{New Zealand} T-Minus 17 Days!

It's become more real to us that our New Zealand trip is right around the corner!

One of the things we have planned is to fly fish. You surprised?
It made watching this video of New Zealand guide Chris Dore that much more exciting.
We have the privilege of being guided by him one day while we're there!
To say we're thrilled would be an understatement.

{Wobble, Wobble, Wobble} We're Stuffed!

We had such a great Thanksgiving weekend with Tim's mom and her sweet Dennis!

Some highlights included:
Eating Momma's homemade pumpkin roll for breakfast

Watching Tim fry his annual Thanksgiving bird {his best yet!}
Building a Gingerbread house with Bravey

Playing a Thanksgiving game of Corn Hole {girls 1, boys 0}

Watching Elf & A Christmas Story
Teaching Beth & Dennis how to fly fish
Cutting down our Christmas Tree with Princess Elsa aaaaaaand ...
Eating Eggnog, Spruce, and Clementine Popsicles in our jammers
It was our favorite thanksgiving yet!
Happy {Cyber} Monday, y'all.
What were the highlights of your Thanksgiving weekend?
We'd love to hear about them!

{Ohhhhhh Fuuuuuuuuuudge}

"Mama, what a beautiful lamp! Is it a foot? Where is her head?" 

Bravey, meet your major award. Major award, meet Bravey.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

{Southern Weddings}

Be sure and check out the most recent issue of Southern Weddings Magazine.
They featured an article about our experience renting out the Harvest House on Airbnb!
{see pages 234 & 235)

{Family Date Night}

Loved spending time on the water with my two loves Friday night!

Our evening included 4 rainbow trout, 3 Dairy Queen Blizzards, and 1 stinky pull-up.
I also caught my first trout on a streamer ... a beefy 20.5" bowskie.
Wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else!

#rainbowstohairbows #wemakeagoodteam
Happy Monday, y'all.
What was the highlight of your weekend??

{Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Changes}

I got teary the other day as I disassembled Brave's crib and saw all of her teeth marks along the rails.

The first year of her life I was convinced she was trying to whittle a raft out of it. 

I'd remind her each morning to use her tattered sleep sack for the sail.
So far she's transitioned well into her new bed and has been living on a prayer,
hugging the edge better than Bon Jovi. 

As hard as change can be sometimes I couldn't be more grateful for the ways motherhood
has taught me to welcome it.
With change always comes new memories and growth!
#allgoodthings
* * *
PS- we purchased Brave's bed frame on Amazon and love it!
It was easy to assemble-- we just added a piece of plywood over the slats to help support her mattress.

We also added Christmas lights set on a remote so Brave can turn them on and off by herself.
That said, the best purchase we made was her Teach Me Time! Talking Alarm Clock & Night-Light.
It turns green when it's okay for her to get out of bed.
So far it's worked like a charm!

{Morning Thoughts}

Finding two asleep in the Brave Cave at 11pm is better than a nightcap and footy pajamas.
Happy Monday, y'all!

{Gratitude Lately} Papi Edition

Lately I've been thankful for opportinities to watch my dad slide into Brave's bedtime routine.

For visits to the Groce Family Farm.

For sweet reminders to stay faithful and work hard.

For a day hunting Muskie together.

And for afternoons spent playing sleeping babies with Cindy Lauper.
Last week my sweet dad re-grouted our shower, tightened our tub knobs, fixed our gate, set mouse traps in our basement, seasoned our cast iron skillets,
cooked us countless homemade meals, took Bravey on nature walks,
and let me nap in the car while driving to the lake at 4:30am. 
Beyond grateful for the ways he loved and served Tim, Brave, and I last week.
Redemption and restoration in relationships is sweet, y'all.

{Fall Fishing in Tennessee}

Moll's and I recently returned from our annual fall fishing trip to Tennessee.

It was another memorable time on the water with our friend Patrick!
He took us to several places on the SOHO and Watauga, going above and beyond to put us on fish.
Patrick also showed up with our favorite donuts and cold IPA's.
What more could you ask for while standing in a drift boat for 8 hours?
Happy Wednesday, y'all!

{You can view past fly fishing trips with Patrick HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE ...
You can also book a trip by sending him an email at: patrick@southholstonrivercompany.com}

{Frozen Family Halloween!}

Last night's trick-or-treating experience included chili with friends, hot bourbon apple cider,
and only one scary house that made Brave cry. #success
Thankful for friends, Halloween parties, and for a tuckered Princess who stayed up way too late playing with glow sticks in her bed.
Happy November errrrrbody!
Wake up, wake up, it's tha first of tha month ...