Happy Mother's Day!

What does every mom want besides breakfast in bed? She wants a home where her kids have lots of friends and can play safely. And if she's a stay-at-home mom, she wants a neighborhood where there's lots for her to do and everything she needs is close to home.

(ENLARGE)

An outing brings Rae Foster and daughters Madelyn (left) and Anna Kathryn to one of Heron Bay's nature trails, accompanied by their dog, Sabot.

Photos by CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/Special (ENLARGE)

The Glogorski family socializes with neighbors while waiting for garage sale customers at their home in Hampton (from left): Jennifer Glogorski; Kelly Ramey and her daughter Gabby Grace; Bryan, Bailey and Karen Daughtery (with unidentified baby); and Mike Glogorski with Chip.

GETTING THERE- HERON BAY Directions from downtown Atlanta: Take I-75 south to Exit 216 (Ga. 155). Turn right off of exit, proceed five miles to community entrance on the right. GETTING THERE- HAMPTON Directions from downtown Atlanta: Take I-85 north to Ga. 400. Approximately 2 miles past Exit 17, turn right into Hampton subdivision.

Let's meet two moms and their families who are loving their homes and neighborhoods.

ON THE SOUTH SIDE

Rae and Matthew Foster moved from Texas when Matthew's work with the Army brought them to Atlanta. Rae, 36, is a stay-at-home mom, and she started the search for the family's new home on the Internet.

How they found their neighborhood: "We have family in Macon so we knew we wanted to be on the south side of Atlanta. We looked online for master-planned communities, and we were particular about schools," says Rae. Matthew, 43, adds, "We wanted a neighborhood with lots of green space and amenities. When we saw Heron Bay, we knew it was the right community. Close to my in-laws, close to my office, and we liked the way the neighborhood was laid out."

What they built: A five-bedroom, three-bath house. Their two girls each has her own bedroom, and they share a playroom. Downstairs there's a great room and kitchen, a dining room that's been converted to a sitting room, and a guest bedroom. "Our favorite thing about the house is that most of the bedrooms are upstairs, and the laundry room is up there, too. Our favorite thing about the lot is that there's a wooded area behind us that will stay that way, so when we look out our windows, all we see are trees," says Rae.

The mix of neighbors: "We like the mix of people in the community," says Rae. "There are quite a few retired couples and a lot of families with young children. There are always kids for our girls, Anna Kathryn, 2, and Madelyn, 7, to play with. There's a really nice playground, a fantastic swimming pool with water mushrooms that the girls love, a zero-entry pool, nature trails that connect all the different neighborhoods, streams ... when you're back there you think you're at a nature center. We take our dog, Sabot."

Family activities: "There's a social committee," says Rae, "and they plan an activity every month." Matthew adds, "We've had jazz on the lawn, a sweetheart dance with a DJ and a '70s party for us old-timers."

Great place to meet other kids: "With the green space and the playground and the nature trails, there are a lot of places to meet people. If you go out with your kids, you're inevitably going to meet somebody else out with their kids," says Matthew. Rae adds, "One of the great things is that since it's not just all young families, we meet people with kids at all ages. Moms with older children give us a different perspective. My best friend has kids close in age to mine, so the children's interests are the same, and many of the retired couples have grandkids our daughters' ages. All this gives our girls a wide variety of people to be with."

A real community: "In Texas, our neighborhood was more just a bunch of houses. There was no interaction and no sense of community. Here that is just not the case," says Rae. "And we're working to get a charter school so all the children, some who live in Henry County and some who live in Spalding, can all go to elementary school together."

HERON BAY AT A GLANCE

Address: 3080 Heron Bay Boulevard, Locust Grove

County: Henry and Spalding

Information: 770-957-5633, Heron Bay

Price range: High $100,000s to $1 million-plus

Number of homes: approximately 2,200 in community

Square footage: Active adult villas range from 1,500-2,000; active adult cluster homes range from 2,400-3,000+; traditional homes range from 2,000-4,500; estate Homes can be as large as 6,000+

Lot sizes: Patio lots at 6,000 sq. ft. up to estate lots at 1.5 acres plus

Amenities: Community lodge with fitness center; lakefront park with picnic pavilion; splash pool with dual slides, zero-entry pool with water mushrooms, Junior Olympic lap pool; tennis center with lighted courts and shaded viewing stand; children's playground, multi-purpose playfield; miles of nature trails and pocket parks, sidewalks and street-tree program throughout community; underground utilities

Homeowners fees: $510 per year; $275 initiation fee

Developer: Minerva Properties

Builders: Bob Adams Homes; Brayson Homes; Buchanan Custom Homes; Cornerstone & Associates; DC Custom Homes; DR Horton Homes; Lundstrom Homes; Paul Thomas Homes; Pulte Homes; RMT Construction; Ryland Homes; Vesta Builders; Windsong Properties

Schools: Henry County - Bethlehem Elementary, Luella Middle, Luella High; Spalding County: Jordon Hill Elementary, Kennedy Middle, Spalding High

ON THE NORTH SIDE

Last summer Jennifer Glogorski, 37, gave up an 11-year career to be a stay-at-home mom. She and husband Mike, 36, care ministry director for Buckhead Church, had moved to the Hampton neighborhood in Forsyth County two years ago. Their home overlooks the fifth-hole tee box of the neighborhood golf course.

How they picked the neighborhood: "Planning for Jennifer to become a stay-at-home mom, we started looking for a house. We were living in Vinings and liked the area, but what we wanted wasn't affordable on one income," says Mike. "Since we're both golfers, we did a search for a neighborhood with a golf course," says Jennifer, "and Hampton was right for us. Our goal was to have a house for the long term." Mike adds, "When we came into the neighborhood and saw the kids out playing, it had a good feel. We had looked at many communities in the area, but when we saw we could build a house from scratch on the golf course and in our price range, we jumped on it immediately."

What they built: A five-bedroom, three-bath home with full basement. The two-story whitewashed brick home has a screened porch with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Their bathroom was modeled after the one they enjoyed on their honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas. "It's got all the colors of our trip, a Jacuzzi tub, rubbed bronze fixtures and slate tile. In the design center, I was completely overwhelmed," confesses Jennifer, "but Mike did a great job. He has a great ability to put together colors and finishes and pick out all the elements we needed."

And baby makes three: Now that 6-month-old son Chip has been added to the family, Jennifer enjoys the amenities of the neighborhood in a new way. "I just took him to the park for the first time," she smiles. "He loves the swings. Last week another mom and I took our babies to the tennis courts and set up their ExerSaucers [baby activity centers] on the side of the court while we played. It was a hoot. The babies had their sunglasses and sun hats; they were just hanging out.

A social life: "The first event I went to was the monthly bunko game. Then there's poker every Monday during lunch; we have lots of play dates, tennis, the pool, and my neighbor and I even do yard work together," says Jennifer. Mike adds, "Jennifer's on the social committee here. One of the things she did was start a golf tournament for the guys — the Hampton Hackers." Jennifer adds, "I wanted Mike to have the same opportunities to develop friends in the neighborhood that I did. What better way than for them to get together over sports they enjoy like golf and softball? The neighborhood has father-daughter events, Easter egg hunts, garage sales, movie nights, a mother-son picnic, a fall festival and a Christmas celebration. As more and more people move into the neighborhood, they add more ideas for social events."

An oasis: "We really feel like we're in our own little world up here," says Mike. "There's no need to go outside of the neighborhood for things to do." Jennifer adds, "We want to see our child grow up here and have lifelong friends in this neighborhood. There are five babies just on our street that are within months of Chip's age. I can see them being a little 'rat pack' one day."

Contentment: "After a great 11-year career with a great company, Paychex, I find that this new direction is really wonderful. A lot of my friends said there was no way I'd be able to leave my successful career, but I don't miss it at all, and a lot of it has to do with being in this neighborhood. I have never looked back," Jennifer smiles.

HAMPTON AT A GLANCE

Address: 7005 Hampton Creek Drive, Cumming

County: Forsyth

Information: 678-947-1494, Touchstone Homes

Price range: High $200,000s-$400,000s

Number of homes: 450

Square footage: 2,500-3,100 square feet

Lot sizes: 1/2-acre average

Amenities: 18-hole public golf course, clubhouse and grill; junior Olympic pool with clubhouse; 6 tennis courts, 12-acre lake with fishing dock, sidewalks, picnic area; hiking trails, village shops, park with basketball and playground

Homeowners fees: $520 per year; $400 initiation fee

Developer: Coal Mountain Development, LLC

Builder: Touchstone Homes

Broker: Touchstone Realty LLC

Schools: Silver City Elementary, North Forsyth Middle, North Forsyth High