Nashville, Tennessee....with a side of Clarksville.

I pause....for a little bit of personal.....January 19-21st I flew up to Nashville, TN to see my pal Regan and my goddaughter, Micah.  Regan's husband was recently given orders to move (closer to me, yay!).  While he is finishing up his third tour in Afghanistan since I've know him (6 years-Regan and I have been fridnds almost 25) we decided to explore a little bit of Nashville before it becomes a place they lived once upon a time.  I flew in Saturday morning to try to work around Micah's nap, and we drove straight to the downtown area.  It was co-old, but we still managed to walk up and down Broadway.  The famous bars were opened up just enough that we could hear the artist displaying their skills via guitars and microphones.  

We ate at the Hard Rock, in honor of her uncle, a man we both adored (her godfather) who loved the restaurant and we had many a conversation about our travels and stops by Hard Rock before he moved to heaven, waiting for the rest of our stories to join his someday.  Micah is 13+ months now, and when I saw her at 10 months, she wasn't so sure about me.  This time, after a few hours she was willing to play with me, and even reached up to be held.  Mama's still #1, but I consider it a pretty big honor she warmed up so quickly because she has stranger danger.....and she got quickly the kind of danger I can offer is all fun.  Case in point, we make that girl sit through many a photo shoot....but she'll have some pretty spectacular pictures some day so she can explain to her friends she was stinking adorable.  She was a little less cooperative at some points.....note Regan holding on to the shoes she refused to be a part of....

We wanted one in the wedding dress, but we could only get her to stay still for a nanosecond by handing her the bow....

We wanted to grab a few for Father's Day....what you can't see is her absolutely refusing to sit still and probably screaming as she ripped the hat off, but we got a few cute ones in his jacket etc...

She was willing to do the pink Christmas tree on her pink, glitter car.....Do they make this in my size?

All three little wiggle worms wouldn't sit still for this one....Odie's screaming dog face says it all...

We pretty much spent the weekend taking a few pics and  hanging out in our pjs.  Micah and I played, and I learned why everything, including the toilets are child proof in about 2 minutes when I found her toys floating in the toilet, and my personal objects exiting my purse, suit case, and any drawer that would open.  

I also spent the weekend petting Regan's first baby, Sophia.  She was diagnosed with bone cancer and the news was really grim before Christmas, but she is still doing well with a slight limp.  I hugged on her and groomed any loose hair out of her with hours of petting.  I love this dog.  

...and then, we figured out the trick to photographing this little fairy.  She will wear anything, bows etc, but she won't sit still, so I took a page out of a blog I have seen and put a bunch of foam hearts on the deck.  I held her back like a race horse, dropped her on the deck and started snapping while she went to mess up the heart design.  Letting her think she is destructive is the key....

I die.

Please look at this precious child.  Her laugh steals my heart.

Phun with Photoshop.

I'm so grateful for the little moments, getting to hear her 'hi' in person....and her version of E-I-E-I-O.  She can only do the EIEI portion, but she gets super excited when you sing it and sings along.  I die.  Multiple times a day.  Reaching up to be held.  I'm blogging from heaven.  She still has an octave in her scream, which she pulls out for all occasions good and bad that neighborhood dogs respond too.  She is totally fine playing with me now, as long as Mom is nearby, and the dogs are not fans of the pinching, though the Cheerio Trail she leaves makes up for it, but these are the memories I will cherish foreva'.....and I have the pictures to prove it.  Watch out world, she's about to be within weekend driving distance!  

Clarksvegas Baby Shower Weekend Extravaganza

 The weekend of October 8th, I headed North towards Clarksville, TN.  My bff is having a baby.  It's her first.  It's a girl.  It's kinda a big deal.  I took the above shot the last full day I was there, and I love it.  I saw something similar online once.  I just opened up the blinds with the sun shining straight in, switched my camera to black and white, and snapped.  I heart it. 
I've been blogging about the details of the shower this week, but on a personal note.  It was exciting.  Regan tried for a very long time to give us this reason to host a shower!  After 5 years of marriage, and her husbands 2nd year over seas in 3 years serving in the US Army, they succeeded where treatment, and medical care had failed, God took over.  She is 8 months along...and counting.  Her friend, Liz, who I've had the pleasure of meeting while visiting her as an adolescent in NY, and later at wedding showers, and wedding festivities was also able to make it, and she was a ginormous help getting the shower put together. 

 I went with a Pooh theme to match her nursery.  I drove down with my car loaded down, and finished up some grocery shopping, baking and creating on Friday (when I drove the second half after leaving right after work on Thursday).  Her Mom and Dad also came up from SC.  I heart them so much.  My relationship with Regan's whole family has been such a blessing in my life, such a hug from God. 

 We hung out with Regan's Clarksville crowd on Saturday and opened gifts. 

 Da girls. 

 We spent a lot of the weekend in PJ's back at Regan and Dave's casa with the dogs. 

 We baked a pie, and I introduced Liz to the wonder that is Cherry Pull and Peel Twizzlers. 

 We spent a huge chunk of the weekend bordering, and decorating the nursery. 

I took some photos on Sunday.  There are some 'stomach shots' I'll let Regan post....there is just something about popping someone else's bare belly on my blog....I'm not ready yet, but this photo reminds me of another moment...

I have one photo of Regan holding blocks to spell out her baby's name, and while she was cradling them under her belly (they aren't ready to reveal the name yet), Baby Girl started kicking and making the blocks move.  It was, by far, one of my favorite moments.  I got to feel baby hiccups, and lots of baby kicks, and this little being definitely stole a huge chunk of my heart, and wouldn't let me have it back when I left for the long drive home on Monday. 

One month left of beautiful fall weather, and a few weeks after that I'm heading back up to hold that little nugget.  It makes me nostalgic about the past....all the things Regan and I have experienced in almost 25 years of friendship.  All the adventures, first, heartaches, and dreams fulfilled.  I can't even imagine 25 years from now where all the pieces will fit in this puzzle called life, but I know it'll be a-mazing. 

Milestone Marker-

A little more personal dust...
 Through the years one of the biggest milestone markers in my life has been moments with my friend Regan.  I started our story here.  We are working on 25 years of friendship, and a lot of times when I'm measuring my life, I look back at the moments we've spent together. From school girl interests, crushes, and troubles (or getting IN trouble), to bigger days, bigger hurts, bigger triumphs. 
There's a point in a friendship where you know...this is forever...I just don't know what that point was.  Sure, we have seasonal friends, and we have other lifelong friends, but in the center of my universe is this friend.  It was years ago that I decided the most important thing for me to worry about is being a friend, and focusing less on what my friends can do for me.  We don't keep score, and it's why we work.  In doing so, Regan has never told me I'm lacking in anything, she accepts the love and time when I give it.   It's always there....and if she needs it she knows to call.   When I call her and tell her a situation that's bothering me, she can dig down as deep as I go and know all the layers and levels of this issue, it's not about today, but a lifetime.  She knew me when, which explains me now.
There was no doubt I'd be attending  her college graduation, it was a long time coming due to a stop in the military, and marriage, and all the things that come with being a wife and a stepmom, but this weekend, it came flying up all the same.  I flew to Clarksville, TN (where her husband is stationed) Wednesday night.  We shopped a little Thursday, and then got to the business of getting Regan ready for graduation.  Regan's parents (some of the family God let me choose for myself) came into town and we spent time catching up over dinners and household hanging out).  Friday was graduation day.  Austin Peay, and a Psychology Degree awaited. 

 This smile makes it worth it. 

Saturday introduced an opportunity for more celebration with a barbeque including local friends, and then I flew out much too quickly on Sunday morning.  The best news...unlike other times, I know when I'll be back...in fact, I know of at least three times I'll be visiting in the next year.  Regan's bringing a new little being into this world for me to love, and you better believe I've got a lot to teach the little one about love, and friends, and family.  I look forward to the next milestone as we close this chapter, but not this book of friendship.

"You're the Only Tenn I Ssee"

My buddy Amber and I headed up to Tennessee last Thursday after work. We both had friends to visit in the Nashville/Clarksville area. We stopped about four hours away from our destination on Thursday night after a long day of driving (and coming up with corny travel jokes). I finished the drive Friday morning. We made one quick stop at the Casey Jones Village. You can pick up your Elvis memorabilia AND sample their candy counter treats all in one stop.
Life's Important Questions

So Maybe You Shouldn't Shop With Us, We Make Scenes

I dropped Amber off in Nashville to spend the weekend with a college friend. I thought this park (our meeting point) was pretty funny. 'The Parthenon'....I wonder who thought up this city planning concept?

I then headed to Clarksville to visit my pal, Regan. We spent the weekend catching up, hanging out, eating candy, scrapbooking, cooking, watching movies, and visiting downtown Clarksville for a festival they were hosting over the weekend: Rivers and Spires. There are a lot of rivers, and churches in the downtown area-go figure. We ate our way through the festival.

They also had wine vendors from TN wineries with samples you could try out. Regan's church was hosting the event, so she sampled, and I supervised. And there lies the difference between a Baptist and an Episcopalian. :O)

I also got a lesson in making bullets from her husband. We bonded. On Sunday I picked Amber up in Nashville (by the way, the drive from Clarksville to Nashville is very pretty), and I made the 13 hour trip (12 if you cut out the excursion to Nashville) in one long go.