Nashville or Bust

Steve is an otter to say the least and an Enthusiast to boot.  I cannot say that in our nine years of marriage, I have ever seen a shade of an introvert in Steve or heard him say, I need some alone time.

Even more than being an extrovert, Steve is a dreamer, always creating, imagining and proclaiming his next big idea.

Being married to a dreamer means lots of conversations and ideas that never reach fruition, but only serve as a fun game and conversation constant.

A few months back, Steve started talking about Donald Miller's Storyline Conference in Nashville.  The conversation lasted for a couple of days, intermittently and then died off.

Exactly 3 weeks ago {2 weeks before the conference}, Steve came home and said something to the effect of {I don't remember exactly, as I was pretty flipping ticked at him} Who should we ask to watch the boys for Nashville?

To which I replied, Nashville?!!

Calmly Steve responded, Yeah, I bought you a plane ticket {3weeks ago!}....remember you told me to go for it?

Although, I am holding strong that I never told him to go for it, it is quite possible, as I sometimes zone out of his dreams and end up responding uh-huh! sure.... for as much as Steve is a dreamer, he also NEVER pulls the trigger.... until now.

So there I had it, although I would have much rather replaced my lost iPod, or bought a new blender, or purchased some cute new spring clothes with the price of a plane ticket to Nashville, I was Nashville bound .... whether I liked it or not and I have the Instagrams to prove it.

Thank you @tammystuyfzand, @angiedetrich, @katieterp & @Bumpa

for making it possible and leaving me with little worry.

In true otter form, Steve loves sitting in the EXIT row, me not so much

as I now feel responsible to read up on all emergency procedures.

After realizing the downtown Nashville wasn't our style we made our
way to this quaint little street in Hillsboro.

Just when we thought our lunch destination was a find, we stumbled upon
The Tavern, in Midtown, where we could almost hear Bob Dylan,
and felt very much like a Braverman.
{Crosby & Christina, of course}

For the first time ever we enjoyed "Bazooka" Guacamole with pistachios
 and goat cheese,
{It was just as amazing as it sounds}

and topped it off with some Tennessee Tavern Fries,
Tuscan Kale and Parmesan Salad
and Grilled Chicken Skewers....
 A perfect marriage of food? Not at all,
but was it ever so good!

For the first time in six years we were on our own and our kids were
not within driving distance....and it was wonderful.

At last, Donald Miller front and center.
He was hilarious, intelligent and spot on.

In honor of Korea, our story and more to come.

Where we go rain follows.  But that's okay because we kinda like it,
and as the patio cleared we remained and used our cup to catch the drips.

My original Instagram caption: Blessed
@katieterp's comment: Have you apologized yet for
getting mad about the plane ticket?
#soulsisteraccountabilityatitsbest

Heat. Rain. Humidity. Wine. Life is good.

Hands down our favorite Nashville restaurant.

One last hurrah while sipping
 grey skies
{a creamy latte featuring coconut milk and bergamot syrup}
 at Bongo Java.

My favorite line of the weekend...

The story you live will be up to you and God.  I think God is pretty

creative, and I think you are fairly unique, so my guess is it's going 

to be a good one. -Donald Miller

As in most cases, when everything was said and done, I was thankful that my outgoing, dreamer of a husband chased this dream, because it was so much better than an iPod, blender and all the clothes in the world combined.

Linking up...

InstaFriday: B~n~H, Wine Country Edition

A good friend will bail you out of jail....

A best friend will sit beside you and say, "Damn, that was fun."

                                                                                        ~Unknown

Although no jail time was served, side splitting fun was certainly had on our second annual B~n~H couples weekend getaway. 

This year's trip took us to Wine Country for tasting, swib, kayaking, haunted mansions, planking and lots of laughter. 

Thankful for the time away { thanks mom and dad } and for amazing friends.

The following is a small glimpse into what thirty-somethings do when they get away from their kids for more than one night.  Normal? I'm not quite sure.  Us? Yes. Love us or leave us.

1. Starting our trip with an Oatmeal Stout at Mackinaw Brewing Company.

2. Trying to capture the rainbow after a day of raining.

3. Our first stop. Lesson Learned: Never trust a winery who has their bar on wheels.

4. Dinner stop #1, The Lumberjack in Honor, MI. According Yahoo, it is critically acclaimed receiving 5 out of 6 stars.  Apparently, those ratings were from the locals.

5. Treasures from our favorite stop, 45 North.

6. Why wouldn't you use a wall mounted rhinoceros for a paper towel holder?

7. Ernie gearing up for our Platte River kayaking excursion.

8. That's why we didn't bring the kids, we wouldn't want to put them in such grave danger.         Although, we did not see a bear or a cougar, we did see hundreds of fish!

9. Cross #26 off the list.

10. Steve and I got to see where the legendary ice cream is made, and the cows that made it.  I have to say, they were the happiest looking cows I have ever seen...and I grew up in Coopersville.

11. Chad firing up for a big night in Traverse City.

12. We thirty somethings got crazy and tried our very first 5 hour energy drinks....the results? red cheeks and increased drowsiness...

13. Steve lurking in the haunted elevator of the Jolly Pumpkin, waiting to scare our friends.

14. Wondering what do do while in the haunted Genvieve's bedroom? Why, plank of course.

      instagram credit

15. Wrapping up our weekend with a B~n~H huddle, "B~n~H, Wine Country!"

16. Finding one last treasure on the scenic route home....my first ever pastie.



Back to the Basics: {Vacation Edition}

Two weeks ago, at this very same moment, it is safe to say that you would have found our party of four splashing around and trying to stay cool at our cottage getaway.

We had one week to spend with each other and dear friends,  one week to fill with the simple pleasures of life.  We had one week to relax, unwind and get back to the basics, and that is exactly what we did.

We slowed down long enough to play games.

We wadded into the water and fished, content with the pure simplicity of casting a rod over and over again, just to reel it back in.

We gathered sea shells and added to our collection of rocks,

and took pleasure in tadpoles and turtles.

We grilled {and ate} the day's catch.

We played and played and played.

We sifted for 10 Cents,

enjoyed s'mores made just for us,

and relaxed, telling stories into the wee hours of the morning.

We made the most of each day,

and crashed each night, exhausted from taking in the simple joys of summer.

We got Back to the Basics and are thankful for the memories we made, the friendships we are blessed with, and the chance to slow down.

Chi-Town

Summer has been fast and furious in this neck of the woods.  The long days that summer bring have been filled to the brim with swimming, riding bikes and many adventures.

One of our many adventures took us to Chicago. 

The last time we were Chi-town as a family, Gibson was a toddler and my belly was bulging.  It was winter, and due to our circumstances our options were limited. 

For this adventure, we had a much different set of circumstances. Now, we were hitting the city with a six and four year old in tow, and the possibilities were endless.  Armed with our three day bus passes the boys and I took to the city.

As the boys learned how to read bus routes, we took in Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Adler's Planetarium, the City Beach, John Hancock's Observatory, the Lego Store, the Cheesecake Factory and many more experiences that Chicago has to offer.

At the end of our stay, I realized just how smooth of a trip it had been.  The boys were at a great age.  They had the stamina to keep going and going and going, and they took in each and every experience. 

I then realized just how valuable those experiences were when on the last day, as we were on our way to the park, {to enjoy our two pieces of cheesecake and a rice bowl to die for} we happened to miss our stairway back to our bus stop.  Instantly, Elliott stopped us and said, Momma, that's the way we need to go.

Amazed by his awareness amidst the streets upon streets that seem to blend together, I told him how impressed I was.

To which he replied....

Chicago's my city.

And with this statement I knew we accomplished our mission.  We attacked the city taking away more than money could buy. 

Tips for Navigating Chicago Solo:

1. If you are going to visit any of the museums in Chicago, I highly recommend buying the CityPass. I made the decision to buy one after standing in line for the aquarium, by myself with two squirrely boys, for 30 minutes. {with an additional 40 minutes still looming ahead}  With this pass you have 9 days to visit several Chicago Museums and it serves as a fast pass, which means you don't have to wait in line.  If you visit two of the listed sites you essentially pay $10 to skip the lines.  If you visit three you save money.  It's a bit pricey, but lets face it, what in Chicago isn't?

2. Buy a bus pass.  For $14 I had a three day, all access, bus pass that could take us anywhere in the city.  Added Bonus: kids ride free.

3. Just Ask.  When in doubt just ask.  There were several times that I was unsure of what bus to take, and each time the drivers were more than happy to tell me which bus I needed for each destination.

The Many Mishaps of Elliott Drew

E lliott came out of the womb as bald as a cue ball, with the fairest skin of all, and veins a bulgin'. And from that day forward his head has been a magnet for mishaps, attracting accidents at every turn.  He attacks life, and his noggin often gets the blunt of it, even on vacation.  Elliott Drew, what are we going to do with you?