Uh-mer-i-cuh

Let's do a quick re-cap of our "holiday" back in the States. In no particular order and only because this is just about all of the pictures I took for an entire almost 4 weeks, may I present "Uh-mer-i-cuh 2k10"

While celebrating Sam and Amanda's wedding in Virginia, we had a tour of the Slemp's dairy farm. Below you will find a group (herd?) of preggo cows. I think some of us can relate to how they feel.

We went to the zoo with Helen. When a Larakeet landed on Wiley's hat and he flipped out, it might have been the funniest thing I've seen in awhile, but also possibly traumatic to Wiley. Oops, there goes "mother of the year" award. It sort of attached itself to his hat while Wiley tried to beat at it, screaming "Get it off. Get it off!" Meanwhile, the zookeeper frantically saved the bird from 4 year old fists. I wished I could have pulled my camera out faster.

We lounged by the pool before Wil had to return to London. So wonderful.

We went to the lake with "just grownups" and the dogs (not ours). Don't you pose your (friends') dogs in chairs when you go to the lake by yourselves (read: without kids)? Digger and Harvey looked regal, of course.

We watched Sam and Amanda (And Tommy and Chelsea) get married (not together). We also witnessed the world's largest bonfire that is not in Texas (A&M?).

Wiley took a picture of us feasting at Zoes. Heavenly.

We watched Aunt B learn to drive stick shift on the snazzy MGB.

Wiley rode his new-to-him bicycle with training wheels including his name on the back on an Alabama license plate in the CBS parking lot...only a few yards from where I learned to ride a bike without training wheels and nearly ran straight into a soccer goal (the metal part). Thanks Baba and Big Dean (for the bike; oh and I suppose not letting me bust into the metal pole?)

Mmm...watermelon at the lake. This boy could eat an entire one if we let him. Oh, wait, we did. And he is so possessive of his watermelon that when I tried to do a cool science experiment called "does the watermelon float or sink?" he flipped out, and my mom deemed it less scientific and more traumatic.

And on another un-related note, and only because I don't think this can be a post in itself, or maybe it can? We have a paddling pool in our back "garden." Yesterday, Wiley discovered it is full of tadpoles. I'm pretty sure they are tadpoles. So when we have a pool full of frogs, you know where you can come get a pet. I'm slightly grossed out but have decided for the sake of science and because I have a boy who likes gross things, we will keep the tadpoles for a bit and see what happens. The boy also found a snail, loved watching him crawl slowly, fed him a leaf, marveled at him, named him "Georgia Bulldawg," noted the slime left behind, and then stepped on him while watering a plant. RIP Georgia Bulldawg.

Tuscany

Of the parts of Italy, we saw on our Italian Adventure, Tuscany was my favorite. This region is just beautiful. You have Florence right there with more culture and art and university students than you know what to do with. Drive about 30 minutes south, and you are in vineyards. What more could you want?

We stayed in a small village outside Florence, and we had 3 of our meals at Bellavista in Impruneta. We weren't the only ones repeating here either. Their homemade ravioli with truffle sauce was to.die.for. I am getting hungry just thinking about it! The Florentine vegetable soup was out of this world. The three of us that made it to Easter Lunch enjoyed eating a "blessed egg," which is in fact a hard boiled egg that has been blessed by the local priest. Confused? Intrigued? We were, too, but as they say, "When in Impruneta..."But the best part is that by the end of it, we felt like family with the owners. (And you can see them on their website or visit their blog!) So, if you are in Florence, it is worth your time to go to Impruneta and eat at Bellavista. You will not be disappointed!

In our free time, we enjoyed walking down this hill between olive trees and towards vineyards collecting sticks and going on adventures. Twice we happened upon pheasants who swished out of the brush or tree and flew away. When it happened when I was there, it was literally in a tree a foot away from us. Wil, the hunter, was of course drooling over those birds.

We sampled a local wine (and ordered a lot of it) at their winery which is housed in what we might call a castle. Dreamy.

View from said castle. Can you imagine washing dishes and looking at that everyday?

Wil was perhaps happiest amongst all the wines in the cellar. Red wine galore here, friends. And good. We often just had the table wine at the restaurants as we read that it is often really good if not better than your pricier options. If you even remotely enjoy wine, this area is for you.

And that is how the Griswolds do Tuscany.

nashville

while we are on the subject of cities, yet another stop on my summer travel circuit was the fabulous city of nashville to reunite with precious friends from wake. (the 2 months we had been apart was too much).

first of all, the friends were amazing and wonderful and i love it that we can just start back where we left off.

second of all, i love nashville. like maybe my 2nd favorite city in the southeast (to b'ham, obviously, and with winston in a close 3rd)



what is not to love about a city with a building that looks like batman?

so, let's run a few highlights from this eventful weekend. thanks for the pics, carrie!

we went to a beautiful park, percy warner perhaps? where we hiked, i mean walked, a nice little trail. we looked like the girls in madeline walking in two straight lines.



we saw the parthenon (exact replica, built in 1896, i believe, which blew us all away)


we went to some classy bars like: tootsie's (dance on stage, check), paradise park (mingle with bachelor party of 30 year olds, watch married man in party almost swallow wedding ring, chastise him for said action, then be asked if i am preggo, big check), and finally lonnies (watch funny karaoke, be harassed by bartender to order drinks, and watch twins try to sing rascal flatts butchering it so much that it sounded more nasally and twangy that rascal flatts themselves, ew, check again)




i'm sorry, are you as hung up on what that guy asked me as i was? let me repeat it, "what is going on down there, pointing to my stomach?" this is after i said "i've been married almost 4 years and i have a 3 year old" hoping to shock the guy just a bit.
i indignantly replied nothing and he proceeded to tell me he has a baby due in october (good for you, you should be taking care of her instead of hitting on us at a bar) which i think he was trying to recover with. i didn't let him off the hook, and proceeded to tell him that you NEVER ask a woman that. EVER.

(clause: for those saying, well if he thinks you look like you are pregnant, then maybe you need to suck it in or slim it down, i agree whole-heartedly. i don't want to appear that i don't know why he would ask that...that being said, the issue is in the process of being taken care of thanks to a lack of sweets, chips, and foods that are too many points on WW. :-). i think i will blame it on the delicious meals and desserts at MH Ranch! haha)

dear men- out- there- who- haven't- got- a- clue,

unless it is totally obvious that she is pregnant (as in she is 8 or 9 months and there is no mistaking it), she has told you she is pregnant, or you are at a function celebrating the upcoming birth of the baby she is so obviously carrying, DON'T SAY ANYTHING. if you feel you must, just go ahead and start bringing your foot up towards your mouth. we will let you know if we are pregnant by shouting it on the rooftops, but don't take it on your self to become a sleuth and determine prematurely who has a baby in their belly and who does not. it won't turn out in your favor.

sincerely,
all- women- who- are- not- pregnant- and- don't- want- to- be- told-they- look- like- they-are.

now that my rant is complete. the weekend was unseasonably cool for the south which felt so good. (70's and we are freezing in the south during the summer).

on sunday, we attended christ presbyterian church with maddie and her dad, and we heard some fabulous music and an even better sermon about worry which really hits home with me. (It was on I Peter 5:1-11 "Leading and Living Humbly on the Way to Glory" by Dr. Niel Nielson. Check out the link and you can listen or download!)
Of course, i promptly began worrying and being anxious, oh about 5 minutes after leaving that church, but thankfully, as the song, Before the Throne, says (and that maddie wrote about in her blog):

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

now, there is some encouragement for this worrier and despair-er. thanks be to Him for loving me despite me and thanks be to Him for the most wonderful group of girl friends. amen.

We're going on a bike ride

Yesterday, we ambitiously set out on a bike ride to Jenny Lake. It was 8 miles each way from Dornan's in Moose. I was hauling Wiley behind me in a trailer. Brooke and mom were on their own bikes with dad coming to meet us later in the car. When we approached the first hill (the only big one) I knew we were in trouble. Luckily, Wiley has the BEST aunt and she offered to pull an extra 30 something pounds up the hill. She and I took turns getting there (again, the BEST aunt), and my knee and legs were aching when we FINALLY arrived. We rode right along by the Tetons--a truly magnificent view! Jenny Lake was beautiful and we walked around a bit before going back. We even saw an antelope (we think) on the way back!






The way back was SO much easier (more downhill) that I pulled Wiley the whole time. He had a couple fits, then Brooke and I had a bet that he would fall asleep. Sure enough, by the time we arrived back at Dornan's, he was out like a light. We woke him up for pizza, and came back to the ranch to rest up for dinner (ha!). It was such a fun day, and it just added to an already memorable trip.

Ride Em Cowboy!

Yesterday was such a wonderful day! So wonderful that I took 500 pictures. From about 4:15 to 9. That is absurd. But there was so much to capture!

This trip has been so fun for Wiley. He went to Antelope Flats Road to look for buffalo with BaBa; he rode a horse around the corral; and he helped lead songs and played the kazoo in the cookout band. Aunt B, the actual song leader, may have lost her job last night. Wiley was quite the entertainer! I was able to go to a beautiful church yesterday, The Church of the Transfiguration, a part of the St.John's Episcopal Church in Jackson. You announce where you are from after the passing of the peace. There were quite a few of us representing from Alabama!



Wiley riding the horse, Sugar.



Here is Wiley leading the group in Twinkle Twinkle. The man playing the guitar was supposed to sing a solo. Wiley interrupted him to say "I think we should sing Twinkle Twinkle." So they did. It was hilarious.

Now, I'm off to fly fish for the day with my dad! Wiley has an exciting day ahead with Baba! Thanks Baba!!

Hello from the Ranch!

We are just regular ole cowgirls and cowboys out here at Moose Head Ranch!

After our flight, we were met with a surprise for Wiley from Aunt B. She had new cowboy boots for him, a hat, gun and holster, and bandanna complete with a sheriff tie. After we convinced him that the big cowboys (wranglers) wear the cowboy hats, he agreed to wear it.



Watching the horses being let out at the end of the day was so much fun. And he even got to pet a couple!



We had a relaxing afternoon with picnic lunches, rest time for Wiley, and a walk with Lucy, Brooke, and Ellen to the MH entrance. The scenery here is amazing. I will get some Teton pictures today, I hope! And the cookout is also tonight, which is sure to be a lot of fun...especially since Aunt B is a song leader!

(Pictures are really slow to upload, and I got some really good ones. I'll have to camp out in the Lodge and do some major uploading, but these are a few of my favorites from day one at Moose Head!)