Missing Our Friends Already!

 

We had special friends arrive from Illinois

this week! Aunt Jill arrived on the scene and

promptly gave Hampton his very first

manicure :) They were fast friends.

...it seems like just yesterday we were college

roommates...and now here we are with two

sweet little boys between us. Time flies.

 



Judson gave lots of "love"

to baby Hampton. And I

don't know anyone who has smoother moves

and higher kicks to "Old MacDonald" than

this kid.

 



 

Thanks Brandt, Jill and Judd for coming to

hang with us! Wish we could grill out and

eat peanut butter pie together all the time :)

Love you!

So Faithful

It’s official: we’re all boxed up and cleaned out and (as of yesterday) living with Paul’s parents for the week. The movers come tomorrow, but we wanted to be done with the chaos of packing, etc. before we started this work week. It was a little on the crazy side this weekend, but we did it … and when it was done … it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Moving to another state while 8 ½ months pregnant is not for the faint of heart!

This last week has been full of goodbyes … dinner with the Petersons on Wednesday at Jim’s Place Grille … dinner at Bethany and David’s on Friday night … our last Sunday morning at Highpoint … our going away party with the Mays, Stancils, Roberts, Ramseys, and Whaleys last night. Tomorrow is my last baby shower in Memphis and then we’ll have a few more last suppers and lunches … and it will really be time to say goodbye.

I wish I could adequately describe how my heart feels right now, but it’s just so hard to put into words. It feels full. Paul and I have been so immensely blessed by our time in Memphis. I have spent my entire adult life in this state and when I moved here, I only knew the handful of those scattered across the state who were related to me … and now I am leaving with more lifelong friends than I know what to do with, all of whom, feel like family. I am so grateful this week, so immensely thankful … that God’s plan for my life included this (nearly) 12 year chapter in rocky top. Three of my great-grandmothers lived here, my grandmothers both grew up here, my mom was born here and spent her early childhood here, and now my time here (in this last decade) …. feels full circle.

Like we all share in the same love. Tennessee.

The night my parents left me outside my dorm at the age of 18 I cried my eyes out. I knew that this was where I was supposed to be, but had no idea the whens, where, whys, who, or how at that point. But God did. His plans for my life, though not ever really my plans for my life, have always been right on time, purposeful, and perfect. As we head out this coming Saturday morning, across the state, over the rivers and mountains and through the wood that first got me to this place … I will cry my eyes out all over again. Because this time … I know the answers to the questions from that August night outside my dorm room.

I can see His provision and protection, His mercy and grace … His love. And I can say with no hesitation or doubt, that throughout my time here, God has been faithful.

So faithful to me.

Labor Day: Nashville

I drove to Nashville on Saturday and stopped

on a whim in Jackson to introduce the baby to

Union U :) I quickly figured out that it was bid

day when I saw all of those cute little Chi O's

running around. Brought back so many

wonderful memories.

 



Next stop: Hillsboro Village for shopping and a

stop at Provence for honey lavender lemonade.



And then dinner at SATCO with the girl who

introduced me to it 11 years ago. Along with

Fern, Hil, JC, Kristin and Leslie.

Hilary's bridal shower was held on Sunday in

Franklin. Pre-shower I shopped downtown and

then tourned the Carnton Plantation {where the

Battle of Franklin was fought all around}. It was

beautiful.

And then I traipsed through the Confederate

Cemetery in my dress and heels. Because ...

it's what I do :) 

The shower was so sweet. So excited for you,

Hilary!

 

I love this girl and miss her so, so much. The best

part about making such amazing friends in college

is that you have them for the rest of your life. The

hardest part is living so far away from each of them.



 

Hilary and her bridesmaids ... Leslie, Ash, Hil,

Bonnie and Kristin.

A Weekend To Remember

First night in DC ... dinner in Old Town

Alexandria with Jodie and sunset on the Potomac.

The next morning brought breakfast

at Georgetown Cupcakes :)

So many to choose from ...

My picks: lemon blossom and lavender

earl grey. SO delicious.

I have been obsessed with the

Kennedy's since before I can remember.

I have seen their homes in most every

city I have been, but hadn't seen the

one above {in Georgetown} where

they lived pre-White House years.

But I changed that on this trip :) There is no

where to park on the teensy streets of Georgetown,

so Jodie would put her flashers on, we'd jump out

of the car and run down the row houses to find

the right ones. And then I would strike a pose.

I love my life :)

Next up ... a stop at Fox to park the car, and

on to the Newseum.

I loved, loved the Newseum. It's a few years

old and has the coolest exhibits. I highly

recommend it!

Jodie dropped me off at the hotel later that day

so that I could meet up with my aunts,

and we were off to Scott and Kristin's

rehearsal dinner held at Brasserie Beck.

Aunt Beth on the left is one of my dad's little

sisters and Aunt Ann is my dad's big sister. We

had the best time and a few times, laughed until

I was sitting on the floor of the hotel.

I had the endive salad and monk fish ... and

pear tartine. Yum.



Everything was beautiful. Scott and Kristin met

while in law school and they are just the

sweetest together. So happy for them!

My cousin Lauren :)

Fun times!



On  Saturday, Jodie and I headed back to

the hotel to pick up the aunties and off the

four of us went to Mt. Vernon. I have only

been to MV in winter months, so this was

a much prettier visit.

And I enjoyed the history so much more this

time around. My favorite GW line: "We

fight to be free" ... interesting fact: his teeth

{dentures} were made from rhino porcelain.

The weather was perfect. Low 80s the

entire trip.

The view from Mt. Vernon, overlooking the

Potomac. Afterward, we raced back to the

hotel to get ready for the wedding.

Cousin Caitlin was the sweetest flower girl ever.

She wore her mom's tiara {from her own

wedding day} and was a little princess.

She loooves her new baby brother, Bennett Scott :)



Sweet!



Posing for one last family

picture before heading to the

reception :)

The Fairmont was gorgeous. Cocktail hour was

held in the garden before the sit down dinner.

All the details were perfect.

Ocala friends

Introducing the parents of the

groom!

First dance.

First course!

Dancing with the mother

of the groom.

Aunt Beth, Aunt Ann, me

Our table ... Susan and David, Gail and Jock and

Carden.

The beautiful cake ~

Scott and Kristin



We love Kristin! Such a great girl.

Dancing the night away.

~

A weekend to remember in every way.

The District

Heading out later today for Washington DC. My cousin {yay for Scott and Kristin!} is getting married on Saturday, so I will be hanging with aunts, uncles and cousins {mom and dad can't make it, my dad is still in the hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery - we will miss you!} ... and celebrating it up!

When not attending all things wedding related, I will be hanging with this girl in Alexandria. And we have grand plans :) A few items on the agenda ... the Newseum {which, I think, might be obligatory for a communications major}, Georgetown Cupcakes {duh}, etc. Because I do things like this, I estimated yesterday that I have been to DC once every 2.5 years since the age of 10 {my first trip} ... and what I know for sure? There is never a shortage of things to do, people to see, history to experience. I just love it.

This weekend promises to speak just about all of my love languages: family, dear friends, cupcakes, summer wedding ... and the dance floor.

Good times .... :)

The Southern Stripes

Seeing as my brother is an investor, I decided to do a little PR on behalf of Brier & Moss. Two of Mark’s fraternity brothers at Samford {who now live in Nashville} have recently started a bow tie company. The Southern Stripes collection features the colors of all the SEC schools {for example, maroon and white stripes for Mississippi State University … Paul Bruce is the proud owner of the one pictured above}.

If a good Southern fraternity boy near you is in the market for a bow tie … help a brother out {emphasis on mine, see aforementioned investor} and buy Brier & Moss.

Annie D

One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all. Shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things will fill from behind, from beneath, like water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.
-Annie Dillard-

I was in late high school or college when I first discovered Annie Dillard. I loved her writing then, but appreciate it more now. Reading Annie makes me want to take deep breaths, listen to 70s music on repeat and ... write. Love her.