Love In Motion

I spent a chunk of last week at my Daughter2's house in Tennessee while she and her hubs were on a cruise around the Greek Islands. Swoon! 

Let's pause for a quick sidebar-

That now married momma of two pictured above made a trip to Greece when she was 14 years old. The girls loved swimming in the sea, tasting octopus for the first time, shopping in the market, seeing the historic sites, eating their weight in yummy Greek salads, and roasting under the white hot August Athenian sun. 

Such a fun week for all of us. 

Carry on. 

Daughter2 and her hubs had planned their trip as a bit of a mile marker anniversary celebration (5 years), and because of the distance and travel involved their time away was about ten days. When she first mentioned the trip to me I'm pretty sure my first reaction was, 'TEN DAYS!! WHO'S WATCHING THE KIDS FOR TEN DAYS?!!" 

Yes, in all caps. 

Sometimes things come out of my mouth and I wish I could rewind, but there I said it because seriously, who is watching the kids for TEN days??? As it turns out the plan from the get go was her in-laws would cover five days and we'd cover five days. 

Much better. 

You know once upon a time I was a speech pathologist with over 75 students on my caseload and now I panic at the thought of being responsible for two that are related to me for ten days. Ha. True story though. 

Her two littles are, in a word, busy. Also lightning fast, stinkin' adorable, chatty, curious, and lovable. Keeping up with them requires a clear head and the endurance of a marathon runner. These days I have neither, but I am the Nana and Nanas can do hard things for the people we love. Plus hubs is a great teammate and has an endless array of tricks, funny faces, funny voices, creativity, and muscle so all is well. 

Except! Hubs as you know sells real estate on the lake and he's been working with an out of state client for several weeks who, as timing would have it, would be coming to the lake the very weekend we would be in Tennessee. Bother.  

I mean it's fine because he put a lot of work in for the client and needed that in person time with him, but also it meant I'd be on my own for the last two days of keeping everyone in high spirits until mom and dad came home. 

The thought was daunting. This is how you know you're not young anymore. 

As it turned out everyone did great, the kids too lol. Their momma had left a little gift for them to open each day and I brought a couple of things with me so we'd have new things to play with and distract us. 

Hubs and I drove over to Tennessee last Tuesday and we had one night there with the in-laws still in the house. We enjoy them very much and it was nice to catch up with them once the kiddos went to bed. We ordered pizza for dinner because everyone loves pizza and chatted before calling it an early night. 

Sleep is key. 

They left first thing Wednesday morning and hubs and I took the grands to the Creative Discovery Museum.  Wait. First hubs dropped their dog at daycare. Did I tell you we also had their dog? And our dog? And our dog is not feeling his best these days which makes us wobbly. 

If your kids are not yet married, just know one day you'll be taking care of their dog. That's how it works. 

The Discovery Museum is fabulous. We arrived just as it was opening and beat the crowds that my daughter told me come later. It's really well done, organized, clean, child focused, and lots of space for imaginative play.

Sugar would have been happy to feed and rock baby dolls all day long in the housekeeping section. 

We were home for lunch and then rest and I'd planned ahead and made a pan of chicken divan before I left the lake, so dinner just needed heating and eating. 

Thursday morning the kids have swimming lessons and we were almost late because you forget how long it takes to get out of the house with all the things, plus the kids, plus getting everyone into the car seats, etc. But we made it and hubs got in the pool with them so I was able to just cheer from the sidelines. 

One gift my daughter left was a gift card for donuts so we stopped after swimming and got donuts in this lovely shopping center very close to their home. There's a really nice common area in the center and we let the kids run and play and coincidentally one of their neighbors was there too so all the kids had fun together. 

Afternoons were mostly rest and outside play and usually a show watched while we got dinner ready. Friday morning was meet the teacher day at their new preschool and I told hubs to go ahead and get on the road back to the lake and I'd be fine managing this. And I was. Such a sweet school and everyone's excited. 

We left there and I stopped at Publix to pick up subs for lunch and popsicles because August needs popsicles, and then it was home for the afternoon. I'd brought a new Young, Wild and Friedman play dough kit with me (Reptiles) and I cannot say enough about how wonderful these kits are. I brought that out Friday afternoon and they played with it for a couple of hours Friday, twice on Saturday, and again on Sunday. 

There was a lot of rain over the weekend, but we managed to get outside some each day. We went to the neighborhood pool one day and I took them for ice cream Saturday afternoon. We took a walk each evening which they enjoyed and it seemed to make them more ready for baths and bedtime. I know it did me.  

I arrived home Monday afternoon with two broken fingernails, a mystery bruise on my leg, in dire need of a nap, and a full heart. I love that we're able to give the parents a break now and then. I remember how much I appreciated and needed that when I was in the heavy lifting years of parenting and I want to pay that forward now that I'm the grandparent. 

I think it’s important to make memories together as a family, but also to make time for each other as a couple. Getting away from the everyday craziness of work, parenting, keeping up with the house, and everything else gives mom and dad a chance to reconnect and just enjoy being together.

One of the best ways to keep a family happy and whole is to temporarily escape from them, miss them, recharge, and come back refreshed and eager to resume the routines of daily life. Opa!

Top 'O The Monday To You

Another full busy week here, and then the weekend was party party party. Let's catch up...

Friday I finally got the tax organizer submitted to our accountant and it felt so good to have that job done. I needed a block of time to finish it up and Friday morning was pretty much the only block of unclaimed time I had all week. From the post office I went directly to the salon for a long overdue, much needed, mani/pedi. It was wonderful. 

Friday evening hubs and I went to a St. Patty's Day get together in our neighborhood clubhouse. They called it stews and brews and everyone brought either a soup, bread, salad or dessert. 

So many yummy soups with a lot of variety. The organizers brought both small and large containers, so you could have a bowl of one or a flight of several. 

The room was decorated for St. Patrick's Day and two neighbors set up an Irish Coffee bar which was fun and festive. Hubs and I wore our matching tees but I forgot to snap a picture. Pretty much par for the course here. 

We were up early on Saturday to make the trek to Tennessee for still more celebrating the birthday girl, aka my mother-in-law. Last weekend she was at the lake to spend time with all her great grands, but this weekend was all about her own children. 

I snapped this picture on our drive over on Saturday morning. This road repair and construction as a result of Helene (a year and a half ago!) has got to be one of the biggest ongoing projects in the country in terms of size, cost, manpower, and plan. 

We arrived at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's home about 2. There was a big Bass tournament happening on the river all weekend long, and we had fun watching the fishermen from their deck. 

We had a lovely family dinner Saturday night at a nice restaurant (Foothills Milling for the Tennessee peeps reading here), and it was so good!

My sister-in-law made a fun bingo game and when she called a square everyone told a story about my mother-in-law that fit the topic. Hilarious. Our server heard more than she ever wanted to know too lol.

Sunday morning coffee on the deck before we all headed to church together.  Right after the service there was a lovely little reception in the atrium for her many many MANY friends to come have a sweet treat and visit. She's been a member of this church for over 50 years and is very well loved. 

Mary (Life In A Small Town)  came by the reception too and it was fun to see her there. She and her sibs went to school with hubs and his sibs and we were all glad she stopped by. My mother-in-law loves her whole family and she brought her a sweet hyacinth which was so thoughtful. Did we take a photo or were we slacker bloggers? You decide. 

Once the reception ended hubs and I along with one brother and sister-in-law went to a nearby brewery to meet up with some college friends of ours.  A great day and always fun to see some of our favorite people who knew us when. 

Again, we forgot to snap a picture. Oops. We did have a photographer my sister-in-law knows come take some pictures at the church and a few family shots too, so I'm sure I'll add one to my blog once we get them back. 

We hung out at my brother-in-law and sister-in-laws house Sunday evening and will be home by lunchtime today. 

Barring crazy weather or crazy traffic of course, both of which are possible. 

Hope you had a nice weekend spent with people you love. Linking today's post with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books)  for their usual Monday morning party. Why not add your link there too? 

Merry Monday

Hello Monday. It's still Monday right? The days are a blur this time of year and you just have to roll with it. I'm linking with Holly and Sarah for the weekend recap party they host every Monday. Here we go-

We had a fun weekend spent with hubs brother, sister-in-law, and his momma, not counting of course that Tennessee football game, which was possibly the worst game played in the history of ever. Let's speak of happier things. 

It's not a straight line from our house in SC to theirs in TN these days, due to the wrath of Helene. The interstate remains shut down so we have to take the long way around. 

Long but absolutely beautiful I will say. The road that runs across the mountain from NC into Tennessee is one of the prettiest in all of America. Dusted with snow it was just breathtaking. 

As we came in to Tennessee we saw more remnants of the hurricane. Yellow piping is piled high all along the highway from a plastics plant that was destroyed by rushing water. 

Lives were lost here and it's still such an incredible mess. 

We picked up my mother-in-law on our way to the lake where my brother-in-law lives, and got there just in time to see the Clemson-Texas kickoff. We were rooting for our hometown team, but they ended up losing and then things sped rapidly downhill from there. 

That Tennessee game. Whew! It was painful. My sister-in law had ordered Chicago's famous Lou Malnati's pizzas for dinner and that was the highlight of the evening. 'Nuff said. 

Sunday morning we all went to church together. Their church choir performed their cantata which was so lovely. 

We had a charcuterie style lunch, then spent the afternoon chatting, soaking up some Vitamin D on the sunny back porch, and watching the women's volleyball championship on TV. 

Sunday evening we took hubs mom out for a delicious meal at one of our favorite Italian spots-Bella.

Hubs passed a shop window with a prop that goes with his suit and we had to snap a picture. 

This suit brings out the best in everyone. People stop to wish us merry Christmas with a big smile on their face, and to tell us how much they love it. An easy way to spread holiday cheer. 

Monday morning hubs and I headed south about an hour and a half to Daughter2's home near Chattanooga. We take a back road so it's a country drive with pretty farms dotting the landscape along the way. We made a stop at our favorite smokehouse Bentons, home to the world famous Benton's bacon, and still made it to Daughter2s by lunchtime. 

Sweet Baby J literally jumps up and down and claps his hands when he sees us getting out of the car and it is the best thing ever. Truly. Whatever is weighing you down dissolves at the sight of this precious little boy so happy to see you he can't contain it. And baby sister is right behind him, giving us her whole body smile and showing off her newest skill-walking! 

The excitement level is at a ten with littles in the house and we are here for it. 

Merry Christmas Eve Eve everyone!

Hiya Monday!

Good Monday morning everyone! We had a lovely weekend and are still soaking up summer here. 

Thursday night we had our monthly wine club get together. Yes I'm going back to Thursday night because Thursday night will always be the start of a weekend for me. I blame college. 

Seared sea scallop with a lemon beurre blanc, Miller Farms pickled radish and watercress

Also, we're retired so as hubs likes to say, 'everyday is Saturday'. 

potato leek soup topped with pork cracklins and basil oil 

Besides the two courses pictured above we also had a veal marsala with wild mushrooms, golden raisin, spaghetti squash, and micro greens. Then a fourth course which included duck confit ragout with house made pappardelle, San Marzano tomatoes, Pecorino, Romano, and Ricotta. 

Dessert was a bananas foster cheesecake with caramel stroopwaffel. Yum! The entire menu was so delicious and the wines were wonderful too.  

We are kind of exhausted. When we got home from dinner hubs announced he was not doing a thing on Friday, and we did manage to have a mostly low key day. There was more catching up on laundry happening (yes, still!) then I spent most of the rest of the day in the office sorting, shredding, filing, and dealing with the paperwork mountain that had accumulated while we were busy enjoying in person time with our family.  

Friday night a couple we knew casually but not real well, invited us out to dinner. It was fun getting to know them better over Italian food eaten at a local restaurant we enjoy. 

Saturday morning we loaded up the car and the little brown dog and drove over the mountain to East Tennessee to spend a couple of days with hubs mama and his brother and sister-in-law too. We had not seen his mama in person since March so were overdue for some actual face time. 

Hubs family lived in Kentucky for a few years when he was a child and my brother and sister-in-law had very recently been back to that same small Kentucky town. They brought back everyone's favorite barbecue and had frozen the extra so we had that for dinner, then caught the sunset before watching more of the Olympics. 

Question-what do we watch when the Olympics end? 

Sunday morning hubs and I accompanied his mama to church and then to a light lunch afterwards. We went back to my brother-in-law's for a short nap (hi hubs!) and then late afternoon some friends hubs and I have known since college invited all of us to their house for dinner.  

I didn't take any pics of the women, but that's hubs in the middle with one of his best buds on the left and his brother on the right. When hubs and I were first married and lived in Knoxville we spent almost every weekend at this couple's house. Seriously we'd pack a bag and bring some board games and our favorite tunes and we'd move in with them for the weekend. They only lived a few miles away from us, but it was just so much fun to make it a whole weekend. 

Our hosts grilled ribs and we talked about many things old and new, but most importantly our high hopes for Tennessee Volunteer football, which we're all excited about. Go VOLS!  

We have a busy week ahead. Our once small, now somewhat larger than small ahem, backyard project is hopefully getting underway today. We shall see. 

One other note before I dive into this day...my daughter1 and her family (husband plus three small children) have moved to England for a six month stay while her hubs completes an orthopedic surgical fellowship. She blogs. Her writing is rich and precious and so real. If you'd like to follow along visit her blog at Sincerely Shannon. Her first entry related to the move is here-Hello, we've moved. They landed a week ago last Thursday then left for vacation the following Monday. Carpe diem! They were determined to squeeze in some fun travel on top of the actual move travel they'd just done before her hubs reports for work. 

We all live large here. 

Linking today's post with Holly and Sarah for their regular Hello Monday blog hop. Happy Monday everyone! 

Many Big And Little Bits of Life

I feel like I'm overdue for a post filled with all the little bits of life that have been happening here. Some actually not so little, but maybe not big enough to warrant their own post. Or maybe they do, but time won't allow it just now and I want to catch up so here we are. 

Strap in for some quick and random topic changes and pictures that don't want to center on the page. 

Fall. My favorite season and this has been one of the prettiest we've had in a long, long, time. The color has been spectacular and as it happens we've been putting miles on the car traveling here, there, and back again through tunnels of gold and along southern back roads painted red-yellow-orange. Autumn reminds me the world is full of wonder and it is God who orders change in the seasons and in our lives. 

I read a really really good book. It's labeled YA but if you read the reviews you'll see adults are the readers who truly get it. I recommend-

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

I'd given hubs tickets to see Jim Messina in the nearby small big city for his birthday back in September, and last week was the concert date. A bit inconvenient timing wise as I had to see the orthopedist at 1 PM and the concert wasn't until 7:30. Then hubs looked at his calendar and realized he had a haircut booked for 9:45 so what all this nonsense meant was two trips to town in the same day. 

Bother. Town is an hour away which meant there and back and there and back and we'd also just come home from driving the coast of California and knew we had another road trip that next weekend so whew!

Anyway, we loved the show. For any kids reading here today, Jim Messina was once upon a time part of the duo Loggins and Messina (yes, Kenny of Top Gun music fame). You older 'kids' probably know he was also part of Buffalo Springfield and a founding member of Poco. He kicked off the show with House at Pooh Corner and what adult doesn't feel a twinge of nostalgia when they hear that tune? 

The next weekend we trekked through a lot of autumn splendor to spend a couple of days with our daughter2, her hubs, her in-laws, and sweet baby J who still needs a blog name. The weather was perfect and we spent a lot of time relaxing on their back porch, wandering around a local Octoberfest celebration, and then on Sunday celebrating with their church family at little man's dedication. 

It was such a nice service and he wore his daddy's baptismal gown and loved almost every minute. The pastor invited all the kids in the service to come up front and watch and then the congregation sang Jesus Loves Me while baby boy checked out his new friends. 

He is an absolute sweetheart. 

College football. Our team is back and we are loving it. The Tennessee Vols are undefeated and it's feeling a bit like 1998. Little guy was sporting his checkerboard overalls because they're raising him right. 

We watched the Bama game at daughter2's house and when the Vols won in the last two seconds everyone forgot there was a baby sleeping upstairs. What a game! Our hometown team (who we also love and root for) is also undefeated and suddenly college football is fun again. 

We drove home on Monday and then were supposed to go to our own college homecoming that next weekend. You may recall Daughter1 was due with her baby #3 the first week of November, except God had other plans and here she is, two weeks early and perfectly perfect-

My heart can hardly take it. 

Truly. My heart is so full, and while life right now feels a wee bit crazy I am so grateful for every sweet, loud, anxious, joyful, big and small moment and mile traveled that has brought us to the now.