Triumphant Return*

Yes, my blog still exists, but you wouldn't know it by my lack of posts. :) Please forgive me and excuse my absence. I was out taking care of things, trying new things, traveling, enjoying spring and all that Nashville has to offer.

A few random factoids of what I've been up to:

-Doug and I celebrated our two-year anniversary at a b&b in the Smoky Mountains. Thank you, Living Social, for a ridiculously awesome deal on a 5 star place!

amazing dinner one night!
this porch overlooked the mountains!

on a tram heading to a park in gatlinburg

dinner!

hiking...i am pretty sure this branch broke off pretty soon after this pic was taken :) it was old
there was an unbeliveable view from our bed & breakfast




-I overcame my "great bike wreck of 2008," got a new bike (think beach cruiser rather than road bike) - Doug and I have been pedaling all around Metro in the evenings and weekends.


-My parents made their inaugural visit to Nashville over Easter. We went and visited the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home (among other things!)




-Over Memorial Day we went to Alabama for my younger brother Michael's graduation from the Air Force officer training school. Here he is getting his official first salute and another picture of his squadron marching. After celebrating his success (same day as Doug's birthday) we all headed down to Gulf Shores for a long weekend. Awesome.....!

watching the marching
rebecca, michael's friend from atlanta and my mom









-My nephew Wyatt was born 10 weeks early in Dallas. Quite a surprise to the family and not what you'd consider a "good" surprise on first glance. But he is quite a champ and is currently a rock star in the NICU. He is suuuch a cute baby and looks so much like my brother Randy. We got to come in to DFW when he was born and I went back this weekend for the baby shower - here's my bro and his fiance Janice:
future red raider
the onesie says "my aunt is awesome"

janice and randy!
and of course precious little wyatt! i love him!

-Doug and I signed up for a local organic produce co-op and have been bringing in a haul each week of kale, lettuces, veggies, and fruits of all kinds. I heart cooking and have expanded my repertoire more than ever.

-Doug is working this summer at a local real estate firm and has seen a lot of opportunity from the job. He is rocking P90X and is on week 5 right now. I am so proud! He is also contributing to the Vanderbilt Owen School blog with an Excel tip of the week - if that floats your boat or if you're desperate for help with Excel check it out here: www.owenbloggers.com - Oh and since the title of my blog is "texas2nashville" I MUST mention the PRIDE we felt last week when the Mavs upset the Heat to become CHAMPS! Tons of excitement from this side of the country...Texas IS biggest and best!!!!

-Next week we're headed to Vegas baby! Watch for more pics and I will start updating my little texas2nashville blog much more frequently! Please come back for more!!

*this title was chosen by Doug!

A few other rando pictures:
work would be 1,000x less fun if it wasn't for my awesome friends from work!

downtown for the owen formal in may

this day i probably felt more southern than i ever have: rainboots and a big hat for the steeplechase horse races


movies in the park in nashvegas

dinner with a few besties in dallas over the weekend

dallas - evil eyes!
my hubby swinging a croquet stick as a golf club on our anniversary trip. i think he's cute. :)

ciao for now!

Time for LOVE!

It's February, and that can only mean one thing! (Are you holding your breath?) Time to pull out the "Love Wreath!" This thing only gets pulled out for one month out of the year and the other 11 it sits and takes up waay too much room in our closet (according to Doug, anyway!) But I love it and this colorful wreath makes me so happy! Midland peeps, this is a Miss Cayce's creation! I had a fabulous weekend in Texas, post and pictures coming soon!

Cabin Fever!

This past weekend Doug and I had a major case of cabin fever what with all the cold weather we've been dealt lately! We wanted to get out of Nashville and see something new. So we spun the globe (not really) and our fingers landed on Louisville, KY. Turns out, it's a lovely city with an awesome riverfront and a vibrant downtown. We landed a sweet deal on a hotel, and were on our way.

On our way!

We had dinner at the River Bend Winery - good food, good music, good wine!


Then we headed to Proof, a restaurant inside a modern art museum and hotel. We had dessert and of course I had to try some of the famed local Kentucky bourbon. (When in Rome, right?)

Sunday morning we had brunch at an amazing spot called Ramsi's Cafe on the World. Anytime the two words brunch and buffet are side by side, you know you're in for a treat. I will go back again just for brunch at Ramsi's one day.

We toured Churchill Downs, where they hold the Kentucky Derby each year. This is me in front of the horse Barbaro.
At the paddock where the jockeys and the horses parade out!

I don't know if you can see the statue of the guy in the back, but he's the all-time winningest jockey at Churchill Downs. They gave the poor guy a break and made the statue 2 inches taller than he really is, he's tiny - 4'10"!

Winners Circle!
The Derby is always the first weekend in May, which is when our anniversary is. We promised each other that we'd make it back one day for the race. Big hats, dresses, and mint juleps? Yes please!
This is the Ohio River front --
Had a blast!

Winter Wonderland/Weekend Update

Hello everyone! I will start by saying that I woke up this morning with a text from Pamela, my mother in law, "Just saw on the news that TN has declared a weather related state emergency. Everything ok with yall?" To which I replied "We got 3 in of snow but other parts got up to 10. More to come tomm, this will get interesting. It sucks!"

And that folks, is exactly how I feel.

The snow is absolutely beautiful but it just makes getting around town so
darn inconvenient! Give me a fire and a cup of hot cocoa then we'll chat. :) I am trying to stay positive because winter here lasts much longer than I'm used to! Seeing as it's only January, we have several months of winter to go, but I am thinking March will bring my happy place. Maybe I will learn to love the cold in time. :)

On a lighter, happier note, we had a wonderful weekend here in Nash! Doug and I went and checked out the Impressionist exhibit at the Frist Center for Visual Arts. Ever since I was little I had adored the work of the Impressionists...Degas and Cezanne in particular! Two thumbs up there. Saturday Doug was working on a project in sustainability while I had my first Team Rio run! I loved hearing about the charity we're raising money for - Big Brothers Big Sisters - and the impact they're making on Middle Tennessee. Then we went for a chilly 5 miler - that's right, I know I just complained about the cold, but when you're moving fast and with a group of people you can chat with, I swear it's not that bad. :) We had a lovely dinner Saturday night at Sunset Grill (another 2 thumbs up - I had the stuffed acorn squash and it was delicious!)and Sunday was church, some cooking, another chilly 5 miler with my friend Kristi and otherwise just hanging out. Bring on the work week!

2011 Resolution....

To see more of The South!! I was inspired by this book I saw for sale on Ideeli. It's currently on order ... and am excited about taking more weekend getaways with my sweet husband!!