Greeter Falls

Yesterday, we went on a hike with some of my friends from my CDA program at Vandy. We drove up to Grundy county, about 1.5 hours away, ate lunch, and then headed to the falls. It was a gorgeous day outside, despite feeling a little under the weather (hoping I don't have Swine Flu), it was a great way to spend our Saturday.

After hiking and swimming in the falls we headed over to Beersheba Pottery, which is in this old home out in the country and owned by this sweet older couple. Sometimes I think, I could live this way. This simple country way.

MadMen

Last night we had a party for the premier of one of our favorite TV shows MadMen Season 3 and to celebrate J's birthday this coming Wednesday. The dress code was 1960s and it was so fun to see everyone all dressed up!

J found a great retro 60s shirt and slicked his hair back- very dapper.


I opted for early 60s wear and a semi-beehive hairdo. I looked up a how-to-video on youtube and wahlah! I think it turned out pretty well!


(For Zander)
Back of Hair

Side of Hair



We even had a makeshift bar like they do in their offices stocked with liquor to make Don's favorite: an Old Fashioned, a Tom Collins, or a Dry Martini! How great would it be to be able to drink at work?



Lilly and Ryan looking very stylish



Thuy and I getting a drink


Nealy and Damon looking cute


Karri harkening back to a Jacki O vibe


Lilly and Sarah enjoying some wine!


J wanted Key Lime Pie this year instead of birthday cake - him blowing out his candle (should have been 27 but that would have ruined the pie!)


Such a fun night...although I don't think we will be hosting parties on Sunday nights anymore! You can't drink as much because of work the next day and everyone has to leave early. Still a great party- one for the books.

"She's a Brick House...She's Mighty Mighty"

My theme song for today...what's yours?

Our Garden & Short ATL Trip

We were so anxious to get started on planting vegetables in our garden this year and even more anxious to see the results. After months of preparing the spot in our backyard, tilling the soil, planting, and watering we finally have something (small) to show for it:

Byars' Garden


Our first Tomato




Pesto Dinner with Ingredients from our Garden...Yum!

At the beginning of June we decided to do a short weekend trip to Atlanta to celebrate my birthday, along with my older sister Crystal's birthday, with our families and to see a few friends. It turned into a whirlwind weekend with something planned every meal of the day (literally breakfast, lunch, and dinner), but we wouldn't have it any other way! Here is some of the evidence:

The No Doubt Concert



Chillin' at the Pool


We are looking forward to the rest of the summer, especially our road trip to Chicago then Minneapolis next week!

Spring time!

Hello out there...helloooo helllooo (echo). Is anyone still there? lol. After a crazy few months we will try to get back to posting regularly. I finished up my first year of grad. school at the end of April. I can't believe it has been a year already! I'm taking a Maymester class right now, working, and I started an internship with Food Security Partners of middle Tennessee (www.foodsecuritypartners.org). It will be a busy few weeks until this class ends, but it will be worth it! After May I will only have 3 classes left...hooray.

Jeremy is finishing up the school year and has 2 weeks left until his summer begins! We are really looking forward to spending a lot of time this summer traveling and getting to do all the fun things in Nashville we haven't done yet. We are planning a road-trip to Chicago over July 4th, a trip to Minnesota to visit family, and hopefully a beach trip in there somewhere.

Everything else is going great. Our pugs, Beau and Ernie, are just as fat and silly as ever. We have loved taking them to the dog park now that it has been so beautiful outside. That's the "quick and dirty" of our lives for now. Hopefully I will post some pictures soon.

We would love visitors this summer...come see us in Nashvegas!!!

Winter Blahs

Can you believe it is FEBRUARY already? Time flies when you are busy as crap!
This has been our schedule lately:
Monday - J: work, tutoring, cooking dinner
Ash: meeting, work, reading/writing papers, class, eating dinner
Tuesday- J: work, tutoring, cooking dinner, passing out
Ash: work, reading/writing papers, class, another class, eating dinner
Wed- J: work, tutoring, eating dinner
Ash: work, NO CLASS (yippee), reading/writing papers, Cooking dinner
Thurs.- J: work, tutoring, passing out
Ash: work, class, DEAD From the week!!!
Fri.- J:work, no tutoring, beer time
Ash: work and cleaning day!

Thank YOU GOD for the weekends!!!!!!!!!!!!
This past weekend we had a wonderful and relaxing time. Friday we went to our favorite mexican place, Rose Pepper, and then bowling. We were supposed to meet some friends there, but they ended up not coming so we enjoyed a pitcher of beer all to ourselves! BTW I beat J (by two points...but hey that's still a win)!

Saturday we worked out at our awesome community center right down the road! It has an indoor pool and all...way better than an ordinary gym. Then we washed the car and played with the dogs. That night we got yummy dessert and saw Doubt. It was an interesting movie. The acting was fabulous, but I thought the story line was a little flat. I kept thinking there would be some amazing twist at the end, but there wasn't.

Superbowl Sunday I made Emeril's "Crazy Nachos" and let me tell you what they were the best freakin' nachos I ever had! I should have taken a picture that's how good they were!!! We enjoyed pigging out and watching the game by ourselves! I get really into football and I was jumping around the living room when #92 ran the ball for a 100 yard touchdown! How amazing was that? Overall, I thought this was one of the best Superbowls ever and I was happy the Steelers won. Fun stuff.

Anyway, I hadn't updated in a while so I wanted to let everyone know we are still alive!

Happy New Year!

We spent our New Year's Eve with some friends from J's school and rang in the new year East Nashville style. We missed our friends from home this year, but we're also excited to be in our new hometown to celebrate. Here are a few of the pics. from New Year's Eve and the bbq on New Year's Day:

Southern Luck New Year's day meal...Blackeyed peas and collard greens


Happy New year 2009!


English teachers


We hope 2009 brings you lots of peace, joy, and lots of fun times!