Living It Up-Nashville Style

These past few weeks have been filled with lots of Music City adventures...

The Killers at the Grand Ole Opry

Gettin' Ready to Rock

A night at the Blue Bird Cafe, a small, intimate venue to check out singer/songwriters

The Exit/In, a local club.  We saw Brett Dennen & Erin McCarley--both highly recommended

Erin McCarley--you can hear her on the "He's Just Not That Into You" soundtrack

(And she is a Nashville local!)

Brett Dennen, an amazing lyricist and song writer

Last, but not least was breaking out the boots for some line dancing at the Wild Horse Saloon!

Village of Nash Series: Part 6

Nashville Factoid #6: SNOW DAYS

Being from Utah, we expected lots of snow each winter. As students of Utah schools, we were like the post office employees...come rain, sleet or snow, we were walking to school--and playing outside during recess for that matter. (I remember doing a few unintentional 360s while driving the treacherous, icy roads to school due to the frigid temps and record snowfall.)

On a very rare and joyous day, the snow would be so deep that school would have to be canceled--but it had to be a storm right out of the arctic circle that dumped at least 9 or 10 feet of snow!

The same rule applies here in Tennessee....Take a look at these photos of the blizzard that tore through here this week!

(Of course, all school districts in the area were shut down due to this snow pack!)

'Tis the Season...

Lucy's first encounter with Santa...she was a little skeptical, but held it together.

Decorating REAL ginger bread houses (non of those graham cracker kinds)
at the Budges on St. Nicholas Day!
St. Nick even filled our shoes with treats!

Lucy helping mom wrap some gifts.

Lucy with the creepy huge santa bear from pottery barn.

Santa and the Young Fam, Merry Christmas!

Village of Nash Series: Part 5

Nashville Factoid #5: Just like Buttah...
So, everyone knows that the south is known for their homecookin'. Biscuits, gravy, fried chicken, corn puddin', grits, and such all use a lot of "Love" as Paula Deen calls it, AKA butter. The people here love their butter. In fact, just today I was at Target and purchased a wheat, chedder pretzel and the girl who rang me up asked if I would like butter on my pretzel!! What? Who puts butter on a pretzel? I guess folks here do since they put it on everything else!

Music City, USA

One great thing about living in a new place is getting to act like a tourist

when family and friends come for a visit.

We got to introdue Lucy to the King.

Scoping out downtown Nashville.

Is that Alan Jackson standing in the window?

Tyce and I scored these rad hats for $1.99 each. I also picked up this sweet guitar fly swatter and he got a guitar refridgerator magnet. Nice finds, eh?!

Hard Rock, Nashville Style with the "BatMan" tower in the background.

If any of ya'll come for a visit,
we promise to show you a great time here in Music City!

TJ's has come to Nashville!!

One of my favorite things about living in LA was Trader Joe's. In fact, when we found out we were moving to Nashville, I immediately got on the internet to see if TJ's was here and my heart sunk a little when I saw that there was not a single one anywhere in Tennessee! But today is a bless-ed day...the first one opened up and it is only a couple miles from my house! I can't wait to go get some yogurt, pita chips, trail mix, mini-peanut butter cups, produce, Virgils RB, the list goes on and on.....

Best B-day Ever!!!

For my 29th b-day, my parents and little bro came to Nashville to take Sean, Lucy and me to the Packers/Titans game. My mom has been a devoted cheesehead all her life and Tyce is diggin on the Titans, so it was a family divided. Sean, Lucy, and I got matching Vince Young jerseys--he's our cousin from Texas. :) The game was super exciting and was decided by an overtime field goal, so it went down to the wire...thanks for taking us Mom and Dad! It was by far the best way to spend my 29th birthday!!

Village of Nash Series: Part 4

Nashville Factoid #4: Yellow Traffic Lights
Unfortunately, no one told the drivers here that you can turn left on yellow lights. It is almost maddening how often you will sit through a green to yellow light and the car in front of you in the left turn lane will sit and wait for the red. Thus you wait an entire cycle to get another chance at the left turn. Perhaps we were spoiled living in LA where driving is as natural as breathing, and no one would never let a perfectly yellow light go to waste, but here I feel like I am always stuck behind someone's grandparent! So, come on Nashvillians, be daring.
Go for the gold!

Village of Nash Series: Part 3

NASHVILLE FACTOID #3: When it rains it pours here. In fact, we get as much rain as Seattle in a year, but ours just comes in heavy, quick showers. Today, the sky opened up and it poured and what goes better with rainy days than Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup? Yum....

Nashville Gas Crisis 2008

Due to Hurricane Ike, we, here in Nashville, have a serious shortage on gasoline! No, Tennessee was not in Ike's path, but we are definitely feeling the effects! There are not enough people working on the oil rigs and refineries in TX right now and that is where Nashville gets most of its gas. Last night we drove past at least 10 gas stations that had run out of gas and saw a few with lines and lines of cars just to get into the parking lots--people were out of their cars trying to direct traffic, and some did not look happy! (See the next 4 pictures--they are a little dark)

We ended up at Costco, where there was a line wrapped clear around the parking lot and up onto the main street. Usually this Costco gas station is dead, you can drive right up to the pump.

Finally, after about a half hour wait, we were able to fill 'er up! They were out of Regular Grade, so they were selling the Premium for the regular price of $3.89. Score! They were also handing out bottled water. We were one of the last cars to get gas before they ran out. I was very impressed and happy with Costco's preparation and organization--they got us through as quickly and orderly as possible. I would have had a panic attack if I had had to battle with other folks trying to fill their tanks.

This experience has made me realize how important it is to be prepared and more self reliant. It also makes me sure that the answer to our oil situation is most definitely NOT:

"Drill, Baby, Drill!"

We need to find alternative energy sources and make a change to how we operate or we are going to be in big trouble! It doesn't matter how much money you have if the resources simply do not exist.

(Not to be political or anything!!! :)

Power Walkin' Mamas!

We have started a walking group and we are serious about it! We meet each Tuesday morning at the Greenway to stroll around the McCabe golf course and through the beautiful trees. We always get comments from other walkers, runners, and bikers. One sweet old guy even called us the Super Moms! I think strolling is one of my favorite things about being a mama.

Linds & Marissa: Before & After

BEFORE: May 5, 2008

AFTER: September 9, 2008

Most of you know that my lovely sister-in-law, Lindsay, and I had our babies only 2 weeks apart. Cooper Patrick was born June 13th and Lucy came along on the 27th. We were pretty excited when we found out that the cousins would be so close in age. (And now we have one more due in February--little Carter, son of Chris and Trisha!) It was rad to go through pregnancy and now the crazy world of motherhood together. She brought Coop out for a visit 2 weeks ago and we had so much fun hanging out with them...this time around our days were spent just a little bit differently from when we visited them in San Jose in May....

Aloha!!

This past friday was the annual Green Hills Luau for the ladies of the church congregation. The lovely Debbie Russell hosted it at her beautiful country home and went all out! We had a smoothie bar, leis, flowers in our hair, and yummy hawaiian barbeque. We also had some great entertainment!!

(This is my pal Emily from good ole' WXHS!!)

Everyone had to get into groups based on the color of your lei and make up a lip sync/skit to a song. Our song was Surfin' USA. We rocked!!

Next was the "Mule Rides"!! The Mule is this little tractor that we piled in and went for a wild ride through the mountains--Debbie can drive! She also had planted a few folks in the trees to jump out and scare the unsuspecting riders!! Ahhhhhh...

Thank you soooo much to the committee who put this night all together! It was a total party!