Memphis

What a great weekend we had in Memphis! Visiting good friends, exploring a new city, good food, and a great sermon to wrap it all up. 

Wes and I left Friday evening for the 3 hr drive with a very excited puppy. We loaded up on energy drinks and candy at our first and only stop along the way and off we went. We got to Scott and Kim's house around 10:30 still pretty hyped up on sugar and introduced Amare to their Boston Terrier, Forrest. Which I must say was one hilarious interaction... for time's sake you'll have to ask me about that one personally!

The next day we woke up late and had a lovely breakfast of fresh blueberry pancakes and bacon and, of course, a morning coffee! 

 

After breakfast we headed out to do some exploring through the Stax Museum. Here are a few pictures from me and the trusty Internet. The museum was really cool so I wanted to spend my time reading the history instead of taking pictures :)

 

 

After Stax we headed home for a little relaxing and checking on the pups. 

Then it was on to our evening adventures. First stop iChiwawa for an appetizer of chips, cheese dip, and guac in Midtown. This was a cute little area with tons of restaurants and shops lining the streets. Parking is easily accessible which made it a very pedestrian friendly area, which proved similar to most of Memphis. 

Next we drove to the riverfront to see the Mighty Mississippi. The area has great sidewalks, parks, and beautiful views. It was a fabulous place for an afternoon walk. 

 

 

 

After the riverfront we walked into downtown to eat our main course at South of Beale! Wes and I split the Shrimp and Grits and it was awesome. They also brought us a little appetizer of cinnamon popcorn which I couldn't stay away from.

 

After dinner we walked down to the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Such a somber place to visit having seen video earlier that day of the rioting a violence that took place in Memphis during that time. Thinking back on society then it is amazing to think of how far we have come since those days. There is a lot of room for improvement, yes, but much has been improved upon.

 

 

 

Next we continued on our culinary adventure to our last stop, The Cheesecake Corner! What better dessert to wrap up the evening of food than a White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake. It was phenomenal!

 

We ended the night with a quick walk through of Beale Street which reminded me a lot of New Orleans culture! Another photo courtesy of the internet because the people watching was way too much fun for photos. There were street performers, vendors, and concerts as we walked down the street.

 

We thought the excitement of the night would end with our trolley ride back to our car at the riverfront but we were mistaken!  Once we got to the car and took our time checking out the nighttime atmosphere of the Mississippi we realized we were locked in the parking lot. Evidently the gates close at a specific time which is not noted on any entrance. However, the little tiny corolla made a daring get away when we watched a few other cars bravely jump the curve. The key was hitting it at an angle which Wes did beautifully as I closed my eyes and held on for dear life in the back seat :)

 

 

Sunday morning we went to church at First Baptist Memphis to hear our friend Scott preach! The congregation was so welcoming and we really enjoyed the time of worship. I wish my photo could do this facility justice. With stained glass windows in the sanctuary, gorgeous organ and pipes, and soaring ceilings... it really was beautiful! Scott did an amazing job sharing the story of Martha and Mary from the view of Martha. It was a new take on the story as most of us think of Martha as the angry sister who missed out on enjoying Jesus and Mary as the sister who did everything right. As Scott pointed out, do we really know if Martha wouldn't have been the one praised for her goodness if her attitude had been in the right place? Do we really know if Jesus didn't think Mary should have been using her time to serve others or if Jesus saw her as a younger sibling who would grow into that as Martha had? Martha's actions weren't wrong, it was her attitude that Jesus gently rebuked. We find ourselves in Martha in this story and other stories in the Bible, as the one in need of that gentle rebuking from Christ so our attitudes meet our actions and we learn to serve gladly, lovingly, and willingly!

 

All in all we had a wonderful time visiting friends and a new city and we can't wait to visit again and show them around Nashville one day soon! 

It's Not About the Nail

This video really made me laugh so im reposting it for all my girls out there. The men in our lives put up with a lot so why not make a funny video about it :)

Whether your married, in a relationship, or single I'm sure that we all relate to this conversation in one way or another. Thank God for giving me a patient man that can deal with my "Not About the Nail" moments :)

http://vimeo.com/m/66753575

Happy 4th from Logan Martin!

We actually spent the 4th of July in Nashville this year since neither Wes nor I have vacation time yet. Great year for the 4th to fall on a Thursday! It was pretty rainy anyway so we celebrated our independence by sleeping in, cooking a breakfast smorgasbord of muffins (10 for $10 sale at kroger), and shopping the holiday sales for some killer deals. We were very successful too! We walked away with 2 pair of shorts for me for $18 total (old navy) and 2 pair of blue chinos for $26 total for Wes (jcrew). Pretty fabulous deal day if I do say so myself! 

After our Friday work day, we loaded up and headed to Logan Martin for a lake escape. Here is a little peek into our lives on the road with Amare...

She literally hits each of these positions on the first 5 minutes of the road trip and is then out for the rest of the 4 hour trip. Pretty good pup!

It rained most of the weekend but we still got some much needed dock floating time and taught the pups to swim in and out of the lake by herself. Major accomplishment! 

Wes got to catch up on some guy time playing video games with his brother Brad and our good friend Fletcher. And let's not forget the annual firework extravaganza which consisted of a trip to a pretty sketchy firework trailer in the middle of nowhere to pick up a ginormous pack of fireworks which we got for over half off because it was actually July 6th and not the traditional night of celebration. The boys enjoy this tradition ever year which ultimately transforms grown men into 5 year olds competing for the approval of the crowd (myself, wes's mom, and grandmother). It was very entertaining as usual and something I suspect everyone there secretly looks forward to. 

I on the other hand started on the book "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. It is a fabulous read and I haven't been able to put it down! The strength of that woman and her family is one that can only come from our father in heaven. Truly an inspiring story! If you do not know much about the Holocaust or Corrie Ten Boom  you should definitely spend some time on this book. It was a very appropriate read for the weekend as it definitely made me appreciate my freedom to openly worship God and the independence that we are supposed to be celebrating with our vacations and time away from reality.

However, my point for this post was not to get on a soap box so I will leave it at that... READ IT... Ok I'm really done :)

The sun finally came out on our last day as we were packing up to head home but honestly the sun was not needed for this relaxing trip. We enjoyed the company and the time to veg out and let ourselves be a little, should I dare say, lazy ;)

Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July weekend and safe travels if you are headed home from your getaway!

Now back to listening to some Biggie and Tupac on the road back to Nashville with my husband. I guess he is celebrating his freedom to listen to whatever music he wants... Word

Nashville Free

The hubs and I have been experiencing a good bit of Nashville recently. Most importantly we've been able to do most of our touring around the city for free which is huge since we are really focusing on saving for our first home and future kiddos! 

A few things we've had the opportunity to see and do...

The Ryman Back Stage:

Thanks to our good friend in the music industry we were able to go back stage at the Ryman during one of the Opry Classic nights. It was fun to see everyone warm up and hear firsthand the roar of the crowd as the musicians took the stage.

The Grand Ole Opry:

We were able to visit the new Opry House while my parents were in town. Big thanks to them for letting us tag along! We heard Kacey Musgraves, Jim Ed Brown, Will Hoge, Ricky Skaggs, The Henningsens, and Rascal Flatts. After the show we went to the Earnest Tubbs record shop to look around and hear the Midnight Jamboree. We actually got to meet Jim Ed Brown and have a picture taken with him.

The Country Music Hall of Fame:

After attending an event for my friend and talented musician, Candi Carpenter. I got to meet Ron Harman who works for The Country Music Hall of Fame. A big thank you to him for letting us tour the Hall of Fame the next day on one of his passes. Wes had never been and it was fun to walk through on a very rainy day and see the outfits and cars the old stars had as well as read about the history of Country Music. My favorite was the Patsy Cline exibit!

The Shops in Franklin:

If you ever get a chance to run to downtown Franklin you will not be disappointed.This quaint little downtown square offers a variety of shops featuring art made right here in Tennessee. Beautiful pottery and antiques can be found at great prices. My personal favorite is The Country Charm Mall right down from the circle on Lewisburg Ave. And if you get a chance, stop into one of the local restaurants. They have some of the best food from cajun, to italian, and a local deli and pharmacy.

The Historic Franklin Theater:

Although the Franklin Theater is not free it is a must see if you are in Franklin and the prices are very reasonable. Much cheaper than going to a current movie theater. They play new releases and old classics. Check out their website for more details and to scope out the charm of this refurbished venue.

Food Truck Festivals:

Wes and I did get to attend a local food truck festival in Franklin but they have these all over the city. With a wide variety of unique food vendors and great prices this is a must do for the Nashville foodie :)  Be prepared to stand in line though, this is a popular event among the locals!

Musicians Corner:

4 weeks of free outdoor concerts, games, food trucks and more. We had a blast attending this event. It's a very relaxing saturday outing that costs nothing if you play it right. If you want to buy food at the show that is always an option but you are also welcome to bring in your own picnic style lunch. Chairs and tables are set up for your convenience or bring a blanket and lounge around. Personally we like to support the local economy and love the food truck scene in Nashville. Everything else is free free free! Each week features a different nashville artists including Matt Wertz, Andy Davis, Green River Ordinance and many more. This is a great opportunity to get to know and support the local artists you hear every week on lightning 100.

Americanarama:

Well honestly I did try to get tickets to this show because I love Wilco and Bob Dylan. I wanted to support the artists like the honorable music lover I am however, my wallet got stolen the week we were supposed to buy the tickets... bummer! The plan was to walk to the pedestrian bridge and listen to the show from there but the local police thwarted that plan. Luckily we followed the crowd and ended up in a sweet little parking lot across the street from the show. It was awesome! Although I do not promote skimping the musicians on their revenue (they work hard for the money), I do support hearing good music at any cost... this one just happened to be free :)

Well ladies and gents I believe that's all I've got for this post. I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing 4th of July! I know we did, despite the rain.