Nashville~Part II

Had some issues with my blogger template that I had to address before I could finish my Nashville post. Onward!

Tuesday

We decided to sleep in this morning. All the hustle and bustle from the conference and the heat really got to us. After getting ourselves ready we headed for a short walk over to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was a nice museum and took me back to being a kid. I remember many times being dragged to museums to learn the history of something. Nate enjoyed the freedom to run around and Audrey enjoyed the dresses. She especially loved the Taylor Swift dress.

Although I don’t know everything about country music, I learned a lot and respect those that paved the way for the music I listen to now.

View Full Album

After that we were off to lunch at Jack’s BBQ! The most talked about BBQ joint down there. It was really good but wish it was a sit down and order as opposed to a walk-up-and-order. We have a BBQ joint in downtown Detroit called Slow’s BBQ and there you sit down and order. After lunch we strolled back to the hotel and was lucky to bump into Liz and her 3 year old daughter Ashley. They live about 45 minutes from us and I’ve gotten to see them a couple of times at LPA events.

View Full Album

later that evening we took a drive out to Historic Franklin and got some dinner.

Wednesday

By now everyone is crabby from the conference and bad nights of sleep. At this point I realize we should have gone home but I still had the banquet on Thursday and planned on leaving on Friday morning. By this time we are leaving on Starbucks for breakfast, just give me coffee. Today we headed out to the Nashville Science Museum. I know that it isn’t too far from the hotel but I accidently put the wrong address into the GPS and end up at some worn downed warehouse. Oops! Re-enter address and we are there. I didn’t tell Audrey we were going here and she kept trying to guess what the building was. I guess I choose a good place to go because Audrey and Matt disappeared. I was left with Nate to venture on our own. Some things he found exciting and others not so much. There was a whole area dedicated to the human body and healthcare. I tried to get Nate to put on this little white doctor lab coat but because I asked that wasn’t going to happen. Some day I will get those cute picture, right? In the center of the museum they have a play structure that you can go higher and higher up. Never let you 2 year old lead the way. I’m trying to be all encouraging, climbing through tight spot till we are at the top. You have 2 choices: you can go down the stairs that everyone is coming up or you have a twisty slide to go down. Guess who wouldn’t go down the slide and I don’t like heights, especially with a 2 year old who is prone to falling. I was the “fun police”, as Matt calls me, and carried Nate down the stairs with a diaper bag/purse in a steep stairway that’s about the width of me. Geez, what we do for our kids!

View Full Album

Thursday

Starbucks again in the morning! Today was to be quiet, hang out for a while before the banquet. We ran into Jaime and Caty in the lobby and we excited to chat and get a couple photos.

We decided to take a drive, stop for lunch and of course, stop at Lowe’s (Matt works for Lowe’s)

Then back to the hotel for a nap for Nate. Audrey had been enjoying the Children’s Room at the conference and they loved having her. She wanted those tokens so bad so she could shop at the banquet. I tried to get some nice pictures of us for the banquet but I had the camera on the wrong setting and my kids don’t like their pictures taken together.

View Full Album

We really only got to stay for dinner at the banquet by the time we were done eating, we had to get the kids. The food was okay and the prices on drinks were ridiculous! But we had fun at our table. We had a family crash our table, which split another family up. The table crashes refused to go to their assigned table because it was not place in the correct spot according to the diagram from sign-up. A mom and her younger daughter sat at another table which left 3 seats for her other daughters at our table. The one daughter was quite pissed and made sure that everyone knew it. I actually had someone come to me with the assignment book and asked if our names were on that table list. I proudly pointed to our names. But maybe it was for the best that those girls mother wasn’t at the table. They didn’t hold back and they had me laughing so hard I was crying. Mainly it was about the blind lesbian keynote speaking and some of the things she said. The one thing I remember is that LP’s are very sexual people (her words, not mine). Made me wonder who her partner was. Anyway, it was a nice night and the husband and I got a dinner without the kids.

Friday

Time to head home. We were up bright and early. Matt checked out at 6am and we were on the road at 8. It was a 1 1/2 hour drive to Mammoth Cave National Park. It was a pretty drive back to the visitor center. I didn’t realize how many people would be there and that they have different tours at different times. Should of done my research. I was expecting a Niagara Falls where you just walk up and look. We did however run into a couple families with LP’s. How cool is that. The cave is absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to go back and do a bigger tour. It was very humid that day and made it hard to hike. I was hot and sweaty but when I got to the cave opening it was like nature’s air conditioning. Underneath the temperature drops to around 68 degrees. You can see steam rising up out of the opening. After we got up the lenses on my camera and glasses fogged up. One thing I am happy for is that Nate only weighs 24 lbs. You are not allowed to bring anything down into the cave except a camera, jacket and a bottle of water. After taking pictures my new goal is a new camera. Something that might be able to get better pictures down there.

View Full Album

4TH of JULY VACATION

I've had my mom in town from Iowa since the end of May. I've enjoyed having her her and her filling in as a babysitter. I've also had several occassions to be kid free, YEAH!! So, we all had one last trip up North to Torch Lake for the 4th of July Family reunion. Everyone who came included my mom and dad, her sister and mother, my brother, his wife and 3 sons, myself and my 2 kids. Matt had to work all weekend and didn't get to come. We also had a visit from my great-aunt Bonnie but was disappointed that my cousins with their spouses and kids couldn't make it. My cousins son, Joshua is only 4 day older than Nate and I really wanted to get them together. Maybe next year.

We left Thursday morning for a 5 hour drive in hopes of making only one stop. However, my dad had to stop to see a car for sale and my mom stopped to pick up some fruit and veggies. I did get to see one of our friends that works across the road from the fruit market. That was nice. So, the kids were ready to run around and Audrey just wanted to see her cousins. It has been 3 years since our last get-together. My brother lives in Arizona. We had some dinner and then headed into Alden, the town where our house is at for their evening stroll. It was nice but nothing like it was 13 years ago when I was up there last. The economy has had a tremendous effect on the tourism. But we will always be there since it was where my grandmother was born and raised.

Friday, we had a slow start but got out around noon for some fishing. The weather was cold and windy and we didn't catch anything. After and hour we gave up, headed to the car to warm up and took a drive. We went to Brownwood. A small set of shops that have honey, jams, old-fashioned candy and a gift shop. They also have a toy store for the kids that was always over-flowing with toys and kids. Neither was happening this time and the small selection of toys made me cry for what the place use to be. We headed back to the house so we could get ready and go to Aunt Kathy's for dinner. She has a house 15 minutes from my parents on Grand Traverse Bay.

Saturday, the 4th of July, Audrey went with her cousins and grandpa to Charlevoix. She enjoyed the tall ships and eating whitefish (her choice). I stayed back with Nate for some peace and quiet. Later we had a BBQ and the kids went swimming in Torch Lake. The kids enjoyed snaps and sparklers and the big fireworks down at the lake.

Sunday, we traveled into Traverse City for their Cherry Festival. We watched the air show down at the bay and then wandered through the vendors. I found a lady who makes peanut-butter in different flavors and can't wait to go online to see all she offers. Too many people at the booth to see all they had. The rest of Sunday was relaxing and I started to pack everything up so we could leave Monday. Which happened to be the most excitement. The washer broke on the last load with water still in it. We had to ring everything out and then my dad and brother moved the washer outside. There they dumped the water that then flooded back into the house. Oops, maybe they forgot about the small grade that went into the house. Geez, I just want to get home!! But we finally made it on the road by noon. There's no place like home!! :)

Go Go Go Fish!!!

First, I liked to say that it's all my fault. Everyone kept saying they couldn't post comments and I thought it was something with them. So, I decided I'd try to post my own comment and I couldn't. What gives? So I redid my settings which finally allowed me to post a comment. Maybe I can hear from you all now.

Nana's 90!!!
Wall art at the restaurant
What happens when a boy hangs out with all women.
Nate loved his swing!
Some good old fashion fun!
Pretzel monster!
Nate and his bus.

My Nana celebrated 90 years on the 23rd. Go Nana!! My mom (who's in from Iowa), Aunt Kathy, myself and the kids went up North for Memorial Day weekend. We had a great time. We started by hitting the outlet mall on the way up. I had some stuff to return and it gave me an excuse to go shopping. After that we picked up some lunch. I have never feed Nathan fast food but I figured it would be the easiest thing to do. I got him chicken nuggets from Wendy's and can you believe it, Nate ate 4 1/2 nuggets. What a piggy! It's now his new favorite food and can he inhale them.


So back on the freeway my mom decides that since the one outlet didn't have what see wanted we should try the other outlet. Yes, there are two on the way up I-75. I agreed since Wendy's gave me sweetened ice tea. Gross. They had to have dumped a 5 lb bag of sugar into it and to top it all off, they doused their fries with so much salt which made me parched. By the time we arrived there Nate was cranky. I let my mom shop and I took Nate out of his car seat. He got to play driver while I looked for his binky. How cute he was behind the wheel. Kodak moment, or at least I thought but the camera had another idea. I tried to turn it on but it wouldn't work. After I got Nate back into his seat, my mom discovered the battery was in upside down. But the plus side was I found Nate's binky so he could take his nap. It was in a safe spot in my pocket the whole time.


We pushed through the rest of the way and were happy to arrive at our new resting grounds. We took it pretty easy. Friday we shopped in Elk Rapids. Saturday we had birthday lunch at Pearl's (a Cajun restaurant) and then headed over to do some shopping in Alden. I let the kids pick out on item to buy. Audrey picked a Chihuahua lil'kin webkinz and Nate picked a die cast yellow school bus. We took a stroll down to the docks to see Torch Lake. It was really windy and cold. We didn't see any fish but found a crayfish. Audrey was so excited. We'll be going back for the 4th of July and hopefully get to do some fishing. Sunday we went back to Alden, they have this muffin place I really like and I wanted to get spices from their mill house. The kids got to play at the park but mom forgot her camera. I got some pics from the other park we visited. I guess I'll have to duct tape it to myself. Nate really likes to swing. Later that night we had s'mores and boy! was Audrey wearing it. We packed up Monday and came home.


We were disappointed that we didn't see BOB (the bobcat). He was sited the previous two days before we headed up. But we did see deer, rabbits, birds, chipmunks, lots of bugs and a skunk. Thank God we were indoors when that skunk came by.


And to note on the title, there was endless rounds of Go Fish and Old Maid because that is all Audrey wanted to do up North.