Tennessee Vacation

This past Thursday I boarded a plane in Austin headed to Nashville, Tennessee.  After months of planning and dreaming, it was finally a reality that I was headed east WITHOUT kids or my husband for 4 nights and 4 days of glorious girl time with one of my best friends!  We met when Shawn and I lived in Jackson, TN and she was in the youth group that Shawn was interning with while he got his bible degree.  Some people are just fun to be with and easy to talk to and so a friendship was formed.  At the time it was more like a mentor friendship, but it has evolved into a real grown-up woman friendship!  We've stayed in touch through the years and I was even in her wedding.  It's always fun to have a friend that knew you even before babies!  

 

So here's Lauren....she's gorgeous and very smart and very caring.  She's also working on becoming a famous writer and she's already had a few books published!

And here's just one shot of her backyard.  Middle Tennessee is truly absolutely gorgeous.  The trees were all just beginning to change colors.

We had a spa day the first day we were there.  Manis, pedis, and a massage...it was still hard for me to believe I was really there and only responsible for myself for the next 3 1/2 days!

Later that night we went to an outdoor play that was really fun to watch!  We were just about snuggling in this picture because it was very chilly but I loved it!

 This was taken in her driveway and again with all the gorgeous trees and fall leaves on the ground.  We went to a corn maze on this night and had so much fun.  I even got to pick out a little pumpkin from their pumpkin patch, which I brought all the way back to Texas.

Couldn't get enough of the scenery.  Wish I could have been there about 1 week later again because all the trees were just on the edge of fully changing colors.

And this is what greeted me at the airport.  I was totally fine and not feeling like crying at all until I saw Levi holding this sign and then the waterworks started.  It was so good to be back home to my husband and kids.  They all were so well behaved for at least 6 1/2 minutes before it started going back to "normal."  This trip has definitely done a lot for me.  I truly needed to recenter and as much guilt as I felt leaving them, and as scared as I was to go without Shawn (marriage does that to you sometimes), I am so thankful I did it.  I feel more confident, more calm, and ready to plan the next trip...but I think I might take Shawn next time.  :)