Hilton Head

Vacation this summer was to Hilton Head, SC for a week. I haven't been in forever, but we used to take family vacations there when I was younger, so it was nice to go back! Tyler and I went with my parents - who were going for a wedding anyway, which we in turn managed to get invited to as well and so we turned it into vacation. Score!

We stayed in Sea Pines, close to Harbour Town, where the big red and white lighthouse is. We had a lovely, relaxing time. We rented bikes and rode all around - GREAT bike paths, and it was nice to ride to get some breeze going because it was HOT down there. We also rented kayaks and went on a tour through the sound. That was fun, but I need to brush up on my kayaking skills, which, up until that point, had been, well, none. But after plowing into numerous people and not being able to remember how to go left and right, I finally got the hang of towards the end of the trip. Of course. I'll just have to practice some on the 'Hooch here in Atlanta. Tyler and my dad, however, were pro's at it.














Me, making sure I have a wide area all to myself, so as not to run into or otherwise annoy the other kayakers.














Dad, laid back, resting from his effortless paddling and kayak manuevering. Show off.














At the beach - yes, we probably are the 2 whitest people there. And combined, I think we have more freckles than stars in the sky. And Tyler, before you yell at me for posting a picture of you at the beach, please note that per our agreement, it is not a full length shot. Thank you very much.


It was so nice to have a week off work and to spend time with the folks - who I don't get to see that often and miss terribly. I was able to read 2 books while we were there, which was awesome, as I am a total book nerd. And I discovered the deliciousness that is Blueberry Cobbler Coffeemate Creamer - thanks Mom! I know, it sounds gross, but try it, it's deceptively delicious.

And with that, we come to the end of the trips planned for this year. It's kind of sad, but also nice to know we'll be home for a while! I do love looking forward to vacation though - so now I will get excited about our 4th of July trip to Huntsville to see Tyler's family. Hooray for swimming pools and fireworks!

Dance Fever!

So, summer is fast approaching, which means one thing: all my favorite tv shows are on hiatus. Also, it's 800 degrees outside. And humid.

However - there is one sparkling oasis in this hot, humid, tv show-less time of year. And it, my friends, is called: So You Think You Can Dance!












That's right - I admit it. I LOVE this show. I get excited when I hear the theme music. I can't wait to see the next Wade Robson dance. Will the breaker be able to ballroom dance? Can the contemporary dancers bring the funk to hip hop choreography? What will Cat Deely wear this week? It's television GOLD people!

So last night, they picked the top 20. And I must say, I was kind of disappointed that they didn't make the Vegas auditions last a little longer this year. I feel like I didn't get to see enough dancing or enough of the competitors. Mia Michaels KILLED some of those dancers last night with her contemporary piece - they were running on fumes, but still. Her choreography is ridiculous - and I mean that in a good way. My favorite dance ever was her park bench routine from Season 2. I might have cried a little bit.

Part of the fun of watching this show is watching it with Tyler. He DOES NOT get the contemporary dances and I love them. He's convinced he could do them just as well as the dancers on the show because really, all they're doing is "rolling around on the floor". I would advise you to ask Tyler to show you his contemporary piece to the "ER" theme song and then judge for yourselves who is more talented.

These dancers are amazing and so fun to watch. It's a million times better than American Idol, with the added bonus of not having to watch them gaze awkwardly into the camera.

One thing I don't like about the show? Mary Murphy's screaming. Seriously.

Savannah

We went to Savannah, GA for Memorial Day weekend with our super cool and very funny friends, Brenda & Jo. Here's a list of the highlights:

• Upon arrival, we discovered our hotel had caught on fire, and therefore, had been evacuated.
• Due to the aforementioned fire, we were put up at the Westin across the river for one night. Sweet accommodations and delicious free lemonade.
• Insert "Price is Right" loser theme song *here* when we arrived the next day to our room at the Hilton. Three words I would use to describe it - dingy, outdated, wet.
  
• My favorite t-shirt slogan of the weekend: "Too tired to drink. Too drunk to work." Classic. This was spotted on the beach at Tybee Island, worn by a girl no more than 18-20 years old.
• Tyler's inappropriate comments
• Jo trying not to laugh at Tyler's inappropriate comments
• Brenda's inappropriate picture-taking.
• Walking around Savannah. It was hot, but it was lovely. Savannah has a great historical district.
• The tour guide on our trolley ride around town. He had a perfect southern accent, with just the right amount of Southern snarkiness to go along with it. He reminded me a little of Beverly Leslie from Will & Grace.
• Visiting the Savannah Candy Kitchen every day. Watch out for those caramel apples though.
  
• Pizza from Vinnie VanGoGo's.
• The Cupcake Emporium
• Our waitress at The Crab Shack. There were about 487 other things she would have rather been doing than serving us. We think we unknowingly offended her. I blame Jo. :)

It was a great trip. We had such a fun time walking around, eating & relaxing. Next year, we're going to Italy, kids. Start saving. ;)

Wedding Fun

A dear friend of mine got married this past weekend in my hometown. It was such a fun weekend, filled with lots of laughter, a few tears (but happy ones), and lots of delicious food. If you haven't been to Monell's in Franklin (there's one in Germantown too, I think) - oh boy, you are in for a treat. You will be so full you might have to be rolled out, but it's totally worth it.

The bride was beautiful, of course, and I have to give props to both her and the groom for writing their own vows. The thought of this makes my palms sweat. On top of everything else to be nervous about that day, this is just the icing on the cake. But it was so sweet and they both did wonderfully, with minimal crying!

My cute little brother was also the bartender at the reception - complete with Cocktail-style moves and everything. I was so proud. :) And, we had endless amounts of fun with the bubbles, and just in general, as you can see below.























Oh yeah, Tyler was there too. :) Looking handsome, as always.

Mornings with Lily

So, our dog, Lily, is not the hugest fan of getting up and going outside in the morning. She sleeps under a chair in our room, and will pretty much ignore every cajoling word that comes out of my mouth until I adopt the stern get-up-or-you-will-pay-dearly tone to my voice. You'd think by now I'd go right to that tone, but I like to believe that the sweet one will work one day. Poor, deluded me.

Here is the reaction the sweet, kind tone elicits:










Please note that she does not even open her eyes to acknowledge my voice.

Here is the reaction when I start going into the stern, you-better-listen-to-me tone:














I like to call this her "I'm sorry - did you want something - I really can't be bothered" expression.

It probably doesn't help that I'm laughing most of the time because her reluctance cracks me up so much. And a side note: If Tyler is the one talking to her, she will immediately get up. Apparently, I'm the pushover. Go figure.

Godspell

If you haven't seen this play/musical and it ever comes to a city near you, I highly recommend it. I went to see it with some friends this week, not knowing what to expect from a musical taken primarily from the Gospel of Matthew. It was simultaneously funny, touching, and quirky. It gives a refreshing perspective on the gospel and has some great, catchy musical numbers in it. And I laughed out loud multiple times during it - always a bonus.

Warning: They do come into the aisles and interact with the audience, so if you have a fear of being pulled out of the crowd, sit in the middle, not on the aisles. Otherwise, you'll be busting a move with some cast members.

Here's what you shouldn't do if you go see it:

• Sing along with every song you know, so the person sitting next to you is not only treated to the cast's wonderfully rehearsed version, but also your high pitched, warbling, off-key version as well. In the words of American Idol's Randy Jackson, "It was a little pitchy dawg, and you did NOT work out in the end."
  

It's like I was listening to two different shows at once. I mean, I'm glad this lady was a such a fan of the show, but let the people around you enjoy it too. Not only was she singing, she was also swaying side to side, with not much regard for personal space.

Moral of the story: If you go see a musical, no matter how much you want to belt out your favorite songs, just don't. Buy the soundtrack and sing at the top of your lungs in your car. More power to ya.

Quiet

Life has been interesting lately. A lot of things going on, both good and bad, but in the midst of it all, I've found one thing I'm increasingly thankful for. Quiet.

On the more superficial level - it's just nice to be in a quiet place, relaxing and spending time with a book, or with Tyler and Lily. We went to a birthday dinner for some friends of ours last night and while it was so much fun, it was one of the loudest places I've been to. Except maybe a concert. When you're standing right next to the speaker. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I value external quiet a lot more than I used to. Just call me grandma.

On the internal level, being able to just stop, whether it's in my car, before I go to sleep, stepping outside during the day, or whenever - being able to just be still and quiet has been such a welcome blessing lately. It's given me time to think, to pray, to listen - things I don't think I took enough time before to do. And so in the midst of life, I've been able to carve out little pieces of quiet time that have helped me cope and reflect and give things over to God that I would normally hang on to myself. It's a hard thing to do, letting go of things, of worry, but I find the more I do, the more at peace I am. Funny how that works, huh?