A Very Southern Babymoon

For one last trip before the baby arrives Thomas and I decided to take a little trip to the South. We loved Savannah last time we were there so we decided to revisit and see some of the surrounding area as well. When we went to get our rental car at the airport all they had left were minivans. I wasn't super excited about that. Our last trip before kids and we have to drive around all week in a minivan. Not cool.

Hilton Head Island was the first leg of the trip and it was great! We got in very late at night and there was the most amazing lightening I have ever seen! Every few seconds there were great big flashes that lit up the entire sky. It was non stop the entire drive out to Hilton Head and well into the night.

We were starving when we arrived at the hotel so we ordered some room service at 2 AM and scarfed it down. I like that about vacation. You can sort of do whatever you want at 2 in the morning.

In the morning we went to the pool for some lunch and to read. There were big storm clouds constantly brewing but it was so warm that the overcast sky provided some nice cool shade. It did rain later in the day but that gave us a chance to duck into a gelato bar for some ice cream as we explored the island. We found some fresh peaches and some lovely wetlands near the ocean. I was actually surprised at how much of Hilton Head is sectioned off to various condo villages or resorts. It seemed like a lot of the island wasn't accessible to the public. 

When we arrived back at the hotel we were surprised to find chocolate dipped strawberries and sparkling grape juice waiting for us! The lady that checked us in the night before had sent them up to congratulate us on our baby. She had written us the most heartfelt note and it just made us feel extra special. We had our first reeeeeally southern food that night and slept very well thanks to some cheesy grits and fried chicken.

Before heading to Savannah the next morning we took some time to walk along the beach near our hotel. Neither of us could believe how warm the water was! We're used to central coast California water and New England water, both of which are freezing year round. I had delicious pecan waffles for breakfast and then we were on our way down the road.

Savannah is the most charming place I think I've ever seen. The historic part of town is full of beautiful buildings and interesting shops. The Spanish moss hanging from the giant live oak trees on every street make the whole area so dreamy and surreal. We dropped our bags at our hotel and started on a walk around town. It was so humid and hot but again, the threat of rain kept the sun from beating down on us.

We did the riverwalk, hit up Leopold's ice cream, a creepy old cemetery, some funky furniture shops and then headed back to the hotel for a little rest before dinner.

A few days before our trip a friend of mine sent me some pictures on Pinterest of interesting things to do in the Savannah area. One of them was an old Civil War fort called Fort Pulaski. I had never heard of it but the picture was beautiful so we decided to make it a part of our trip. I am so glad we did because it ended up being my favorite thing we did in Savannah.

The fort is on a tiny island and has quite the history not to mention a 10 foot deep moat and a draw bridge. It's entirely made of red bricks with walls anywhere from 7-15 feet thick. At the beginning of the Civil War it was thought to be completely impenetrable.

There is just something about seeing reenactors that takes me back to childhood. I grew up doing Civil War, Pioneer and WWI era reenactments and I miss it! The cannon demonstration was equally exciting. I love the sulfur smell of gunpowder on a hot summer day. I know, I'm a bit strange. 

Poor Fort Pulaski didn't last very long in its first and only real battle. Because of improved technology at the beginning of the Civil War- namely rifle barreled cannons- it was badly damaged and taken by Union forces in a battle lasting just 31 hours. An entire section of the wall was destroyed and the white flag was raised. The missing portion of the wall was repaired but this type of brick fortress was never built again. On the exterior you can still see the battle scars and even cannon balls lodged into the wall from that first and last battle.

From Fort Pulaski we went exploring on Tybee Island. I think Thomas was getting tired of being out in the heat. We went to this awesome lighthouse and he refused to get out of the car. We snapped a picture and drove on. We did end up finding a great beach access point and spent some time at the ocean.

^^Stupid minivan ^^

After some of the best BBQ around (Wiley's Championship BBQ) we spent some time in Forsyth Park, the Central Park of Savannah.

Sunday morning we attended church and then drove out to Wormsole Plantation. This is another place I had seen pictures of and decided we needed to see it in person. the lane of trees dripping with Spanish moss was unbelieveable! We decided to have a little photo shoot which instantly makes me incredibly awkward and unable to keep my eyes open.

 

So then I made Thomas jump in for a few. I think these turned out a lot better, everything is better when Thomas is involved ;)

The remainder of our day consisted of Southern food, charming neighborhoods and the Bonaventure Cemetery.

 

 

Just before we headed home on Monday morning we headed for Mrs. Wilke's Dining room. Thomas heard about this place and put it on the top of our to-visit list. They serve a family style lunch on weekdays only. The line to get in is rumored to wind down the street and around the corner on any given day. We arrived nice and early and were the 3rd and 4th people in line. After about an hour of waiting for the dining room to open we sat at a table with 10 other people and the kitchen staff proceeded to bring out over 25 dishes full of food. From fried chicken to black eyed peas and every other southern food you can imagine! We ate and ate till we just couldn't take one more bite and then they brought out banana pudding for dessert so we ate that too! 

It was a perfect end to a perfectly Southern vacation!

Katy is Back!

I have this totally awesome friend named Katy. I actually have a lot of totally awesome friends but for today we're talking about just Katy. She's been living in Korea and Australia for well over a year and just recently moved back to Utah. I am pretty sure I hadn't seen her for a while before she left for this grand adventure and I have been missing her something fierce.

When I got an email from her at the beginning of August saying she would be home in just a matter of days I jumped up and yelled across the house to Thomas, "Katy's coming baaaaaack!!" There was much excitement!

I debated flying into Utah on the same day she got back to surprise her at the airport but couldn't quite swing it. I had been talking with her mom and trying to figure out a way to surprise her but nothing was really coming together. 

Katy and Nic (her boyfriend) arrived home on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning after much deliberation Thomas and I decided to book plane tickets for the weekend. The funny thing is that Thomas wanted to go to Seattle for his grandma's 90th birthday celebration and I wanted to go to Utah. 

Flights were soon booked, bags were packed and we were off on our weekend adventures by Friday night.

We ended up having to tell Katy I was coming because we couldn't come up with a good enough lie to get her to the airport. She was still surprised when I told her I was coming and since it was such a quick decision she only found out about 24 hours before I arrived. 

Our first order of business was to head to In N Out where we met up with Hollie. The three of us were always up to some mischief when we all lived in Park City. Our time there only overlapped for a few short months but these girls became fast friends and have stayed true in the years since.

The next day we met up with Hollie and her two little girls for some lunch and Katy and I headed to Salt Lake with no real agenda. We found a great farmer's market in Pioneer Park and then headed for City Creek downtown. We ended up sitting on Temple Square in the shade for a couple hours just catching up. Katy and I have emailed quite a lot over the past year or so but there's something so much more connected about actually looking at someone and talking face to face. It was a perfect afternoon.

That night we ate dinner at Cafe Rio and I marvelled at the giant trucks everywhere. What is it with Utah and their ridiculous, lifted trucks? We hung out with Katy's mom Charlene and laughed harder than I have in quite a while. Oh man, I love that lady!

Me, Blob, giant truck and a cup of pebble ice

Katy and I attended her parent's ward on Sunday, I think she was sorely missed there as well. So many people were excited to see her and hear about her time in Korea and Australia. In the afternoon we headed up the canyon with her family for a little BBQ. Before I knew it we were leaving for the airport and my 48 hours with Katy were over. 

Thomas and I met up in LA for the long leg of our return flight home and caught each other up on the weekend. We both agreed that it was a very good choice to go even though it was so short.

Mel & Bently Come to Boston

My bestest friend in the whole world came to Boston a few weeks ago. Her husband bought her plane tickets for Mother's Day- thanks Shayne!! I think most of the trip consisted of eating copious amounts of food and enjoying the lovely summer weather. It was probably the nicest week of the whole summer so far- not very humid and in the mid 70's the whole time.

Day 1-- First stop- Kimball Farm! This was a big no-brainer, the ice cream here is just unbeatable. We made sure to get enough ice cream to stick in the freezer at home and nibble on for the rest of her trip.

Day 2-- Pool, all day! Bently is such a fish! All the moms in our ward hang out at the pool every day in the summer so it was fun to introduce Mel to all of them. The moms throw pennies in the pool for the kids to dive after and exchange for marshmallows. Bently dove and dove until he came up with pretty much all the pennies in the pool! For dinner we went out to Swampscott to Paradiso Ristorante- one of our favorite restaurants in the area.

Day 3-- Biscuits with strawberries freshly cut by B. This is a big tradition when I visit the Lehnen family. I always make biscuits with the boys one morning so mom can sleep in. Strawberries on top are a must! Bently made his into a deer with bacon antlers and everything.

We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon at the beach in Gloucester. The ocean has always held a special place in Mel's and my heart. It just feels like home even though we both grew up in landlocked Utah. Watching Bently playing in the ocean and sitting in the sun was glorious!

Next stop was- surprise, surprise- more food! We had to take Mel to Bearskin Neck in Rockport for a freshly cooked lobster. She had only eaten lobster once before and didn't really like it but we quickly converted her with one freshly caught and cooked up by a burly fisherman.

Bently wasn't as sure he loved it...

That evening my boss' family threw a dance party. It was such a dream! Thomas and I brought some music and everyone at the part took turns plugging in their phones and playing their favorite songs. Bently danced all night long and made a couple friends. Everyone was very impressed with his dance moves. At one point he came up to Mel and said, "Mom, I think I'm about to be famous!"

Day 4-- Downtown, Shake Shack, Boston Public Garden for Swan Boat rides and Boston Common Frog Pond. We walked a lot this day! The weather was so nice that we hardly noticed.

Bently looked forward to the frog pond all day! He was soaked in a matter of seconds! He was so fun to watch play in the water and at the park next door. It was a nice relaxing break for us to just sit in the shade and chat too.

Bently carried his balloon dog around with him for the rest of the trip. He was devastated when it started to deflate a few days later.

Day 5-- sitting around the house and church. Taught B how to play Uno. Baked chocolate cake and went for a walk around the neighborhood. For some reason Bently was obsessed with our basement. He thought it was just the coolest place he'd ever seen. Every time we left the house he wanted to go through the basement and out the hatch doors. He even asked to sleep down there. When we asked what he'd sleep on he replied, "Oh, maybe in a cage or something". So weird!

^^ Bently love climbing the trees in our yard too, they don't have many big trees in Texas^^

Day 6-- I went to work, met Mel and B at the park to play hide the stick. This is a very complex game where Bently hides two large sticks somewhere in the park (it's a tiny patch of grass) and we have to go find them. Surprisingly it kept us all entertained for quite a while.

In the afternoon Mel and I went through the nursery and all the things we have for the baby. We talked about the essential things she had with her boys and we drooled over the tiny clothes. I loved having her there, it made me feel like this whole baby thing is a lot more manageable than I sometimes think it will be. 

Mel and Bently left early the next morning. I was really sad to see them go. I'm pretty sure I cried most of the way home. Next time I see Mel I will have a baby! That is so nuts to me! I remember the days when we would drive around town in our old beater cars in high school. Things have changed so much in the past 13 or 14 years. I love all the life we've experienced together and I am so grateful that I have this girl to call my friend and sister.