Trip to Vegas & SD

I just got back from a two week trip to Vegas and SD. I had a blast seeing family and friends and the time spent there flew by! I hadn't been home in a year which is the longest I've ever been away. These coast to coast trips are no joke! I also flew with the pups for the first time. It was interesting to say the least but the pups did very well. Not sure that I will be bringing them on any trips in the near future though.

The trip was too long to go over every moment but I'll include some fave pictures :)

My parents had a BBQ for me the first night I was home. It was nice to see some of my fave people and spend some quality time together. Katie and I took a picture but unfortunately I was wearing the most unflattering top so I won't be posting that pic lol. Sorry Katie!

On Wednesday, my MIL and I flew to SD so we could head up to Anaheim for Chase's games. We had a fun crew there both nights. So fun!!

The rest of the weekend was spent eating at all the places I missed, shopping (lots!!), hanging out with my girlfriends, and spending time with extended family. I also got to meet baby Jackson for the first time and he is adorable!!

I flew back to Vegas on Monday and spent the week relaxing with my parents. I hung out with Katie and Breyen a few nights and one of them ended with us watching the lightning from Breyen's office. We took so many pictures with a "scary face" but I was the only person who actually looked scary lol.

Before I left we celebrated my mom's birthday with a yummy Mexican dinner and a trip to the spa! Such a fun time!

I had the best time being home. This has been a pretty tough year for me so it was nice to feel comfortable in my own skin again. I'm learning to like Virginia more and more but there's nothing quite like home :) I hope it's not a full year before we can visit again!

Weekend Recap: Monterey Wedding

I’m really behind on my updates but a couple weeks ago we returned from a quick trip to Monterey, CA to see some of our closest friends get hitched. The trip was a whirlwind but so much fun!

I flew out on Thursday night and met Mark in San Jose. We made the drive to Monterey and then immediately passed out. Traveling really took it out of us!

The next morning we got an early start and headed to Fisherman's Wharf for breakfast. We didn't want to waste a minute of our trip! Breakfast was delicious and the views were gorgeous. Afterwards, we met up with Carly and Joey in Pebble Beach to have lunch at Stillwater. Carly raved about this place and it did not disappoint. It was so yummy and holy moly those views!

Later on, we headed back to get ready for the wedding and then met up with some friends to make our way there. The ceremony and reception were so beautiful and the bride and groom looked so happy! Plus their pup Atlas was up there with them looking like a stud! We danced the night away (as much as I could on crutches) and ate delicious food! Such a good wedding!

The next morning we met up with a bunch of people to explore the downtown area. We stopped at several restaurants/ bars and had the best time. It was so fun catching up with my sorority sisters and it was the perfect end to the weekend. We headed back to the hotel around 8 because we had to be up at 3:30 am to drive back to San Jose and catch our flight. It was a pretty rough day of travel because the airports were nuts but we made it home safe and sound. I'm still wishing the weekend wasn't over because we had such a great time. Thanks for hosting such an amazing wedding weekend TJ and Ashley!

Our Trip to Nashville

Happy Monday everyone! I'm sorry I've been so MIA but we've had a busy couple of weeks. I'm back home now and starting school again tomorrow. How is it that break flies by so quickly?? Even though I'm complaining, I am excited to see my work friends tomorrow and the kiddos too. :)

My hubby was driving across country a couple weeks ago and I joined him in Nashville to finish off the drive. We stayed there for just a couple of days but oh my gosh, we had a blast!

Friday morning we started our day off with a workout and then checked into our other hotel. We ended up staying in the Springhill Suites in the West End and LOVED it. The hotel was super nice and close to some fun places. We walked to Hattie B's to get some of the famous hot chicken. The line was crazy so we ordered it to-go and popped into a place next door to wait. The chicken was the best we had all weekend and let me tell ya, we had a TON of hot chicken lol.

We decided to go to the Carter House in Franklin to learn about the Battle of Franklin. Mark loves history and was all about it! It was super interesting to take a tour through this house that was the center of a battle during the Civil War.

Mark is checking out some of the damage done to one of the places on the property

We also had coffee at a cute place in the downtown area of Franklin and checked out some of the shops.

Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the night. Our first stop was at Tootsies to hear some live music and check out the iconic bar. The music was great and the atmosphere was so much fun! Then it was time for our reservation at Puckett's. We walked there and were so excited to be seated right next to the stage. A bluegrass band was playing that night and we had a blast. Definitely make a reservation here if you are visiting Nashville.

More chicken... shocking lol!

We ended the night at Honky Tonk Central which was also super fun but much more rowdy!

On Saturday, we had breakfast at the hotel and then we walked to a coffee shop. I can't remember the name of it for the life of me lol but I was unimpressed. I worked on my business for a little while and Mark went for a run. He's much more motivated than me lol. We decided to go Fort Negley to check out some more Civil War history. This Fort was pretty neat but not as cool as the forts we saw in Savannah :)

We had lunch at Party Fowl and once again had more hot chicken lol.  I had mine in the form of a salad so I felt slightly better about my choice lol. Then we headed to the Country Music Hall of Fame. WOW, there is so much to see and we had a great time exploring there.

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to get ready for the Grand Ole Opry. Unfortunately, I messed up the time and we got there an hour late. I was so sad but we still got to see a bunch of people play and we had a blast. This was a bucket lister for me so I was so excited that we got tickets. We saw Ricky Skaggs, Chris Janson, Charles Esten (plays Deacon on Nashville), and so many others. You MUST go to the Opry while you're in Nashville.

We met up with my friend Wendy at a bar on Lower Broadway after the Opry show. It was great to see her after all these years and meet her husband too. 

On Sunday, we got up early and headed to church. We went to a Presbyterian church downtown that was super interesting haha. It was a nice service but just not my favorite church. Afterwards, we bid farewell to this fun city and headed back on the road towards Virginia. I am so glad that we were able to do this fun trip together. I love exploring new places with my hubby. :)

Happy Easter!