Life Lately | In Black and White

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that we have had a lot of people in our home this past week. We've hosted cousins, parents, and friends. I have to admit, Todd and I have been doing a lot of daydreaming and talking about moving. We've been in our home for seven years next month and we both have the itch to make memories somewhere new. We would love to have a little more land, possibly close to water. Like I said, we're dreaming. But, we feel like God still has plans for us in our current home and this week was such a great reminder that no matter the size or layout, community happens around the table. It happens when toddlers play together. It happens in your PJs on late nights with lots of ice cream. Who knows what the future has in store, but for now we're trying to be intentional where we are. To not miss what is happening right now by living in the future.

So we're striving to live in the moment. To relish the last of summer. Having a toddler really helps to put things in perspective. Crosbi only lives in the now. Time is relative and to her, things either happened last week or will happen on Thursday. I love that. I have so much to learn from her.

xoxo

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Weekend Getaway :: St. Louis

It has been a summer filled with mini-vacations and weekend trips and we're not slowing down yet. We have two more fun trips planned next month and then summer will be over. Crazy. If we blink we might miss it!

This past weekend we went to St. Louis. We typically stay in a hotel downtown to be near all the action, but this time we stayed with good friends and I'm so glad we did. It was really great to share meals and watch our kids play. Lucky for us those same friends will be staying with us next weekend which made saying goodbye much easier.

We hit the zoo, which for those not familiar with St. Louis, is free! This is wonderful, but not the best idea for a weekend visit. It was crazy busy. Crosbi and I ended up spending most of our time on the zoo train because it was tough to see the animals with so many people around. We'll definitely go back, but maybe on a week day.

Todd and I have been known to plan trips around the local food scene, and this trip wasn't an exception. We have a rule that we can't eat at any chain restaurants when we're away from home. We had incredible meals all over the city. Prime rib pizza at PW Pizza, old fashioned malts at Crown Candy Kitchen, and locally farmed meats and veggies at Rooster, voted "Best Breakfast In Missouri."

We watched the Cardinals play the Dodgers and Crosbi ate her weight in cotton candy and ice cream. I think it's safe to say fun was had by all.

Until next time, St. Louis!

xoxo

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Berry Picking At Wagner Farm

Just a short drive from our home is Wagner Farm, one of the cutest berry farms you'll find. We chose to visit today because of the unbelievable weather we're having in Tennessee. It was still in the 60s when we left our home today. Such a gift.

Crosbi and I hit the road with our best buddies and spent a really fun morning filling baskets of blackberries and blueberries. I see some fruit crisps and cobblers in our very near future!

Thankful for fresh berries and fun memories. 

xoxo

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Crosbi Says...

"I have an idea! There's a basketball upstairs!"

"I don't want to wear shoes right now. I just wear my feet."

I left the room to use the restroom and when I returned Crosbi said to me, "You're good as new!"

I love my silly girl.

xoxo

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Cabin Weekend | July 4th

This past weekend we truly lived life off the grid. No internet, no cell service, no working bathroom. Okay, that last one might be a slight exaggeration, but we definitely unplugged, made memories with our sweet girl, and spent time with a few of our closest friends.

One thing I've been bad about since having Crosbi is recording video. I'm trying to fix that so she'll have lots of home movies to watch as she grows up.

I'm sure we'll watch this one together for years to come.

Hope you all had a happy 4th! So thankful to live in this great country and enjoy such freedom.

xoxo

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Girls Weekend | Jennifer Turns 30

“If you have two friends in your lifetime, you're lucky. If you have one good friend, you're more than lucky.” - S.E Hinton

As we get older it becomes more difficult to make friends. The demands of careers, family and other responsibilities don't give us the flexibility to be out and about meeting new people. It's even more rare as we age to come across people who within months become one of our best friends.

I've mentioned Jennifer before. We worked for the same company, but on different floors and knew each other by name only. But when we learned that we were both pregnant and both due with our first child within days (four days to be exact) of each other, we quickly became inseparable. Every doctor appointment, every symptom, every craving we experienced together. When our babies were born we became even closer. Again, every milestone, every new challenge, every sleepless night we had each other to lean on. So of course my heart broke when she and her family moved to Colorado nearly two years ago. But thanks to the wonder of social media and technology like Facetime, our friendship hasn't skipped a beat. 

For Jenn's 30th birthday her husband surprised her with a trip to Nashville to spend the weekend with me and to see her friends and family. It felt as much my gift as hers. To celebrate we took a short road trip to Alabama. On our way to Huntsville, we made a stop in Mooresville, Alabama, which Southern Living magazine named one of its best small towns in the south. I can easily see how it made the list. So much beauty and history and the sweetest people. We could have sat with the girl working at the coffee shop all day. I called Todd and jokingly told him to look at real estate. Although, I was sort of serious. This is the kind of town I want to grow old in for sure.

We stayed up way too late laughing about the most ridiculous things. We ate good food, went shopping, even saw a movie, which is such a treat when you have kids. Although, Jenn and I totally felt out of our element when we couldn't figure out how to purchase tickets. The theater had assigned seats. Is this a new thing? It made for some good laughs for sure.

On her last day here, I surprised Jenn with a small birthday gathering with old coworkers and friends. I hope she left knowing how much she's loved.

God has blessed me with such incredible women in my life. My girlfriends here in Nashville are much more like sisters than friends. I still stay in touch with my high school and college friends. I don't take these friendships for granted at all. But I love how God can continually bring new people in our lives that forever shape us. 

Thanks for a great weekend, Jenn! I miss you already and can't wait for our next adventure together.

xoxo

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