
We couldn't resist! On the way to the wedding rehearsal, we saw this sign at Hardee's (like Carl's Jr). They've got some pretty expensive burgers in the South!
Wedding rehearsal: Amanda, Dad and Malinda
Two of my favorite people: Dad and Derek.
The bride is ready to go!
Yay! Amanda and Matt are married!
Us at the wedding reception.
Yes, it was a Karaoke reception. Check out Malinda singing"Livin' on a Prayer" with Amanda's new nieces.
Malinda singing "Summer Nights" with family friend, Andy.
We had a great time in Georgia. It's always hard to leave family, but we know we'll be back again soon. Although we're on opposite sides of the country, we've remained close and talk on the phone at least once a week, if not more.
And finally... we had to post this last picture - this is Dad and his new puppy, Opal. She's the one with the crazy eyes, referenced in an earlier post. She loves Malinda's dad... and we think he's pretty smitten with her, too. Notice the other dogs in the photo... the two chihuahuas, Celine (dad's other dog) and Dobby (my sister's dog; dad was puppy-sitting for the wedding). I think he was in puppy heaven for this picture. Cute.
We spent Easter Sunday outdoors and enjoyed a great BBQ with our large, extended family including grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts and a slew of cousins and friends. Earlier in the day, we planted a small vegetable garden in our backyard. It had rained recently and we thought it would be a fun way to celebrate Easter together before heading out to the family gathering. We planted tomatoes, basil, bell peppers and jalapeno chiles. We also planted some new colorful flowers in the front yard.
What can we say about our dog, Toby? Simply put: He is a great dog. 
Toby is now 8 years old and our lives wouldn't be the same without him. He is a very sweet and gentle dog who often bathes our cats (seriously) and lets children tug at his ears, sleep on his tummy or test his knowledge of "sit, stay, roll over and lie down." We love taking Toby to the dog park or beach, where his true nature as a "water dog" shines. Sometimes we think he'd rather be swimming than walking on land. Like we said, he is a great dog.
