Trip to Tennessee & Houston

We just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Tennessee. Our friends, Jill and Prentice, got married at Whitestone Inn, a lovely bed & breakfast resort outside of Knoxville. Julia spent the weekend with her Mamaw and Papaw in Houston. She enjoyed herself so much and did so well, we'll have to leave her more often!

Before heading to the resort, we did some sightseeing. Our first stop: Market Square in Knoxville

Next: The football stadium at The University of Tennessee.

A view of the river from the stadium.

Whitestone Inn - what a gorgeous location for a wedding!

The bride and groom had a private marriage ceremony Thursday night, so instead of a rehearsal dinner Friday night the groom's parents hosted a cookout under the gazebo.

Here we are with Jill, Prentice, Deborah, and Brandon

There were many activities at the resort, which we enjoyed despite the heat. We all went hiking, played tennis, croquet, and had fun on the lake.

After we left the resort on Sunday, we headed to Nashville for more sightseeing and our last night of the trip.

We had lunch at the famous Loveless Cafe for a delicious meal. It was especially good after we waited over an hour and a half for our table.

Next we went to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel to walk around. Had we realized just how neat it is, we might have stayed the night there. The hotel boasts 2,881 guest rooms, 14 restaurants, 16 retail shops, and 3 pools. This picture shows only a small portion of the main indoor atrium (there are two and a third that isn't enclosed), which has a river (with riverboat tours!) and lush gardens, and a 40-ft. waterfall.

Here we are at the Grand Ole Opry. Unfortunately it is closed on Sundays, so we couldn't take a tour or see a performance. We'll have to go back again someday.

Now for pictures of the portion of our trip in Houston. Before we left for Tennessee, we spent a couple of days in Houston so Julia could get used to being there.
We all went to Macaroni Grill for Mom/Mamaw's birthday. Happy Birthday!
Julia's most recent expression. She scrunches the bridge of her nose and blows air out to be goofy, but it is really cute.

Weekend in San Antonio

We had a great weekend in San Antonio celebrating our 3rd anniversary. We stayed at Hotel Contessa on the Riverwalk. Julia joined us for the trip and loved it.

Our room had large windows that were perfect for Julia to look down below.

Trip to Lonview

Julia and I headed to Longview to go to Kyle's cousin's baby shower and to spend a couple of days with Grandma Bobbie, Grandpa Dan, Elaine, Kimberly, Madison, Lindsay, and Shane.

A big hug from Aunt Kimberly

Kristi's precious twin boys, Konnor and Shawn.

It was all we could do to get the three cousins in the same picture, so we knew having them all look at the camera was hopeless.

Gigi and Grandma were nice enough to keep all three kids while us moms had an afternoon together to have lunch and shop.

Anniversary

Today we celebrate 3 wonderful years of marriage.  Our lives have changed so much just since we tied the knot in Galveston on June 10, 2006 - new job, new home, new city, new church, new friends, new addition to the family, and even new dogs.  How thankful we are for the many blessings and for each other.

Dave & Buster's

A couple of weekends ago, we went to Dave & Buster's with Richard and Kassy.  We had fun, especially Julia, who was entertained by all the lights, sounds, games, and people.

Julia: 9 Months

Julia went to the doctor today for her 9-Month visit. Here are her stats:

• Weight: 17 pounds, 7 ounces (25th percentile)
• Length: 26-3/4 inches (25th percentile)
• Head Circumference: 45cm (75th percentile)

Here are some pics of her this morning...