DEVINE ESCAPADES

The Color Orange

2011-11-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

This time of year when someone says orange you think Halloween, right? In Austin, you associate orange with the University of Texas Longhorns. I should clarify...we're not referring to any orange, we're talking burnt orange. So Ryan's parents came in town a couple of weekends ago, and my boss hooked me up with his sweet football tickets again. We all planned to go to the game together. The night before the game, I joked with Ryan that we had to get his parents burnt orange shirts. He laughed and thought it was a ridiculous idea.

Saturday rolled around. I was super busy preparing for a talk I was asked to give in church the next day, so Ryan and his dad went to the store to pick up a few things for Sunday's dinner. Y'all know what happens when you send the guys to the store. They call every five minutes asking where to find this or that and if this ingredient is the same as that ingredient. I was impressed when they managed to come home with everything on the grocery list. I was even more impressed that they came home with a special treat. To my surprise Ryan's parents walked out ready to go to the game in burnt orange shirts. It was so cute and I must say the color suited them well.

We spent the weekend grubbing at lots of yummy restaurants and even went home shopping.

Of course we were not home shopping for ourselves. It was more or less showing Ryan's parents what they could get in Texas. This house was bananas. It was a waterfront property on the lake. The back had the most beautiful old pecan and cypress trees. I fell in love!

Chappell's Welcome #7

2011-10-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

The same weekend we were all having fun at the BYU game, the Chappell's welcomed baby Ebby into the world. Later in the month I went to Dallas for Ebby's baby blessing.

Ebby in her beautiful white blessing dress

The Chappell Clan!

The weekend was also filled with birthdays and football. We celebrated my mom's birthday and Boston's birthday. We even got to catch Boston's football game. He is the team superstar!

Devon kept wanting Boston's helmet. He cried until he got to wear it. The only problem was that when he put it on he was a bit top heavy and couldn't stay balanced.

Cougar Blue

2011-10-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

My brothers, dad and Ry's dad came in town for the BYU vs. Texas football game. I stayed true to my alma mater and wore cougar blue to the football game. Ryan and I bought season tickets to the game through the graduate program; however, my boss offered me his 50 yard line row 40 tickets and I couldn't pass them up. I invited my dad to sit next to me since he is the biggest cougar fan known to man. While BYU didn't win, it was still fun to share that memory with my dad.

The gang before the game in front of the BYU bus with my dad, Aaron, Gavin, and Aaron's friend.

Cancun Part 2

2011-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

And part two comes a month and a half later. haha. We've been busy, what can I say?

While we were in Cancun we took one day to not be beach bums and go tour the ruins. We woke up at the crack of dawn, so we could squeeze in Chichen Itza and Tulum, the Mayan ruins. We took a personal tour with Helaman.

Chichen Itza

I swear each of these ruins photoed was a temple that had sacrificial altars. Lots of deaths occurred at Chichen Itza.

They're finding there is still a ton to excavate underground.

The market area where you get heckled. Ryan hates souvenirs, so we walked away empty handed.

A colorful traditional Mexican town we drove through on our way to Tulum.

A classic church in the middle of the town square.

Tulum.

Tulum was my favorite because everything was open and in one central location...not to mention it is right of the coast.

The Mayans chose the most amazing location to build a temple and live. Right off this amazing crystal clear water.

All the locals swimming down below.

On the way back to the hotel, Helaman stopped off at this little ice cream stand. When I say stand, I'm talking an old lady with a couple buckets in front of her with a tarp overhead to block the sun and rain. She made the ice cream herself. It was amazing. We got lime and coconut. We fell in love with the coconut ice cream. I tried making a batch when we got back home. Mine wasn't nearly as good. Go figure!

Overall, we had a great trip to Cancun. It was so beautiful and relaxing. I'm so thankful Ryan and I were able to celebrate 5 years together in such a fun place.

Cancun Part I

2011-08-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

As an early 5-year anniversary celebration, Ryan and I took a trip to Cancun.

The fun began during our flight to Cancun, and I'm not referring to your typical in-flight entertainment of movies. The pilot warned us before we took off, that we'd be flying thru a tropical depression and that if it got to bad, we'd divert and land elsewhere. Well about 30 minutes outside of Cancun, the plane dropped drastically. You know one of those drops where you wonder where your stomach went. The pilot got on the sound system and told everyone to take their seats. He told the flight attendants that they did not have time to prepare the cabin, but that we were making our final decent. We felt a couple more drastic drops. Drinks were flying all over the place.

As you can imagine, everyone was looking around thinking what is going on? Sitting next to Ryan was an Italian couple and they were anything but calm. The poor guy was trying to comfort his girlfriend, but due to the language barrier they were getting more stressed because they couldn't understand the pilot's message. I turn around and the lady in the row behind me was doing her holy prayer thing. I look the other direction and another woman has her hands on her head with her head between her legs. Within a couple of minutes, we had cleared the "black" clouds and we could see land and water. Everyone on the plane was relieved!

We went to our hotel and unpacked as the tropical storm passed. That evening we walked down to La Isla where all the shops and restaurants are on the Hotel Zone. The Hotel Zone is exactly what it sounds like. It is an island filled with hotels. Literally the beach is stacked with resort after resort. We stayed at the Le Meridien which was like one hotel down from the Ritz Carlton, so it was a great location.

View from our room

This is what we looked like pretty much every day of the trip. Kicking it on the beach, RELAXING!

Anyway, back to La Isla. We looked for placed to eat and landed upon a restaurant called Chocolate City. It sounded like a total winner! Let's just say it was interesting. The food was below average. At each table there was a TV. (Who goes out to dinner with their family and watches TV, isn't that exactly what you are trying to get away from?) But that's not even the bizarre part. The strange part was what they were playing on the TVs. They were showing these pranks that people played on football players back in the early 90's. And these pranks involved SNAKES. So while eating, you get to watch SNAKES. Oh what joy! How brilliant is that? I lost my appetite.

We went back to the hotel and swore that we were only eating at restaurants we had heard of which meant we ordered a few Papa John's pizzas!

That night we got a great nights rest. We slept with the sliding glass door open and listened to the waves. The next morning I woke up early just as the sun was rising. It was beautiful. Ryan of course could not comprehend why on earth I would wake up that early given it was our vacation and I could sleep in. It's not like I set an alarm or anything. My body just wakes itself up early.

The next couple of days, our schedule consisted of eating huge gourmet breakfasts that the hotel comped. Then we'd let our tummies settle for a bit while we got ready for the day. We'd work out or play tennis and hit the beach. What more could you ask for? I just love love love the water in Cancun. First of all it is warm. Second of all it is clear. And Third of all, the waves are not big, so you can enjoy floating around. Ryan and I had a blast swimming in the water for hours. In the evening we'd swim in the pool. The hotel had three infinity pools that dropped down to the ocean and the top pool was heated. So it was like swimming in a hot tub!

Our morning breakfast view!

An afternoon shower while swimming.

One of the things Ryan and I found most surprising was that there were a lot of foreigners. Since Mexico borders America, we assumed that Cancun would be full with mostly American tourists. Boy were we wrong. There were people from all over the world.

Cancun Part II Coming Soon!

4th of July 2011 - So Cal

2011-07-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

We made it to California to celebrate America's independence. How did we celebrate? We hit up the beach, played tennis and ate lots of yummy food.

Mitch brought his paddle board to Dana Point Harbor and we all took turns paddling away. We were all surprised by how easy it was.

Kait & Micah

Sunday night we went to the Lundquist's for Sunday dinner and smores.

Monday we fought the crowds at the beach and came back to the house for dinner. We watched the Dana Point, Laguna, and San Clemente fireworks show in the jacuzzi from the patio. It was nice to get away and flew by all too fast.

A Wonderful Birthday

2011-07-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ryan knows I love birthdays and he pulled through with a great birthday weekend.

It started with a poolside bbq with friends.

That night Ryan took me to Trulucks and we got these amazing desserts.

Chocolate malt cake with Amy's ice cream.

A chocolate gift bag filled with sour cream pound cake, fruit, whip cream, and a hot fudge sauce.

Sunday, Ryan made me breakfast in bed. It included french toast with homemade syrup and fresh fruit.

Thanks to my husband, friends, and family I had a great birthday!

Lake Austin

2011-07-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

I got to go boating on Lake Austin with some friends. The weather was perfect, the water was cool, and the company was even better! We kicked it on the boat, swam in the water, and swung from a rope swings.

Lake Austin is a reservoir on the Colorado River. In Austin, there are lots of "lakes". With exception to Lake Travis, all the other lakes feel more like rivers and are surrounded by trees and limestone.

Destroying My Shoe Collection

2011-06-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Working downtown has its advantages. I get to walk around the streets and people watch during lunch. I have a plethora of fun restaurants to choose from for lunch. I can walk the state capitol grounds when I need some fresh air.
Working downtown also has its disadvantages. I have to sit in traffic every afternoon. I get to listen to the loud street construction. But the worse part of working downtown is that the city streets are destroying my shoes.

All girls can relate to how annoying it is to get your shoe heel stuck in a crack or crevice of a sidewalk. I swear this happens once a day when walking the streets of downtown. All my pumps are scratched. The fronts of all my shoes are scuffed up. My patent shoes are ruined with the leather all bunched up from scratches.

Last Friday, I was out to lunch with a co-worker. We were walking Austin’s famous 6^th street. Sure enough, my sandal gets caught in a sidewalk gap and I broke my flip flop. I was not about to walk around barefoot because 6^th street is filthy. I developed a system to help get me from point A to point B. I put all my weight on my foot with the broken sandal and scooted along street without having to lift my foot. Imagine like an ice skating motion. My co-worker was dying of laughter. I got lots of weird looks, but it worked.

After coming back to the office from lunch today, I leaned down to turn on my heater. Low and behold, there was huge gash missing from my wooden sole. Another pair of shoes bites the dust. L

At the rate I’m going through shoes, I’ll be barefoot by the end of the year. I know one person who is probably happy about my dwindling shoe collection….Ryan. We fight for closet space. haha

I've Turned Into One of Those People...

2011-06-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

People that have blogs, but rarely update them, drive me bonkers. And yet, I've turned into one of them. The truth of the matter is we don't have any thrilling news or adventures to share. If people were interested in reading about mundane schedules, I'd be the queen of blogging. Can you tell I'm in desperate need of a vacation? :)

Every year around this time, I question why I chose a career path in marketing instead of education. It sure would be nice to be a teacher right about now. I'd be two weeks into my summer break soaking up the sun, picking up new hobbies and talents, and doing some retail damage.

As for the thrilling update with the Devine clan (is 2 considered a clan?). Ryan's playing the role of a sponge, absorbing loads and loads of knowledge through his MBA program. He's also keeping busy serving with the young men at our church.

I went to Houston for Lea's baby shower. It is so strange to see my little itsy bitsy friend prego. Lea is the cutest pregnant girl. You could hardly even tell she has a baby-on-board. (She's to the left of me.)

Gavin came up for Memorial Day. We spent the morning kayaking Town Lake. Next time we know to wear our swimsuits. People were hopping out of their kayaks and jumping of different bridges to cool off. It looked like a blast. Later in the afternoon, we met Ryan on campus and he gave us the grand tour of UT.

I always love showing people the building where Ryan attends classes. It's like going to class at a fancy hotel...literally. No wonder he spends so much time there!

That's about all the story telling I have in me. Until next time, Happy Summer!

Spring Has Sprung

2011-04-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like saying much, so this is going to be a post of images!

Kim came in town and we got to show her all of our favorite Austin spots. We tried to sell her on UT for Jake's grad school. Now we just have to give Jake the ROYAL tour.

I went to Dallas to watch Marcy's kids while they were in Hawaii. The kids were so good :)

Little Blake-a-nator killed it on the soccer field. He got 4 goals!

Our Easter feast was yummy it included...

scalloped potatoes with orange green beans

homemade french bread and ham

fresh squeezed strawberry limeade

and a fruit tart with a lime glaze

Houston Rodeo March 2011

2011-03-15T12:12:00.001-07:00

YEEHAW. Ryan experienced his first Rodeo and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo was a great one to break him in with. The HLSR is no dinky get together. It is quite the production. They host headline performers like Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum for three weeks straight in Reliant Stadium (where the Texans play). The best part of it is that a $20 ticket gets you into the rodeo, livestock show, carnival, concert etc. I've never heard of a concert in my life where you can get tickets for that cheap.

I'm not a big animal lover. Ryan was shocked when I wanted to walk through the livestock area. It's all apart of the experience! This is as close as I'll get to these stinky animals. I am such a city girl.

The rest of the animal events were enjoyed from a distance...thank heavens. We laughed as we watched the cowboys and cowgirls compete in bull riding, bare back, and barrel racing events.

(I did not take these pictures. I found them online searching the Houston Rodeo.)

My favorite event BY FAR was mutton busting. Never heard of it before? In a nut shell, it is an event for young children. They put them on sheep and have them hold on for dear life. They try and hold on as long possible, which typically ends up being only a few seconds. It is hilarious to watch these kids that are around 5 years old try to hold on, but their tiny arms don't reach around the sheep so they come tumbling down. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. One strong willed boy was determined to win. His body somehow flipped beneath the sheep with his back inches above the dirt and did not let go. He won the competition.

This is how it starts.

This is how it ends.

We watched Billy Currington perform. Because I waited to the last minute we had some great nose bleed seats.

To finish the evening, we tried the fair food. We had the most amazing fried TWINKIE. I've tried a lot of fried foods from fried Snickers to fried Oreos, but let me tell you that the TWINKIE trumps them all. It was made to be fried. Next time you're at a fair give it a try. You won't regret it.

February a Month of Celebrations & Special Occasions

2011-03-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

February is a month full of celebrating in our household. First we get to celebrate the birth of the one and only Ryan Devine on February 8th. What a stud he is, and I'm grateful to have him in my life. February 8th is also significant because it is the day Ryan and I met many years ago while waiting in the Subway line at the Cougareat. This year Ryan's birthday fell on a Tuesday, and he had class, so we kept it low key. I woke him up before I left for work and told him he had to open a present. We typically open our presents in the evening with cake, so he said no I want to open it later. Being persistent, I explained that he needed to open this one gift and that we'd do the rest later. He pulled his present out of the gift bag and a sense of confusion came over his face. I bought him a PAN!!!!!! Trying to "act" excited he said oh thank you. I grinned and laughed then left the bedroom. I returned 10 seconds later with a tray of crepes. He smiled and and it CLICKED. Crepes are one of Ryan's favorite foods and I haven't been able to make them for him because all our pans have ridges in them.

A couple of days before Ryan's birthday, I asked him what type of cake he wanted and he said a dulce de leche cheesecake. How is that for specific? The only problem is that we'd never had it before and I didn't have a recipe. I don't like testing new recipes for special occasions. What if it doesn't turn out? After searching multiple food websites and calling neighbors for ingredients, I whipped up this dulche de leche cheesecake and luckily it turned out. The cheesecake was his favorite present by far. I could have returned all of his gifts, and he would have been perfectly content with just the cheesecake. It was so cute, he cherished every last slice.

Another special experience happened this month. My friend Jaime W. and I went to the San Antonio temple. As were were leaving, someone whispered to us that President Uchtdorf had just walked into the temple. We were shocked. President Uchtdorf is a member of the presidency of our church. Smiling from ear to ear Jaime and I took a seat in front of the baptismal area hoping we might get a glimpse of President Uchtdorf. I saw a man that was standing still in a suit who looked like he could be security. So we started chatting with him and he told us he was indeed security. He started telling us stories from the days when he was President Hinckley's security guard. It was so cool. Eventually President Uchtdorf walked out and he came straight over to baptismal area. It was hilarious because I did a total Vanna White move and raised my arms and said this is one the best views in the temple. His wife Harriet smiled and gave us hugs. She was so SWEET. We stood up so we weren't in their way.

Eventually he came over and shook our hands. I asked him how he enjoyed Texas, and he said he LOVED it. His wife said he lived here years ago. I think he must have lived in Texas for something related to flight training. Apparently he lived in West Texas and helped build a church building there years ago. He was in town for the dedication of a new building out where he built a church years ago. He seemed very excited. He looked great. He had a special spirit and glow about him. He seemed so polished. You could hardly hear his German accent. He continued to chat with us and asked us where we traveled from. We told him Austin, and he said, "Oh the state capital." As we walked out I gave his security guard the thumbs up. If it weren't for him, we probably wouldn't have patiently waited. We walked over to the distribution center to buy a few things. The people working there had no idea President Uchtdorf was over at the temple. So when we left I saw his car and security pull up, I ran back to the distribution center and told them he was about to leave and to look for him. They got so excited and ran outside. It was so cute. When President Uchtdorf left he not only waved to the group outside, but was shaking their hands. I was so touched. I'm sure everywhere this man goes people bombard him and want to meet him. He was so humble and took the time to shake hands with and meet every single person. This will be a lasting memory in my heart.

Things that Make me Laugh

2011-03-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

I GOT A GOOD LAUGH FROM…

Laugh #1

Every month I review our bills and every month I find some error. This month it was on our AT&T wireless bill. Ry’s line had charges on it for mobile downloads, aka music, pictures and screensaver applications. I doubled checked with Ryan to make sure he hadn’t purchased any of these applications. He assured me he hadn’t. He called AT&T to clear it up. I told him the number to dial from his cell phone was 311.

Here is how the conversation unfolded:

Ryan: I would like to get some faulty charges taken off of my bill. You hear a long pause on the other end. Ryan repeats himself explaining that he was charged for something he had not purchased and wants them taken off his bill.

Lady: “Did you file a police report?”

(I start dying of laughter….)

Ryan in an irritated voice: NO I HAVE NOT filed a police report, I just want it taken off my bill.

Lady: You want what?

Ryan: I was charged for something I did not buy.

Lady: This is the Austin information center in connection with the Austin Police department.

Ryan: Looked at me and gave me the glare…311 is not the right number.

Me: Whoops I meant 611. It’s amazing how one number can make such a big difference. I could not stop laughing all night. I’m sure the lady thought Ryan was a nut case to file a police report on his cell phone bill.

Watch out AT&T we’re following up with the police next time ;0

Laugh #2

I’ve been on the road a lot with work. So I brought a nice long book to read while waiting in airports. At one airport I went through the security line with my belongings. I put my shoes on the moving belt. I got out my liquids and laptop and pushed everything through the scanner. I walked through the metal detector and the lady told me she needed to search my belongings.

At this point I thought, I bet my hair straightener looked like a weapon or maybe I have a liquid that is over 3 oz. The security guard started digging through my suitcase. She went through my stuff item by item. Then she grabbed my book, George Bush’s DECISION POINTS. She looked at the book and then she looked at me. I of course gave a HUGE smile being the big Republican that I am.

She said, “I’m going to need to run this book through the scanner by itself.” There was only one security line open, so everyone waiting watched as George Bush’s face was put through the scanner. Once it came through, the TSA official starts flipping through the pages. Everyone was staring as my book got so much attention. Finally, I got the cleared green light and I started walking to my gate. I let out one huge laugh as I thought to myself, “I bet she was a democrat!” Haha. I’m sure a book has never gotten that much attention at a security line as George’s book did.

Laugh #3

I returned my rental car at Enterprise (one of those locations where you take a shuttle to the terminal...not connected to the airport) and ran to the enterprise restroom to change my clothes. The bathroom was nasty. It was 10 times worse than a gas station restroom. I immediately started lining the floor with paper towels and even laid down a second layer of paper because I did not want my belongings touching anything. I laid my suitcase down, got my clothes out and changed. There was no way in heck I was going to pick up all of the dirty paper towels, so I just left them on the floor. As I walked out, I locked eyes with a woman about to walk into the restroom. I started laughing because she was about to walk into a restroom lined with paper towels. When she came out, I avoided all eye contact with her. I'm sure she thought I was some crazy germaphobe.

Can't Keep Up With the Weather

2011-03-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

This February was a wild one. The temperatures ranged from the 20's to the 80's. One Sunday afternoon Ryan and I went for a nice stroll up to Mount Bonnell in short sleeves.

Later that same week we experienced snow. Typically in Texas if it snows, EVERYTHING shuts down because we aren't prepared for the elements. However, early in the morning I got an email saying my office was still open. So I grudgingly got ready and headed out to my car. We live in a place that is on a BIG hill. I thought to myself, I'm sure I'll be able to get down the hill, but getting up the hill with ice and snow is another thing. Just as I had that thought, I watched a car struggling to get up the hill. The person was hitting the gas pedal, their wheels were spinning, but their car wasn't moving. Myself along with a few other spectators jumped behind the car and tried to push it up the hill. I'm not sure how helpful I was with my wimpy arm muscles, but eventually the car made it. After watching that car struggle I thought it would be best to stay home! I was so excited. I wanted Ryan to wake up right that second so we could go play in the snow. (You would have thought it was the first time I had seen snow even though I lived in Utah for 4 years.) Ryan could have cared less about the snow. I couldn't get him to come outside and play with me. He was more excited by the homemade french toast breakfast on a WEEKDAY!

(The fountain by our pool froze over.)

Holidays Round 3

2011-02-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

We headed out to California for New Years. I have to apologize in advance for not being able to see any friends, I was only there for a couple of days before I had to get back to Austin for work. We pretty much dedicated all of our time to family. All of the Devine's were together minus Aimee because she had already taken off for DC. :(

We got to meet Mitch & Lindsay's newest family addition Asher, and we got to see their new house. We also competed in the annual Devine New Year's Olympics. Ryan and I represented the country of Fiji, since we went there on our honeymoon.

Mitch & Lindsay represented Italy. (Our gondola team)

Kait & her date were team Greece

Kim & Jake were team Thailand

Our friends Julia & Brett were team El Salvador

We had a blast playing different minute to win it games while we enjoyed food from each country and rang in the new year with some sparkling drinks. This has become a fun New Year's tradition that we hope carries on.

While it was hard for us NOT to win the Olympic competition, we have to give credit to the champions TEAM THAILAND. Kim and Jake have the title for the next year, but they better watch out. Ryan and I are already practices our minute-to win it games for next year!

(Their grand prize - medals and a world sugar cookie.)

Holidays Round 2

2011-02-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

My brother Aaron, his wife Erin and their four boys whose middle names are Aaron came to Austin for a visit. We toured the state capitol and had some Texas BBQ at Iron Works.

The boys thought they were so cool walking around the capitol building. I'm seeing some future politicians!

Then we came back to our place had dessert and played games. I mixed up some brownies and threw them in the oven. While they were cooking, I laid out a towel and let the kids dig into the ice cream. By the time the brownies were finished, this is what the ice cream carton looked like.

Holidays - Round 1

2011-01-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Our blog has been like a neglected puppy lately. This weekend I'm dedicating some TLC to the updating this thing. Speaking of puppies, my neice got a puppy for Christmas. I doubt this dog is neglected at all. The kids LOVE her.

The holidays were full of never-ending festivities. Our eyes burned from lack of sleep and our bellies ached from the non-stop good grub. I don't know how all you parents out there make it during the holidays. We all laugh in our family because my mom has seven grown children and yet she still manages to get 4 hours of sleep during the holidays. She is SUPER WOMAN!

This year, Ryan and I did not take home the victory with the Parker Amazing Race. Don't ask Ryan about it... We were ahead by a landslide until the last event which was a brain puzzle. We worked this puzzle for what seemed an hour and couldn't figure it out. However, it was definitely a memorable race.

At one point, we jumped into our car to head off to our next destination, and I took a whiff of an awful odor. I grabbed my shoe to see if there was anything on it. Before I realized what I was doing, I realized I had a hot mess of fresh dog doo-doo on my hand. DISGUSTING. While trying to find our next clue, we were running through someone's yard and I must have stepped in a FRESH, MOIST, MOUND of dog poop.

I immediately started dry heaving. The vomit was about to pour from my mouth. The smell was so unbearable that Ryan was dry heaving too. I quickly stripped the shoe off my foot and held it, along with my dirty hand, outside the window. We didn't stop to clean (we're didn't want to fall behind). We drove with the windows down and our heads out the windows. People must have thought we were crazy. Once we arrived at the next destination, my sister Marcy, kindly offered me some baby wipes. I wiped my hand ten times and used anti-bacerial gel. However, my shoe had way too much poop on it to clean with a couple of wipes. My shoe needed a fire hose. I had a decision to make. Should I leave my stinky shoe in the car or abandon the shoe and continue the race barefoot. I decided to abandon the shoe. I realized when I took my nikes off I might not ever see them again; I was leaving them in public and in plain sight, and I wouldn't be able to come back and get them until later that night. I said my goodbyes, and raced on. Luckily that night when we went back, my shoes and our dirty car floor mat were still there!

The family out celebrating Erin's Birthday at her favorite Pappadeaux.

The grandkids opening their family picture outfits from Grandma.

Christmas Eve Nativity

CALLING ALL BLOGGERS

2011-01-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

It's the beginning of the year and I'm cleaning up the blog. I have many friends on here who either:

a) never update their blog anymore
b) have closed their blog
c) have gone private and haven't invited me to read (no hard feelings)

So I'm cleaning up the list of blogs I follow accordly. If you have a blog and want me to follow, send me the link or invite me to view your blog. Our email for any invites is ryandbritt@gmail.com

Happy New Year!

GOBBLE GOBBLE & RINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS

2010-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

Momma and poppa Devine came for a visit a couple of weeks ago. While they were here, I probably gained a good 5 pounds. We ate out pretty much every meal. What a great host I am! They wanted to experience Austin cuisine, and we did just that stuffing our faces with TexMex, Indian, Italian, and BBQ.

(This was at the County Line. The portions are MASSIVE.)

Saturday we took a day trip to San Antonio and toured the Alamo and walked the River Walk. The Alamo always reminds me why we Texans are so proud. The history of those who sacrificed their lives is inspiring. It was basically a voluntary death sentence. Because of the fight that began at the Alamo, the United States now enjoys the land reaching from Texas all the way to California.

Earlier in the month, I enjoyed a girl’s weekend with friends from home. Ryan asked what we did, I told him, “talked and ate.” He had a puzzled look on his face. I don’t think he understands that girls can get together for a weekend and just talk talk talk. One night while we were out we ran into Dennis Quaid.

Marcy hosted the turkey feast this year in Dallas and everything turned out really well. To put things in perspective, with just my siblings, their spouses and their kids we filled three full tables and had kids sitting at the bar. Not to mention my brother Aaron was not there with his wife and 4 kids. With many mouths to feed, we all had to pitch in for the turkey meal. My contributions included cranberry salsa, an artichoke stuffing, apple pie, and pumpkin cheesecake. The women slaved over the meal for hours, while the men watched sports. Typical! Don’t worry though, we ladies made sure we didn’t lift a finger in the cleaning department that night.

Pie anyone? It was all gone by the end of the night.

The grandkids making bell wreaths with Grandma

Their second craft project was making Christmas cards.

Like with all Parker gatherings, Thanksgiving would not be complete without some type of competition. We took on the cinnamon challenge. Wyck and Gavin went first. You had to swallow one tablespoon of cinnamon with nothing to eat or drink with it. Then for some stupid reason Gerry and I attempted the same challenge. I thought after watching Wyck and Gavin I knew what I was doing. A few minutes later I was hurling over the sink. Wyck was the only one to come out victorious.

This past weekend I went to the tree lighting at the capitol. It was so fun. There were hundreds gathered singing Christmas carols on the capitol lawn. I loved it. Such a unifying experience to be with people of all different faiths singing songs like Holy Night, celebrating and rejoicing the birth of Jesus Christ.

A Month Already?

2010-10-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a little secret about myself. I don't do well with change! I have a hard time with new beginnings. I attribute it to growing up 18 years in the same house with the same friends. Over the last 7 years I've gotten a little better with new places, but I wasn't sure how I would do with another new beginning in Austin. We've been here for over a month, and I can say the transition has been much better than I expected. We are in a great ward and are meeting lots of new friends. Thanks to a friend who got me in touch with the right person, I was able to get a great job and I've been working for a couple of weeks.

This past month Ryan and I went to the UT vs. UCLA football game when the longhorns lost :( That was the start of their stinky season. I have been the biggest out-of-state Longhorn fan, so it has been a HUGE disappointment to see team burnt orange go up in flames while I'm actually living in Austin.

We took a tour of the state capitol building and brushed up on our Texas history.

I went to the beautiful San Antonio temple.

While in San Antonio I also got to see a my old college roommate Jennifer. Jen and I went to a workout class together and it literally WORKED me! I was feeling it for days. Jen's husband Tim is in his 3rd year of law school, so they'll be moving back to AZ this summer. I better take advantage of having her close by while I can. They have two adorable boys. Here is Kyle painting his pumpkin! He was on cloud nine.

I went to Houston for a quick weekend trip and met my new niece and watched my nephew tear it up at his soccer game.

Such a doll!

Ry surprised me with these beautiful roses and tasty cookies.

We carved pumpkins the other night with friends. I just fell in love with my pig pumpkin (check out the nostrils). I had to give this "little piggy" a kiss!

Until next time. Adios and Happy Halloween!

Our Journey to Texas

2010-09-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

It is official ladies and gentlemen. We've arrived in the great state of Texas and our boxes are unpacked. I love Austin. What is not to love about beautiful trees, hills, rivers, and lakes? Okay there is one thing...the heat and humidity. Of course we literally came during the hottest time of the year. AUGUST. blah.

We hired movers to take our stuff cross country rather than rent a truck and drive 50 MPH in a UHAUL with our car trailered to the back. Just the thought of driving 50 mph is giving me a headache.

We broke up our drive by stopping in Las Vegas to see our friends the Green's. Brian and Ryan know each other from their mission in Romania. The Green's have a boat and took us out on Lake Mead. Chailyn's sister Kristin and brother-in-law Matt were also in town so it was one big party. We had a blast swimming in the lake and wake boarding. The water was the perfect temperature.

Ryan and I were beginners at wake boarding, but we sure had fun trying.

(Beginner)

(Seasoned professionals. Notice Brian is holding their little girl and he and Chailyn are smiling at one another, not even looking at the water.)

We stopped at the Hoover Dam on our way to Phoenix. This dam is massive.

(There were no railings. They simply have a worn off painted message that says keep off. If I leaned too far over, I would have been meeting my maker that afternoon.)

In Phoenix we saw lots of friends and family. I got to see Christi and her family, and thanks to Christi's sister-in-law I got my hair done for a killer deal. Bentley is such a handsome little man. I can't imagine how beautiful their little girl is going to be. I guess we'll find out in a couple of months.

I had fun with Grandma Rohner visiting my grandpa's brother and going through family history with her. Everytime I see my grandma I am amazed at how much she does at her age. She is like super woman. She even has a lead foot. What lady in her eighties actually drives faster than the speed limit? We also went to lunch with my cousin Veva and her adorable girl Millie. Millie loves to dance just like her mama. My aunt Verla and cousin Derrick also joined for part of lunch. I don't get to see my immediate family all that often let alone my extended family, so it was a special treat.

Ryan and I also saw Tyler another friend from Ryan's mission. I was bummed I missed getting to see Kristen, their kids, and their new house, but Ryan said it's really nice on a big chunk of land. I'm sure their family will enjoy all the space.

We were bummed we didn't get to hang with our close friends Jared and Mary. He started a new job recently and they're working him like crazy. Mary is about 7 months pregnant so she's probably enjoying these last few months of peace & quiet before their little boy arrives. Fortunately, they came to California a few weeks before so we got plenty of play time then.

Summer Recap

2010-08-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

While in Cali, our time was fully dedicated to hanging out at the beach. After much patience and some gloomy weather the sun eventually came out to play!!!! Other than being beach bums, Ryan and I kept very busy hanging with family, celebrating birthdays, entertaining visitors, and seeing friends.

We spent lots of time with Micah and Jade watching movies, swimming at the pool, and chilling at the beach. These kids are great cleaners. They helped me hang my clothes, do laundry, and even wash and detail our cars.

Jared and Mary visited from Arizona. Mary is expecting a baby so we had fun window shopping for baby stuff. The guys could only handle so much shopping before they planted themselves on the "HUSBANDS BENCH" outside.

We had a bbq with Curt and Kim and Jared's brother and wife. That night was definitely memorable as we suited up for a nice soak in the hot jacuzzi. We were shocked when we jumped into a luke warm, not working hot tub. Don't worry we still had a great night sipping bubbly (sparkling cider) in the luke warm water.

(Our ping pong tournament was off the hook)

Hilary and Lea came for a visit. We hit up the beautiful OC beaches and shops. Then we headed up to L.A. for the Hollywood experience. We ate lunch at the Ivy, but didn't catch any celebs :( However, we did go to the taping of the Jay Leno Show where we saw Jennifer Love Hewitt. We also went down to San Diego. We had lunch in Historic Old Town and it was the NASTIEST MEXICAN meal I've ever eaten. Thanks for the suggestion Rachel Ray. haha. Coronado, La Jolla, and the Gas Lamp District made up for our nasty meal. Overall, their favorite part of the trip was Balboa Island in Newport Beach.

When I picked Lea and Hilary up from the airport, I had to laugh, little Lea had a huge suitcase that could have fit at least a months worth of clothing for her FOUR day stay. Got to love this girl. Texas girls get dolled up for every occasion including the beach. Notice the Southern California style rubbed of on me. I am wearing jean shorts and a tank top to the beach, while they are wearing adorable sun dresses and hats. I'm glad they were able to make it out and see what I've called home over the last the last 3 1/2 years.

Colie came in town for a couple of weeks. I got to go boating with she and her friends. After a thrilling boat ride we went to dinner with a big group.

If you have been to Diddy Riese, you know how long the line can be. The girl in the orange sweater didn't want to wait in the line. When we got to the front she offered to buy our ice cream cookie sandwiches if we would order her something. We agreed, and 10 of us got free dessert compliments of her. I don't think she realized how large our group was.

Kim is a flight attendant and happened to be flying through LAX on her birthday. We were lucky enough to celebrate with her. We made her breakfast in bed and had Texas Sheet Cake before she had to take off for her next trip. I'm happy she had family to spend the day with. There is nothing worse than being all alone on your birthday.

(Jade has a mega sweet tooth, just like her Aunt Brittany.)

The US Surf Open is in Huntington Beach and we took part in the mad house this year. Ryan and I had a blast at the Weezer concert right on the beach.

(The crowd in front of us.)

(The crowd behind us.)

(Our close friends Blake & Mikelle had their first little one too. I think she's a Daddy's girl!)

Utah Part 3 - (Southern Utah, Zion Park) Days 71 - 73

2010-08-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

We packed up our belongings and headed to southern Utah with Vahe and Leisha for more camping adventures. We went to Zion National Park to enjoy some of God’s most beautiful creations. I was always intrigued by how different southern Utah’s topography was, so I thrilled when Ryan put this area on our itinerary. We had to decide whether we were going to do Moab or Zion and in the end I’m happy we picked Zion.

We arrived in the late afternoon and found an empty camp ground a little ways outside the park near a river. The location was perfect. We were off on our own so the river felt like our own personal swimming pool. We set up camp and the boys immediately went out to find fire wood.

Ryan told me stories about how Vahe is a total mountain man. He was not even kidding. These guys carried huge trees back to camp through the river. Vahe cut all the wood using leverage and his bare hands. I was speechless. I found out Leisha is also a seasoned camper when she made chicken pot pie and omelets for us using a Dutch oven. That is what I call a gourmet camp cook.

The next morning we headed into Zion for some high quality hikes. We hiked the Narrows. It was one of the most fascinating things I have ever done. You literally do the entire hike through a river that is surrounded by two great walls of rock making a narrow but breathtaking view. Most of the people around us had special gear like walking sticks and special shoes. Since we had neither, we were helping each other through deep waters and rocks. It was definitely memorable.

Later that afternoon we hiked Angels Landing. To give you a full idea of what Angels landing is all about, I went onto this website http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-angels-landing-trail.htm and copied the description of the hike. Their words are such much more vivid and accurate than mine would ever be.

“The Angels Landing Trail is one of the most famous and thrilling hikes in the national park system. Zion's pride and joy runs along a narrow rock fin with dizzying drop-offs on both sides. The trail culminates at a lofty perch, boasting magnificent views in every direction. Rarely is such an intimidating path so frequented by hikers. One would think that this narrow ridge with deep chasms on each of its flanks would allure only the most intrepid of hikers. Climbers scale its big wall; hikers pull themselves up by chains and sightseers stand in awe at its stunning nobility. The towering monolith is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Southwest.”

Makes you want to go visit doesn’t it? Ryan and Vahe made it up to the top and Vahe did the narrow ridge. If you have a fear of heights stay away. If not, it’s like a piece of Heaven on earth. After shooting guns the next morning at a gun range, our fun had come to an end and we packed up camp.

Originally we planned on going to Arizonia, Las Vegas, and Palm Springs before heading home, but our exhaustion of traveling for over 2 ½ months finally caught up to us and we wanted to head back to California.

Utah - Part 2

2010-07-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Next stop on our trip was the Parker’s in Lehi. Their 3 boys (they are expecting a 4th boy) always keep us busy and entertained. They sure love their uncle Ryan. Ryan played basketball with them, gave them some one on one-baseball lessons, and teased the daylights out of them.

We went camping up in American Fork Canyon with AP & Erin. It was so beautiful. I just kept thinking, I can’t believe I went to college here. I don’t think I ever took full advantage of the natural beauty that surrounded me.

We got a late start and daylight was not on our side as we headed up the canyon. Erin and I found a picnic area and started making the foil dinners while AP and Ryan searched for a place to set up camp. I am proud to say Erin and I started the fire and cooked some mean foil dinners without the help of the boys. The boys did a great job setting up the tents. After heading to our official campground, we made smores and played games until we were ready to hit the hay. It got a lot colder than we thought it would that night. We froze our buns off!

(brotherly love)

Utah - Part 1

2010-07-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

Ryan was determined to make it to Utah in time to watch the Lakers vs. Celtics playoff game. We rolled into Provo just in time for tipoff. While in Utah we managed to watch three finals games. For the championship game, we had a party with a bunch of Ryan's mission buddies and their families at Heather’s parents place. We always enjoy seeing everyone’s families as they continue to grow. All in all, Ryan wasn’t thrilled that almost everywhere we went there were Celtics fans (including myself) in the house, but in the end he was a happy camper when the Lakers pulled off the championship victory.

We spent the first part of our Utah stay in Provo/Orem visiting Vahe’s family and Ryan’s two sisters Aimee and Kim. Kim is a flight attendant so she is on call a lot. Luckily we were able to spend time with her before she had to take off on a trip. We went up the canyon and enjoyed a picnic and great conversation. We also hit up a dollar movie that night. I know all you former cougars remember the dollar theatre.

Before Aimee took off for her study abroad trip, Vahe took us fishing. We ended up at Deer Creek. It was quite the adventure. The clouds rolled in, the temperatures dropped, and the winds picked up. Once we made it to the center of the lake, we realized we didn’t have an anchor to keep us in place. The raft drifted in the wind. We battled the wind for a while, but we realized it would be better if we relocated. The boys rowed us from one side of the lake to the other side against the wind. Let me tell you, it was no easy task. They got a SERIOUS work out.

(Looking hot in the life vest!)

We made our way to a little cove by some rocks where the wind couldn’t move around us around too much. It was fun fishing and casting our lines, but apparently none of us are any good at fishing because the only thing we caught all day was a large hunk of algae.

I hung out with Corrine later that weekend. She made me an amazing lunch and we shopped some of the weekend sales. We met up with Ryan and Neil at the Foster's cabin in Midway. Corrine’s dad and brothers are big hunters and they have a cabin full of "trophies" to show for it. Let's just say they've probably kept their taxidermist employed for years.

(Corrine's mom Si was up at the cabin when we arrived. She left us some yummy cookies that we devoured before dinner.)

(Ryan chased down one of these bad boys outside of yellowstone. Luckily, he didn't have a gun, or else this is what our living room wall would look like.)

That night we ate lot of junk food, played games, and watched River Runs Through It. The movie was totally appropriate as a river runs right outside the Foster’s property. The sound of the water was very calming.

Days 58 & 59 - Colorado Rockies

2010-07-22T10:44:00.001-07:00

The next stop on our trip was the Rocky Mountains and it took us a full day of driving to get there.

I was excited to check out Colorado. The last time I in Colorado was when my family drove through on our way to Utah years ago. Long story short we got a little lost (remember the days before cell phones and gps) and we managed to drive the same loop for a couple of hours not knowing it. Oh what fun!

People often compare SLC to Denver. Let me tell you, while they are both close to mountains, they are totally different. One of the most surprising things for me was that downtown Denver is flat as a pancake. The mountains are probably 30-40 minutes away. Where in Salt Lake City, you feel like the mountains are surrounding you. With that said, I thought the mountains in Colorado were breathtakingly beautiful and there are so many of them.

Unfortunately our Denver plans were thrown out the window, when I started to feel under the weather. After a long nights rest and recovering from a stomach bug, we were able to quickly tour Aspen and Vail. Aspen is a super yuppie town. There seemed to be a lot of sophisticated, attractive, and well to do people in Aspen. Ryan and I just fit right in. haha But in all seriousness, we loved driving through the Rockies jamming out to John Denver Rocky Mountain High. There is something so refreshing about breathing the pure mountain air while feeling like you are top of the world.

Ryan is the master of horseshoes. The first shoe he threw, he nailed around the pole. Ryan wanted me to mention that all the girls watching were very impressed. (They were 8 years old.)

We really liked Denver and Colorado and totally understand why so many people have it on their list of places they would want to live. I’ve added Aspen to places I want to have a summer home. A girl can dream, right?

Days 54 - 57, Dallas, TX

2010-07-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Dallas, TX - Thursday we journeyed to our last and final Texas destination…The Big D. I have two sisters, two brother-in-laws, two nieces and now six nephews in Dallas.

Before we got tied up with the family stuff, I had to see my gal pal Ashley. She and her boyfriend Tommy recently got a house together. It’s a heck of a starter home. ;) All of us apartment renters are drooling at this place with its massive kitchen, pool with diving board (I didn’t even know residential pools had diving boards anymore), and putting green. I calculated it out and you could fit my apartment in her house 7 times. What more could you ask for…A MAID?

Thursday night we hung out with Ash and Tommy and had fun bbq’ing and swimming. I’m such a kid at heart; I jumped off the diving board 10 times and I had the biggest smile every time I jumped in. For desert we grabbed frozen yogurt, but that didn’t quite satisfy my sweet tooth. Only chocolate chip cookies would do that job. However, I had to laugh because Ashley has this nice kitchen and zero ingredients in her pantry to cook with. We had to go to the store to get essentials like sugar, flower, vanilla, etc.

(Isn't this the perfect street name?)

The next morning we headed off to my sister Marcy’s. It was Brooke’s last day of school. We picked she and Blake up and headed to the pool to celebrate. Uncle Ryan and Aunt Brittany spent a couple hours with the little fish.

(Brooke holding up her art achievement certificate. Looks like she is taking after her Grandma Parker.)

That night we went to dinner with the Letourneau’s and got a good laugh with Blake. Blake is an active boy and sitting still at a restaurant is next to impossible. The only thing that would keep him sitting down was to tell him the manager was walking over to talk to him. Then we told Blake that the manager had one eye! Anytime he would start to get antsy, we’d just mention the one-eyed manager and he would be very obedient! Later that night, Ashley and I went to a dueling piano bar. It was really fun. Ashley and I are like two peas in a pod when it comes to partying it up.

Saturday was another fun-packed day. We went with the Chappell’s to Tanner’s baseball game. Tanner had a double play and hit a double. After the game, we went to the pool with the family. We had some “family friendly” swim races.

We went to dinner with the family at a Mexican restaurant, and I literally gained 5 lbs there was so much food. After dinner Ryan and I took my nephew Bryton driving. He hasn’t taken drivers education yet so he was a bit nervous, but it sure was fun. Ryan did a great job teaching him a few tricks. I sat in the back seat wishing I brought my camera. This experience was priceless. Bryton is turning 16 this August. I cannot believe he will be old enough to date and drive! Crazy.

(The proud parents of six)

The Chappell’s welcomed baby number six into their family and we happened to be in town for Devon’s baby blessing on Sunday. Devon is the perfect addition to the family. All the kids adore him and want to hold him. Tristine has lots of helpers and with six kids, she needs all the help she can get.

(The Chappell and Letourneau kids)

(The Letourneau family holding Devon. Brooke LOVES holding the baby.)

Days 52 & 53 - Austin

2010-07-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

Austin, TX – Ryan accepted an offer from the University of Texas MBA program. YAY!!!! We are so excited. While in Texas, we checked out housing options in Austin. Audrey, a good high school friend of mine, was nice enough to let us stay with her and gave up her bed for us. She has the softest sheets I’ve ever felt. I was tempted to strip them off her bed and tuck them in my suitcase.

It was fun to see Audrey. She was busy finishing up the school year teaching, but she managed to find time to show us around Austin and went to dinner with us. She introduced us to Home Slice pizza in the South Congress area. The slices were huge.

Ryan and I hit up Iron Works BBQ a popular Austin restaurant. It was pouring down rain that night. We literally had to take off our shoes to cross the street that was partially flooded. The amazing food made getting wet worth it. We ordered brisket and it was for sure the best beef we’ve had thus far. Texas took home the prize for best BBQ on the trip.

(As you can see Ry loved the sauce)

Ryan wanted to hit up Rudy’s on our way out of town, but since we left in the morning they weren’t serving their typical bbq menu…however they were serving breakfast burritos, one of Ryan’s favorite meals. If you didn’t know what Rudy’s was all about, you probably wouldn’t stop in to eat there because it is attached to a gas station. Sounds nasty I know, but they’ve really created a cool country bbq joint, and it is nothing like Subway’s or McDonald’s that are attached to gas stations. If you drive by one in Texas stop and try it. You’ll be thanking me later. (Does anyone else think it is funny how our trip has revolved around all the yummy food joints?)

The hills, trees, river, and lake make Austin an ideal location. Both Ryan and I really enjoyed the Westlake and northwest areas of town. We are looking forward to a new adventure moving out there.

Day 45 - Day 51, Houston

2010-07-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Houston – I went to dinner with a few girls from high school. We went to Pappasitos, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, and took advantage of ½ price Wednesday night fajitas. The garlic butter is the best. Jamie, Blake, Hilary, Megan, Lea and myself enjoyed good food and even better company. I am fortunate to have a close knit group of girls from high school. Every time I'm in town, they manage to get together. I have to admit that I am not the best at planning these events, so I am grateful Lea is always on the ball.

After dinner Hilary and I went back to Lea’s. I died of laughter as I watched Lea’s dog, who is probably more than half Lea’s size, jump up and hit her forehead. I wouldn’t have ever guessed that little Lea would have such a big dog in her house. I always pictured her with a little poodle.

Wyck and Kim’s kiddos are on swim team. We watched them swim in a couple heats on Saturday. I was so proud of each of the kids. They are all such great swimmers. I don’t know how parents stay at swim meets all day long in the Houston heat.

(We call this guy "little Ryan" and my Ryan is "big Ryan")

(Ryan with the different race numbers on his arm, as you can see, he swam 3 races)

(Go Ryan Go. We were so loud cheering from the side of the pool.)

(Indy getting ready on the block...)

(Indy swimming 1st in backstroke)

(Macey taking her mark)

We also went to the George H.W. Bush Library in College Station. We were amazed at how much Bush was able to do in only 4 years. We were also very impressed with the Bush family and their legacy.

(Colie & Gavin)

(so cute)

(Above is why I love George Bush. I am so sick and tired of OBAMA apologizing for our countries policies. Step up and be proud of our nation and our policies. Thanks Georgie!)

AMEN!

We left knowing the Bush family are extremely classy and have been blessed with much, but are hard workers and take nothing for granted. They don't think they are better than anyone else. I wish everyone could experience this library.

(Me and my dad)

On the way home from College Station, the girls rode together in one car and the boys rode in the other. I was disappointed when I looked back and saw the boys exiting the freeway at the outlet shops. You would have thought the girl car would have stopped and the guy car would have kept going. Ryan was a happy camper because he came home with a sharp looking tie from Brooks Brothers.

Sunday we enjoyed church, dinner, family, and games. Memorial day we went down to Galveston. It was a warm and crowded day at the beach. It was Ryan’s first time to experience the brown waters of the Texas gulf in Galveston. I know he was impressed. Haha. Later that night the guys played some Frisbee golf and we had a delicious barbecue.

(The kiddos getting uncle Ryan in a pillow fight.)

(The bro's throwing the ball around on the beach.)

(Sophie was hungry, but also wanted to stay in the water, so she brought her lunch with her.)

Overall it felt great to be at home for a week, stay in one bed, and see family and friends. Of course as always, we wished we could have stayed longer so we could see more friends, but we’ll take what we can get.

Day 44 - Houston

2010-07-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

We tried to sleep all day since we got in at 8am, but of course I was so excited to see everyone, and I couldn’t sleep an ounce. Nicole made French toast and fruit salad for breakfast. We unloaded our car and started to clean out the interior. As you can imagine, the inside was filthy having traveled for a month and a half. The outside was even more filthy.

My dad is the master of washing and detailing cars, so he was out helping us get the mounds of dirt off the car. My dad, Ryan, and I spent a couple hours cleaning the car and I thought we cleaned every ounce of dirt. A couple days later, I closed the trunk really hard and down came more chunks of mud. I'm sure we'll be finding dirt for months to come :)

(This was the end of my parents driveway. The water from washing the car was DARK BROWN and the chunks were being carried down the road.)

(Our blown out tire; the inner tire tore and split all the way around the outside. The guy at the repair shop couldn't find a hole anywhere in our tire. He said this was the first time in his life he has seen something like this without a hole.)

Day 43 - New Orleans

2010-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

The drive through the Ozarks was gorgeous. We made to New Orleans in time to enjoy the afternoon humidity. Even though Houston is within 6 hours of New Orleans, I hadn’t been before. It is a fun town. I pictured it to be a dirty city with Bourbon Street being the only hot spot. Boy was I wrong. The central area of town is really big taking up several blocks. We walked through old antique shops, fortune telling allies, and old churches.

We ate at a restaurant in the middle of town that offered authentic Cajun food. I ordered the Creole red beans, rice and sausage, and Ryan had the jambalaya pasta. We tried to walk off our food so we could also enjoy the world famous beignet. Beignets are similar to the scones I grew up on. My mom’s scones are one of my favorite meals served with honey butter, powdered sugar, and raspberry jam. The beignets at Café Du Monde were amazing. They were served warm and literally melted in our mouths. I could have eaten ten of these bad boys. I exercised self-control and limited my intake to 3.

After walking Bourbon street, which was like a red light district (keep your kids and husbands away at all costs) we contemplated driving to Houston or staying in New Orleans. By this time it was probably 9:30pm. The drive to Houston is a little over 5 hours, so we decided to make the late night drive rather than spend money on a hotel. We figured we could make it to Houston by the latest 3am.

Around 1am while driving 75mph the car started to swerve uncontrollably across the road. Ryan quickly woke up thinking I had fallen asleep at the wheel or something. I gained control of the car and immediately pulled over to the shoulder. I looked over out the rear view mirror to see smoke coming from the left hand side of our vehicle. Our two-week-old tire blew out on us while we were on the freeway. It was so scary. By this time we were in Texas just on the other side of Beaumont.

In the pitch dark with few cars coming by, Ryan and I had to empty our luggage and belongings out of the trunk to get the spare tire out. I have never changed a spare tire, so I had no idea what to do. Thankfully our prayers were answered and within 5 minutes a cop pulled behind us and offered to help Ryan with the change. The officer was extremely nice and friendly. 30 minutes later we were back on the road. The only bummer was that we couldn’t drive over 50mph on our spare.

We hit bad traffic, which was strange because it was 2am. I thought it might be construction traffic. One hour passed and we still hadn’t moved. We turned off our car and lights. Two hours passed and still no movement. Hundreds of cars were sardines on the freeway with nowhere to go. The opposite side of traffic was desolate; not a car was coming that direction either. Cars started driving down the shoulders, going the wrong direction.

After 3 hours, we called the Texas Department of Safety to learn there was a big accident involving hazardous materials that shut both sides of I-10. We decided to try what other cars had done and drive backwards down the tiny shoulder next to the concrete wall. While driving very slow, we inched down the road. Eventually, we couldn’t go any further and we had to cross a low dip filled with weeds and grass. I thought to myself, there is no way; I’m taking my car down there. Only big trucks were making the trip across. After waiting several more minutes, I thought, we have no other choice, and our Honda did some off roading. With the combination of only being able to drive 50 mph on our spare and having to use back roads, we made it to Houston a little after 8am. It was brutal to say the least.

Day 42 - West Plains, MO

2010-06-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Jones home is on 300+ beautiful acres. So they have plenty of land for horses, and horses they have. I didn’t ask Stephanie how many they have but I’d guess they have around 25. Stephanie in her youth used to show and ride horses, and that love for horses continues as her family continues to breed and raise horses.

A group of us went out for a horse back ride. I of course asked for the “friendliest” horse since I have little experience riding. Let’s just say Mercury, the horse I rode, liked to eat, so I wasn’t too worried about not having insurance. We went for a nice stroll through the property and thankfully the Jones family took it easy on us. Ryan loved the experience so much. He was a total natural. He said he could have kept riding all day. He even said, one day he could see himself having a horse or two.

Later that afternoon we did some target practice with different guns. I love shooting guns. I don’t have a preference for what type of gun; I like them all, pistols, rifles, etc. We shot at clay pigeons and Ryan nailed every single one that was thrown. Steph’s dad busted out his scope on one of his favorite guns. We were able to use the scope and shoot at 2 inch shell casings from over 50 yards away.

After dripping pounds of sweat we cooled off on the trampoline and had a water balloon fight with her younger siblings. Eventually the water hose came out and we created a slip and slide on the trampoline. If we could only turn back the clocks and be children again. After a full day of fun and heat we filled our bellies with ribs and blizzards and crashed fairly early that evening.

We were so thankful for the Jones family and for allowing us to come see their place and showing us around on their horses. One of our favorite things about this trip has been visiting friends in their element. Ryan and I had such a great weekend. I can guarantee that wouldn’t be our last trip out to Missouri. We’re already trying to pitch my family on a family reunion out in the Ozarks. It was so great hanging out with Brett and Stephanie. They are a super fun couple that would be a blast to travel and explore with. They have no limits!

Day 41 - Missouri

2010-06-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

This morning went to Adam-ondi-ahman. It is a beautiful lush uninhabited area of land. A small population of early Latter-Day Saints lived here before they left Missouri. To say the least, this is a very special place because of what has occurred there historically and what will occur there in the future. It was so quiet and peaceful. Right now the church owns all the land and rents part of the land to farmers. We heard from some other visitors that the farmers are able to rent the land from the church at a decent price with the understanding that at a moments notice they could be asked to leave and have 48 hours to clear the land. (not sure how factual this is)

We also visited Far West. Far West is a town where a group of members of the church also lived for a short period. They were going to build a temple on the holy land in Far West, but weren’t able to before they were forced out. Joseph Smith sent a group back to Far West, to lay the cornerstones for the temple on July 4, 1838. To this day, the four cornerstones are all that encompass the land.

(Far West temple site)

(The cornerstones are incased. This is one of the original four.)

Now a little US history... Abraham Lincoln is from Springfield and we saw a sign for Springfield along the route, so on our phones we looked up Springfield to find out that it was only two hours away and in the direction of Steph’s place. Ryan and I have learned a lot about Abraham Lincoln this trip and were looking forward to going to his home. I put the pedal to the metal to try and get us there before the home closed at five. We pulled up to the address of the home to find nothing out of the ordinary. We didn’t see signs or anything. We re-checked the address and realized we were in the wrong state. Lincoln is from Springfield Illinois, not Springfield Missouri. Needless to say, Ryan was not in the best mood and I just couldn’t stop laughing. That was probably the stupidest thing we’ve done the entire trip. And to make matters worse, I was to blame for the error because I was the one who saw the Springfield sign and said, Lincoln is from Springfield. I just didn't put two and two together that we weren't in Illinois.

Our next stop was West Plains to meet up with my good friend Stephanie. I’ve known Stephanie since junior year at BYU. While in Provo, I got to know her sister Julia and her brother Joe. I was excited to meet the rest of her family as well as get to know her husband Brett.

Stephanie grew up in a small town on a lot of land with horses. I was pleasantly surprised when we pulled into town to find Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Subway, Sonic, etc. The town has a population over 11,000 people, so it wasn't as small as I expected.

That night we settled in and ate spaghetti that Steph’s 12 year old brother made. I don’t remember the last time I ate pasta. It was a great change of pace. We stayed up with Stephanie and Brett catching up.

Day 40 - St. Louis / Kansas City

2010-06-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

We planned on visiting West Plains to see my friend Stephanie and her hometown. Because she currently works and lives in St. Louis, we needed to meet up on a weekend when she had a few days off. We finished up in Tennessee earlier than anticipated due to a lot of things being shut down by the flooding weeks previous. We knew we needed to stall a couple of days before we headed to West Plains. We thought Kansas City would be a good place to spend some time since there are church history sites close by as well.

On our way out to Kansas City we stopped in St. Louis. Unfortunately it was cloudy and raining in St. Louis, so we didn’t go to the top of the arch or go to the Cardinals day game. St. Louis fans really love their cardinals, with bad weather and all there was a sea of red flocking to the stadium. Ryan’s friend from high school Skip plays for Cardinals and was hoping to watch him, but we figured with the rain we should just continue on.

Outside of Kansas City there are a few church history sites that we had not seen. We went to the visitors Center in Independence. The sister giving our tour was great and incredibly knowledgeable. We did not go inside the Community of Christ temple, but we did snap a few photos. This temple is not like the LDS temples in terms of their purposes, but it is still very special to their church members.

Liberty Jail was close by, so we able to squeeze that in as well. Liberty Jail is the location where Joseph Smith and other members of the church were held for nearly 5 months. They thought they were going to sign a peace treaty when they were incarcerated in Liberty Jail. With Joseph Smith were other Church leaders: Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin. During the winter months in which they were held in the basement jail, they suffered from intense cold and exposure to the elements because of the small slits in the walls that served as windows. The men slept on dirty straw and suffered poisoning attempts and insults. However, Joseph's biggest grievance was not his own condition of imprisonment but the knowledge that the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were suffering untold anguish that he could not prevent.

In April 1839, Joseph and his fellow prisoners were transported to Gallatin, Missouri, for a grand jury hearing. When that hearing was complete, the prisoners were told they would be moved to the jail in Boone County. While on the journey from Gallatin, the men guarding the Prophet and his friends allowed Joseph and the others to escape. The Church leaders, in a very weakened condition, soon caught up with the main body of the Church. It was humbling to see the awful conditions they endured for such a short time. With the ceilings being only 6 ft. tall many of the prisoners could not even stand straight up.

(You can see the two stories from this view. The top was for the jail keeper and the bottom for the prisoners.)

(The jail was built using three layers. The lose stone in the middle was to ensure no one snuck out of the jail. If they tried to escape the lose stone would move, making a loud noise and it would alert the jail keeper.)

(The replica of the man standing is shorter than 6 ft. This gives you an idea of the conditions and how many of the men were not able to stand up straight given the height.)

The BBQ battle continued as we hit up Arthur Bryant Kansas City BBQ. Kansas City is known as the sauce capital. I got a beef sandwich that was loaded with literally a pound of meat. Ryan got a meat platter of pork, beef, and turkey. Everything we tried was great and the sauces were great. There was an original sauce that had more of an A1 type of flavor. There was also a sweet and hot sauce along with a spicy sauce. To date, it was the most well rounded BBQ. Currently Kansas City is in first place. We’ll see what Texas has to offer. I’m sure it will pull through!

Downtown Kansas City was really nice. Ryan and I drove through the area, shocked at how much we enjoyed the area. There are so many new and updated restaurant and shopping areas. Our liking for Kansas City continued to increase as we went over to Country Club Plaza. This is a high end out door shopping area that is surrounded with beautiful fountains, sculptures, and Spanish tile. The streets were lined with street light lanterns and hanging flower baskets. Also by the Plaza is a riverwalk area. On the other side of the river/stream, there are some extremely nice homes that we were able to drive by.

I was blown away by Kansas City. We were both pleasantly surprised with the City and couldn’t find a thing wrong with the place, other than it is probably freezing in the winter.

Day 39 - Memphis, TN

2010-06-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Memphis, TN – A visit to Memphis wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the home of Elvis Presley. We toured Graceland, the 13.8-acre property Elvis bought as a young guy back in 1957. The grounds are beautiful with a long driveway leading up to a pretty but relatively modest home at the top of a small hill. Obviously I know some of Elvis Presley’s big hits, but because of my age, I didn’t know a lot about his life. It was really interesting to learn about him and his family. For example, he met Priscilla while he was in the service in Germany. She was something like 14 years old. Somehow he was able to convince Pricilla’s dad to let her move to Memphis as a young teenager. After living together for years, they finally married when she turned 21. They were only married for 6-7 years, which was shocking to me. I knew Elvis was a mega music icon, but I had no idea he was in so many films. He was in 31 films in a short period of time.

The tour did not stop at his home, we also go to see his car collection. I cared more about the car collection than the house. haha. We were also able to tour his planes, one named Lisa Marie, after his daughter. Elvis took hundreds of flights on this jetliner even though he only had the plane for a short time. That demonstrated to me what an exhausting life he must have led. He was always performing somewhere without a break. His schedule among other things surely played a role in his death.

This afternoon we headed to the Lorraine Motel to visit the National Civil Rights Museum. Lorraine Motel is the location where Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated. On March 29, 1968, King went to Memphis in support of the black sanitary public works employees, who had been on strike since March 12 for higher wages and better treatment. During that trip his life was taken.

The museum first walks you through civil rights history from the founding of the nation. At the end of the tour we were able to view rooms 306 and 307 where MLK and his associates stayed as well as the spot where he was standing when he was shot. After JFK’s assassination, MLK said to his wife, “that is going to happen to me.” Sadly, it did happen to him. This man dedicated his entire life to change and was able to accomplish so much. He was willing to give his life, if necessary, to stand for equality and liberty. We then went across the street to the specific location from which the assassin, James Earl Ray, took the deadly shot. Mountains of evidence are on display as well as a specific timeline of his movement.

Day 38 - Nashville, Memphis

2010-06-10T22:00:00.001-07:00

Nashville, TN – This morning we stopped by Ryman Auditorium, which opened its doors in 1892. This church became the location of the Grand Ole Opry show in 1943 for 4 years. It is known for having the most amazing acoustics. Today, popular musicians still perform concerts in this famed auditorium. The thing I liked most about Ryman were the bright stained glass panels that filled the windows.

The Country Music Hall of fame was a “must see” considering I am a big Country Music Fan. We spent hours learning about the evolution of country music. Memorabilia and platinum records covered the walls and exhibits allowed us to listen to some of the most famous country music songs of all time. Of course, my favorite exhibits were of modern day country stars like Garth Brooks, George Straight, and Alan Jackson. Carrie Underwood even had her fair share of space. It’s crazy to think a girl from Oklahoma won the show American Idol and became a mega-star.

In Tennessee we saw a handful of White Castle fast food restaurants. After being on the road for over a month, I was open to any new lunch/dinner options. Ryan heard it was something we needed to experience, but also hadn’t eaten there. We did a quick drive-thru run and got some cheeseburgers and fries. Mark my words…NEVER EAT THERE. It was the nastiest place I have ever eaten at. It is basically a dinner roll with a thin layer of lard on the patty accompanied with a single pickle slice. Yuck!

Memphis, TN – I always pictured Memphis to be a smaller than Nashville. I was surprised to find Memphis is actually bigger. Beale street is the main gathering spot for the social scene. We walked Beale Street and enjoyed the bands playing in parks and on street corners. Of course we went to the famous BB King Blues Club. We were able to sit near the stage and enjoy some real blues music. We could have stayed there all night. The music was great and the performers were so entertaining. I am amazed at how many talented musicians are out there that never catch a break and make it big.

To continue our BBQ competition we had to try some Memphis BBQ for dinner. Memphis is known for their dry rub meat, in particular ribs. By multiple recommendations, we went to Rendezvous. I got the ribs, while Ryan enjoyed a pork sandwich. The charcoal-fired ribs had an incredible flavor from the rub. My only complaint would be that my rack of ribs didn’t have a ton of meat on the bone. The coleslaw and beans were also very good . Even with a dry rub, I still managed to make a total mess. I probably went through 3 napkins.

I’d say 75% of people at the restaurant ordered ribs. With so many orders, they had massive ovens to cook all those bad boys in. As they quickly open the oven to pull out the meat, we were able to catch a peak at the pound and pounds of ribs they had stacked high in the oven. Ryan and I both really enjoyed the BBQ and the nightlife in Memphis.

Day 37 - Atlanta / Nashville

2010-06-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Atlanta, GA - First thing this morning we took a tour of the CNN studios in Atlanta. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures while in the studio, but it was a cool experience to learn about the process of how the news is collected, what stories are chosen, the editing process, and of course how we see what we see. The router system has over 1,000 buttons and has different clips in queue. Now when we turn on CNN we will better understand what is happening behind the scenes.

(Ry and Anderson Cooper)

(I stood on the CNN sign and no one said anything. Ry hopped on the sign and immediately a security guard comes over and tells him he isn't allowed to get on the sign.)

I had heard that Buckhead was the nice area of Atlanta; considered the “Beverly Hills of the East.” We must have been in the wrong area or something, because Buckhead wasn’t anything special. I had high expectations of Atlanta and I must say that out of all the places we’ve seen to date it was the most disappointing city. I guess it is more of a nice place to live out in the suburbs. Since we didn’t go through the burbs, we could only judge it on the City. We’ve learned this trip that some places that have cool inner cities are not places you’d want to live, and some place that have less appealing inner cities have better suburbs.

Nashville - After wrapping up Atlanta we were on our way to Nashville, TN. The drive through Tennessee was one of the most beautiful drives we’ve had to date. We drove into town and weren’t sure what to expect given the flooding in recent weeks. Opry land was completely closed. We couldn’t even get past the front gate and they said that it will be closed through Christmas. We drove down by the riverfront and walked down the river path. Everywhere we turned we saw remains of the flood disaster including trucks and dumpsters filled with old sheetrock and carpet. The retail shops and restaurants around the main streets still have a strong mold odor. The owners of the shops had fans inside their stores to air things out, but I think it will be several more months before they get back to normal. We still enjoyed window shopping and even tried on a few cowboy hats. Even though the city is in recovery mode we could tell there is definitely a real country feel in the central part of town.

(Tennessee Titans stadium across the river)

(Here you can see the water is still higher than the handrails)

(These steps are submerged under water)

For dinner, we went to a gourmet pizzeria named DaVinci’s. We were a bit skeptical when we walked in and realized we were literally the only people in the entire restaurant at around 7pm. However, the pizza did not disappoint. We got a greek-style pizza that was outstanding. We checked into our hotel downtown and went back out for a night on the town (aka getting ice cream). In the evening, amateur musicians work hard for tips and many of the bars have live country music. We enjoyed a red velvet ice cream while soaking in the Nashville nightlife.

Day 36 - Savannah/Atlanta

2010-05-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

This morning we headed into old town Savannah and enjoyed a quick breakfast and checked out the city’s architecture. Turns out this city is kind of a melting pot and is known for having some of the best preserved homes of various architectural styles.

Atlanta, GA - Hot-lanta was our afternoon destination. First, we visited the Martin Luther King Historic Site which includes a civil rights museum and the birth home of MLK. Also in the area is the MLK museum owned by the King family. It is filled with family memorabilia and the graves sites of both MLK and his wife Coretta sit in the middle of a reflection pool outside. Ebenezer Baptist Church where MLK preached is on the same block. The church was closed for renovations, so we were not able to go inside. It was a special place to visit and experience see the place this profound civil rights leader was raised.

(birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)

(Dr. King's Nobel Peace Prize)

(The graves of MLK and his wife Coretta Scott King)

We went downtown and ate some yummy meatball subs before the Devine’s took off for the airport. It was a blast to have them with us and Ry and his Dad share the same passion for travel which makes it fun and educational. Ryan and I continued to Olympic Centennial Park, built back in 1996 when Atlanta hosted the Olympics. It was a fun area and kids were playing everywhere. There was a walk for Crohn’s Disease that day, so the park was filled with tents and inflatable bounce and jump toys. Inside Centennial Park there is a water fountain made up of the 5 Olympic rings. Periodically throughout the day there are water shows narrated with music. Crowds gather for the shows and get cooled off by the water sprays.

Day 35 - Charleston, SC/Savannah, GA

2010-05-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Charleston, SC – One of the things we really wanted to do out here was visit a plantation. First thing this morning we headed to Magnolia Plantation, just outside of Charleston. Founded in 1676 by the Drayton Family, this plantation has acres and acres of land with maze gardens, animals, swamp gardens, ponds and streams filled with gators. The area was picturesque to say the least. Ryan and his dad were all over the wildlife. I wanted to stand 20 feet away from the alligators while Ryan was trying to get as close as he could to snap a picture. At one point Ry’s mom and I were left alone as the boys anxiously explored the lake. We just laughed because we couldn’t care less about the snakes and gators; we wanted to see the flowers and gardens.

We thought the Devine’s deserved a typical road trip meal so for lunch we made a gourmet treat using our backseat pantry. The menu included PB&J and turkey sandwiches, sun chips, and warm water. We literally had a standing picnic in the plantation parking lot. I’m sure this meal was a highlight of their trip.

With the sun beating down, it was the perfect time for a drive to Savannah, Georgia. This drive involved a few stops. First stop, Hilton Head, South Carolina. It is a popular beach community.

(putting my feet in the Atlantic)

One stop was at a small shop off the road called Carolina Cider Company. They had blackberry, peach, and apple ciders that you could sample. They also had pies. We of course had to get a couple to try. We got a blackberry pie and a pecan pie. The pecan pie is going to be featured as the best pie in Southern Living’s June edition. The pie was dang good! Even Ryan who is not a pee-can (this is how it is pronounced in the south) fan loved the pie.

Our next stop was at a peach stand. Ryan saw signs along the road for peaches and thought; we had to try the famous Georgia peaches. After bargaining for a few peaches Ry asked the man, “So how long have we been in Georgia?” The man responded, “We’re not in Georgia; we’re in South Carolina.” Ry walked back to the car with a grin, but we still tried a couple of dinky South Carolina peaches. Later on we did get to try the real Georgia peaches and they were much better.

Savannah, GA - I always thought Savannah was on the ocean. I was surprised to find out that it is a river town about 15 miles inland. We walked the waterfront boardwalk and checked out the restaurants and shops along the way. We hit up candy shop after candy shop to enjoy the free southern pralines. Every time we saw a candy shop Ry’s mom just lit up. We continued up to the center of town and walked through the squares. Savannah is set in a unique grid system with 22 park squares evenly laid out through the city. The squares are more like European parks, small but a perfect place to relax. Each is a square plot of land with trees, benches, and of course the statue of an influential figure in the city’s history.

Paula Dean’s restaurant is in Savannah, GA. We tried to put our name down on the list and were blown away when the hostess said, “I’m sorry we are booked for the night.” No questions asked. It wasn’t like, oh let me get your name and if a table opens up we’ll call you. That Paula Dean sure has built a food empire all on her own.

(Paula Dean's restaurant "Lady and Sons")

We ended up going to a burger joint and got ice cream for dessert. The burgers were ok but the service not so much. Dad got a pineapple burger that came without the grilled pineapple. When we asked for the pineapple she seemed peeved and then he sat there waiting while we all ate. Finally we saw the grilled pineapple sitting on the counter but the waitress still did not bring it to us. After a few minutes, mom walked over and grabbed the pineapple herself. Yet another 10 minutes later, when the waitress returned she looked puzzled because Dad was enjoying his pineapple burger. Her response... "Customers aren't allowed to pick up their own food!" We thought to ourselves waitresses are supposed to bring you your food. She got the tip she deserved.. haha

We went to an old fashion ice cream shop called Leopold’s. The shop had headshots of movie stars with autographs framed all over the wall. I thought maybe these were people had been to the ice cream shop while shooting a film in the area. However, a friendly couple in line informed us that the owner of the shop is a Hollywood film producer and has worked with all those people. It got better, the owner Stratton Leopold, was working at the shop and cleaning tables that night. We were so impressed that this paramount pictures VP and producer was in his ice cream shop doing the dirty work and seemed to love every minute of it. You could tell he was so passionate about the ice cream and the shop. Apparently his grandfather started the shop over 90 years ago and he reopened the store 5 years ago. He was so proud of the old-fashioned family recipes. We chatted with him for quite a while and he was so down-to-earth.

(Dad & Mom with owner and paramount producer Stratton Leophold)

Day 34 - Asheville, NC/Charleston, SC

2010-05-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

(our travel buddies)

Asheville, NC – Thanks to my sister Kim’s great new airline job, my parents were able to fly out and spend a few days on the road with us. They hadn’t really seen much of the Carolinas and Georgia so it was the perfect weekend for them to join the fun. Britt was just thrilled because it meant she could hang with someone other than me.

We introduced them to our out-of-the-car breakfast this morning before heading up to Ashville, North Carolina. Ashville is located on the south end of Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most scenic drives in the country. The rolling hills are completely covered with beautiful trees. We drove in to the Biltmore Estate, a massive compound built by the Vanderbilt family. We understand it to be the largest residence in the U.S. with over 250 bedrooms. We planned on touring the estate but Biltmore turns out to be even cooler than we thought. You really need a full weekend to experience it all… 8,000 acres of rivers to canoe, paths for bike riding, gardens to wander, and the list goes on. We didn’t have more than the afternoon so we settled for a drive along the stream that leads to the mansion. It really was a beautiful area and we would love to return. We took a little walk through the artsy downtown sector of Ashville before stopping for a very good lunch at Tupelo Honey. We shared a massive sweet potato pecan pancake and Britt still talks about her fried chicken BLT… I am not joking.

Charleston, South Carolina - Next stop… Charleston, South Carolina. We pulled right into the historic district at Market Street. We walked through the open-air marketplace and stopped at a few candy/ice cream shops on our way to the waterfront park. There was a short pier with bench swings big enough for all of us. The weather was perfect and none of us wanted to get up so we just rocked for a while and enjoyed the breeze coming in from the bay. Finally, we decided to get up and wander through waterfront park and along rainbow row, a series of homes each painted a different color. We were told that the best way to see Charleston is by foot so we continued our evening stroll along a strip of massive colonial mansions. Britt and I have seen a lot of beautiful homes along the way but these were very unique and charming with wrap-around porches and massive pillars. One of the parks we walked through contained canons used in both the revolutionary and civil wars. We enjoyed the southern charm of the small streets as we wandered towards the restaurant sector of town.

After some debate we decided to try some authentic southern style cuisine at Magnolias. We were blown away by the service and the food. Everything from the fired green tomatoes and salads to the pork chop, fried chicken, and pecan pie was awesome! This was the best meal we have had on the trip and the price is reasonable so if you ever visit Charleston you must hit up Magnolias. After dinner we strolled through the busy restaurant district back before calling it a night. One of the things we liked about Charleston is that everyone gets dressed up and the town is very alive at night.

Day 33 - North Carolina

2010-05-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Outer Banks - Next stop on the road was the place I was most excited to see, the Carolinas. Let me just start off saying they were just what I expected them to be and did not disappoint. Our first stop was coastal North Carolina, the outer banks. If you are a Nicholas Sparks fan, you’ll know several of his novels take place here. The homes are painted in vibrant colors and built up on stilts to protect them during high tides and hurricanes. Most of the homes are modest in size but they possess a rustic charm that we just loved. The homes line the oceanfront and many have private wooden walkways from their back porch to the sand. The sand is so soft with pockets of green vegetation swaying in the wind. The outer banks consist of a strip of land that runs out into the Atlantic. We drove through the beach towns of Kill Devils Hills, Nags Head, Rodanthe, and Cape Hatteras. The Hatteras lighthouse is one of the most well-known and is the tallest brick lighthouse in the U.S.. The bottom is bright red and black and white stripes wrap the rest of the way to the top. We walked eleven steep flights of stairs to see an amazing view from the top. It was a serious work out. We were bummed however, because our replacement camera wouldn’t focus on anything and took really blurry pictures.

(Can you tell how enormous this lighthouse is?)

(This is all we could see for a while.. we were huffing and puffing by the time we reached the top)

The outer banks area is extremely windy, hence the reason the Wright Brothers came here to work towards the first airplane flight. We went to the Wright Brothers monument where the very first flights took place. There are some cool exhibits there along with two mock up cabins where Orville and Wilbur lived and worked on their planes. As you can imagine, the idea of flying in those days was ludicrous and most everyone thought they were crazy. Apparently Orville and Wilbur would sometimes walk around with their arms spread mimicking birds in expression of their passion for flying. They worked for years before they were able to accomplish their dreams. It will not be the same the next time we board a plane. We will surely take a moment to think about the vision and dedication of the Wright Brothers. Their efforts bless our lives with the capability to travel anywhere in the world.

(Wright Bros Camp)

(Wright Airfield - where the first four flights were taken on December 17, 1903)

(The original propeller)

The park has a mock up plane that is identical to the one used to accomplish the first flight. They invite everyone to climb on the plane and take pictures. I thought it would be fun to take a picture laying on Orville. A couple of older women standing close by thought it was hilarious and decided to give it a try. They struggled to lift themselves up onto the plane and lay down on Orville just like me. All the spectators laughed hysterically at them. We of course were on the back side watching all of this go down. We couldn’t help but snap a few photos so you all could enjoy.

Inland N.C. - We left the outer banks and enjoyed the beautiful, green drive through the state. Later that afternoon, we drove through Chapel Hill and stopped at Allen and Sons for some authentic North Carolina BBQ. It was a hole in the wall, but the food was good. In North Carolina, pork is the specialty so we both went with the pulled pork sandwich. The pork sauce is light and unlike any BBQ sauce I have ever had. Another unique thing is that they serve the coleslaw right on the sandwich. It was good, however, it made for a very soggy and messy sandwich.

(The hushpuppies were Ry's favorite)

That night we drove to Greenville, South Carolina. The town of Greenville seemed small but we stayed on the main street. Christmas lights were draped across the trees and people were on the way to restaurants and clubs. A bunch of retired NFL players were staying at our hotel for a celebrity golf tournament. We even saw Jerry Rice in the lobby and you know Ryan was stoked about that because he grew up watching the 49ers… Steve Young, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice!

Day 32 - Washington DC/Williamsburg, VA

2010-05-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

Washington DC – The W Hotel we are staying at is connected to the Willard Intercontinental which is where a lot of the foreign dignitaries stay when in town. When we took off this morning, we took our luggage to our car. They had blocked off the entire street and had a huge motorcade. Secret Service men lined the streets along with cops. I had to know who it was, so I went up to one of the security men to find out that President Karzai of Afghanistan was staying there and was headed to the White House in ten minutes. We waited to see him leave. When he finally left they shut down all the streets with 10 motorcycle cops leading the way. Then came 10 blacked out suburbans. In each of the vehicles fully armed guards sat facing the crowds with the windows down and their riffles out and ready. There were three bulletproof presidential limos. And President Karzai was in one of them. As he drove by, he totally waved at me. That is why I love DC. You can’t experience things like that anywhere else. We felt like we were in the middle of the all the politics we hear read about online or view on CNN, probably because we were. We also saw one of Mitt Romney’s top aides, Kevin Madden.

(Romney Advisor Kevin Madden)

(there were multiple snipers on the roof of the white house at all times)

We walked across the street to the White House before heading to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. One of the exhibits included the original flag that survived the war of 1812 and was the inspiration for the Star Spangled Banner. That was such a touching thing to see. History like that makes me so proud to be an American. It is very big, probably 30 by 40 feet and you can tell it went through a lot when the British set Washington on fire during the was. We also saw the top hat Lincoln was wearing the day he was assassinated and many other artifacts of each our country’s presidents. We walked through an exhibit that outlined with pictures and documents each of the wars in which our nation has been involved. We also saw a lot of things focused on American culture like the MIchael Jackson's hat.

(George Washington's formal suit)

The weather was drastically different from what we experienced yesterday. It was in the 80’s and sunny most of the day. We walked all over the mall to the memorials to those who died fighting for our country in the Korean, Viatnam, and second World Wars.

From there we continued on to the Jefferson Memorial and lastly the Lincoln Memorial. I love this memorial. You see Abraham Lincoln sitting in the chair. It is such powerful statement. Even sitting, this man is so commanding. This is also the location of many important events in U.S. history including Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Lincoln pulled the United States back to be one nation at a time of such tension and opposing lifestyles. He is so revered because he helped us reunite from civil war and remain one nation under God. He also led the abolition of slavery. Even though segregation remained for another 100 years and racism is still an issue, the abolition of slavery was the very important first step towards the founding father’s declaration that all men are created equal. The wall on one side of the memorial is his Gettysburg address and on the other his second inaugural address. The thing that blew me away is how much Lincoln referred to God. Here he was the sixteenth president of the United States still talking about God like the Founding Fathers did. I have a hard time understanding why our country has evolved so much to the point that saying anything religious is politically incorrect. It is a NO NO for any political figure to reference God. This goes against the specific references and underlying principles on which our nation was founded. Can you tell I’m passionate about this?

We walked through Arlington National Cemetery and saw the gravesites of the Kennedy family including JFK. The cemetery is set on the top of a hill previously owned by General Robert E. Lee so it overlooks the whole city. There is a feeling of solemnity and honor as you look around and see headstone-covered hills where so many patriots have been laid to rest.

On the way out of town we drove by the pentagon but it’s just too big to get a good picture of. We could have stayed in DC another week because there is so much to do and see, but we had to stick to our itinerary and hit the road. This is such a great place to visit especially if you enjoy history and politics.

(The graves of JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and family)

Williamsburg, VA – Due to a quick stop at Mount Vernon (George Washington’s Plantation) and some traffic we didn’t arrive in Williamsburg until dusk. I wasn’t expecting much and I was pleasantly surprised. It is an old and extremely well preserved city. We thought the place would be a ghost town and it kind of was because people were taking ghost tours all through the historic area. The people are dressed in eighteenth century clothing and the homes and gardens appear just as they would have back then. This is definitely a place we would like to return to in the future and spend more time.