Jan. 1- Happy New Year's!!!

Happy New Year!! May this year bring a deeper appreciation for Heavenly Father and all He does for us. For we are truly blessed. We woke up, worked out with Maria and had a chai, and headed back for a hike. Maria busted her knee attacking Eli after he was pestering her. Yet, she still committed to family time and did .5 mile. We did the Barr trail by Sheila's home in Eagle Nest? It was like being Katniss Everdeen. The woods were gorgeous. The weather was 55 so it was perfect out! We were walking with Erin when all of a sudden we see Brandon and the boys! It was the first time Erin and Brandon did that trail together and it was just so nice to breath and talk together. They were troopers and made it! It ended up being almost 4 miles and 250 elevation gain. 

We plunged in their pool and it was exquisite! Eli and Ella got pushed in but they were good sports about it!! We headed to bed a little early because I had to change our flight due to a mountain storm over the pass. It was such a great time. We loved to be around our cousins and hang out. It was good to talk and remember Dustin. Hopefully we can see each other soon again!

 

Dec. 31- New Year's Eve Day

Jody and I found a crunch fitness. It was pretty nice and pretty necessary after the heavy food! After our workout we all headed to Nashville for the day. We had to get gas and while there we saw a Red Bull truck. Nina made a comment like she wished she could get a free Red Bull. Eli made it happen. He shouted out the window if he could get a free Red Bull and the guy gave one to Erin to give to us. Talk about southern hospitality and kindness! 

We visited a high end shopping area where guess what!! MY COAT COMPLETELY FIT IN!!!! I literally was a TN botoxed mama without the botox. We ate another off the wall delicious lunch. This time I had a Kale Salad and chili soup. My body thanked me for the greens. We went to another huge mall that had Whole Foods body as a completely separate store. It was a beautiful area. We lucked out the entire time because traffic was not bad at all. Maybe we're just used to CA?

Eli went with Erin's fam and they picked up stuff for Turkey Meatballs, Queso Dip, and more Christmas Crack!!! We went through 50 batches I swear. They also got fireworks and Eli was happy as a clam. When we got back, we watched the Stranger Things Finale. Amazing!! I was able to skip 3 seasons and still understand everything. We ate and set off the fireworks. I had never seen them that close before!!! And we headed to bed before 12. Because we're all lightweights.

 

Dec. 30- Murfreesboro

I was a little nervous because it was 25 but according to the weather was going to feel like 15. It really wasn't bad. I had my cold gear and it was a pleasant 4 mile recovery after the race. I saw a deer and it was very quiet. There were no running or bike lanes which felt a little unsafe, but everyone was really friendly who drove by and waved and scooted for me. The HOUSES!!! THE HOUSES!!! Holy moly, it felt like we were in the Beverly Hills of TN. Houses are huge, there is tons of land, and it's just very beautiful. Also extremely flat. We had a hard time getting our bearings. 

We went downtown to the square for lunch. In the South they have town squares that are central for shopping and eating and having confederate statues. I didn't even see the statue though. It was pretty chilly but doable. We ate a restaurant called Puckett's. More BBQ!! Except no one got the BBQ, the kids got burgers and I got an amazing shrimp and grits and Jody got fried catfish. Our waitress was adorable and told us about a town in Florida that was founded and run by Greeks. They are big on sponges. We got to visit with our cousins and enjoyed some chess time at the local library. Yes, there was a homeless man that matched my fur coat, but in yellow. We also visited a cute antique shop with lots of fun stuff!

We ate some ice cream, very yummy but a lot of sugar! The sundaes had cool whip!!

Parker had a doctors appointment, it was unfortunate timing. He had fallen and broken his forearm previous to our coming. It was so nice of them to still host us with all the chaos of figuring out how to get him healed up. Carson took us to the mall. "The Mall". It was truly a memorable experience. There was a bookstore that looked like trash from the outside and was actually like Barnes and Noble on the inside. Jody was able to find Eli a cheap SIM card with lots of storage space. I almost bought Kitchenaid cookware there too.... oh America! Why must I pay for checked bags!! There was absolutely nothing else there so we got the kids some rides on the animals. It actually proved for great entertainment.