Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

News from the Realm

Years ago, when looking for something to do that would interest all our children we stumbled upon the Georgia Renaissance Festival. Our family has a love of European lore and the Renaissance time period. I mean, who doesn't love knights in shining armor, sword fights, jousting, British humor, royalty and meat-on-a-stick!?

It all started, for us anyway, in 2004. This is Parker's jousting ride on the hippogriff ! All the wonderful rides are man or gravity powered. This ride starts by climbing stairs to the hippogriff and climbing on board. You are then given a jousting lance and the hippogriff on a wire is let go. Your ride swings down where there is a target and you try, usually in vain, to get the lance through the target!

Here is our fairy princess Isabel, from the 2005 experience!

The princess this year! Wow! She has grown!

Excellent rides from this years experience!

In our travels, we have been fortunate to see many performers. We watched singing nuns, sword swallowing comedians, balancing acts and more! What could be more fun than watching a Washing Well Wench climb on top of your husband's shoulders and announce to your children that she's going to be their new mommy, blacked out teeth and all? Oh, yes she did!

Paul and Isadora at the 2006 GA Ren Fest!

There are many Washing Well Wenches but Isadora and Eureka are our favorites!

How 'bout hearing your son's name from across the grounds only to find out that he's now on stage with Hack and Slash during their sword fighting comedy?

I don't have pictures of them in the Hack and Slash routine but here we see Parker, Lizzie and some cousins, Brooke and Brianna, being lassoed by one of the Zuchini Brothers in a rare solo act!

And what could be more satisfying that watching your child devour a turkey leg or seeing your sons fence against each other until it is announced that they have both died in the battle! HUZZAH!

2006

Or how about seeing your daughter bound in the stocks in 2007! What fun!

Yes! We've had lots of fun over the years and we've shared the love by taking our nieces Brooke, Brianna and Megan and our nephew Christian. This year was only different because we decided to try a different Faire. This weekend, we attended the Carolina Renaissance Festival for a change of pace.

We were enchanted by this lovey wood nymph who sprinkled our princesses with fairy dust.....which is not likely to come off until they graduate high school!

We quickly found out that the two biggest differences in these Festivals is the size of the venue and the size of the crowd. Both Faires offer similar entertainment, activities, shopping and feasting choices. However the Carolina Faire is much larger and much, much more crowded! If you ever decided to try a Ren Fest for the first time, I highly recommend you go to the Georgia Festival first! The slower pace of that faire gives you the chance to try a little of everything. I also liked the shopping at GA better! I actually came home empty handed this year.

It's a proud moment when your husband is singled out by the King because of his axe throwing skills! Wonder if that will be useful one day?

Now the children have a fall back plan too....because they have mastered the fine art of plate spinning-thanks to this guy, whose lofty ambitions

have made his mother proud.....I'm certain of it!


Our newest Princess!

We had a great day-those smiles say it all!