Weddings!

So the whole point of making the trip to Nashville was to go to my cousin Zoe's wedding. Now I have...let's see...almost 20 cousins on my mom's side of the family...but Zoe is special. She's a person who makes you feel loved and important and truly cares about her friends and her family. I'll always remember her taking the time to really get to know Matt when he first started coming around...and that meant so much to me. She is loud and outgoing and funny...and I'm so lucky to have her in my life. Her parents are my godparents so making it to this wedding was essential in my book!

And...she was marrying another Matt! What could be better, right? Oh, I don't know...how about a boy who wants to be a pastor and is taking her to Korea for a year to teach English?? Yeah. That's right.

The wedding took place outside in the garden of a mansion. The rain stopped just in time and gave them the perfect window for the ceremony. It was perfect...simply gorgeous.







Isn't her dress just exquisite? When she started walking down the aisle I got tears in my eyes just looking at how beautiful and happy she looked. It was amazing.


The reception was held in a large tented off area of the mansion. We snagged a seat by a fan and it was the perfect setting for an evening wedding.

1st dance

Father/Daughter dance

Zoe and her mama watching the Mother/Son dance

3 of my cousins

It was such a beautiful wedding and I am ecstatic we were able to share in their special day!



The next day, Matt and I hit up an essential on a family vacation...Shoney's! Breakfast buffet...it's calling my name! Yum!



Then we headed over to Zoe's house for a BBQ. It was great to spend some extra time with family before everyone had to leave. Too bad Matt and Zoe were already in Antigua on their honeymoon...not.jealous.at.all. This is the view from one of their balconies. Isn't it gorgeous?? They should be expecting me to move in around next week :)




Matt and I were able to spend some valuable one on one with with my godparents after everyone left. In a family as big as mine, this time does not come very often and it was so special and one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. My Matty is not one to open up to people very quickly so seeing him so engaged in a conversation with one of my family members melted my heart. No one has really taken the time to get to know my husband like that and it meant the world to me that they cared enough to spend that extra time with us. Love them!


So our trip to Nashville drew to a close...and it was one of the most memorable trips I have taken with my husband. Can't wait for the next one, right honey!?! *kiss*

Giddy Up Cowboy!

Our 2nd day in Nashville was even better than the 1st!

Our day started with breakfast at the Pancake Pantry. (Well, my day officially started with a cinnamon roll from the breakfast buffet at the hotel...but who really counts that?) This place is VERY popular...and we waited in line for quite some time before we got a table....but this turned out to be great because I got to visit with my new in real life friend Shaina and her travel partner Lisa!



We got the yummiest pancakes of all time! I had the pecan pancakes and Matt chose peach. I also splurged on the hash browns and they were buttery deliciousness! Although we were disappointed we weren't able to be served by the legendary Bea Arthur look alike...it was still a lovely time.




Want to know something totally crazy?? Shaina lives in Bloomington which is where Matt went to undergrad...and we discovered at breakfast that her and her husband live in the same apartment complex that Matt did! How weird?? It's like we were meant to be friends :)



After breakfast, Matt and I headed to downtown Nashville. Here are some highlights from our adventure...

football stadium for the Tennessee Titans

We may or may not have been trying to capture our picture, subtly mind you, with a shuttle for a strip club which just so happens to also be in Cleveland (who knew their were chain strip clubs??)...but Matt's big head kept blocking it. Use your imagination...

We did a drive by at the Country Music Hall of Fame

And now onto the best part of the afternoon...and maybe the trip! Matt and I kept stopping into all of these little shops and just about every one of them was selling cowboy boots. I've never really had any desire to own cowboy boots...and I really don't have anywhere to wear them...but my husband of all people was really into it! He tried on several pairs at different stores with no luck...but then he found a store that had a great selection and seemed to be a little less expensive than the others. AND...the boots there were buy one get TWO free! Well, I had to look then right??

Well, I found two of the most awesome boots ever! Now I just have to find an outfit and a place to wear them. I think line dancing lessons are in our future!

Hubs and I with our new boots in the store

Better shots!

Matt's boots!

Eek! Pink!

We toted our boots around for the rest of the afternoon and ended up carrying them onto the airplane with us! They were our little babies :)


Up next...the reason we actually went to Nashville...the wedding!!

Opryland

My official vacation started Thursday after work at the Cheesecake Factory. My dear bloggy friend Lola was kind enough to post about National Cheesecake Day so I was able to convince my husband that we must take advantage of the 1/2 price cheesecake! I got the new red velvet cheesecake that was making it's debut...and it literally could not have been better. Delicious!


Matt opted for a Dulce De Leche...also...quite tasty!



And so started my days of eating myself into a food coma...


Moving on...



Matt and I flew out early Friday morning and arrived in Nashville around 8:30 a.m.

Early morning pictures in the rental car...lovely!

We took some advice from American Express travel and headed to Loveless Cafe for breakfast. They had the most amazing biscuits! Apparently the chef had even gotten her Throwdown on with Bobby Flay!

My initials used to be JAM...so I tend to spot it anywhere out of habit

Then we decided to hit up Opry Mills. It was a huge mall by Opryland...which most importantly held a Bass Pro Shop! We don't have one very close to us and my husband has quite the fascination with them...so we made the trip.

I've gotta tell you, completely impressed Bass Pro Shops. The store was decked out from floor to ceiling in wilderness. And...they had fish!

This catfish may've tried to eat me on several occasions...

Of course....I found some cupcakes in the mall that were a must have!




Next we checked out the Gaylord Opryland hotel. It has a huge atrium inside where there is a maze of jungles, shops, and restaurants. Maybe someday we can afford to stay there?? Ha!

source

After settling into the hotel and taking a wee little nap, we got some dinner and headed to the Grand Ole Opry!


We had fantastic 2nd row seats and the whole night was so much fun! Here are just a few of the acts from the show.

John Conlee

Jonathan Singleton & The Grove

Buddy Jewell

Chris Young

Riders In The Sky

Jamie O'Neal

1st day in Nashville=success!

I'm Back!

Hello friends! I feel like I've been gone for ages...but it's only been three days! I have so much to tell you about our trip to Nashville!! But...we didn't get back home until 11:30 p.m. last night...so I didn't have time to load my pictures. Sorry!

But...some highlights that you have to look forward to:

• great eats...including but not limited to cupcakes, pancakes, biscuits, and buffets!!
• Grand Ole Opry with 2nd row seats!
• a trip to Opry Mills
• sites of downtown Nashville
• wedding pics of the most beautiful bride ever
• family get togethers
• and last but not least....my new cowboy boots! Eek! I'm so excited about these!

I've got to get caught up on work today...and the billion and one blogs I missed...but I didn't want to leave you hanging any longer on my secret bloggy meet up!


On Saturday, Matt and I got to have breakfast with Shaina from Post Smith!!



We were able to meet up with her during her Southern road trip in Nashville. It was definitely a highlight of my trip. She was the cutest thing and just as funny in person as you would think by reading her blog. I'll share much more about our visit soon...but just know that this girl knows how to pick a restaurant...one of which employs a former Golden Girl who I thought was dead?? Too funny!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! I'm going to try to drag myself through the day on 4 hours sleep...come on 3 p.m.