This Weekend in Atlanta...A Visit With Jen and Lunch with the Blackmons

This weekend, we were so excited to have my friend Jen visiting from NYC. Jen was my boss at PhysioArts Physical Therapy, where I was the office manager of her clinic that treated primarily the performing arts/Broadway. Through that time of working with Jen, I was blessed to make friends with her and have kept in touch with her beyond NYC. Jen is an amazing physical therapist and has quite the reputation in NYC as THE PT to see among dancers. She was in Atlanta this weekend teaching a PT seminar at Emory University. Fortunate for us, she does this at least once a year! So, we went to dinner with her last night at Baraonda, a great Italian place, in Midtown. We had a great time catching up from when we saw her last in NYC in February. She is doing very well and we can't wait to see her again!

Today, after church, we met Brad's parents for lunch at the OK Cafe, who were in town from Cleveland on a staff retreat. We had a delish lunch, though a bit too stuffed for comfort! So, it was a short visit but a great visit indeed until we see them again next weekend in Hotlanta!

Visit to MaryEllen and David's New Baby Boy Denver

Last Sunday, we visited our friends Mary Ellen and David Wright to see there new baby boy, Denver. Denver was born just 3 weeks ago. I was roommates with MaryEllen in college, along with Ashley Freer, so it was great to see her as a mommy! Their baby is just precious and has the most beautiful red hair, long and lean legs, and sweet long feet! When we first arrived, he was asleep b/c Mew had just fed him, so he was out. I was sitting in their chair holding him when I noticed he was making these cute little noises. Then it suddenly became warm, and I told Mew that I thought he might be pooing when I felt a warm sensation on my stomach...he had peed all over me and I loved it! I felt like I had been christened by him, as if he told me that he felt so comfortable with me that he would pee on me...awh! So, we all laughed so hard and David was like superman, wisping him up out of my arms faster than you can imagine and up the stairs to change him. It was a great moment! Anyway, he is a cutie and the pictures prove it! The Wrights are great parents...little Denver is lucky to have them as his!

Flowers Bloom on our Balcony!

Today, we felt like real homeowners when we headed up to Lowes and bought all kinds of garden stuff to make our outdoor space cozy! I've been wanting to plant flowers out there since February, but Brad insisted that we wait due to the freezing cold...ha! So, I finally got my wish and we were off! We bought some wicker resin chairs a few weeks ago and little table that I've spray painted to meet our decor needs...hehe. That black just didn't work for us! After 2 tries, we found the perfect color.

Next stop, foliage. I wasn't so sure of how to garden, so I kept asking Brad and the Lowes people what was the hardest plants to kill...I know our history with plants and it's not pretty. We're trying to go for a lighter, French look out there, so we went with some wispy looking stuff called Mexican Heather (funny that it's Mexican right and we want a French look :o) ) . Anyway, we mixed that with some impatiens (which I just today learned weren't called impatients) and put that in our baskets hanging over our railing. We bought a Palm for the corner and a cute Ficus tree in another corner. Brad's dad gave us a strawberry vase (I think that's the name) a few weeks ago so we planted a bunch of herbs in each one of the holes...rosemary, lavender, flat leaf parsley, lemon balm, peppermint (smelling good right?). I also got a really pretty Jasmine plant from my mentor teacher at my school this week, so that's really pretty and smells good too! Oh, we also put up some cute lantern lights from Smith and Hawken...nothing like a little ambience. I think that's it. We had quite a mess out there with all the potting soil, but beginners have to start somewhere. So, check out the pics. We're so happy to have a cozy little outdoor nook! Hopefully, we won't have to update this blog in a few months with a bunch of dead flowers!! Ha! Seriously though, we'll be really good about watering them. Enjoy!

A Visit with Aunt Brenda and Uncle Bob

So, this post is a little delayed. We took a few days to visit my Aunt Brenda and Uncle Bob last weekend in Kingsland, GA, near St. Mary's. This is my mom's twin sister and husband who we just adore and find to be more like another set of parents to us. We had a wonderful time with them and feel so blessed that we are able to live so close to them now, well 5 hours is closer than across the Atlantic or NYC!

Anyway, we decided to drive halfway there on Friday and stayed in a hotel that night. We drove the rest of the way on Sat morning and got there just in time for lunch! It was just good, quality time spent with them that we haven't had in years. They live on a golf course, so we spent most of the time on their Clemson golf cart riding around the country club (getting some ugly stares from all the UGA fans) and all over the course! It was so relaxing! Later, we went for a wonderful seafood dinner in this cute place right on the marsh...yum! After an evening of watching the sunset over the marsh, we just hung out at their house, laughing and catching up. They're so much fun to be around...you never know when to believe Uncle Bob...he's a jokester! We had such a great time and can't wait to go back in July, hopefully.

Oh, we also were so fortunate to get a dining table that has been in my family for probably 12o years. It was my great, great, great grandma's on my mom's side (or great, great...we don't know for sure). My family actually used this table when I was 4 years old but we passed it on to my aunt when I was in the 7th grade or so. I am thrilled that we can have this family heirloom, despite it's wear, in our home now. It just adds to the charm! Watch this space for pics from our trip. We took a camera without the battery, so needless to say, we had no pics and had to borrow their camera! I did attach the pic of the table in our home though.

A Weekend in Cleveland (actually we went here the week before Easter!)

We decided to take a quick trip up to Cleveland to see Brad's family before Easter. We always love visiting Andy and Patty and Mamaw and Papaw! We're guaranteed a relaxing weekend! We went on a great walk through the Rolling Hills Golf Course that their church just purchased for a future development. It was perfect for Bleeker since he never gets this much roaming time on his own! We had no leash on him, seeing that the course is no longer open for golfers, and he loved it! Can you imagine us letting him run free on a course with golfers!? Not so sure they'd like that very much! We were caught off guard on our walk, however, when we walked upon a large snake. Bleeker walked right beside it before we even noticed it! We quietly stopped him, picked him up and ran like...!!!!!!! Despite Andy's assurance that it was completely harmless, I live by the theory that no snake is a good snake! So, all in all, we had yet another great weekend with the family!

Easter visiting Nicole's Family in NC

For the first time in years, Brad and I were blessed to visit my family in NC for Easter! I cannot remember the last time I was home for the holiday (I think it was even before my mom passed), but it was certainly wonderful. To be with my family, neice and nephews, and share the celebration of our Christ's resurrection was so special. Brad and I were able to grab a few days off of work to head up "north" (ha!) spent a long weekend with them. We arrived on Friday afternoon and did the traditional Pizza Inn lunch buffet with my family. We do love us some Pizza Inn, esp the kiddies! That night, Brad and I went to dinner with my dad and stepmom Joyce to our favorite BBQ place. We left feeling completely stuffed and overweight all in one day! :o)

We planned an Easter egg hunt on Saturday afternoon, not expecting it to be so cold, but we hid all the eggs in the backyard anyway and my neice Lindsey (who turned 10 on April 1st), nephews Ben (5), Seth (3), and Drew (2) went for the mad hunt! It was so much fun watching how excited they would get when they found an egg and the smile that would come over their sweet face.

So, after an afternoon filled with candy and cavities, we had dinner with my brother and sis-in-law (Brian and Shannon) and relaxed the rest of the night. Sunday was graciously spent in church and was such a great reminder of the love our Saviour has for us. jWhat a great Easter! The kids just adore Brad and he adores them. It's so funny to watch them hang all over him. They're like little monkeys and so full of energy! Anytime we are able to spend time with the family is a treasured one. We only wish we could see them even more often. But we're just thankful to be closer now than ever before! Love you guys! xx

Celebrating Our 3 Year Anniversary in Asheville, NC

So, for those of you that check this blog often, Brad and I are apologize for the delay in updating it with new pics and stories. We have had such a hectic schedule in our work and personal lives that seem to slow us down! But we're back to share some more fun pics with you.

This past March, we celebrated a wonderful 3 years of marriage! It's so hard to believe and time and certainly flown by! We had a great visit to Asheville and I'm embarassed to admit that I have never spent time in Asheville aside from my pitstops during my college years, travelling to and from home to Lee. What a beautiful place this is!

To start, we stayed at a beautiful hotel called the Princess Anne Hotel that is situated in the historic district. It was quite small and quaint and completely charming. We had the opportunity to eat at their restaurant's grand opening on their 2nd night and loved it...nothing like a celebratory meal! But more exciting than anything was our visit to the Biltmore Estate, touring the home and eating wonderful food on the estate. We took a Behind the Scenes tour of the home giving access to parts of the home that not all tourists can see (we recommend this!). After a day at the Biltmore, we ventured out to the artsy downtown area and did a little shopping/browsing. On Sunday, we ended our weekend with a HUGE brunch at the Grove Park Inn, which is absolutely stunning and has amazing views of the mountains. Brad and I have never seen a spread of food quite this large but definitely tried to make or dent in it! It was only a short weekend getaway but it was sure worth every minute of it! Enjoy the pics from this trip. x

A Weekend with the Hunter's:
This past weekend Scott, Tabitha, and Addison Hunter came to visit us. We had not seen Scott and Tabitha since our wedding 3 years ago and we have never met little Addison who is 2 years old. We had a great time catching up with them. I have come to the realization that great friends can pick up right where they left off not matter how long it has been since they last saw each other. Nicole and I had a great time with them and laughed until our sides hurt! We are planning out trip to Tallahassee soon!

On Saturday, Jen and Eric Lawson has us all up to their house for game night. We played Battle of the Sexes and the men pulverized the women!! We did pitch in some money for couples therapy if anyone needed it afterwards - ha! On Sunday we took Addison to the Georgia Aquarium. She was amazed by all of the fish and I think a little scared of the sharks! The Aquarium is awesome!! Nicole and I said that we have to take mom and dad their - it is really great!

Well - enjoy the images of this past weekend! Next weekend we are off to St. Mary's Georgia to visit Nicole's Aunt Brenda and Uncle Bob.

31rst Birthday in New York City:

Nicole and I went to New York City for my 31rst Birthday. I cannot believe that I am 31 - but that is besides the point. It was so great being back in our old home town!! New York feels more like home than any other place because we were there for so long. Since NYC, we were only in London for a year and now we have been in Atlanta for 6 months - so it is only natural for us to feel that way. We were nervous about how we would feel about being back in NYC and wondered if we had made the right decision to move to Atlanta, etc - but in the end, we are happy where we are now and can always hop on Delta for two hours to be in the city that never sleeps.

Anna, Jeff, and baby Charlie Laughlin were extremely kind and let us stay with them over the weekend. We had an absolute blast with them and love every minute that we can spend with them. They live in our old section of town on the Upper West Side and it allowed us to be in our old neighborhood to make it even more special. When Nicole and I arrived on Friday, we dropped of our bags and then headed to Kitchenette in Tribeca fro Brunch. This is Nicole's favorite spot and we were so happy to be there. After brunch we headed to meet her old boss and good friends at Physioarts. Nicole had the best time catching up with everyone. Jenn - thanks for lunch #2!! We then headed to the Union Square area to shop at Zara. Now for those of you who do not know - Zara is a main staple in Nicole and my wardrobe. It is a clothing store like Banana Republic, but with a European Edge. Anyway, last year in while we were traveling in Europe we hit Zara in Venice, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, Dublin - so you can see our fascination with this store. Well, Atlanta does not have a Zara, so of course we had to visit and purchase a few things! On the way to Zara, I saw Justin Timberlake running through Union Square and remembered that living in NYC meant seeing people like this all of the time. We then headed up to meet Anna, Jeff, and Charlie for dinner at Ruby Foos for great Sushi and then we headed to bed.

On Saturday we went to meet Tasha (Our dear friend from London who has moved to NYC) for brunch at Le Pain in Soho. We were bummed that we could not see her husband Carmody, but he had just boarded a plane the night before bound for Sydney, Australia for work. We had a great time catching up with her and the time just raced by. We spent the afternoon running through Soho. This is our favorite spot in town and we had to hit Dean & Deluca, H&M, watch the artist on the street, and purchased some fake items to take back home. We then headed back to rest for our night of fun that we were about to have. On Saturday night, Jeff and Anna got a babysitter for Charlie and we headed out to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for pre-meal appetizers. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is in Columbus Circle and they have an area on the 35th Floor that looks over Central Park - it is absolutely amazing! We then headed to a cozy little spot in the West Village called Home for Dinner for an amazing meal. After dinner we went to an Italian Pastry shop on Bleeker Street for something sweet and then piled in a cab to come home. It was so much fun and reminded us of the old days with the four of us running all over the city for great food!

On Sunday we took it easy and kept to the Upper West Side before we boarded our plane to come home. We went to Brunch at Isabellas on Columbus and then went to the Artist Market on 78th street to look around. We also went by our old place to see how things had changed. It was FREEZING that day, so went went back in and warmed up by the radiators!

It was an awesome trip and we loved every minute of it. I hope that you enjoy the pictures!!