tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15097446925122580552024-03-18T05:15:41.254-04:00Magnolia & Maina lifestyle, motherhood, & running blogChesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.comBlogger728125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-74384579519627168682023-09-01T11:00:00.001-04:002023-09-01T15:52:18.071-04:00Hello, Football Season!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hello, September 1! And hello football season!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Who remembers back in the day when Patrick and I both had season tickets for two different football teams? Ah, the glory days of two 20 somethings who didn't own a house, didn't have any kids, and who didn't have that many responsibilities. There would be 14 weeks of the the season and between our home schedules, adding in an away game each year, and usually an ACC championship, we'd somehow get to 13 or 14 games during the fall.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All the fabulous tailgates.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhNR-XEKxmhnrpQkQha2NedNei7edTTnwjiojAVCzYuqkPd6MR8JjnBOSzKMb2CTNVziaojTKOyq3H2OE9G2ikhaqaZeInGGeHSViV8MwHkhKN6VY_NKXBzd1UxkfR0Ht-k1vfN-x5Z54Y7XuXBcMdwY3tVsIsgaDTNflZ41ih7F_VvzHBqpaKu1O7c-h/s1194/Screen%20Shot%202017-09-10%20at%209.35.25%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="1194" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhNR-XEKxmhnrpQkQha2NedNei7edTTnwjiojAVCzYuqkPd6MR8JjnBOSzKMb2CTNVziaojTKOyq3H2OE9G2ikhaqaZeInGGeHSViV8MwHkhKN6VY_NKXBzd1UxkfR0Ht-k1vfN-x5Z54Y7XuXBcMdwY3tVsIsgaDTNflZ41ih7F_VvzHBqpaKu1O7c-h/w640-h640/Screen%20Shot%202017-09-10%20at%209.35.25%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All the fun of hanging out with our friends each week.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEEjx0vYBmCQtku4D6AsRJQxf78fsHZ2EBaXolw_w0bdCAhSQgSlTzrBAfhf0MaN-KlLh56z5MYtCIimVsAjGYSj569dAcNgZ419qtHB61JIXD9l_ILC3W-jYD6HY8xVboGqy7BqPoHo1cwQ50yyvvNpNJVwA8VpGgeEBadBxE6e6eljOWgb41hZeF58k/s2048/cfbweek1_5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEEjx0vYBmCQtku4D6AsRJQxf78fsHZ2EBaXolw_w0bdCAhSQgSlTzrBAfhf0MaN-KlLh56z5MYtCIimVsAjGYSj569dAcNgZ419qtHB61JIXD9l_ILC3W-jYD6HY8xVboGqy7BqPoHo1cwQ50yyvvNpNJVwA8VpGgeEBadBxE6e6eljOWgb41hZeF58k/w640-h426/cfbweek1_5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All the exploring and adventures we had visiting new cities and football stadiums, as well as that epic tailgate at Churchill Downs.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS9wOS5kpsuP9RKnF0oYx9q4Fvk34T7TxIU2T_UiEfxV7CFQ5mDJ9zQpPtV7e-s6xHAsX2iZk3sVLFCT7oZmUjGGvxiRk8FyGdzlg-j5NC76r0nCpchr38_D-C69f5O5ghQPqfjHg4YkX5E-upUTaAQxrZcOlfoqu0e07msKA4pTxQJaM30D1Qyv1OaLr/s2048/cfbweek3_5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS9wOS5kpsuP9RKnF0oYx9q4Fvk34T7TxIU2T_UiEfxV7CFQ5mDJ9zQpPtV7e-s6xHAsX2iZk3sVLFCT7oZmUjGGvxiRk8FyGdzlg-j5NC76r0nCpchr38_D-C69f5O5ghQPqfjHg4YkX5E-upUTaAQxrZcOlfoqu0e07msKA4pTxQJaM30D1Qyv1OaLr/w640-h426/cfbweek3_5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p style="text-align: center;">All the rivalry games we attended together.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEmWnjUy3Wl0sFV6YPaAzTVSO8SwcPd5cAgBRczfDiVt8nfEu8t4JMny2oL5Vv7cM7Md3A3ZC1eoEh6VA_-DfHD3ade_11rqHkxUzCSHczRF7MEa6YQbsaHBIJWnXEasDTBsCpfGL2TDudUX2IK5_V8qoS6Ylc8Mp6c1Hk8ZQH1kEmzAhBKA6FhQBBiVh/s2048/cfbweek13_10.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEmWnjUy3Wl0sFV6YPaAzTVSO8SwcPd5cAgBRczfDiVt8nfEu8t4JMny2oL5Vv7cM7Md3A3ZC1eoEh6VA_-DfHD3ade_11rqHkxUzCSHczRF7MEa6YQbsaHBIJWnXEasDTBsCpfGL2TDudUX2IK5_V8qoS6Ylc8Mp6c1Hk8ZQH1kEmzAhBKA6FhQBBiVh/w640-h426/cfbweek13_10.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These days, we're in a different phase of life. One where driving to Clemson at 6am, tailgating all day, attending a game, and driving home afterwards with a 2 year old and a 4 year old sounds absolutely miserable. One where, unfortunately for me, driving into downtown Columbia for a football game is just <i>so much easier</i> even if we're going to see the wrong team play and my girls are decked out in garnet and black.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We began our return to football season last year when I made it to not one, not two, but FOUR football games (including one in Clemson!) and we took the girls to their first Gamecock games.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This year, there's a possibility of attending 5-6 games. Dare I say it's starting to feel like old times?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We're celebrating the start of football this weekend down in Kiawah with our favorite tailgate dips and appetizers as we watch the Gamecocks take on the Tarheels</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. I love fall weekends in the low country! It's cooler, but still warm enough to spend a few hours on the beach and in the ocean. It's much less crowded. The bike trails are wide open for miles of biking. There's football on TV to look forward to in the afternoon and evening.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Monday, I'll be up entirely too late the night before the girls' first day of school watching my Tigers take on the Duke Blue Devils.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And next weekend? We'll be back to tailgating outside of a football stadium and attending a game in person! Even if it is the wrong stadium and the wrong team and the wrong colors... it's college football and I can't wait.</span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-64163849645631216512021-10-27T06:30:00.043-04:002021-10-27T06:30:00.219-04:00The Great Family Mountain Weekend<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our spontaneous day trip to the mountains last year was <a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2020/10/a-saturday-day-trip-to-mountains.html" target="_blank">magical</a>. On our way home that afternoon we were already planning our return trip for this year. We knew we wanted to make a longer stay out of it and that we wanted to invite all four grandparents along for the fun. The planning began... and a year later, we hit the road for the mountains!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCipVsWUndJ0gpbaavgE8XcIl-DFXpSETyFiN8nyRrzD2dFi9ldZV16WZlaEKywUR0MwNjBqibHQrEy2CU40DQO6jehCJ2AT8R4TtQyx04N_uc06Wfg7kwRNbLt11r9ibnwAZ63foueXU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCipVsWUndJ0gpbaavgE8XcIl-DFXpSETyFiN8nyRrzD2dFi9ldZV16WZlaEKywUR0MwNjBqibHQrEy2CU40DQO6jehCJ2AT8R4TtQyx04N_uc06Wfg7kwRNbLt11r9ibnwAZ63foueXU/w640-h640/JeterMountainFarm_9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the first day of our trip, Patrick and I dropped the girls off at school, went out to breakfast at our favorite Original Pancake House, went home to pack up the car, stopped by Chick-fil-a to grab our lunch, and then we were back at school to pick the girls up at noon. Our goal was to get on the road just in time for nap time so hopefully the girls would sleep most of the way to Hendersonville.</span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-71734d73-7fff-a30e-75ac-cb6f30c5282a"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll let you go ahead and guess how that went. Evans was asleep before we even pulled out of the parking lot and Riley talked to us the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">entire way</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to Hendersonville. So much for that car nap for her!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once we arrived, we unpacked, got settled in, and threw a batch of chili that I had made and frozen the weekend prior into the crockpot. The grandparents hung with the girls while we made a quick run to Ingles for a few forgotten groceries, plus some craft beer for the weekend. I don’t know what it is about Hendersonville grocery stores but they have the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">best</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> selection of local craft beer. We always make it a point to shop for some when we’re in town.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC2YKdZwX2DkziX8TRt3nRFPnZwPDLh6pPk4gpGe91K3BVzNTgEOUiZXdsSNP9GT42uPgus2BK_IX3q7V2DlRaMxKN8McUWoPc3ZZUmPPcMDFbcjKv59g6rvfxIsF4Bhclufb14uTek0_/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC2YKdZwX2DkziX8TRt3nRFPnZwPDLh6pPk4gpGe91K3BVzNTgEOUiZXdsSNP9GT42uPgus2BK_IX3q7V2DlRaMxKN8McUWoPc3ZZUmPPcMDFbcjKv59g6rvfxIsF4Bhclufb14uTek0_/w640-h640/North+Carolina+Craft+Beer.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday morning, I had everyone up bright and early for the pumpkin patch. We loved the patch that we stumbled across last year but opted to try out a new one this go around called <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thenixpumpkinpatch/?hl=en" target="_blank">Nix Pumpkin Patch</a>. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Highly recommend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! We had the entire patch to ourselves that morning. It was easy to navigate through the pumpkins, there were hundreds to choose from, and they had plenty of things to peruse inside the shop at the entrance to the patch.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uHZBOIDdAf-N2yu9O6BtZUgy1TWprLgyKn3WcquTcJq3ZOOV3vf6nLa_GR02aUKtNA5LsKxF5ROANWidrsVTh57MEnMyf7xWvirB62YexejrZJRxjC9quFZyQoziBUfMYTiOGlLr_BKf/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uHZBOIDdAf-N2yu9O6BtZUgy1TWprLgyKn3WcquTcJq3ZOOV3vf6nLa_GR02aUKtNA5LsKxF5ROANWidrsVTh57MEnMyf7xWvirB62YexejrZJRxjC9quFZyQoziBUfMYTiOGlLr_BKf/w480-h640/NixPumpkinPatch_1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Evans could not have cared less about the pumpkins, she was more interested in seeing how many people she could convince to carry her through the patch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72zC3Y4UJ6er294noGmXOoTzyd-qVJuApGkveakqEHAcScQKk53cNmxEA-QIhlWStK4-KyYV6dkKaU9nDqXEGYE1fSNUNpFKZo0dS4ncv8fS8FLgQJryHC975_bvwlLLFJxkYwZz19o9I/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72zC3Y4UJ6er294noGmXOoTzyd-qVJuApGkveakqEHAcScQKk53cNmxEA-QIhlWStK4-KyYV6dkKaU9nDqXEGYE1fSNUNpFKZo0dS4ncv8fS8FLgQJryHC975_bvwlLLFJxkYwZz19o9I/w480-h640/NixPumpkinPatch_2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Riley wanted to bring every pumpkin home with her.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuVgccteuZtkf3nXdm4yYxH1wrYhbYuYA5oB-NZfo83O5oEwK7Q46B3nVzYZGYraTt0nLq-V1z6vvDZp2PxDStiXCvn94w_0bAPvCtDZ1NMVR8z4ClMCS2j-bqbDYo11FLgQjgTKBdSd8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuVgccteuZtkf3nXdm4yYxH1wrYhbYuYA5oB-NZfo83O5oEwK7Q46B3nVzYZGYraTt0nLq-V1z6vvDZp2PxDStiXCvn94w_0bAPvCtDZ1NMVR8z4ClMCS2j-bqbDYo11FLgQjgTKBdSd8/" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MoT65TL4WfjZg3D05qqJIbKhmw7KxWMvImh6r0x1KBaOBr7FusvqIstEgOQlh4poLGlF5td-6XxGfGwcjH3qRoboIb6pBCeAoxGyrRz5i0w0ag47lhRufpLCz49PKowGj1e8ixLGUNrH/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MoT65TL4WfjZg3D05qqJIbKhmw7KxWMvImh6r0x1KBaOBr7FusvqIstEgOQlh4poLGlF5td-6XxGfGwcjH3qRoboIb6pBCeAoxGyrRz5i0w0ag47lhRufpLCz49PKowGj1e8ixLGUNrH/w640-h640/NixPumpkinPatch_4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From there, we ventured into downtown Hendersonville to eat lunch at <a href="https://hendough.com" target="_blank">HenDough Chicken and Donuts</a> (another place I’d highly recommend!) The food was outstanding. We ate outside since it was a nice day and because we were still trying to do our part to social distance. They had plenty of space to dine outside, but we were dealing with flies and yellow jackets the entire time which was the only downside to our experience.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was back to the house after lunch to get the two littlest on the trip down for naps while Patrick and I enjoyed a drink on the porch. The grandparents opted to walked around Hendersonville instead of coming straight back to the house with us. After naps, it was off to one of our favorite breweries: Sierra Nevada! It was conveniently located just 10 minutes down the road from our house.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_aKW3h7D2ZVdGtwpBkpVQRRYmQu_y0bmE-FA3a99Sqt1qIRRrUuGAluOAqvhm56_Kyodbtv4dQRGsQcu-Pi7h5F4KkoA3cM2Qrf_D-DVfxz1a46vpVqOUbJBhRhGOe8IdyH7mwP8Cxse/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_aKW3h7D2ZVdGtwpBkpVQRRYmQu_y0bmE-FA3a99Sqt1qIRRrUuGAluOAqvhm56_Kyodbtv4dQRGsQcu-Pi7h5F4KkoA3cM2Qrf_D-DVfxz1a46vpVqOUbJBhRhGOe8IdyH7mwP8Cxse/w480-h640/SierraNevada_1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you're headed to Seirra Nevada anytime soon, make a reservation. That's the only way you can grab a table inside. Everything outside is first come, first served, and if it's a busy day you're likely to not be able to find a seat.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDkr-GtpvVZvFmvITlAj2-qCUzD_IiemO2tUhuqXfe5vxHI9fGusYySX7WZxWP7Xx7I8B646Bzeu2QkQas2VYac0OKB8DEgG9mAOsxYZsSXOmVGYoVQHuxBXl-AiHDFGUp8EFXrBPor0L/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDkr-GtpvVZvFmvITlAj2-qCUzD_IiemO2tUhuqXfe5vxHI9fGusYySX7WZxWP7Xx7I8B646Bzeu2QkQas2VYac0OKB8DEgG9mAOsxYZsSXOmVGYoVQHuxBXl-AiHDFGUp8EFXrBPor0L/w480-h640/SierraNevada_2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div></span></span></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think it might now be Riley’s favorite, too. She was in her element running around everywhere, climbing rock walls, rolling down hills, dancing, making friends, and just getting all of her 2.5 year old energy out. It was so crowded that afternoon that we had to make friends and grab rocking chairs as they freed up, but the weather was perfect and so was the afternoon there.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Saturday, I had everyone up even earlier than I did on Friday. We had to hit the road early to get to <a href="https://www.jetermountain.com" target="_blank">Jeter Mountain Farm</a>! Every. Single. Person. on Family Mountain Weekend asked at least once if it was necessary for such an early start. I insisted. We left the house by 8am and we were at Jeter Mountain Farm by 8:40, a full 20 minutes before they opened. I think we were the 3rd car in the lot.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After diaper changes and bathroom breaks, we purchased our baskets for apple picking and some for picking raspberries. The women at the checkout stand suggested we do the raspberry picking first which ended up being a great idea because we were the only family that got to pick raspberries that day! Our three baskets picked them out of all available ripe raspberries.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFGej9JVnybTbcsvCF5sz-9kYlsK9L2-oFbRjT3_DpirULKMTeY7v-bNEezKxr6_Khh9K7ZkrgZIeBNAOSozNv3Qv2qEXxk6te5Mc0ZrlGb3esD2rGQT4YTXRaYEyAH3MuzDh-02AtgRk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFGej9JVnybTbcsvCF5sz-9kYlsK9L2-oFbRjT3_DpirULKMTeY7v-bNEezKxr6_Khh9K7ZkrgZIeBNAOSozNv3Qv2qEXxk6te5Mc0ZrlGb3esD2rGQT4YTXRaYEyAH3MuzDh-02AtgRk/w480-h640/JeterMountainFarm_1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtju_UI71Peh8lPgxGQ0uTo5qgmMFjAEQ21nk-RoQyDiJ8CB7tacMVjauJAg5vDX-8LBh3wo1ggLAVisonkvA5ulShEwXZgiSM0m47a8wooa0FSANzTzonz7zfhDxp4uNv9CFkaHeHrJwG/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtju_UI71Peh8lPgxGQ0uTo5qgmMFjAEQ21nk-RoQyDiJ8CB7tacMVjauJAg5vDX-8LBh3wo1ggLAVisonkvA5ulShEwXZgiSM0m47a8wooa0FSANzTzonz7zfhDxp4uNv9CFkaHeHrJwG/w427-h640/JeterMountainFarm_5.jpeg" width="427" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Raspberries went back to the cars and we hopped on the tractor ride to make our way around the orchard to the section that was available for picking. When she was a baby, I wore Riley in a carrier maybe 5 times. I attempted to put Evans in a carrier one day during maternity leave when she just did not want to be put down… and never tried again because it was such an epic fail. Baby wearing has never been our thing. This apple picking adventure had me wishing 100% that it was our thing! Evans crashed </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hard</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> during the tractor ride in my arms. She was out cold. So guess who got to tote a 16lb sleeping baby around for half an hour while we picked apples? That’s right. This mama did.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCRYk-RHdJzDNjH0VcvBCO5JNthvqUcU3FgWibvujdPt_kOvAw4aQrQsyy0BbE7e_lxR7M4O82tb2Do4ytqrcz1EuC8jcIWdjD91vRAB7RMvkgNfIwWy1e16OF6c7O_cpFiCBqK9rzn1d/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCRYk-RHdJzDNjH0VcvBCO5JNthvqUcU3FgWibvujdPt_kOvAw4aQrQsyy0BbE7e_lxR7M4O82tb2Do4ytqrcz1EuC8jcIWdjD91vRAB7RMvkgNfIwWy1e16OF6c7O_cpFiCBqK9rzn1d/w480-h640/JeterMountainFarm_2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Riley had even more fun picking apples this year if that's even possible. Patrick had her up in trees grabbing every apple she could reach, and when she wasn't in trees, she was running through the orchard and hollering "You coming? Let's go!" back to the rest of us.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BPI4ReGwSAXzXhxEFt_ywqyMwaAFgbF-ozA5XpHwETFyrFV21XZ1BymboSFMJWxC9A3sOffncL2m3CqWDkZXnbW7GOw4vURm-qzZjeaemTzXYmh2c9F_lj_33CI8hZK5e6cnlEi6zjin/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BPI4ReGwSAXzXhxEFt_ywqyMwaAFgbF-ozA5XpHwETFyrFV21XZ1BymboSFMJWxC9A3sOffncL2m3CqWDkZXnbW7GOw4vURm-qzZjeaemTzXYmh2c9F_lj_33CI8hZK5e6cnlEi6zjin/w480-h640/JeterMountainFarm_3.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQSTUgqFmwpE73AsBrWI6k8JFuARARANQCm-k2QMPWa7BM0kJByzOLbHg0SOiKiXdWvcR5_PBQLMOgpLP3_MSTkVHgVt0XpyVIdSj6ozTVSclxpubYw7yp4TYFY9C72GQcl2wCWOz1ZdF/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQSTUgqFmwpE73AsBrWI6k8JFuARARANQCm-k2QMPWa7BM0kJByzOLbHg0SOiKiXdWvcR5_PBQLMOgpLP3_MSTkVHgVt0XpyVIdSj6ozTVSclxpubYw7yp4TYFY9C72GQcl2wCWOz1ZdF/w480-h640/JeterMountainFarm_4.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we waited for the tractor to come back around for our return trip to the main base of Jeter Mountain, we chatted with the guy that was greeting people as they hopped on and off the ride. He ended up being the owner of the farm! We got a lot of great information from him about how he and his family started the orchard and the plans they had for continuing to grow it.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We hopped back on the tractor to take our apples to our car before settling down for lunch. Jeter Mountain Farms was <i>packed</i> at this point and we were two steps ahead of everyone else. While the tractor rides were completely full to go apple picking, the line at the BBQ food truck was short and there were still picnic tables available for us to grab. The BBQ was amazing (that mac and cheese!) and all of the adults enjoyed an apple cider with our meal. Yup, that's right. Jeter Mountain Farm has a cidery right there on site and they make delicious hard apple cider.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzfg7SdW2eioCTJICSEOqnM2x9-riaT9lW2GdP7W4ZPFE56N6DuateXvOHWdcBNj0qp6_kh4BEmuK-Jl_7rOvqgjtN6aNYB72jS1ReK4O-lLuGycGY6wLpLXSlHAnQQVATZz_dQweq-Qm/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzfg7SdW2eioCTJICSEOqnM2x9-riaT9lW2GdP7W4ZPFE56N6DuateXvOHWdcBNj0qp6_kh4BEmuK-Jl_7rOvqgjtN6aNYB72jS1ReK4O-lLuGycGY6wLpLXSlHAnQQVATZz_dQweq-Qm/w480-h640/JeterMountainFarm_7.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jeter Mountain Farms was such a cool experience. You can tell that the owners thought about every detail of the customer experience and they have made it a destination orchard. Beyond the apple picking and the cidery, their orchard is also a wedding venue. They have a food truck on site, a massive indoor playground for the kids, a pumpkin patch, bathrooms that would rival the most luxurious bathroom you've ever been in, a gift shop, and so much more. By the time we left at 12:30, everyone was glad that we had gotten there so early and had beaten the majority of the crowds. If you go next year, definitely go earlier than later in the day. Another pro tip: Get your cute kid picture at the beginning, not at the end when your littles should already be 30 minutes into their nap.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKzfxnjYqe517fe7kEGiAQAh2foDkbZ40K_MXHIUmaMB2nePNYg8cB4hFOx5FVhdzi49wcmW2v-qgSoVuKpxQhxeU_gI4jcF_V7hbNuJq84BcBjb_Xyu-V8lIV800KWAjOL8QijUOMD28/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKzfxnjYqe517fe7kEGiAQAh2foDkbZ40K_MXHIUmaMB2nePNYg8cB4hFOx5FVhdzi49wcmW2v-qgSoVuKpxQhxeU_gI4jcF_V7hbNuJq84BcBjb_Xyu-V8lIV800KWAjOL8QijUOMD28/w427-h640/JeterMountainFarm_8.jpeg" width="427" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The girls fell asleep in the car almost as soon as they were buckled into their car seats—they were <i>exhausted</i> from the morning's fun.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We scrapped our afternoon plan to go to another brewery and instead hung out at our mountain house. We had a great double deck that had plenty of room for Riley to play and lots of chairs for the adults. Evans hung out in her portable baby playpen, Riley washed pumpkins, and the rest of us kicked back our feet with craft beer and listened to football on the radio.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our mountain weekend was a blast, and we couldn't have had better weather. Shout out to Patrick and our parents for coming along on all of the adventures I had planned. When I go on trips, I like to pack in as much as possible and I don't like to waste time (... aka I'm going to have you up at the crack of dawn so we don't miss a single minute!)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are we planning a return trip next year? You bet! We might consolidated it to a Friday through Sunday kind of trip rather than Thursday through Sunday, but I think after two years that we're onto a solid fall tradition for our family.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURcRDnhxbvd15cGJGmxRvaBcLZUZD-IAg9PLLFC_vczr00JaYC6muy_qqjz_zbuU5Mae9Av1oZyAm2HeZIM5FKrIs1JSef-V_rkhKVJMaZ7tU7Rx-CZhuPpgeIw6RF-hMlGz-sZqlA_L5/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURcRDnhxbvd15cGJGmxRvaBcLZUZD-IAg9PLLFC_vczr00JaYC6muy_qqjz_zbuU5Mae9Av1oZyAm2HeZIM5FKrIs1JSef-V_rkhKVJMaZ7tU7Rx-CZhuPpgeIw6RF-hMlGz-sZqlA_L5/w640-h426/JeterMountainFarm_6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p></span>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-84437702239470614932021-02-05T06:00:00.055-05:002021-02-05T14:28:25.864-05:00Five on Friday<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">February is here! And even though it's the dead of winter, even though temperatures are dipping down into the 20s at night, even though we have our fireplace on at some point every morning or evening in our house... there's a light at the end of the tunnel.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tonight, where I live, the sun officially sets at 6:00pm. In 30 days, Daylight Savings Time begins and we'll all get to enjoy extra sunlight in our days. Right behind that? Summer. Bring on the warm weather, days spent at the beach, and vacations! Until then, let's dive into today's Five on Friday.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">{One}</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Over the last 5 years, we've had quite a few photoshoots with some exceptionally talented photographers: engagement, bridal, wedding, a fall mini session, baby #1 announcement, newborn session, a Christmas mini session, a motherhood mini session, fall porch-raits, and <i>another</i> newborn session. I haven't been great about printing out these photos and putting them around the house.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">That changes... now! As we work to get settled into our home and make it more "ours," I'm intent on printing out photos, framing them, and displaying them around the house. I'm tackling a photo gallery in our upstairs hallway first. Patrick surprised me by purchasing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/WOOD-MEETS-COLOR-Gallery-Instagram/dp/B07DFHTPY2/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=12+x+12+frames&qid=1612476475&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNlJTOEpDSDRaVkVEJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzcwODkyMjJLQkk0NFFZWkFKVCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzgzNzQ4MjFEM0hQNjZVVVlMUiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=" target="_blank">these frames</a> for me and as soon as we have our photos back from our photo session last week with <a href="https://joshuaaaronphotography.com" target="_blank">Joshua Aaron Photography</a>, we'll be getting that hung up.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">I'll be swapping out a few photos {need to make room for Evans!} but here's a sneak peek of what I'm thinking:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAtxr0Y-iEMv5jwEl8Zr2mx65e73lFeoGGZLU4K8q5u1O-5rrVBQydfWtzykGcZDqSwdJv49S_Kd0eSaTv52sVSEhb7gkubVGCh580qVw3YUzN0srMCrxN48YSiHKRtV_KICi-wLep5UQ/s1218/GalleryWall_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1218" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAtxr0Y-iEMv5jwEl8Zr2mx65e73lFeoGGZLU4K8q5u1O-5rrVBQydfWtzykGcZDqSwdJv49S_Kd0eSaTv52sVSEhb7gkubVGCh580qVw3YUzN0srMCrxN48YSiHKRtV_KICi-wLep5UQ/w400-h395/GalleryWall_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>{Two}</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I would say that the number one thing that I have missed during my pregnancy with Evans was going to breweries, but you know, with a pandemic going on... I can't blame that on just being pregnant anymore, can I? I'm not sure we would have made it to very many breweries in the last year pregnant or not thanks to COVID.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfLM_43MEgsPrdoYDeMn9pccPaxwafnG-EeWnafL0oxoa3kiT1R28RuZcgHgQwW-HyaZZDFRpLEacPMviL7fCOJgYlzR3YafLh3NgPnGQbjt8-ev4h6yNkBxV5PoinvZ2L6pvkEHd4K08/s2048/SteelHandsBrewing_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfLM_43MEgsPrdoYDeMn9pccPaxwafnG-EeWnafL0oxoa3kiT1R28RuZcgHgQwW-HyaZZDFRpLEacPMviL7fCOJgYlzR3YafLh3NgPnGQbjt8-ev4h6yNkBxV5PoinvZ2L6pvkEHd4K08/w640-h480/SteelHandsBrewing_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">However, I think we're about ready to venture out to one in the next few weeks! Fingers crossed. Our first day date after Riley was born was to check out the newest brewery in town,</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><a href="https://steelhandsbrewing.com" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Steel Hands Brewing</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">. This time around we've got another new brewery to enjoy: </span><a href="https://savagecraftaleworks.com" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Savage Craft Ale Works</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">I've had my eye on this one since the day they created their social media and web presence nearly two and a half years ago. Am I a little bitter that they waited until after we moved from West Columbia to Lexington to open? You bet. Our old house was just a 7 minute drive away <i>and</i> my old office {before we relocated to Cotton Town this summer} was just 0.9 miles away. Savage Craft Ale Works was on my way home from work! Luckily, I'm still pretty close by and can easily get to this one.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH26M-nplOL0AyM-UzBtvQ7gqnlhmCPTpA3Ey3yXpbMLbO98lxn47vTtokDRIoUfMsFKUHAwJK-_no6EzXf2_-9GDGarHFLVZQaGZjL34F2dVRdXgw2wfyCCSwNIPDqMoh6Fl6KhYdvPix/s1376/Screen+Shot+2021-02-04+at+12.51.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1376" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH26M-nplOL0AyM-UzBtvQ7gqnlhmCPTpA3Ey3yXpbMLbO98lxn47vTtokDRIoUfMsFKUHAwJK-_no6EzXf2_-9GDGarHFLVZQaGZjL34F2dVRdXgw2wfyCCSwNIPDqMoh6Fl6KhYdvPix/w640-h358/Screen+Shot+2021-02-04+at+12.51.20+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">{source: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmuZZ5ZhsES/" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">Savage Craft Ale Works</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">}</span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">How awesome does this place look? They have a huge outdoor area, a massive rooftop bar, a taproom, a delicious looking menu, and more. We're letting the crowds die down a bit {they just opened last weekend} but you better believe that we'll be there very soon!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: verdana;">{Three}</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Who remembers the days when my bike and I used to be best buddies, putting in miles all over the Charlotte Greenways, around Kiawah, and on the Palmetto Trail? I <i>love</i> to bike - give me a decently pretty day outside {anything other than super cold or rainy} and I'll happily pedal around for miles.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWelOw3PQNVsXd31IZDctDnAHcfBiEzcVGf_VhVAhVuzEKaXruhSpCE-Mhy70C9ixBuiK4bQ9JQpRGqokIWNJC52HXuV8gfJsGEcV4l6TLGG95vBFh2J3VDreYSY7Uu3bu9LnvsKPIB62/s2048/PalmettoTrailBiking_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWelOw3PQNVsXd31IZDctDnAHcfBiEzcVGf_VhVAhVuzEKaXruhSpCE-Mhy70C9ixBuiK4bQ9JQpRGqokIWNJC52HXuV8gfJsGEcV4l6TLGG95vBFh2J3VDreYSY7Uu3bu9LnvsKPIB62/w480-h640/PalmettoTrailBiking_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">My bike is currently residing along the roof of our garage. Patrick installed a pulley system to hang our bikes from to maximize space in our garage... and probably to keep me off my bike once we moved into our new neighborhood because it was too hot / I was too pregnant to be out biking. That has changed. I'll be reunited with my bike over the weekend {as long as it doesn't rain!} and I'll get to explore our neighborhood by two wheels for the first time. Plus, it's time to get back in biking shape so that I'm ready to hit the trails around Kiawah with Riley this spring.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5olMRrFu7E_86v5Vm240kKLQ-4rsfpGs69l3bDjQ2mBXeWKC472c3UGPo_CqaUXGVZHhjjw9cM4HjljvPaE15WXFRSKQXDujZO9XRa9vDL89OndDvH1iyr69K8B7BUAGALzCS0XqP5Xyd/s768/KiawahBiking_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5olMRrFu7E_86v5Vm240kKLQ-4rsfpGs69l3bDjQ2mBXeWKC472c3UGPo_CqaUXGVZHhjjw9cM4HjljvPaE15WXFRSKQXDujZO9XRa9vDL89OndDvH1iyr69K8B7BUAGALzCS0XqP5Xyd/w640-h640/KiawahBiking_MagnoliaandMainBlog.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>{Four}</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Is anyone else having all of the pre-pandemic feels lately? I keep running into little reminders of what life was like this time last year thanks to Facebook memories and date-stamped photos on my phone.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> Last winter, my sister-in-law and her fiancé were easily able to fly from London to the United States to visit us for a week. While they were here, we went to a crowded Soda City Market {with no masks!}, spent an afternoon at a brewery, and went out to dinner on Main Street. We even celebrated the life of my husband's grandmother inside a packed church and in a private event space at a local restaurant. Amy, our mothers, some friends, and I went out to dinner one night and to see <i>Wicked</i> in a crowded theatre, too.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnBtWqGsPP1F61JgyP8H7Bf7nRZf0UrQ_2mp2H2dTzP57ZID83X16cZWpYr8Nv1PUcvIiJgSIAAdRcHctJJamAw04oZTtESKepJjYJvzDMmJ1pc6ghkFIbqynsRGJj8IXxHG_5EkgZjkR/s1440/0DBF7C18-B069-4FED-B661-1C639E267EB8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnBtWqGsPP1F61JgyP8H7Bf7nRZf0UrQ_2mp2H2dTzP57ZID83X16cZWpYr8Nv1PUcvIiJgSIAAdRcHctJJamAw04oZTtESKepJjYJvzDMmJ1pc6ghkFIbqynsRGJj8IXxHG_5EkgZjkR/w640-h640/0DBF7C18-B069-4FED-B661-1C639E267EB8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">At work, we were working on a local annual event that draws thousands of people each year. No masks, no social distancing, no worry over anything other than weather affecting attendance.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">This year? Can't do any of that.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>{Five}</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">It's time.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We've been putting it off since November.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Riley's about to have her world rocked, but it is 100% time to ditch the diapers and dive headfirst into potty training. Almost. I'm still putting it off another week or so but before I head back to work, we're going to try and tackle potty training at home. So... y'all have any tips or tricks you want to share?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">---</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Happy Friday, y'all! Hope you have a great weekend!</span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-91647979215560135702021-01-27T07:00:00.006-05:002021-01-27T07:32:26.192-05:00Sunset Sailin'<!--Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics-->
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2020/10/a-weekend-in-beaufort.html">On our trip to Beaufort</a> this past fall, Riley fell in love with boats.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgH-2eIbUmiAdO_CbwTCa60YJrpTtv9F6l7U03ao3UqAkaYJ5Oj890KGMvO9Q6w6JTqIGuTFV1IzlKANshyphenhyphen2AEuXP5FYsBoiv4TzyARgsXr06nQI4kCvD_MPgN6eGMMK4lHnYdEADpoby/s2048/IMG_9563.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgH-2eIbUmiAdO_CbwTCa60YJrpTtv9F6l7U03ao3UqAkaYJ5Oj890KGMvO9Q6w6JTqIGuTFV1IzlKANshyphenhyphen2AEuXP5FYsBoiv4TzyARgsXr06nQI4kCvD_MPgN6eGMMK4lHnYdEADpoby/w640-h480/IMG_9563.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">Any boat.</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She wasn't picky.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Big boats, little boats, sail boats, center console boats, wakeboard boats, any boat. She loved to watch them float by on the water. She adored going to marinas to look at the boats until she realized she couldn't actually get <i>on</i> any of the boats. We made all kinds of promises about getting her out on Papa's boat even though it was late fall and the boat was already out of the water for the season.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie76bvpWtDllfTBsYsgh7i7_wHuo_9wieOJ2i91xhqvyLuqnJ7P85qpOwl552KcePK8-nihy6_HVLeDHFirmtlpFu1ItwD5qaoYxm6rfsfIcDPy8P-dqttpOGbKkOaBLB9BOrio6KrFZrG/s2048/IMG_0259.jpeg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie76bvpWtDllfTBsYsgh7i7_wHuo_9wieOJ2i91xhqvyLuqnJ7P85qpOwl552KcePK8-nihy6_HVLeDHFirmtlpFu1ItwD5qaoYxm6rfsfIcDPy8P-dqttpOGbKkOaBLB9BOrio6KrFZrG/w480-h640/IMG_0259.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We took her to Bohicket Marina to see the boats. Mistake. She kept saying "On? On? Riley on boat?" and would cry when she couldn't get on a boat.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rpaAAgs8ik-SZa8SZyTMT-DkmWNEZk5we_AuZkk37MNrN6RWY2NX5Ih3L4t6bobsk7MLsnGplZMwo2KPDF4Tzz9YpKwsGGyMCEPEL6aWW_jBVVp3FTB3SRpcCk7z4gZqX6X6RfEisr79/s2048/IMG_0281.jpeg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rpaAAgs8ik-SZa8SZyTMT-DkmWNEZk5we_AuZkk37MNrN6RWY2NX5Ih3L4t6bobsk7MLsnGplZMwo2KPDF4Tzz9YpKwsGGyMCEPEL6aWW_jBVVp3FTB3SRpcCk7z4gZqX6X6RfEisr79/w480-h640/IMG_0281.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She and I drove past a boat dealership in town during Christmas. It was dark enough that they had their Christmas lights on (which absolutely delighted Riley) but light enough that she could see boats. She went nuts in the backseat: "Oh oh Christmas lights! Boat! Lights! BOAT!"</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We would even draw a sailboat on a page in Riley's coloring book and she would sit on it so we could pull her around the living room and she could pretend she was on a boat.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Back in December, friends of mine mentioned that they had their sailboat in the water at their house about 40 minutes away from ours. I immediately invited Riley and myself over so that Riley could see the boat and maybe, just maybe, get on the boat. Just after Christmas, we made our way out to their house and they surprised us with an hour-long sailboat ride around Lake Murray at sunset! Y'all. Riley was in heaven. Me? At 37 weeks pregnant, I was hoping not to go into labor out on a sailboat in the middle of the lake since its top speed was 5mph.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbmmDEuNMWOJMrTDh43eqYzWBpjHqtHS7Fcj2gQA0AUU14SwIV537oeUB1-6Qm0JmXT6MJrokX4vVSEFAA4gtUCn7wpevqGq6xmYpTO7wOPfeWjmVOSlZw4aFckU1fJoC724RnsxJgetm/s1800/66D8F75B-4134-4DED-B069-E6B4E9833DCA.jpeg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbmmDEuNMWOJMrTDh43eqYzWBpjHqtHS7Fcj2gQA0AUU14SwIV537oeUB1-6Qm0JmXT6MJrokX4vVSEFAA4gtUCn7wpevqGq6xmYpTO7wOPfeWjmVOSlZw4aFckU1fJoC724RnsxJgetm/w512-h640/66D8F75B-4134-4DED-B069-E6B4E9833DCA.jpeg" width="512" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We loaded up with their three boys and headed out on the water. Riley was uncharacteristically quiet as she soaked it all in. She sat so still in her life jacket and looked around everywhere for the first half of the ride. She even got to help sail! Once we turned around and headed back, she was finally warmed up and was ready to explore the boat. She checked out the cabin area, felt fearless enough to lean over the edge of the boat to look out across the water, and kept throwing her head back to see the cat design that was at the very top of the sail.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUNoEX0tU-H3b_2ZbB_I86PPu8RyQxUU3PurXtHWhP6L4V3pYsTib7oXxryFobbeX_aKvWCzVCEOmOxUQOq7iAMkVmAX8vhezpySx3m0HeGCoKJiNqpFty6wOb0b2Cp43ftkT55VU32ma/s1800/6B8DC234-73B3-4A61-9F7C-8896180CC321.jpeg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUNoEX0tU-H3b_2ZbB_I86PPu8RyQxUU3PurXtHWhP6L4V3pYsTib7oXxryFobbeX_aKvWCzVCEOmOxUQOq7iAMkVmAX8vhezpySx3m0HeGCoKJiNqpFty6wOb0b2Cp43ftkT55VU32ma/w512-h640/6B8DC234-73B3-4A61-9F7C-8896180CC321.jpeg" width="512" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's been a few weeks since the sailboat trip, but anytime I mention either friend's name, Riley perks up. "Sailboat? Sailboat?"</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_ReTwFqyc4sPbp_0WhUCVB80smdmeYOf9qLhGPRCZ5-RxPE4KQIBOlB6jOyH936_9D_GG4qWaewcQA2Lx1SM7-3rvRisYTxmrSo0lVnE7_z_6ec5hV5dHDt_eiz6Nf2Vl4yHjRcvTwmW/s2048/IMG_1450.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_ReTwFqyc4sPbp_0WhUCVB80smdmeYOf9qLhGPRCZ5-RxPE4KQIBOlB6jOyH936_9D_GG4qWaewcQA2Lx1SM7-3rvRisYTxmrSo0lVnE7_z_6ec5hV5dHDt_eiz6Nf2Vl4yHjRcvTwmW/w640-h426/IMG_1450.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was the perfect afternoon out on the water thanks to our friends and a great way to have a fun time with my best girl before her little sister arrived.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBLFjSK6wX0UPu-SjRKwA-iswtcgva6GM-2bkoPyQccxhW5dyhisFA9DR06XQDuw7ceQTBM0zLmgSg_l8QN3JTlrwk1w-vRyhrxVyU2wqs-541Ui5VRM6G7hKpEq0oY0CEBXX0c2yQ62j/s1800/2AF1D232-5ABE-4F96-A1DB-CB5C11366935.jpeg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBLFjSK6wX0UPu-SjRKwA-iswtcgva6GM-2bkoPyQccxhW5dyhisFA9DR06XQDuw7ceQTBM0zLmgSg_l8QN3JTlrwk1w-vRyhrxVyU2wqs-541Ui5VRM6G7hKpEq0oY0CEBXX0c2yQ62j/w512-h640/2AF1D232-5ABE-4F96-A1DB-CB5C11366935.jpeg" width="512" /></a></span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-24490773518730512832021-01-26T17:00:00.002-05:002021-01-26T17:14:33.780-05:00Evans' Birth Story<!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
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<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Wc9gQRKOCgqXXmPv9FGQxOYxAAh1q5CgAHv51rJolBuLiIZVWdHBMvZhyphenhyphenD5FDE2ArqbMP9r_pR-Xbdjg7wxkiKt1Dn8LSEn7gXa98B4giYcV9DsEBa02MY1MM-naASX-7jvd0N0vLrr5/s4032/IMG_1669.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Wc9gQRKOCgqXXmPv9FGQxOYxAAh1q5CgAHv51rJolBuLiIZVWdHBMvZhyphenhyphenD5FDE2ArqbMP9r_pR-Xbdjg7wxkiKt1Dn8LSEn7gXa98B4giYcV9DsEBa02MY1MM-naASX-7jvd0N0vLrr5/w480-h640/IMG_1669.jpeg" width="480" /></span></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">From the beginning, I had feeling that we wouldn't make it all the way to our due date with Evans. The OB nurse at our practice confirmed my thoughts at my 12 week appointment with her. She reviewed my file and made a comment about how big Riley was. She said "9lbs? No way. We don't want you to have another 9lb baby! Your doctor won't let you get to your due date--we'll likely induce early."</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hey, fine by me. Pushing out one 9lb+ baby wasn't the most terrible thing in the world but I could imagine a smaller baby might be a tiny bit easier. The further that I got along in pregnancy, the more and more I felt sure that baby girl was going to be arriving early. The doctors agreed. At 36 weeks, we did a growth scan to check in on her weight to make a plan of action for inducing early.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The induction plans came to a screeching halt.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Baby girl was weighing 6lbs 5oz and they were estimating her birth weight (at full term) to be roughly 8.5lbs... which meant that we would <i>not </i>be inducing. Cool, cool.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our 37 week appointment was with my favorite doctor at the practice, and she brought back my hope of baby girl arriving early. I was already dilated 1cm (huge for me, because I got <i>nothing</i> with Riley). She then casually threw in the fact that she didn't think we'd get to the weekend before the baby arrived. Cue all the "hurry up, get ready!" frantic plans for the next few days. However, we made it to my 38 week appointment the following week with no signs of labor.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My 38 week appointment was with my actual doctor at the practice, and she said she didn't know why the last doctor had said baby was coming soon. In her words, "You haven't made any progress since last week. You went full term with Riley. You'll likely do it again." Sigh.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fast forward to the following Monday, 39 weeks and 1 day.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Patrick and I had spent the whole weekend prepping for the inevitable arrival of baby girl. The laundry was 100% caught up. All of the Riley instructions were written out for the grandparents. Riley's breakfast, lunch, and dinners were prepped for the entire week. All of her daycare things were ready and by the door. The infant car seat bases were installed in our cars and two new toddler car seats were installed in our parents' cars. Hospital bags were packed as much as they could be without throwing in the last minute items.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We were ready.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Apparently, so was Evans.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first contractions started Monday morning at work. They were inconsistent and did not register on any type of pain scale, but they were there. After work, I was on my feet for two hours picking up Riley from daycare, getting her settled at home, getting her dinner together, helping bathe and get her ready for bed, etc. By the time she was in bed, I was on the couch--the contractions were coming every 7-10 minutes, likely because I had been on my feet for two hours. But... they were gone by bedtime.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tuesday morning, 39 weeks and 2 days, I woke up and told Patrick that he should probably finish up packing his hospital bag. I told him I was adding everything to mine that I had been saving for the last minute. Bag packed and on our bed, I headed to drop Riley off at daycare, pop into work for 15 minutes, and then head to my 39 week doctor's appointment. Contractions had started back up and y'all, let me tell you, driving through contractions probably isn't the best idea I've ever had. #stubborn</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My doctor asked me how I was feeling. I told her that I was feeling like a baby was coming SOON! She started her exam and noted right away that baby was <i>very</i> low. Confirmed. I already knew that--Riley never dropped, but it was easy for everyone to see that this one had dropped way low. We talked about an induction date of the day after I'd be 40 weeks (the following Monday). I told her that was fine because I would offically be on maternity leave at the end of the week. She then delighted in telling me that I was 2cm dilated, 100% effaced, and she could feel baby girls head (along with a contraction)... and that maybe, just maybe, I should go ahead and start my maternity leave because baby was coming <i>soon</i>. She sent me on my way and told me "good luck!" since she wasn't on call until the following week.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Made it down to the parking lot and my phone started ringing.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>"Chesson, I just talked with Dr. R who's on call over in L&D right now... and you know, we think you should probably just go home and get your bags and come on back. You're definitely in early labor and we'd like you here to monitor your progress and contractions. Your baby is coming within the next 24 hours."</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So... naturally, I went back to work. There were a few things I wanted to make sure were handed off and tidied up before I was officially on maternity leave. And, since my office is two blocks from Riley's daycare, Patrick and I decided that we should go ahead and pick her up and get her home. I definitely needed a hug and a kiss from her before having to leave her for a couple of days! She and I picked up Chick-fil-a on the way home and might have had a Chick-fil-a picnic on the island in our kitchen while waiting for my parents and Patrick to get to the house. Patrick and I tucked Riley in for her nap, grabbed our hospital bags, and hopped in the car to head to the hospital.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Or... to Blue Flour Bakery. Priorities. We drove through Irmo and right past the bakery and <i>had</i> to stop and get a cookie or two. I know none of y'all are surprised at this.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the hospital, we got checked into triage to find out that I was 3cm dilated... and they wanted me to walk the halls of the labor and delivery wing for 30-45 minutes to see if I could progress enough to get officially checked in. Um, what? Didn't my doctor already chat with the L&D on call doctor and didn't they decided I needed to be there? Either way, we set off to traipse the halls for awhile just like we did with Riley. It was <i>so</i> quiet. Without visitors, and with everyone staying in their rooms, there wasn't much happening. We headed back to triage after 45 minutes to find out that I was 4cm (almost 5cm) dilated and it was time to get officially checked in! We got into our room around 5pm and immediately knocked out one of my least favorite things of giving birth: the IV. I cannot stand needles--especially the ones that just stay in your hand for a long time.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We passed the time by keeping an eye on the monitor in the room that was measuring each contraction. They were rolling through about 4-5 min apart and the doctor decided it was time to speed them up, so Pitocin it was. Y'all. I was handling the contractions like a champ until we sped them up with Pitocin. They were coming through <i>fast</i> and they were <i>strong</i>. It took maybe 15 minutes for me to go ahead and request my epidural. We did a quick check--6cm--definitely time to get the epidural!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The epidural is another one of my least favorite parts of labor. One, we've got another needle to contend with. Two, while it got me through my contractions with Riley, I lost it prior to beginning to push. I had mixed feelings about it but hey, if it could get me halfway there, I figured that it would still be worth it. The anesthesiologist showed up pretty quick and looked like he was still in high school. I asked him to make sure he timed it in between contractions. He gave me a look like "Sure... if we can." I kept my eye on the monitor to warn him when a contraction was building so he could avoid it. He gave me a heads up that it was time for the lidocaine. Ok. Got it.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then I waited. And waited. And waited.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When was he going to do the epidural?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally, I asked. He and the nurse both gave me the weirdest looks. Turns out, the epidural was already in and didn't I notice I couldn't feel the contraction that was coming through on the monitor?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">3 hours later, we were at 10cm! The doctor and the nurse decided they wanted baby girl to work her way down a little bit more so that I would not push as long as I did with Riley. A few minutes later, Patrick perked up and looked at the monitor that was measuring baby's heart rate and said "Hey, did the monitor fall off again? That looks really low!" and two seconds later, a team of nurses ran into the room. Baby's heart rate had dropped down to 80s/90s which, according to them, is a sign that she's about to pop out. Her heart rate went back up to the 150s and we decided that it was time to start pushing.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I had all kinds of dreams of pushing twice and popping out the baby, as promised by the nurses during my first delivery, but y'all, I'm just not a good pusher. I think that's the lesson here. It takes me awhile to get into the rhythm and do all the things (hold your breath, count to ten, pull back on your legs, tuck your chin in, and oh yeah, push!) at the same time. It took about 40 minutes of pushing for baby girl's head to crown and then came hands down the <i>worst</i> part of delivery: waiting for the doctor to get down to the room and officially deliver the baby. The epidural made it a lot more bearable than with Riley but it's still the worst. It took all of three pushes once the doctor was there before baby girl arrived!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We were able to do skin-to-skin immediately as well as a delayed cord clamping, two things we didn't get to do the first go around. Patrick firmly declined to cut the cord which delighted our doctor (apparently she never gets to cut the cord anymore). All I remember from this point was saying "she's so little! she's so little!" Evans felt <i>tiny </i>compared to Riley's chunky self. The baby nurse in the room guessed Evans was about 7.5lbs.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nope.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">8lbs 6oz and 21.5" long. Evans wasn't tiny by any means but she felt so, so small to me.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But she was <i>finally</i> here. The baby girl that completed our family. The one we had been dreaming of and the one that we had been waiting for ever since deciding to try for baby #2.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you had asked me back in May 2020 when we found out that Evans was on the way and would arrive in January if there was a particular day that I would want her to be born on... I had one in mind. My half birthday. She was due 4 days after my half birthday so there was a chance. And if you had asked me before giving birth to Riley, which doctor I would want to deliver Riley (and any other babies), my answer would have been Dr. R.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was lucky enough to get both the things I wanted. Dr. R. was the one on call when Evans made her grand debut and she waited until 1:06am on my half birthday to arrive.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I won't share her full name on here, but her first name (Evans) comes from my grandmother's side of the family. For years (and years and years and years for as long as I can remember) I had wanted to name a baby girl Addy. That was my mom's maiden name and I loved it (still do). But... Addy has become a crazy popular name, it was the one name that Patrick vetoed (due to an unpleasant girl he went to school with that had the name), and we have several good friends who had already named their daughters a variation of Addy. Addy was out. We scoured my grandmother's side of the family for another name that we liked and landed on Evans. Both a family name and unique.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As for her middle name, we went with my maiden name. It's extra special because the name isn't continuing on as a last name... there are no boys on my dad's side of the family with the last name past my brother/two older cousins, and they do not have any children of their own to pass the name along to. That made it all the more important to me to make sure it was included whether we were having a girl or a boy.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And just like that, Evans was here and our family was complete. It was time to get our snuggle on, call the grandparents, and celebrate with a Blue Flour cookie!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyMAKkmQJ6OcbxL_nJYPnbWUzgGBzut-AnffMW6JmPdCSeq83tCyiUiyHRtekeXebp3ntx9IjlRqmU-gd-ritzWpNTZULztjMUhYX4T0ugjd-U67cTwk4m57rFpJ4rFmWarlS0Uz8v7pZ/s2048/IMG_1702.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyMAKkmQJ6OcbxL_nJYPnbWUzgGBzut-AnffMW6JmPdCSeq83tCyiUiyHRtekeXebp3ntx9IjlRqmU-gd-ritzWpNTZULztjMUhYX4T0ugjd-U67cTwk4m57rFpJ4rFmWarlS0Uz8v7pZ/w426-h640/IMG_1702.jpeg" width="426" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-71924836471199186842020-12-23T06:00:00.001-05:002021-01-21T16:40:58.135-05:00Trees, Sprinkles, & Sweet Christmas Traditions<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> This year was <i>finally</i> the year.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Riley was less than a month old for her first Christmas. She had just turned one for her second Christmas. But as a newly-minted two year old, she was finally old enough to be into celebrating Christmas and all of the fun traditions that come with it. While COVID kept us from attending midweek Advent services and in-person church on Sunday mornings, we still had plenty of traditions to partake in.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">First on our list? Picking out our Christmas tree at Drafts Tree Farm!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNg1JVEwFmJDPwvDX_OHAoNczZb5i9PlPLco38dWe2iXiMSuy7CBlkToTy9WXGrZmWu821AOdME6_tgExOq3ScvXDhhAkQKGP-mdqbnzrDoa2gj3OY3XVRqPt-0TjvpKapQm8A_-c7TXXG/s2048/IMG_0042.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNg1JVEwFmJDPwvDX_OHAoNczZb5i9PlPLco38dWe2iXiMSuy7CBlkToTy9WXGrZmWu821AOdME6_tgExOq3ScvXDhhAkQKGP-mdqbnzrDoa2gj3OY3XVRqPt-0TjvpKapQm8A_-c7TXXG/w480-h640/IMG_0042.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Patrick and I have gone to Drafts Tree Farm every year since getting married to pick out our tree. It was the first Christmas tradition that we made together as a new family. The owners of the tree farm have actually known my family since before I was born and know Patrick's family, too. They always come out to talk to us when we come select and cut down our tree, and it's fun to catch up over the years. We've been the newlyweds, 39 weeks pregnant, with a 1 year old in tow, and now pregnant again with a two year old in tow.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35Eb5I1DuFJVFgyLaegmXY3sUcao5eL7IguTZLTNqPSIfQ0bri1R56pZQpPebVZqfQrU0o73UyNzi9f_i8Ui3YepAEsqU205U7lEnwzY4pp9HXpblynU1cRthgD0DoxqHaDPIseR1Wfly/s4032/IMG_0050.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35Eb5I1DuFJVFgyLaegmXY3sUcao5eL7IguTZLTNqPSIfQ0bri1R56pZQpPebVZqfQrU0o73UyNzi9f_i8Ui3YepAEsqU205U7lEnwzY4pp9HXpblynU1cRthgD0DoxqHaDPIseR1Wfly/w480-h640/IMG_0050.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">One of my other favorite traditions? Making Christmas cookies! In our house, we bake them from scratch. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">They're made with a recipe from the cookbook from the church that I grew up in. It's a recipe that only comes out for Christmas, although every Christmas I make a promise that I'm going to make the cookies again sometime throughout the year. I never do, but maybe this year while I'm on maternity leave?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Anyway.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Decked out in the apron that my parents gifted her for her 2nd birthday, Riley was ready to bake Christmas cookies!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3a4kC0hkW3Mh-AwPezje12FXk_MjaPJf4kOuT1igoOL7t8SC2xRNzxCFEY0-82KJZmCSeuU31_-QSLM846tuQPIhc5ui0eswwD_u178FoR_MSoSX33dl-lCW5of5Xbj9_NsjrMvcpDrkX/s2048/6B456F92-4C92-43D5-B87C-3F1A4652F40A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3a4kC0hkW3Mh-AwPezje12FXk_MjaPJf4kOuT1igoOL7t8SC2xRNzxCFEY0-82KJZmCSeuU31_-QSLM846tuQPIhc5ui0eswwD_u178FoR_MSoSX33dl-lCW5of5Xbj9_NsjrMvcpDrkX/w640-h640/6B456F92-4C92-43D5-B87C-3F1A4652F40A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">The cookies were made extra special this year with three generations putting their hands in to roll, cut, decorate, and bake. It was messy fun but it held Riley's attention for a solid thirty minutes which is pretty impressive for a toddler!</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLEB3veL_Rx_5JhIdDxBP7J5ga7IuxYYfh3V8OrxoXOj3V8T-x8S7SQqy_8GmiPor9QG92jx5c5nXzE9PBeA9WiVOKCSX3cVm28tIB6GSPMs9gruFO3OUxShbOrUS74Abl9LafoTKvw6A/s2048/IMG_1201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLEB3veL_Rx_5JhIdDxBP7J5ga7IuxYYfh3V8OrxoXOj3V8T-x8S7SQqy_8GmiPor9QG92jx5c5nXzE9PBeA9WiVOKCSX3cVm28tIB6GSPMs9gruFO3OUxShbOrUS74Abl9LafoTKvw6A/w480-h640/IMG_1201.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Am I already looking forward to baking Christmas cookies next year with a 3 year old and 11 month old? You. Bet.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Merry Christmas, everyone!</span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-74958228392893643482020-10-19T06:00:00.036-04:002021-01-21T16:21:05.131-05:00A Weekend in Beaufort<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> Last Friday, Patrick, Riley, and I loaded up the truck and headed to a new-to-us spot in the low country: Beaufort!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC395NdZNNc63rfgJqNqn87aAJImUjkJLoBEsDNtDjWsgwP70vEjmLv5PtG-SJ3idt6gQyKg7rgi0AP2AZ-Ko21S2znm6qm7tuPldtt2Hocvb_qCsi1rRO8L1ER8eXMkjIdln_ZIdECwD/s2048/IMG_9410.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC395NdZNNc63rfgJqNqn87aAJImUjkJLoBEsDNtDjWsgwP70vEjmLv5PtG-SJ3idt6gQyKg7rgi0AP2AZ-Ko21S2znm6qm7tuPldtt2Hocvb_qCsi1rRO8L1ER8eXMkjIdln_ZIdECwD/w640-h480/IMG_9410.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Patrick and I made a very brief stop in Beaufort about four years ago as we were making our way from Columbia to Charleston to Kiawah to Beaufort and eventually on to Savannah for our friends’ wedding weekend. We were only in town for about two hours to grab lunch and to walk around for a minute before continuing on our trip down the coast. We had big plans for a four day weekend in Beaufort this past spring to attend the PGA Heritage to celebrate the end of tax season but you know… #2020 happened. After what feels like a zillion years of trying to find a good weekend to do it, we were finally able to get our schedules aligned to spend another weekend in Beaufort at our friends’ family’s house.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">I was over the moon when I checked the weather for our trip and realized that we were finally going to have some gorgeous, chilly fall weather! We had a pretty good tease of fall in September before temperatures jumped back up into the 80s and I was <i>pumped</i> when I saw the forecast for low 70s at the high and into the 40s/50s at night. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">On our way down, we made a quick stop at Old Sheldon Church Ruins. It’s something that’s been on my list to do for years and I was finally able to cross it off this weekend. It’s a beautiful spot that’s definitely worth stopping by to see.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jL1sQaA8m6XBd6PZvyDtBSawmJpV8d22P8En4Uz8siJ0XXiCb2i80dcKCNfMmk4g9GmbjUDzRIwsVMLkkFpT6srm-d7VK8Y_2CvQDSVeufrvxWahGcrerGT3a1D2rhB6QjIJvKmHAHT6/s2048/IMG_9340.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jL1sQaA8m6XBd6PZvyDtBSawmJpV8d22P8En4Uz8siJ0XXiCb2i80dcKCNfMmk4g9GmbjUDzRIwsVMLkkFpT6srm-d7VK8Y_2CvQDSVeufrvxWahGcrerGT3a1D2rhB6QjIJvKmHAHT6/w640-h480/IMG_9340.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Outside of that, our weekend plans consisted of four things: hanging out with friends, eating a bunch of delicious food, watching all the football, and spending as much time outside as we could. I’d say we accomplished all four with flying colors.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeTrZSzRrTXt2UCck8r-OuOfD-EFHELlytDzPvQvXb5H2ntDZYf1tJRkWLMd0R9iEXGb0eqcS2TNKXdPdL8J28CEeD2R8mIYBDPHSczUJwniNWcON6DFckjYs_rzJY_EACKg9Jr_pRC8r/s2048/IMG_9517.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeTrZSzRrTXt2UCck8r-OuOfD-EFHELlytDzPvQvXb5H2ntDZYf1tJRkWLMd0R9iEXGb0eqcS2TNKXdPdL8J28CEeD2R8mIYBDPHSczUJwniNWcON6DFckjYs_rzJY_EACKg9Jr_pRC8r/w640-h480/IMG_9517.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvobxewIHJii9fALM12_XyQQz7n4rPueijLCxPIV6sCsOTPUC7eXboGB5a6qTuJ7Jhqbk__n-AZ9YCKn10ux75JTUJB7WyF0gNlyJTXiIAocFXXEAvlZtJbfP_QZBuK-XLnHzCK57m6L-_/s1440/918C289B-B5CA-441B-B79D-0C2D7B660D4B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvobxewIHJii9fALM12_XyQQz7n4rPueijLCxPIV6sCsOTPUC7eXboGB5a6qTuJ7Jhqbk__n-AZ9YCKn10ux75JTUJB7WyF0gNlyJTXiIAocFXXEAvlZtJbfP_QZBuK-XLnHzCK57m6L-_/w640-h640/918C289B-B5CA-441B-B79D-0C2D7B660D4B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JRR9kqGnpsjARkmVSrGkwP7QW1ld_Li480vvWcsCzHiRNX-0do28aj_eESZTvznrSPaMY2ODoMJM5qn_fXpTOAfmPhKtvyVQvQxKSStJhyWTcxOWBndPE7xAiE3MuNMkuZ1OqWPt-Qsr/s2048/IMG_9454.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JRR9kqGnpsjARkmVSrGkwP7QW1ld_Li480vvWcsCzHiRNX-0do28aj_eESZTvznrSPaMY2ODoMJM5qn_fXpTOAfmPhKtvyVQvQxKSStJhyWTcxOWBndPE7xAiE3MuNMkuZ1OqWPt-Qsr/w480-h640/IMG_9454.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Riley discovered a love of boats over the weekend, too. The waterway was busy all day on Saturday with boat after boat going past. If we were outside, we'd run over to the water's edge so that we could all wave to the boats. Big points to the boaters that waved back or honked a horn for us!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYjGfkPMcC19ctuFCFjpTuVbrq28GjKlBmzHgKL6L8cxxbhv2-QqoiwjV9YAeztLOk0gxAo8FMhQwd-PCx-xcjRGS4bQxhvsbML08n0I4cYvFQE0RSa0wv1C3GUVD2vTHrMlmdNU3He70/s1440/477A1EA1-94A7-44D5-8DD1-E6F5E299BD74.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYjGfkPMcC19ctuFCFjpTuVbrq28GjKlBmzHgKL6L8cxxbhv2-QqoiwjV9YAeztLOk0gxAo8FMhQwd-PCx-xcjRGS4bQxhvsbML08n0I4cYvFQE0RSa0wv1C3GUVD2vTHrMlmdNU3He70/w640-h640/477A1EA1-94A7-44D5-8DD1-E6F5E299BD74.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ3GhMyR5XMqpjcvN9KT73YqO8CcMT62opPogM3hQWbhb1XnickV1u3T-THv5DjRbjcAfTvO3nq_rjlUAld5UwEQI6nAHqjYY6fyXso3_PJgYPDrJLs_yJLAEo6r9-KRfLqtNpByJ_wvf/s1440/DB02FBEE-0D24-4A19-8774-7AF4224B033F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ3GhMyR5XMqpjcvN9KT73YqO8CcMT62opPogM3hQWbhb1XnickV1u3T-THv5DjRbjcAfTvO3nq_rjlUAld5UwEQI6nAHqjYY6fyXso3_PJgYPDrJLs_yJLAEo6r9-KRfLqtNpByJ_wvf/w640-h640/DB02FBEE-0D24-4A19-8774-7AF4224B033F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">This weekend was a much-needed three-day weekend and weekend out of town for us. We were able to explore Beaufort, spend time with good friends, and completely log off from work/house things to be able to relax.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Hopefully, we’ll have two more weekend trips down to the low country (this time to Kiawah!) before going into hibernation for the holidays, the arrival of baby girl, and tax season. Cheers to fantastic weekends in the low country!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN9Gj8vp10eonfL8ONBCEMeUqcUXBQZD2CpCdf6ca35_cJID_C17sh5xCHkzd7bGP60Opn62AUjfpTVXBEJM_PWLXoJLl196yhq4tykUxy-wLsCAbVg0xJuMEhQzDNMEHcWr9TDu6qUv4/s2048/IMG_9448.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN9Gj8vp10eonfL8ONBCEMeUqcUXBQZD2CpCdf6ca35_cJID_C17sh5xCHkzd7bGP60Opn62AUjfpTVXBEJM_PWLXoJLl196yhq4tykUxy-wLsCAbVg0xJuMEhQzDNMEHcWr9TDu6qUv4/w480-h640/IMG_9448.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-58995786549330325172020-10-05T06:00:00.002-04:002020-10-14T22:09:27.399-04:00A Saturday Day Trip to the Mountains<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> This past weekend, we had every intention of spending three days in Kiawah soaking up the sunshine, fresh air, and biking all around the island for the last time before I got too pregnant to properly balance on a bike. But, thanks to a potential exposure to COVID (thankfully, we tested negative) we ended up cancelling our weekend in Kiawah and trading it in for a day in Hendersonville, North Carolina.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYu5MJ7CrsS9ym-jwMMVMvjY-enipVOHzsj97ds9I8tFgQqfo2AQTVYOOHpPuCJ_UhP7pGLBWztwKA0HHSFqSGgeq7STCMZfmWC0d2kx5hUzYicGR0JhCTpSmyLmL4Ef9pLneqhOczTgo/s4032/PumpkinPatch_6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYu5MJ7CrsS9ym-jwMMVMvjY-enipVOHzsj97ds9I8tFgQqfo2AQTVYOOHpPuCJ_UhP7pGLBWztwKA0HHSFqSGgeq7STCMZfmWC0d2kx5hUzYicGR0JhCTpSmyLmL4Ef9pLneqhOczTgo/w480-h640/PumpkinPatch_6.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let’s rewind: back in 2017, Patrick and I celebrated </span><a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2017/08/weekending-through-mountains.html" style="font-family: verdana;" target="_blank">our 1<sup>st</sup> anniversary with a trip up to North Carolina</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> where we popped into a few of our favorite breweries before meeting up with his family just outside of Hendersonville for a family wedding. We stayed at a family friend’s beautiful cabin and on Saturday morning, Patrick and I had to drive down the mountain to the grocery store to pick up a few essential items. It was early August—but to us, it felt like peak fall season with the cool, crisp air. We rode the whole way with the windows down and enjoyed the delicious scent of fresh apples in the air from all of the apple picking orchards that we passed. I made a mental note that one day… I would be back for apple picking.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Fast-forward three years and we finally made our apple picking trip!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeUNv0RNyyAzPHjr5j4IHhKrjWD-0ATA-4TXInnoJGpxO9_8Ha16MDJpsa2fBIG_hGAAw8f-Dgx9vLP-eZHnMxwNiC2jYhhSJ7DP3q0QlJX0yfVMBFDhmAk7H04_LjyFwAv3mjjkxRmFG/s2048/ApplePicking_4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeUNv0RNyyAzPHjr5j4IHhKrjWD-0ATA-4TXInnoJGpxO9_8Ha16MDJpsa2fBIG_hGAAw8f-Dgx9vLP-eZHnMxwNiC2jYhhSJ7DP3q0QlJX0yfVMBFDhmAk7H04_LjyFwAv3mjjkxRmFG/w512-h640/ApplePicking_4.jpeg" width="512" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We loaded up bright and early and arrived at <a href="https://www.grandadsapples.com" target="_blank">Granddad’s Apples</a> at 9:30am and y’all, we were <i>late</i>. Not too late, but we were late. The orchard opened up at 8am and by the time we arrived, it was quite crowded.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We skipped over the “pumpkin patch” (which was just a few rows of pumpkins stacked on top of one another) and headed for the apple trees. We’ve never picked apples before so we opted for the small $11 bag and off we went.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MmAgNdGpWTGozj7fgqgbhmFq2baYKd6s4OkO4L47gBfPvgbPhCk8KVbXNRVFdhr0jh4KUUeBe-n7QDgwsEAlU3eljm8Ld4YNY1R4q8jhNscqdMOa5OarrZBS6lkHkVSavV7X2UbQ6zyR/s2048/ApplePicking_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MmAgNdGpWTGozj7fgqgbhmFq2baYKd6s4OkO4L47gBfPvgbPhCk8KVbXNRVFdhr0jh4KUUeBe-n7QDgwsEAlU3eljm8Ld4YNY1R4q8jhNscqdMOa5OarrZBS6lkHkVSavV7X2UbQ6zyR/w426-h640/ApplePicking_1.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">It took Riley all of two seconds to understand what we were doing and then she was all about helping us pick apples! She loved when Patrick would scoop her up, hold her high up in the tree, and keep her up there until she got the apple off the tree. Once picked, she wanted that apple to go immediately in the bag. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixs4x-A7LVRwA3wAjbMOUIF7oQofHUT_WI35KM8ur9A5jkOjAzN51edVZjy9mMAFKogGNWwXn6f51OVyV20hVfn7CHeJUZtKWRMguKz4sKypzt93tVUfyxsIcr0DZDBR7TN8YD2jnyScor/s2048/ApplePicking_3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixs4x-A7LVRwA3wAjbMOUIF7oQofHUT_WI35KM8ur9A5jkOjAzN51edVZjy9mMAFKogGNWwXn6f51OVyV20hVfn7CHeJUZtKWRMguKz4sKypzt93tVUfyxsIcr0DZDBR7TN8YD2jnyScor/w480-h640/ApplePicking_3.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">It didn’t take us too long to fill up the bag and we headed out shortly after. There were a lot of other activities—a playground, an apple cannon, more trees and varieties of apples to explore, a delicious smelling bakery—but at this point it had gotten <i>really</i> crowded and we decided it was best to leave.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSux6z9f6Mxkq193qHwR87DfZ9k-ls4gwdG42hTuBddFCIQ7sr9gC4k6lFO2Tjp9aSa_349ufCyA5V_qDaPd7mf-vDujlQZk5Mm5-MvFPowxBUwN2Np-lDvwdlFzTitfl7hB_BsSFjerk/s2048/ApplePicking_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSux6z9f6Mxkq193qHwR87DfZ9k-ls4gwdG42hTuBddFCIQ7sr9gC4k6lFO2Tjp9aSa_349ufCyA5V_qDaPd7mf-vDujlQZk5Mm5-MvFPowxBUwN2Np-lDvwdlFzTitfl7hB_BsSFjerk/w640-h426/ApplePicking_2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">I was still determined to find us a pumpkin patch and I remembered seeing a sign just off the interstate about a Linda’s Pumpkin Patch at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lindasplantsandshrubs" target="_blank">Linda's Plants and Shrubs</a> that was just 4 miles up the road in the same direction we had already traveled 2 miles in. We stumbled across it a few minutes later and after inquiring inside about picking pumpkins, we headed out into their patch.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW8RtVGXPFUo1E-eXlx_vzlFxHWBJ6rS5-4_vG8V4w8mJqKpjVR2y24bdr6MZ_IIy1lchlgRIVPTIPhfQIq7cC1DQSA-Ng4RabBg-KoF8jAaNfUqe0-r4pRqGZWWMsj2by0R7Y-faBajw/s2048/PumpkinPatch_7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW8RtVGXPFUo1E-eXlx_vzlFxHWBJ6rS5-4_vG8V4w8mJqKpjVR2y24bdr6MZ_IIy1lchlgRIVPTIPhfQIq7cC1DQSA-Ng4RabBg-KoF8jAaNfUqe0-r4pRqGZWWMsj2by0R7Y-faBajw/w480-h640/PumpkinPatch_7.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">I’ve never been to a patch like this.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIDjjEMgoaP7IJCHjiSb6SE0i7fyoGTGkgTzwgUulAnTlcZ9Uo-S1FQqVhNgD7rC8QRVMIVXs-LJyMpc58nUnMWeswkguWgJ6BuUXhx5_rVP-ZL6LMNH6FuEwMwwsJ9Y2MEtHTstPRe_N/s2048/PumpkinPatch_5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIDjjEMgoaP7IJCHjiSb6SE0i7fyoGTGkgTzwgUulAnTlcZ9Uo-S1FQqVhNgD7rC8QRVMIVXs-LJyMpc58nUnMWeswkguWgJ6BuUXhx5_rVP-ZL6LMNH6FuEwMwwsJ9Y2MEtHTstPRe_N/w640-h480/PumpkinPatch_5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b40ulKEJmlkKPsI_VLy6BgJu9IhoKur8HyxKOXWjHknQPVaA2rvVC-gUWetNKRbSjjAwMM_neKGpId3Ec-61ED3Rrdf7P34Q4Naw1U7-aDrTIu6WvRhbIhGNhn5G7kqGGBM-_gNKHF7t/s2048/PumpkinPatch_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b40ulKEJmlkKPsI_VLy6BgJu9IhoKur8HyxKOXWjHknQPVaA2rvVC-gUWetNKRbSjjAwMM_neKGpId3Ec-61ED3Rrdf7P34Q4Naw1U7-aDrTIu6WvRhbIhGNhn5G7kqGGBM-_gNKHF7t/w640-h480/PumpkinPatch_2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">All of the pumpkin patches that I have been to have been weeded, cleared out, and it was always easy to find a pumpkin to pick. This one? This one was overgrown, full of beautiful sunflowers, and you had to dig around to find a pumpkin. It was better than I could have planned.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4C4-BnDLlL03P-LHdYORGydkqSGi8hyQfKfWEL-jPRdr6y6DmR1DztXUVSCG-qZcY5iiiuLIDzc6Dybz9lM9FeQ0TGe2TRHKNP9vI5JnYpZP3csNKspbzcz6gQzckionPQs1_AciRdJTt/s2048/PumpkinPatch_3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4C4-BnDLlL03P-LHdYORGydkqSGi8hyQfKfWEL-jPRdr6y6DmR1DztXUVSCG-qZcY5iiiuLIDzc6Dybz9lM9FeQ0TGe2TRHKNP9vI5JnYpZP3csNKspbzcz6gQzckionPQs1_AciRdJTt/w480-h640/PumpkinPatch_3.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Riley and I let Patrick do the traipsing through the patch. Mainly because it was on a hillside and I didn’t want to misstep while carrying Riley but also because I was pretty sure I was going to come across a snake in there and that would not have ended well for anyone. We found three great pumpkins and at $22 total, it was a cheap trip to the pumpkin patch!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxKzIL6B3WG2fQJkyBZu-PZUbap4SplRlULrC0jLI_B5xNoBM52ydh4GqeQ6FGfco0Cs0rhOzU7QcMmqV1eIEFqWqZRuoDkNVWqB64kvlxLOrOpbx1gSWxD7-wbud7iQVdTv2rX42wUZo/s2048/PumpkinPatch_4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxKzIL6B3WG2fQJkyBZu-PZUbap4SplRlULrC0jLI_B5xNoBM52ydh4GqeQ6FGfco0Cs0rhOzU7QcMmqV1eIEFqWqZRuoDkNVWqB64kvlxLOrOpbx1gSWxD7-wbud7iQVdTv2rX42wUZo/w480-h640/PumpkinPatch_4.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">As soon as we got back into the car, Patrick and I were already planning next year’s trip to Hendersonville. We had such a good time getting outside and doing something new with Riley. The apples we picked were so good! The pumpkin patch was unique and fun. We were reminded that as much as we adore the beach, we kind of like being up in the mountains, too. I’m ready for a three day weekend in the mountains where we can hit the apple orchards on a less-busy day and invite along both sets of grandparents for the adventure. By then, Baby Girl #2 will have also arrived and both grandparents have already volunteered to watch the little ones while Patrick and I sneak off to enjoy a winery or two.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCaS00yItRhm59yX7rYJLyhjrIgSzCbDhoA7IqWIXKh_gjQ0yn6yQ_PHq-sxkRyDVhGbreKyvRna3dNz2Wu5oOLSK4cmiRWlo78nExIRHP6yYUvIyTMQc5Pge77qx619e2mK2mNXgV2xr/s4032/PumpkinPatch_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCaS00yItRhm59yX7rYJLyhjrIgSzCbDhoA7IqWIXKh_gjQ0yn6yQ_PHq-sxkRyDVhGbreKyvRna3dNz2Wu5oOLSK4cmiRWlo78nExIRHP6yYUvIyTMQc5Pge77qx619e2mK2mNXgV2xr/w480-h640/PumpkinPatch_1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Is it fall 2021 yet? I’m already counting down the days until we can bring this trip to life!</span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-13410400514761471422020-08-19T06:00:00.001-04:002020-10-11T20:38:36.990-04:00Hello, New House!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> True Story: Patrick and I are Zillow stalkers.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Patrick and I perused Zillow on a pretty regular basis the entire time that we were in our first home and had no real intentions of moving. We just like looking at houses, seeing what’s out there, and planning for the future. But once we found out that Baby #2 was on the way, we knew that our 5-7 year timeline in our first house had just been shortened and it was either move <i>right now</i> or wait until June 2021 to move.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">And then the perfect house popped up on Zillow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">When I say perfect, I mean <i>perfect</i>. Patrick and I had quite the list of what we were looking for and it involved a lot of compromising between the two of us. Patrick wanted to live somewhere that had some land, was more private than not, and wasn’t a neighborhood where every tree had been torn down to build the houses. I wanted to live in a newer house, in a nice neighborhood that had plenty of kids for our kids to play with, in a great school district, and with little to no house projects. We both knew that we’d be headed further from downtown Columbia to Lexington and we had a general area selected to look for a home. He kept looking in the older (pre-2000s) neighborhoods while I was drawn to the flashiness of the new construction homes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We met in the middle when we found the perfect house.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">It’s on a cul-de-sac and we have a big wooded lot (that will never be developed) directly behind us with neighbors at least 200 yards behind that. It’s quiet. The house itself was built in 2007 and the people who lived in it before us did a huge remodel/update of it in 2019 so it’s like moving into a brand-new house. But for Patrick, the house is not a slab house and is built on a crawl space (super important to him). The neighborhood is developed (no construction) and there are <i>so many kids</i> from newborn through high school seniors. Our particular street has 3 high school girls that we’ll be introducing ourselves to as soon as COVID dies down because hello, babysitters! There’s a community pool, sidewalks to walk on, and we’re in the best school district possible for Riley & Baby #2. There’s a <i>massive</i> front porch. We have a deck. Our master bathroom is enormous and has two huge walk-in closets (that are honestly bigger than Riley’s room at our old house). It was truly a move-in ready house. We even love all of the paint colors the last owners selected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Whew. Enough of me telling you about the house. Check it out for yourself! These are the listing photos of the house (so it’s all of the previous owners’ stuff and décor) but you’ll see pretty quickly why we fell in love with it… and had an offer on it within 10 hours of it being on the market. Shout out to our realtor, Jessica Roberts, for helping us snag this house so quickly!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Y’all. This kitchen. It might have been what sold us on the house.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdUopObfxU0-kqWMjeG0uEEcA3lNHrpZAMyr5Xz4w0E33C0cZW2wKfRGXO6YuBYvZOPaomaj5hdE9f25rzN0tOq_6xFhmoeho3bQS_5lOmlymBG0VLXk0ojm1BMH8ygDBaexpCDeFAftW/s1536/NewHouse_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdUopObfxU0-kqWMjeG0uEEcA3lNHrpZAMyr5Xz4w0E33C0cZW2wKfRGXO6YuBYvZOPaomaj5hdE9f25rzN0tOq_6xFhmoeho3bQS_5lOmlymBG0VLXk0ojm1BMH8ygDBaexpCDeFAftW/w640-h426/NewHouse_11.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoWrq94SMoD-R2sqKlg3Bq5BQBUinNMLaUIHocHbiFJsTIiKxQZSuAJ2e88ojAZiPXsx_vrMjV_7I7g_wu5MtljEryS9W0l9DU0lOQ-pZMl_fYpU2fBwLhTr1S-wZr4kA-Q5vOU-I1UFC/s1536/NewHouse_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoWrq94SMoD-R2sqKlg3Bq5BQBUinNMLaUIHocHbiFJsTIiKxQZSuAJ2e88ojAZiPXsx_vrMjV_7I7g_wu5MtljEryS9W0l9DU0lOQ-pZMl_fYpU2fBwLhTr1S-wZr4kA-Q5vOU-I1UFC/w640-h426/NewHouse_18.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">A gorgeous fireplace and beautiful built ins! & can you see through the window that there is a DECK?! I've always wanted a deck and y'all, I finally have one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwl0u4xg2UVgFOCn6ueCk90nCmNJbGsgHb383Sv2bd_Mxzc13bclfCnn9i-__oV6KYsm9H2uZErxB_W1DHmVYKlgJnNhOIjmjJGWT3lpJ5uW0qMOU_Spg16p6MKt7n9CbiqCpaojmlTz7/s1536/NewHouse_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwl0u4xg2UVgFOCn6ueCk90nCmNJbGsgHb383Sv2bd_Mxzc13bclfCnn9i-__oV6KYsm9H2uZErxB_W1DHmVYKlgJnNhOIjmjJGWT3lpJ5uW0qMOU_Spg16p6MKt7n9CbiqCpaojmlTz7/w640-h426/NewHouse_7.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">A master bathroom that Patrick and I can <i>both</i> use. I'm no longer sharing with my toddler!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jo_LpqGUy4bqSaZFNIOOPDlxwqLYg3vbFEUN8SrWELKfbi4yw_pnGtDwkl3eUuUo9GODfppsTi6vlIh_9E9u6N2KxsIraVyLvjTEb2ahenJM3Q1O98KbOeDjGqWT8sx57r4eu-fozTmn/s1536/NewHouse_29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jo_LpqGUy4bqSaZFNIOOPDlxwqLYg3vbFEUN8SrWELKfbi4yw_pnGtDwkl3eUuUo9GODfppsTi6vlIh_9E9u6N2KxsIraVyLvjTEb2ahenJM3Q1O98KbOeDjGqWT8sx57r4eu-fozTmn/w640-h426/NewHouse_29.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTebz5P91S2fifNCu5BmNMOIwRsaI82Iu0Hcl8npmPQRGWJF7fvw8dYM7NdJDC6uvWYnk3fJr6tcH4ENt_DlHSmVf5x4CGDHbj7sWF5oS0h002POCpOAki1aCZ1mIRz4nKQrSjGq7fB4j/s1536/NewHouse_32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTebz5P91S2fifNCu5BmNMOIwRsaI82Iu0Hcl8npmPQRGWJF7fvw8dYM7NdJDC6uvWYnk3fJr6tcH4ENt_DlHSmVf5x4CGDHbj7sWF5oS0h002POCpOAki1aCZ1mIRz4nKQrSjGq7fB4j/w640-h426/NewHouse_32.jpg" width="640" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">A laundry ROOM. Not a closet. Not a little tiny room. But a legitimate could-have-been-a-bedroom-sized laundry room. I may or may not have requested two brand new drying racks for my birthday in anticipation of this room.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aKwW1BY8IFrtEVMixPW13E8a8b1MBxHzH_vvoi3XlWJ6SrKTPVMT20zZ4x4lFqxo1iY73e21R-LgQM8hRAAHmV6Yn9eNj1JZW05GaJoZ1HfPWrJUepMPliSI84Kl7uHyezAZ3YWnD7HF/s1536/NewHouse_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aKwW1BY8IFrtEVMixPW13E8a8b1MBxHzH_vvoi3XlWJ6SrKTPVMT20zZ4x4lFqxo1iY73e21R-LgQM8hRAAHmV6Yn9eNj1JZW05GaJoZ1HfPWrJUepMPliSI84Kl7uHyezAZ3YWnD7HF/w640-h426/NewHouse_10.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">A deck! With a big, fenced in backyard! All of my backyard dreams coming true with this house.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe7M8Vt3HVmNwnF_fbf9qbwz7IbIFYMdoF_xxGVqGEsmlmKf_GaUw3b7CFzCOHWYgMfeRPutTUYsYRpFEGfDITfIpvW9bCPHXngGQHCnRcLRwMxFtvGXgznSzb1EbqW6lUTPejrjNtfEj/s1536/NewHouse_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe7M8Vt3HVmNwnF_fbf9qbwz7IbIFYMdoF_xxGVqGEsmlmKf_GaUw3b7CFzCOHWYgMfeRPutTUYsYRpFEGfDITfIpvW9bCPHXngGQHCnRcLRwMxFtvGXgznSzb1EbqW6lUTPejrjNtfEj/w640-h426/NewHouse_20.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Seriously, this home was immaculate and move in ready and everything we could have asked for in a new home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4en3YLpebQCVf1aU6UOBPcdPr8wn8IJMFvBwYvi7szpGe43sv1t6zmK0rJDCOziPK36XVeVSvZ6li3pIo5Uun_diJkOkKYWbTfr1YACKKJxvMAutPibDUaJDRk6APFz0Gm1102lCB1LOV/s1536/NewHouse_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4en3YLpebQCVf1aU6UOBPcdPr8wn8IJMFvBwYvi7szpGe43sv1t6zmK0rJDCOziPK36XVeVSvZ6li3pIo5Uun_diJkOkKYWbTfr1YACKKJxvMAutPibDUaJDRk6APFz0Gm1102lCB1LOV/w640-h426/NewHouse_9.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn4Eq8lIeYwUaSk3UvTZmRFF1rPB2HpZVtyhBM9LmUv6VKrE-oaHX83Xl_yyA-L_7rNqkpjsIAUf-KXddN-_sf0TtLEem-4aCmCy83VaUxELDYx7CtbYLt2-w8Ln5blGI0txPSXKy3GhI/s1536/NewHouse_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn4Eq8lIeYwUaSk3UvTZmRFF1rPB2HpZVtyhBM9LmUv6VKrE-oaHX83Xl_yyA-L_7rNqkpjsIAUf-KXddN-_sf0TtLEem-4aCmCy83VaUxELDYx7CtbYLt2-w8Ln5blGI0txPSXKy3GhI/w640-h426/NewHouse_13.jpg" width="640" /></a></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">The best part is that Riley fell in love with this house the first moment that she stepped foot inside the front door. She went <i>nuts</i>. She ran all around the first floor. She found the carpeted bedrooms and flopped on the floor, rolled around, and squealed. I was so worried about moving her away from the only home she has ever known, and that girl was like “whatever, mom. This house is way cooler.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">As for Patrick and me, we’re just excited to be in a new house that doesn’t have a mountain of house projects. We don’t worry every time it rains. We’re thrilled to have neighbors that are friendly and who stop to say hello. We love being able to walk around in the yard barefoot without worrying about stepping on broken glass, old plates, random pieces of silverware, a million rocks, or whatever else our old yard was hiding from us. He has a seven minute commute to work and thanks to this pandemic world we live in, my commute is only 15-20 minutes instead of 35-45 that it would have been in February of this year (waiting to see if that changes over time but for now it’s wonderful).</span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-85997951703433839552020-08-13T14:18:00.151-04:002020-10-11T17:25:37.750-04:00The Final Look at Our First House<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> At one point in a past life, I had every intention of blogging and sharing each room in <a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2016/05/new-house-house-tour.html">our first house</a> as we updated it and got it decorated after we moved in.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiZRUjDDyaqlk8t6r7ApXWyK9ifDEJeDP4UWsJBHPvbj53qRyL-F0jjrn799OrT54bwuGOat1bmilKbcMhwnJxtCwYsEOBkVe-NVnwijOtFokwuaD7pDxwFZIvasRrW1lSrk8U6LJcSNA/s1536/OldHouse_25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiZRUjDDyaqlk8t6r7ApXWyK9ifDEJeDP4UWsJBHPvbj53qRyL-F0jjrn799OrT54bwuGOat1bmilKbcMhwnJxtCwYsEOBkVe-NVnwijOtFokwuaD7pDxwFZIvasRrW1lSrk8U6LJcSNA/w640-h427/OldHouse_25.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Well. </span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Four years later, and I still never felt like any room other than Riley’s room was ever 100% complete. We still needed to find something to hang here, or I wanted new towels in this bathroom, or we needed new chairs for our kitchen table. Those small things all got pushed to the side for the bigger things we had to tackle for our house like renovating the basement, finishing off the garage, cutting down massive dead trees in the yard, and more. This house was a house full of projects and honestly, there were some <i>big</i> costly ones coming at us like a freight train which is one of the reasons why we decided to sell when we did.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We listed our house with our <a href="http://jessicarobertsphoto.com" target="_blank">wedding photographer</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFiZUEJHo2B/" target="_blank">Jessica Roberts</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Yes, you read that right. Our wedding photographer. Jessica is someone with many talents and she’s as talented with real estate as she is with photography. It was a huge bonus for us because she took some amazing photos of our house for the listing that made us sit back and go “Seriously? Our house looks like this?” She’s a professional photographer for a reason, y’all. She made our house look <i>so dang good</i>!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">So good, in fact, that our house had 9 showings the day it went on the market, 6 above-asking price offers, and we were under contract in under 24 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Take a quick trip back down memory lane to see our house <a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2016/05/new-house-house-tour.html">when we first purchased it...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">And here’s what she looked like on the day that we put her on the market. Quite a difference, right?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgX949ZUbeCCvK5glKdY6O0XYSP64yDPdSf3FHauBRTC4UYiCZq03X3LJ7l4Wwlx-fkEg3bfOpkUr_qSJDKseR-NBjmt_DlsPvzu-QF-MipSt4pSywUAlH0epa6F4BSeZYhLh_hdPp5PH/s1152/OldHouse_27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgX949ZUbeCCvK5glKdY6O0XYSP64yDPdSf3FHauBRTC4UYiCZq03X3LJ7l4Wwlx-fkEg3bfOpkUr_qSJDKseR-NBjmt_DlsPvzu-QF-MipSt4pSywUAlH0epa6F4BSeZYhLh_hdPp5PH/w426-h640/OldHouse_27.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Yes, the star pendant light stayed. In fact, of the 5 that were in the house, we ended up keeping 3. That's partly because I never knew what I wanted to put in their place and partly because they ended up growing on me. Did one of them make it's way with us to our new house? You bet!</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AWhVetWiP4PzjKjIf7OippSWBABer2xFOxpFfrLw1-eqGx_jsMZWUrTarDkN7wfCNVyf6pxz8co5DkmlJTiFVP1QxxXmOymyUfPjsGdmYW4Ok9OjTJE8HWl2-B59_j5dtiuhygoc7Nx_/s1536/OldHouse_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AWhVetWiP4PzjKjIf7OippSWBABer2xFOxpFfrLw1-eqGx_jsMZWUrTarDkN7wfCNVyf6pxz8co5DkmlJTiFVP1QxxXmOymyUfPjsGdmYW4Ok9OjTJE8HWl2-B59_j5dtiuhygoc7Nx_/w640-h426/OldHouse_9.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R3yqHecuEhjTFcWhG2e2QjGcLxFJq5wiMI4ToA1gVMv5XM9T-9BLQMwCu2_VbcfXSQkDMoyRdAe5DqoVoMGb8QWH06dNcvGGW-f8k0TmzWq_YokX64DUoC4kyO1mb-QE1yqc6-p8xj-V/s1536/OldHouse_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R3yqHecuEhjTFcWhG2e2QjGcLxFJq5wiMI4ToA1gVMv5XM9T-9BLQMwCu2_VbcfXSQkDMoyRdAe5DqoVoMGb8QWH06dNcvGGW-f8k0TmzWq_YokX64DUoC4kyO1mb-QE1yqc6-p8xj-V/w640-h426/OldHouse_7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">That black ottoman/wannabe coffee table? Pretty sure that went by the road while we were moving out, was scooped up within an hour, and has since been upgraded to an actual coffee table in the new house. Thank goodness. That Target find was a purchase in 2010 for my first apartment when I was looking for a place to store blankets.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-r8oOVKWk_KvOJCKw1ozlwtM8zvBO3qvMMEaEDYqgGwqyo7xAY1E7xapT25l9iyIwxWu_ZayFEIhG-q5jWDnP58p10MfIZBmdFtEBCAaqkGMd7yIKhfLmjfJWu0AGJRNq4BZPeq2s4oQr/s1536/OldHouse_31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-r8oOVKWk_KvOJCKw1ozlwtM8zvBO3qvMMEaEDYqgGwqyo7xAY1E7xapT25l9iyIwxWu_ZayFEIhG-q5jWDnP58p10MfIZBmdFtEBCAaqkGMd7yIKhfLmjfJWu0AGJRNq4BZPeq2s4oQr/w640-h426/OldHouse_31.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuxOCOAseZD-1kUyjDdJ1GNBKFr9EKG4hoFsKwJ1-VCuEARwu8UUhdJ6hKY0S5NjaP5mPZjwIQyEcWk5WjXkvQsLaKG3p_vsVGUT-R6M8WnW2Q2Dk53Bxxwm9K7QPgm6v93L7I0yKEcvA/s1536/OldHouse_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1536" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuxOCOAseZD-1kUyjDdJ1GNBKFr9EKG4hoFsKwJ1-VCuEARwu8UUhdJ6hKY0S5NjaP5mPZjwIQyEcWk5WjXkvQsLaKG3p_vsVGUT-R6M8WnW2Q2Dk53Bxxwm9K7QPgm6v93L7I0yKEcvA/w640-h428/OldHouse_12.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">I will 100% miss this fireplace. We never turned the fire on in it but it was the perfect backdrop for our Christmas tree and stockings each holiday season. It was one of the features that I loved most about our house when we first saw it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89-qX5y95FwREqFUDdB6bdjiJY80WFZWruNdJuEInbkiats4z1STeIVUWB6zgYn8jW2KylgSpihcksphz8lNh56owGOKj1z5CuIQ5BiDBbiQDL7OvlKWXu4mib6cHBvjFJe7wf0D3t9mn/s1536/OldHouse_22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89-qX5y95FwREqFUDdB6bdjiJY80WFZWruNdJuEInbkiats4z1STeIVUWB6zgYn8jW2KylgSpihcksphz8lNh56owGOKj1z5CuIQ5BiDBbiQDL7OvlKWXu4mib6cHBvjFJe7wf0D3t9mn/w640-h426/OldHouse_22.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">From our living room, you circled around into our dining room and kitchen. Yes, that's the wedding table! And no, we still haven't found chairs or a rug that we want to pair with it. We're fine without a rug in the new house but we've got to find chairs soon! Anyone else love the unique archways that we had in our house? Those custom details were what made living in a house built in 1965 worth it. Sometimes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2Q-df9StHhoxNcff_1CSclGKGPIt5146W3Tn2rRmo1wPrV-d0xADM9QDWnSmobojbA2c0hlWp7aND-I-w7ZqNH130BSjI6DNmVB3I83Db4A8bWjzFyY_KjnCBEKKBzFhKVNgK69YnwZ_/s1536/OldHouse_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1536" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2Q-df9StHhoxNcff_1CSclGKGPIt5146W3Tn2rRmo1wPrV-d0xADM9QDWnSmobojbA2c0hlWp7aND-I-w7ZqNH130BSjI6DNmVB3I83Db4A8bWjzFyY_KjnCBEKKBzFhKVNgK69YnwZ_/w640-h424/OldHouse_1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68jm3-igTTRS62OWnes4hjkHDVg3ey0uhi8nlhzVWGvttG2qp_aKU3KoFWuDcs9kAyV12c64nuMILHvHMaWDSaRe4GZN_JXJ9sVfsqk2pypvPy4z_Q69oNIshZLPXGPB0yNh5a_Gx1U0V/s1536/OldHouse_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68jm3-igTTRS62OWnes4hjkHDVg3ey0uhi8nlhzVWGvttG2qp_aKU3KoFWuDcs9kAyV12c64nuMILHvHMaWDSaRe4GZN_JXJ9sVfsqk2pypvPy4z_Q69oNIshZLPXGPB0yNh5a_Gx1U0V/w640-h426/OldHouse_2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Oh, the kitchen. When we first saw this house, we were mesmerized by the fact that there was an updated kitchen with a zillion cabinets. It was a rare find in the neighborhood we lived in. But after the first few months, all Patrick and I could talk about is how we'd love to make it less "yellow." We would have rather had white cabinets, a light color subway tile backsplash, some other kind of tile on the floor, and some kind of island in the middle. It was a great kitchen though!</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINMsty-xOEGi12a73ViU1CF4-PRT8yjFgK3OQpv-D_DuCy3bXjztqAAADh6XRtGHdGvXKbYbL2KfYaPnNcs15dLoowL_2HLu-cUVNHFReLFd0EcEd9LxCSM2PTdjb_lgvQy9ts-h5RBc7/s1536/OldHouse_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINMsty-xOEGi12a73ViU1CF4-PRT8yjFgK3OQpv-D_DuCy3bXjztqAAADh6XRtGHdGvXKbYbL2KfYaPnNcs15dLoowL_2HLu-cUVNHFReLFd0EcEd9LxCSM2PTdjb_lgvQy9ts-h5RBc7/w640-h426/OldHouse_8.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFiQ1U1rAvGPdr6_L1wqdVT36N6JlxBiOPlpCixaOdcZVZxjb1L9baPPmIIfNVdlwKUaT4Nv8rAmVL4O8AINkhojop0mUbhOaAZxbynRlUiLxMvPLOkyPZcFXvmJ3vC2o9LKEL8B9H1-b/s1536/OldHouse_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFiQ1U1rAvGPdr6_L1wqdVT36N6JlxBiOPlpCixaOdcZVZxjb1L9baPPmIIfNVdlwKUaT4Nv8rAmVL4O8AINkhojop0mUbhOaAZxbynRlUiLxMvPLOkyPZcFXvmJ3vC2o9LKEL8B9H1-b/w640-h426/OldHouse_11.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZibePp-bbcWR1QJyr4HPl8Io6LBD-TFhbQdf6kfa4fUwfSqv-rOLjKmr1_e0UKBxNlnV3-UNbEevla9VlQoGtjX8j0o03hEDLAi02bazc2c7wLXR2StUH5QUhEuKXWRwmliFbAHL0SmS/s1536/OldHouse_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZibePp-bbcWR1QJyr4HPl8Io6LBD-TFhbQdf6kfa4fUwfSqv-rOLjKmr1_e0UKBxNlnV3-UNbEevla9VlQoGtjX8j0o03hEDLAi02bazc2c7wLXR2StUH5QUhEuKXWRwmliFbAHL0SmS/w640-h426/OldHouse_14.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">See that door up there? It opened up to a set of grandfathered-in stairs to the basement, an unfinished storage area, and our garage. Once Riley figured out how to open doors, we had to keep it locked at all times. Thankfully she didn't realize how to lock/unlock doors until the day we moved into our new house.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXwG7agouvUc8ejYKI1v5jUAziiaiEVVnjUIMbHdjPRc93akK7KQCheKVkTVuSbbU-56KuxNU2l51kM_Q8hYlec8KmDTj0hyyF0l2g-4b-lSkLZS0mnqIi_zpF9pknC8b4u-BHZORrTC5/s1536/OldHouse_30.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXwG7agouvUc8ejYKI1v5jUAziiaiEVVnjUIMbHdjPRc93akK7KQCheKVkTVuSbbU-56KuxNU2l51kM_Q8hYlec8KmDTj0hyyF0l2g-4b-lSkLZS0mnqIi_zpF9pknC8b4u-BHZORrTC5/w640-h426/OldHouse_30.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let's talk about this sunroom for a minute. The sunroom was off of our dining room and it might be where we spent 75% of our time in our house. In the fall and spring we could open up all the windows and get a great breeze going through the room. Before Riley, we'd keep the rest of our house really warm in the summer and pretty chilly in the winter, but we could escape to this room with it's own unit, and be perfectly comfortable. It eventually turned into Riley's playroom and we let her have full control of the room.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0UEAzErQN2_05-S1CRjKWkKMNYBJoxd3TmKWRO7t3rgaaubKvAe6LtiRUWzkdbZEGuL6sOM9yDU7MHhpl0K2pI51FyxxIm95kTkdFmBX6c4BKMhMEdn-8TL43SwOX52_JGluTLKEMFTh/s1536/OldHouse_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0UEAzErQN2_05-S1CRjKWkKMNYBJoxd3TmKWRO7t3rgaaubKvAe6LtiRUWzkdbZEGuL6sOM9yDU7MHhpl0K2pI51FyxxIm95kTkdFmBX6c4BKMhMEdn-8TL43SwOX52_JGluTLKEMFTh/w640-h426/OldHouse_10.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We took a LOT out of this room prior to listing. There was another couch, a tee pee in one corner filled with blankets and pillows for Riley, three big ride/push type toys, a water table, and more. Like I said, it was Riley's room.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIB-UWpaynYgcTwZ2bxwWr7sTQQw9g5qlHLb1szbFKuNc1p2GRCYkkVsIvl-aEhJ1qQu2rI2O9j1bBUrExDeY7HAl6pSCv_Lmn3IhfsEpXqQq8SzWZkBRElunPhhyphenhyphenvaByzMY8qlaJilon/s1536/OldHouse_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1536" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIB-UWpaynYgcTwZ2bxwWr7sTQQw9g5qlHLb1szbFKuNc1p2GRCYkkVsIvl-aEhJ1qQu2rI2O9j1bBUrExDeY7HAl6pSCv_Lmn3IhfsEpXqQq8SzWZkBRElunPhhyphenhyphenvaByzMY8qlaJilon/w640-h418/OldHouse_13.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR16OugIEyRsiblesHqMggeQs4BpXRgK5iWTBydhPgeLYbpRKIqiv0wTyI25XertiHt9NsmA5FYvKElzXeNkYsKxjlWOEVd_FFKXJhgHhOqIXsgG8SUbxSRph_SDKWcyzis7rMNV2ae0L/s1536/OldHouse_28.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1536" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR16OugIEyRsiblesHqMggeQs4BpXRgK5iWTBydhPgeLYbpRKIqiv0wTyI25XertiHt9NsmA5FYvKElzXeNkYsKxjlWOEVd_FFKXJhgHhOqIXsgG8SUbxSRph_SDKWcyzis7rMNV2ae0L/w640-h416/OldHouse_28.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the other end of the house, up three small steps, you had our bedroom and bathroom area. We had three bedrooms (the master, the nursery, and the guest bedroom) and two bathrooms. Patrick had the ensuite in the master bedroom. It was small with just one sink and a dark, stand up shower. I opted to use the hall bathroom which was a smidge bigger, brighter, and had a shower/tub combination. It was great until Riley and I started sharing. I think we only had 1-2 weekends where we also shared with guests. Just wait until I show you the bathroom situation in our new house (it's a MASSIVE improvement!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LYkPb3xyCpvBdGvuBaxz81qzA_9_Yk2LxZc0qfxVh_f9m23ifYMnRj0rKX9fdynXAMQjwlcCc4zyfDj9Qy7rV9nk9E-0iMLx68YI0z5LNibfiv2vCus2elX4E-3tIiwziVpnNMXRvoxX/s1152/OldHouse_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LYkPb3xyCpvBdGvuBaxz81qzA_9_Yk2LxZc0qfxVh_f9m23ifYMnRj0rKX9fdynXAMQjwlcCc4zyfDj9Qy7rV9nk9E-0iMLx68YI0z5LNibfiv2vCus2elX4E-3tIiwziVpnNMXRvoxX/w426-h640/OldHouse_4.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2tF8O1BB3HBmEyfsE4Fzjzuxzo9SwIkOX9jNzUTgR4Ws-M-V0eIgcysjurYBhgrRZL0dgrtSjOOr-dcy0tj5R9a2SBeQqyv205bYbMIvj-rwyIOnn9-KZkamLiSqV-TF8AUmIrx_XJ31/s1536/OldHouse_23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2tF8O1BB3HBmEyfsE4Fzjzuxzo9SwIkOX9jNzUTgR4Ws-M-V0eIgcysjurYBhgrRZL0dgrtSjOOr-dcy0tj5R9a2SBeQqyv205bYbMIvj-rwyIOnn9-KZkamLiSqV-TF8AUmIrx_XJ31/w640-h426/OldHouse_23.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">See that door outside of Riley's nursery? That was the door to our stackable washer and dryer. We had NO laundry room at this house. Once again, just wait until you see what I've upgraded to with our new home!</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3V91Rmt1uKTGb26143y1ZsggxRaYE6nfXY_cyOW7xZy-IfKdltP3ikY2GEngMTn_6QAps7WN2c4hfLg4HeF0keEP_b7L_cVAhM93zVozXeiDgb5F62czABVhrXhkKeLgaWMNY8_iOGY-/s1536/OldHouse_5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3V91Rmt1uKTGb26143y1ZsggxRaYE6nfXY_cyOW7xZy-IfKdltP3ikY2GEngMTn_6QAps7WN2c4hfLg4HeF0keEP_b7L_cVAhM93zVozXeiDgb5F62czABVhrXhkKeLgaWMNY8_iOGY-/w640-h426/OldHouse_5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />We joke occasionally that this was the most traumatic room in the house for me. Our guest bedroom was the first room that was "finished" when we were moving into this house four years ago and I adored it. It was actually bigger than our master bedroom. It was also the room that Riley and I spent the first week at home in when we were nursing at all hours of the day... until I realized how much easier it was to nurse her in the glider rather than propped up on bed with a mountain of pillows around me. It was also the room that transitioned into an at-home office for me during the 16 weeks I was working from home during the pandemic. I was in that room at all hours of the day from 4am until midnight. Can you tell that I still have mixed feelings about this room?<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8MDOiyD9Kjp8OIRYvZQ-cdKpj0dXZj04LY2V0IbzbdhWfTcXY8qVpLOzSkMpjuEKaZ1kIgkiRB9-W0SjRZOSMijQD-wr2Qw5BhNCz8wMpFgOmLTqD25t-7OtkMVMPENzezW9K6t9-k6e/s1536/OldHouse_21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8MDOiyD9Kjp8OIRYvZQ-cdKpj0dXZj04LY2V0IbzbdhWfTcXY8qVpLOzSkMpjuEKaZ1kIgkiRB9-W0SjRZOSMijQD-wr2Qw5BhNCz8wMpFgOmLTqD25t-7OtkMVMPENzezW9K6t9-k6e/w640-h426/OldHouse_21.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUxmPosV2eM8blHUDkYKRvIXuQ-BeN3K18iSsxtDNIDj5pqJnFePByeh5JAEaNxw5tc4gydAfDBxGCHn1Qw4Iij7kOvTtVb_JNSe0fAbJrwwIe7LShjKO8fSHhCn9QKOekQxopN6RhO12/s1536/OldHouse_18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUxmPosV2eM8blHUDkYKRvIXuQ-BeN3K18iSsxtDNIDj5pqJnFePByeh5JAEaNxw5tc4gydAfDBxGCHn1Qw4Iij7kOvTtVb_JNSe0fAbJrwwIe7LShjKO8fSHhCn9QKOekQxopN6RhO12/w640-h426/OldHouse_18.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">& on to the master bedroom. See the two doors on the side of the bed? Those opened up to the smallest closets you will ever encounter. Patrick and my dad worked their magic to maximize the space inside of them but they barely held anything. My clothes were in my closet, in the guest bedroom closet, and also in the front hallway closet. There were things under the bed in the guest bedroom, too.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEYuqW4B8rrLMb4JF89mBX8085zK0QOLMqSHX_A_rf5zY9_HsZzMTYnjgNYS4TPBhtAEJgTCpRkE4bqhv9j00M2p7fZGVdyT2p71ulcdNXmQ3rZ5GgCTWeU_MCY6WI_adHLjd2SoO3bxh/s1536/OldHouse_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEYuqW4B8rrLMb4JF89mBX8085zK0QOLMqSHX_A_rf5zY9_HsZzMTYnjgNYS4TPBhtAEJgTCpRkE4bqhv9j00M2p7fZGVdyT2p71ulcdNXmQ3rZ5GgCTWeU_MCY6WI_adHLjd2SoO3bxh/w640-h426/OldHouse_15.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">See what I mean about small master bath?</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iF-bcCi86RKUDDqhSaVikO1HqjmLNjERdMOa8VPKp0p0nf2KEaM1v1zqVfnSFx4IQCQrReCcqxt_3YDMQNBc-_5KkrG4dQaCeRJuQBu0vtvHoYU3H4hBTrKxUeccObEdugFePTo_soZO/s1152/OldHouse_20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iF-bcCi86RKUDDqhSaVikO1HqjmLNjERdMOa8VPKp0p0nf2KEaM1v1zqVfnSFx4IQCQrReCcqxt_3YDMQNBc-_5KkrG4dQaCeRJuQBu0vtvHoYU3H4hBTrKxUeccObEdugFePTo_soZO/w426-h640/OldHouse_20.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we listed our house, Patrick and I stepped back and took a good look at our basement. We could not believe that was <i>our basement</i>. We definitely did not utilize this space as much as we should have over the four years we lived in this house. The first year, it was a storage room that needed some major renovations. Patrick finished the renovations. We <i>still </i>didn't use it. Then he built this sweet little corner bar and you know what? We used the basement a handful of times. It was a forgotten space in our house and we were probably the most sad about leaving it behind.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCIYXFJLqLZHfDSHkwpVHRvRBxnAFNSyyB-6zPSRckNb1ftxz2ecqgqOpKhgLly6TaiEDuIriRzsVtZxSlvPkX96k5BaKifR15DwANhkeQVYGaC9sKxQ_3m_XkvbZ7Oqt2t-uEHHtK50Y/s1536/OldHouse_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCIYXFJLqLZHfDSHkwpVHRvRBxnAFNSyyB-6zPSRckNb1ftxz2ecqgqOpKhgLly6TaiEDuIriRzsVtZxSlvPkX96k5BaKifR15DwANhkeQVYGaC9sKxQ_3m_XkvbZ7Oqt2t-uEHHtK50Y/w640-h426/OldHouse_3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The space we won't miss? Our yard. Our yard was a <i>huge</i> reason why we decided to move. Despite what it looks like in these photos, it just wasn't a great place for anyone to enjoy. There were rocks, broken glass, cutlery, wine bottles, tires, plates, and all kinds of weird things from the owners that lived in our house for 35 years prior to us. Patrick waged war on this yard. He ripped up old bushes, we cut down two trees, we tore up an old falling apart patio and cinder block wall, we raked <i>so many freaking leaves, </i>and more. You could only use the lawn mower on the back half of the backyard. The front half was all weeds and you had to use a weed eater... which meant crossing your fingers that you wouldn't fling a rock up into the sunroom windows and shatter a window (which might have happened a time or four).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcqRqVFdpjJwdRofyZc_T1pEHg95UliITqj_lmgri48tpc4WFwAz1CDmS7LXsFj9gvGT8nvg8ASK7WwK-LeVZtjGCyRUOR6a-IbHSLtvxZyL_AoZoQu1Izbrnk0q03FbK_We7oWN2IPpE/s1536/OldHouse_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcqRqVFdpjJwdRofyZc_T1pEHg95UliITqj_lmgri48tpc4WFwAz1CDmS7LXsFj9gvGT8nvg8ASK7WwK-LeVZtjGCyRUOR6a-IbHSLtvxZyL_AoZoQu1Izbrnk0q03FbK_We7oWN2IPpE/w640-h426/OldHouse_16.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfNBBVxELnkFGhptSWOsCp7XSh3AIKTEqyaK34zTbZEvbP3IAEt8_yy5_gH1yWjvHOH7CfLqsmVgeIV2z6_tgMiTJ7frtcNDU7XDUtgldIjSLdP1tkTGYe5JeW6mTDRIM9QPRwiHxDECE/s1536/OldHouse_19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfNBBVxELnkFGhptSWOsCp7XSh3AIKTEqyaK34zTbZEvbP3IAEt8_yy5_gH1yWjvHOH7CfLqsmVgeIV2z6_tgMiTJ7frtcNDU7XDUtgldIjSLdP1tkTGYe5JeW6mTDRIM9QPRwiHxDECE/w640-h426/OldHouse_19.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">This house was our home for four years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">It was the house that we came home to after our wedding in July 2016. It was the first place that Patrick and I ever lived in together because we chose not to move in together until after we were married. It’s the home that we hosted so many family and friend gatherings over the years. Everything from football watch parties to birthdays, dinners, baby showers, New Year’s Eve parties, and more. Family from as far away as London, England came to stay with us. It’s where Patrick and I built our family Christmas traditions—ones that he and I started for just us. It’s where we dined at the table that we built together for our wedding guestbook. The basement was our safe spot during several sketchy storms when we were sure that one of the tall, old trees surrounding our house was going to come crashing down on us. It’s the home that we brought Riley home from the hospital to. It’s where she took her first steps. It’s where the first 20 months of her life were spent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Our first house became our first home and y’all, that little old house built in 1965 was perfect for us. Saying goodbye to it was hard. But I can’t wait to show you the house that we moved into!</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-10621176109511531092020-07-31T06:00:00.010-04:002020-10-11T17:26:10.432-04:00Surprise! Baby Merritt #2 is On the Way!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We are over the moon excited to share that Riley is going to become a big sister in January 2021.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuylMrpSLldEIwZjCCzFmaf59Q-v0U7Gg0l0iBNNUUxMEMOOXlCz0w-dTbNob5m0yqQscyNIcKJOoGHNAYpEBy4_080bCQoSkaxzPwZRwk_BTzxVCp6QDjfAHmaCgKx5tgjkv_sy3fDYSD/s2048/NewHouse_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuylMrpSLldEIwZjCCzFmaf59Q-v0U7Gg0l0iBNNUUxMEMOOXlCz0w-dTbNob5m0yqQscyNIcKJOoGHNAYpEBy4_080bCQoSkaxzPwZRwk_BTzxVCp6QDjfAHmaCgKx5tgjkv_sy3fDYSD/w480-h640/NewHouse_1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Oh, and we bought a new house! And put our current house on the market… and under contract 24 hours later. All in the middle of a pandemic and during the longest tax season in history.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">I mean, go big or go home, right?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Baby Merritt #2 and I are in our second trimester together and we are doing <i>great</i> now that we have moved on from the sleepiness of the first trimester. With Riley, I slept through the entire first trimester and y’all, I didn’t realize what a luxury that was. Try doing that with an 18 month old running around the house as you’re trying to work from home during quarantine, trying to get your house ready to go on the market, and trying to navigate the real estate waters of buying and selling a home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Riley hasn’t quite put the concept of a baby together yet. She’ll point to my belly and say “baby” and she’ll fake cry when we ask her what a baby says, but other than that, who knows if she completely gets it. We’ll work on that with her a lot more between now and January!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">As for Patrick, once the realization of what was going on sank in (I did wake him up at 4:15 in the morning to tell him we were pregnant…), he jumped on all kinds of planning for Baby #2. That’s how we ended up putting our house on the market and purchasing a new one! Our old house, as much as we adored it, was not an ideal home to raise two children in. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">And the grandparents? Couldn’t be more excited! We bought a Big Sister shirt for Riley and we let her be the one to share the news with our parents.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We will <i>definitely</i> be finding out the gender again this time around and we’ll know in early September after our anatomy scan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for our family of four!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-15101773439553844252019-10-15T06:00:00.000-04:002019-10-17T20:39:05.738-04:00Kids + Online Privacy<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At first, I didn't think that I could do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Documenting things via photography and writing has <i>always</i> been something that I've enjoyed. Before the days of social media and blogging, I was documenting in the form of participating on yearbook staff in middle school and rising to co-editor of it during high school. Social media gave me another platform in which to document parts of my life {essentially my entire time in college at Clemson} and then when I began blogging, I had an incredible place in which to record memories and share things with whomever might be reading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Each thing that I chose to share about myself and my life in a public space was just that: something that <i>I chose</i> to share.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And I loved {and still do} seeing the photos that my friends and family choose to share on their social media accounts and their own personal blogs. It's an easy way to keep up with my sister-in-law and future brother-in-laws incredible European travels. It's how I know what's going on in someone's life when I don't have the ability to catch up with them in person.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpVXJux44oqXQPwFhHO7urWrTWvTMzssndkUbhRunVr6FySlADElGyPDGQjfRPaXIBh-ElMbeusRqnmp8piWvpzqm4lcfRZsd9Lm2UKGt3CrtHfgvNDnCKgOOeTG-X23VNo2VNpJfPM3P/s1600/Riley_KiawahIsland.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpVXJux44oqXQPwFhHO7urWrTWvTMzssndkUbhRunVr6FySlADElGyPDGQjfRPaXIBh-ElMbeusRqnmp8piWvpzqm4lcfRZsd9Lm2UKGt3CrtHfgvNDnCKgOOeTG-X23VNo2VNpJfPM3P/s640/Riley_KiawahIsland.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But when it comes to sharing things about Riley online... it's different. There are so many sweet moments, huge milestones, adorable pictures, and hilarious videos that I want to show so many different people. My phone is filled to the brim with photos that I snap in the mornings before daycare and videos that I take at night of her wild child pre-bath time antics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Because we don't share about Riley online, people have to ask us about her when they see us in person. That means that I have the opportunity to happily pull out my phone, flip through to a favorite photo or video, and tell someone about the fun new thing that she's doing. They don't already know because they haven't already seen it on social media. I know, I know, it's an old school way for people to know what's going on in our daughter's life. It's kind of fun though!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3D9eukm6SiYfV53s2Qp9My6NrxbV4v-_eOpU2js_6HTywPui-sUpq3oucaArk0S5AZuNgmrIiTANNdbD9dswNFUcnZe9XAXrKAh4w5y7c8-BGVfIwzge0tUozxXIN1T_aKCHEb11FoL6J/s1600/3B1F57A6-2788-4EBD-BB1C-D64493A9BB97.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3D9eukm6SiYfV53s2Qp9My6NrxbV4v-_eOpU2js_6HTywPui-sUpq3oucaArk0S5AZuNgmrIiTANNdbD9dswNFUcnZe9XAXrKAh4w5y7c8-BGVfIwzge0tUozxXIN1T_aKCHEb11FoL6J/s640/3B1F57A6-2788-4EBD-BB1C-D64493A9BB97.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After nearly a year of not sharing Riley's face online, we're still going... strong-ish. I've upped my creative photography skills as I try to capture the memories and moments that I can share online without showing her face. It's forced me to look at things from a different perspective and I enjoy coming up with different angles from which to take a photo.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxA4icczc_z2jxKcUHqGeevQeboDZKwVSYvFVRS8pR4qWal6tgT8pqCqKeHW6zu4KiK0-rSZpvQqLlzOmx-nfR0In_-WHQL5XWkJ6ZAJ_QBI9muNjxBCxW2imE00GL2jD2lnJdjNmphzt/s1600/2FAE977A-BEFF-4F7A-BEBD-88A695C4969F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxA4icczc_z2jxKcUHqGeevQeboDZKwVSYvFVRS8pR4qWal6tgT8pqCqKeHW6zu4KiK0-rSZpvQqLlzOmx-nfR0In_-WHQL5XWkJ6ZAJ_QBI9muNjxBCxW2imE00GL2jD2lnJdjNmphzt/s640/2FAE977A-BEFF-4F7A-BEBD-88A695C4969F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Will we ever share a photo of her face online? There's a good chance that we'll celebrate her first birthday with a photo (or 10!) Y'all will just have to wait and see!</span></div>
Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-73206676250803089452019-05-07T21:00:00.000-04:002019-10-17T20:39:46.139-04:00Beach Walkin'<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCagJcAZ5N755CnZhCYXojM5iq_goV_0qL2NxUj4IUhkrcDveHsJIFaMMXF16_VuZS_Sn5ewrfWL-NQ-BY5Ziv7zVr7h0Be5yXROFzqnsMnZ4IcNwUH0JuaqRfkC9v8Mac1-ea4vzMWxYZ/s1600/Kiawah_4.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCagJcAZ5N755CnZhCYXojM5iq_goV_0qL2NxUj4IUhkrcDveHsJIFaMMXF16_VuZS_Sn5ewrfWL-NQ-BY5Ziv7zVr7h0Be5yXROFzqnsMnZ4IcNwUH0JuaqRfkC9v8Mac1-ea4vzMWxYZ/s640/Kiawah_4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have always loved mornings on Kiawah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There's something special about waking up early, throwing on a t-shirt and shorts, and heading out the door to enjoy the beach before the rest of the world is awake. Whether it's a walk down to The Sandcastle and Beachwalker Park or a walk up to The Sanctuary, it's always so peaceful out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you're lucky, you'll catch a sea turtle making her way back in the ocean after laying her eggs up near the dunes. Sometimes, you'll see a whole bunch of jellyfish washed up on the shore {and be exceptionally glad that it's still too cool out to get in the water!}</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeiUeqCsfCFK6-vUsTHDfPPm0li5ejytWJHcKcwxEBD6KY8G9MKno4WzXIPsLH-xnEleV6a7nhTdfQ1iphwgHIBgwpn9XGpd8fGG9n8BpSq3sQhUEqQ5pO5ST378UBJGUmBAgaKy37nOj/s1600/Kiawah_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeiUeqCsfCFK6-vUsTHDfPPm0li5ejytWJHcKcwxEBD6KY8G9MKno4WzXIPsLH-xnEleV6a7nhTdfQ1iphwgHIBgwpn9XGpd8fGG9n8BpSq3sQhUEqQ5pO5ST378UBJGUmBAgaKy37nOj/s640/Kiawah_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But I've got a whole new reason to love walking on the beach these days.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYiYjs8O6oUXgeFtcQNWjc9-4QOW3DmeOe8a2rXMbVwCuW2jWnorVoaH73eb5LWh0E740bFwn7Mej1aUt8Zb2M5sf-mDRiPLjM6v8RSyggZBuVqH5lm2UhQWJjiTojiV2mCNpXcIeOTQG/s1600/Kiawah_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYiYjs8O6oUXgeFtcQNWjc9-4QOW3DmeOe8a2rXMbVwCuW2jWnorVoaH73eb5LWh0E740bFwn7Mej1aUt8Zb2M5sf-mDRiPLjM6v8RSyggZBuVqH5lm2UhQWJjiTojiV2mCNpXcIeOTQG/s640/Kiawah_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We took our first walk back in early March when she and I drove down to Kiawah for a baby shower that my parents hosted at their house. It was the first time we had ever successfully used our <a href="https://www.lillebaby.com/products/complete-airflow?variant=19370642178166">LILLEbaby Carrier</a>. Riley and I would be dangerous in this thing if we could ever figure out how to work it solo! She had plenty of fun just hanging out in it while we strolled up and down the beach with my mom.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKyQSFV3ttyjrQYu62MWxBCFIFDidNOTYjYqUnEat8tAFm4f2V6mqwhx3OocsVDblZ6KLvRwdxcWdV5BXKFVPhi3JF2A_cdyP2TQxjhSaXN5saAfKxnwUnGiS9Dpun9F7Kz7_vY5wqCur/s1600/Kiawah_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKyQSFV3ttyjrQYu62MWxBCFIFDidNOTYjYqUnEat8tAFm4f2V6mqwhx3OocsVDblZ6KLvRwdxcWdV5BXKFVPhi3JF2A_cdyP2TQxjhSaXN5saAfKxnwUnGiS9Dpun9F7Kz7_vY5wqCur/s640/Kiawah_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We went for another morning beach walk adventure at the end of April. It was finally warm enough to dip our toes in the water along the edge where the sun had warmed things up a bit. She loved the walk every bit as much as the first time and it lulled her into a great nap. The only problem? When we got back to the house, she was still asleep, and I didn't want to wake her up just yet... so we had to find a way to get comfy in a chair with her still strapped to me. Next time, I think we'll just go for a longer walk!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We have plenty of beautiful streets and bike baths to wander up and down.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNIXKC6SdwPIxn01S2aql72ZbI0Udmc7Tqe6HGPr64q7I8W7QxmcbITgP-wRyaowOPjHrauAvO2KjJ1kcAPHqSiOt54xGTzTtWJnRiGAt5Os4kQ_DQ_FQtOMPEbXBGbfKWmlzH6w0DsXP/s1600/Kiawah_5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNIXKC6SdwPIxn01S2aql72ZbI0Udmc7Tqe6HGPr64q7I8W7QxmcbITgP-wRyaowOPjHrauAvO2KjJ1kcAPHqSiOt54xGTzTtWJnRiGAt5Os4kQ_DQ_FQtOMPEbXBGbfKWmlzH6w0DsXP/s640/Kiawah_5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">... and now I'm ready for another weekend on Kiawah. Hurry up, June!</span></div>
Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-61507466271668536402019-01-08T08:28:00.000-05:002019-10-17T20:30:54.974-04:00It's Great to Be a Clemson Tiger!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I remember sitting in the stands at Wake Forest's football stadium just over ten years ago, watching an abysmal performance by my Clemson Tigers. Who loses to Wake Forest? I had road tripped up there to see a guaranteed win - not an embarrassing loss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The following Monday, Clemson fired their head coach Tommy Bowden and hired one of the assistant coaches as an interim head coach.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORb1o8diztCZEuZFc0QEIhszhM8Q89x9v2DMp-gknR3ZlUkQ_ZEcLfHVX4se0ahfGguOYQ0XhdV5Yc3oZSifsd4zOcr057D4QA2oQ6lsOeFqfkm4zabhR0wiBDumgb346PAbcjJAo6VAE/s1600/PA180576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORb1o8diztCZEuZFc0QEIhszhM8Q89x9v2DMp-gknR3ZlUkQ_ZEcLfHVX4se0ahfGguOYQ0XhdV5Yc3oZSifsd4zOcr057D4QA2oQ6lsOeFqfkm4zabhR0wiBDumgb346PAbcjJAo6VAE/s640/PA180576.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To be honest, I had no idea who this Dabo Swinney character was. He was an unknown. He was temporary. And sure, he beat USC at the end of the season but I was ready to see Clemson go out and hire a big name coach from another school. I didn't expect Clemson to hire Dabo full time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">...and now I can't imagine any other coach at Clemson.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's an incredible time to be a Clemson graduate and a Clemson football fan. The last four years have been nothing short of magical thanks to Dabo and the culture that he's created at Clemson.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">55 total wins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4 ACC Championships</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3 appearances in the College Football Playoffs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2 National Championships</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1 15-0 Season</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Clemson posted this just after the 2017 National Championship Game, and it's still one of my favorite things that their social media team has ever put together.</span></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Belief.<br />
<br />
It's a powerful thing. <a href="https://t.co/1ZLxMGSClR">pic.twitter.com/1ZLxMGSClR</a></div>
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClemsonFB/status/819920704908890113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Y'all, that was from his introductory press conference in December 2008. Nobody could have predicted the decade that would follow after he officially became head coach. <i>Nobody</i>.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I can tell you that there's not a single Clemson fan that's disappointed with his hire though. He's instilled a culture at Clemson that we all love that goes beyond winning. It's about the players. It's about more than just football. It's a family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This was the weirdest football season for me. I only made it to three Clemson games before I got too pregnant to be able to navigate the hills around Clemson and the steps to our seats. I missed the Clemson / Carolina game for the first time in forever. I watched a <i>lot</i> of Clemson football from the couch at our house. I didn't make it up to Charlotte for the ACC Championship. But, I got a cute little Clemson fan out of it so, you know, priorities.</span><br />
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</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp3IhO7pbk8WKpMKmTqhD5GuA1gTPYkiZBTI7wqR-gJMxNZWYdAM48pHkyFqcQ4k-Tp2ygfF8c-765dxFeFCEWX81V8v72yIDeuQt4oWuHpYok-APCA1BdgMz3xp_-ZIc_-lDwdgN1W7f/s1600/IMG_1426.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp3IhO7pbk8WKpMKmTqhD5GuA1gTPYkiZBTI7wqR-gJMxNZWYdAM48pHkyFqcQ4k-Tp2ygfF8c-765dxFeFCEWX81V8v72yIDeuQt4oWuHpYok-APCA1BdgMz3xp_-ZIc_-lDwdgN1W7f/s640/IMG_1426.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I can't wait to see what 2019 holds in store for Clemson! I can't wait to take Riley to her first football game in Death Valley... she might already have an outfit (or two} ready to go for next season. But for now, I'm going to soak in the moment. It's <b>GREAT</b> to be a Clemson Tiger!</span><br />
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</script><br />Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-68606111968838913922019-01-03T06:00:00.000-05:002019-10-17T20:40:04.270-04:00Riley's Birth Story<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51BsW_BGdKmxgJK9r_T8_Urf5oEO08E9Ngtd4P-jv9Gc0Pbat7KstXGPHTJDHn9TG7BwLxZd0av-oH-El0blW0nS7HhQ6JX9QkjH3vg3ig1s9oStUZtfkGL_H-TovRb36ziNYZ6tpiebg/s1600/Riley_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51BsW_BGdKmxgJK9r_T8_Urf5oEO08E9Ngtd4P-jv9Gc0Pbat7KstXGPHTJDHn9TG7BwLxZd0av-oH-El0blW0nS7HhQ6JX9QkjH3vg3ig1s9oStUZtfkGL_H-TovRb36ziNYZ6tpiebg/s640/Riley_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If birth stories aren't your thing, this is one post that you may want to skip over. I know that I loved reading about other people's experiences the closer it got to my due date and it's something that I want to document and always remember. So. Grab a glass of wine with me {because I can do that now!}, sit back, and read all about how Riley made her grand debut into the world.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The morning of Riley's official due date, I woke up way too early for my liking (like I had for the majority of my pregnancy.) </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was 4:45am and something felt a bit uncomfortable. I wasn't positive that it was a contraction, but I started keeping track of them anyway. The feeling came and went for the next hour before I decided to get up out of bed. On my way to the bathroom to start getting ready for the day, I let Patrick know that I </span><i style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">might</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> be having contractions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I showered, got ready, ate breakfast, and headed off to work. I kept track of my contractions throughout the day but they weren't being consistent at all. They would be as close together as 7 minutes and as far apart as an hour. It wasn't anything to get excited about but I decided to stay late at work to get as much done before I left just in case this turned into labor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At home, Patrick and I got busy making sure everything was ready in case we decided to go to the hospital that night. We finished washing all of the laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, put the trash and recycling out by the curb, and double checked our hospital bags. The contractions started getting more consistent, stronger, and closer together. My OB had cautioned me that as soon as contractions were 5-7 minutes apart, I would need to head to the hospital. I was GSB+ and needed to have 2 rounds of antibiotics by IV prior to delivery, so getting to the hospital early was crucial. At 10pm, we decided it was time to get into the car and go!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We checked into triage and I got hooked up to the monitors. Sure enough, what I had been feeling all day <i>was</i> actually contractions. But when they checked me, I was only 1cm dilated and the doctor on call that night sent us on a walk around the Labor & Delivery Wing for an hour to see if we could get things moving. We walked nearly <i>two miles</i> up and down the hallway, but it didn't do any good. I didn't progress at all, so they sent us home with instructions to come back at 10am for my 40 week appointment and get checked again then.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We got home around 2am and I spent <i>all night</i> trying to get some kind of sleep. My contractions were coming on a more consistent basis and were getting more and more uncomfortable. I rode out most of them, but some of them got an "owwie owwie owwie" from me throughout the duration of it. This went on or hours until it was finally time to wake up for the day. We decided that we needed to let our family know what was going on at this point. Patrick called his dad to let him know that he wouldn't be coming into work that day and then he made <b>the</b> call to my mom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Rewinding for a minute: for the last month leading up to Riley's birth, every time I called or texted my mom, she thought it was <b>the </b>call. It got old pretty quick so we devised a new plan. She set a special ring tone for Patrick and he had instructions to <i>only</i> call if it was time to head to the hospital.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Patrick put her on speaker phone and y'all, we cracked up listening to answer the phone in a total wide awake panic. We let her know about the day before and going to the hospital, and that we'd check in with her and my dad again after my 40 week appointment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The ride to the hospital was absolutely <i>miserable</i>. Our neighborhood doesn't have the smoothest roads and they're full of bumps, pot holes, random wannabe speed bumps, and more. A contraction hit right as we started driving through the neighborhood and I felt <i>every single </i>bump in the road. Luckily, we hit the smooth interstate and sped along to the hospital.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When my OB walked into the room, the first thing she said to me is that it looked like we were going to need to set that induction date after all. She had been predicting the entire time that I'd go past my due date and that we'd pick an induction date at my 40 week appointment. I almost cried when she said that because I was so ready to have this baby! I told her about our evening in triage and asked that she pretty please check me. She skipped past measuring the heartbeat and measuring my belly, and went straight to see how far dilated I was. She very excitedly informed me that I was nearly 5cm dilated and that I had a one way ticket to labor and delivery! <i>Finally!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They wheeled me across the hospital and got us settled into our delivery room. My first request? Get me that epidural. I had essentially been awake since 4:45am the previous morning... about 30 hours at this point. If you know me, you know that I can't stay up late much less pull an all nighter. My OB suggested getting the epidural immediately so that I could try and get some rest in before it was go time. They got an IV hooked up to me {one of the things that I feared the most about having a baby... needles are the worst, especially ones that stay in}, got me on fluids, and got the antibiotic I needed in me. Then came the epidural, another thing that terrified me about the whole process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It wasn't bad at all, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. There was a bit of weird feeling pressure but other than that? Just a lot of relief within like two minutes. We watched monstrous contractions roll across the computer monitor and I was so relieved to not be feeling them. I was comfortable for the first time in what felt like forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out with Patrick, our nurses, and our parents. I snuck in a nap at some point and woke up feeling so much more refreshed. I met the doctor on call that day who'd likely be delivering Riley assuming it was time to push before midnight. Around 5:30, he let me know that I was 8cm dilated and that I'd likely be at 10cm within an hour or so. We let our parents know and they decided to go hang out in the waiting room to let us both get some more rest before it was time to push.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">... and this is where things started to get very real and very painful, very fast. I started feeling my contractions again in my left hip. The nurses readjusted things and gave me more of something through the epidural. It wasn't really helping though. I was feeling each and every contraction as they came rolling through. We all assumed it was sweet girl's head pressing down on my hip and we wouldn't be able to do anything about it. The nurse checked me again at this point (around 8:30pm) and announced that I had finally made it to 10cm and it might be time to start pushing. One quick call to the doctor confirmed it: it was time to push!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The nurse warned me that first time deliveries can take 2-3 hours of pushing. It was good to have that warning because y'all, baby girl did <i>not</i> want to come out. One thing I didn't do while pregnant was look up anything about the whole giving birth process. The one video we watched in our Centering Session was bad enough, and I hardly watched that. My whole birth plan was to just go into delivery and do what the nurses and doctor's told me. Pushing was so incredibly different than I thought it would be! The first hour of pushing wasn't awful. I'd feel the contraction building, they'd tell me to take a deep breath, and then we'd do 3 rounds of 10 seconds of pushing. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The second hour though? Not enjoyable.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The nurses did keep me entertained with commentary about her hair. They were joking around about how much she had and how she was coming out with a ponytail. It didn't completely distract me though from what was going on.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I remember laying there thinking that man, if this is birth <i>with</i> an epidural, I sure am glad that I wasn't giving birth without one! Patrick told me afterwards that it looked like between each contraction that I was taking quick naps. I'd push, push, push, and then lay back with my eyes shut until it was time to push again. I don't know. I don't really remember much of this part other than willing this baby to get the heck out. Finally, the room got crowded with a bunch of people and the doctor showed up. Baby girl was so ready to come out at this point and I was ready to have her out. The minutes (hours??) waiting for the doctor to get ready were the longest of my entire life.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A few pushes later and out popped baby girl at 10:29pm! Nearly 42 hours from the first contraction, 27 hours from the beginning of early labor, and after 2 hours of pushing, she was finally, finally, <i>finally</i> here. That feeling as soon as you're done pushing and baby has arrived? Hands down the greatest feeling in the entire world. The nurses whisked her away because there was some meconium and all I heard was "Whoa! Look at that hair! What a chunk! Let's weigh her!!"</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Riley clocked in at a whopping 9lbs 2oz and 22 inches long. She came out with her hand in a fist by her face (thanks for that one, sweet girl). Her eyes were wide open and looking around, she had cheeks for days, and she was the snuggliest little thing that I had ever held in my entire life.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But, she was finally here and it was time to celebrate her arrival!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_sA1DeTojCqA5blMXsw4zkC0hfKtvNF_-mePnw7NIE0lUzGc3PLR6-epwYU-EXBjvE9nOBYAHbJtS-mnvQZK6DCF-GOvuskugEy4iUdY5iJi61zrQAY1PLbyEp6iFFvBCjT7IGuV15zg/s1600/Riley_Cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_sA1DeTojCqA5blMXsw4zkC0hfKtvNF_-mePnw7NIE0lUzGc3PLR6-epwYU-EXBjvE9nOBYAHbJtS-mnvQZK6DCF-GOvuskugEy4iUdY5iJi61zrQAY1PLbyEp6iFFvBCjT7IGuV15zg/s640/Riley_Cupcake.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
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</script><br />Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-13976784464804609442019-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:002019-01-02T06:00:08.737-05:00Hello, 2019!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hello, 2019!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB5fPb7xHR2bXJ8DUaB10eU_Cdp8dLFe4JHlRV8b3mBA90Tz_ihitpuUBZ3K_iSKf1z_Zr5QKevCajYo4gFBjLCIvfXnno466SGPfznRFNwsiqbnanLpKog7zseaa_jwvHFK38E8qzO6S/s1600/ChampagneToast.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB5fPb7xHR2bXJ8DUaB10eU_Cdp8dLFe4JHlRV8b3mBA90Tz_ihitpuUBZ3K_iSKf1z_Zr5QKevCajYo4gFBjLCIvfXnno466SGPfznRFNwsiqbnanLpKog7zseaa_jwvHFK38E8qzO6S/s640/ChampagneToast.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2018 was my biggest year yet. I did things I never thought possible (see: <a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2018/12/welcome-to-world-riley.html">giving birth to a baby</a>) and the year was everything that I had hoped for and more.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">January 1st rolled around at just the right time for me. I'm coming out of that newborn fog, the holidays are over, and I'm headed to the doctor soon to get officially cleared for working out again. Not that that's really stopped me. It's kept me from running and lifting weights, but I've hit the gym a few times and got my first bike ride post-baby in already.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMFxrv64805GVx3xQBdTl2NOb8qkBR2XXrc6Hv8Ixr-2ygIGLskGfG9Xq73_HfrXuklmVbcJapV3Lx93mjZ0mgO4YoVDaEg1kh1QqN7X5q65N0NriDpIXqrEYAD_tDhgkXgBC1yDxDlrl/s1600/Bike.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMFxrv64805GVx3xQBdTl2NOb8qkBR2XXrc6Hv8Ixr-2ygIGLskGfG9Xq73_HfrXuklmVbcJapV3Lx93mjZ0mgO4YoVDaEg1kh1QqN7X5q65N0NriDpIXqrEYAD_tDhgkXgBC1yDxDlrl/s640/Bike.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, Patrick and I decided to set a few goals for ourselves and for our family for the upcoming year. We're both ready to attack the year with intentionality so that we make the very most of it. Here's the ones that we came up with for both of us and the ones I added for myself.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>C + P Goals</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-sQ-wgSHSr2m86P5ePkefRsLMEJFwLGWkVlmv4EUZky9_K_RZbykRE1WJEOoTWAgobAbwLk3nTYKdWEfFi8mWSFDZDMt4CrLrF8BH8wY29hNDqhL8sQZ-tyUJLK9cv7I-q-wTbJ-BiMx/s1600/C_P_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-sQ-wgSHSr2m86P5ePkefRsLMEJFwLGWkVlmv4EUZky9_K_RZbykRE1WJEOoTWAgobAbwLk3nTYKdWEfFi8mWSFDZDMt4CrLrF8BH8wY29hNDqhL8sQZ-tyUJLK9cv7I-q-wTbJ-BiMx/s640/C_P_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 1 date night a month</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 3 solo weekend trips (birthday, anniversary, & 1 other weekend)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 1 friend night each a month</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- 1 friend group night a month</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>With the addition of Riley to our family, we want to make sure that we continue to focus on us, our relationship, and our time spent with our friends. That means that I'll take time to plan a night out with the girls and he'll do the same with his guy friends. We'll plan a few weekend trips that are just for us.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>C + P + R Goals</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzzzeN4VJp-NjqClhPBXuD1lXEKqgVGcuSjxI9AU64kD6Uvi1cCM6EkBN2rb6NDjcw8mRKIN9etVyUOqadbvoNKQ7_-Rzz7U1WWV27PRoDDZm3u9Kgfni176a2eqtLDtfChrhfYEVDKCe/s1600/Edisto.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzzzeN4VJp-NjqClhPBXuD1lXEKqgVGcuSjxI9AU64kD6Uvi1cCM6EkBN2rb6NDjcw8mRKIN9etVyUOqadbvoNKQ7_-Rzz7U1WWV27PRoDDZm3u9Kgfni176a2eqtLDtfChrhfYEVDKCe/s640/Edisto.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Beach trips to Kiawah</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Beach trips to Edisto</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Lake weekend</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- A trip to Charlotte</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Be active and fit</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I want to be sure that we share all of our favorite things with Riley and that we continue to do what we love now that she's here. Beach trips are a must, as well as trips out on Lake Murray. We both also want to lead an active and fit lifestyle so that it's what Riley grows up with. We'll do this by going on walks around the neighborhood and local trails, and when she's a few months older, we'll add in bike rides.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>House Goals</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL64INgu4WHyvg-E4JqhKLWNbKeiAJP-NOqn6QatMsfceLoI_oP7o9pqfWw503O66zOnBf6iBblVmB4KGY08JpUJxd8JDvC_qPiynXcDFpDaCpBGkg03XML6DKXeNIWNA0XNEeObna2Jv0/s1600/Tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL64INgu4WHyvg-E4JqhKLWNbKeiAJP-NOqn6QatMsfceLoI_oP7o9pqfWw503O66zOnBf6iBblVmB4KGY08JpUJxd8JDvC_qPiynXcDFpDaCpBGkg03XML6DKXeNIWNA0XNEeObna2Jv0/s640/Tulips.jpg" width="480" /></a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Operation Backyard Patio</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Garage improvements</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Now that we're done with the inside of our house, we're moving outside in 2019. The biggest project here is to rip up the crumbling patio we have outside of our basement/garage area and create an outdoor space that we can use. The other project is to clean up our garage a bit - close in the ceiling, paint the walls, put up shelves, etc. We both want this space to be a lot more functional and prettier than it currently is.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Fitness Goals</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E87QNEwLHD2QR0rrwooXmYiV6i_XT3ZpK6EfY8XHtuiBEcm_HWDgI-46dtLl31AK87loufXXjftUuuxi3TEHy_Jt4VCMtQlDmdUbnYjohpUyK3nHpv69yXepW6zIUvyaepQEEKey3NNh/s1600/C_Biking.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E87QNEwLHD2QR0rrwooXmYiV6i_XT3ZpK6EfY8XHtuiBEcm_HWDgI-46dtLl31AK87loufXXjftUuuxi3TEHy_Jt4VCMtQlDmdUbnYjohpUyK3nHpv69yXepW6zIUvyaepQEEKey3NNh/s640/C_Biking.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Get back to pre-baby weight</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Run 12 5Ks</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Run 1 10K</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Run Kiawah Half Marathon</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">- Buy a bike trailer for Riley & learn how to bike around with it</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I've already lost two thirds of the weight I gained with my pregnancy, so I'm hoping to cross that goal off sooner than later. I'm headed to our local running shop this week to get outfitted with a new sports bra and some new running shoes so that I can pick running back up as soon as I am cleared by the doctor (hopefully before next weekend!) I've missed the Kiawah Half the last two years, so that's my big goal this coming December.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, bring it on 2019. I'm ready for you!</span></div><!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --><br />
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</script>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-33561682338812178772018-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:002018-12-17T08:32:48.859-05:00Brewery #40: Steel Hands Brewing<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I love when a new craft brewery comes to town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not one, but <i>two</i> breweries opened up in Columbia while I was pregnant with Riley. Was I a tiny bit annoyed at the timing of the openings? You bet. I love when a new craft brewery comes to town and usually want to be one of the first people to check it out. When <a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2016/05/the-new-brewery-on-block.html">Twisted Spur</a>, <a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2018/01/brewing-pouring-at-columbia-craft.html">Columbia Craft Brewing</a>, and <a href="http://www.magnoliaandmainblog.com/2018/01/brewery-hoppin-at-hangar.html">Hunter Gather's Hangar</a> location all opened... I was either there opening day or opening week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I not-so-patiently waited for the day that I could head back to a brewery so that I could check out the two newest ones in town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Patrick and I snuck out of the house this Saturday, leaving Riley with his mom to watch, to have a day date at Columbia's newest brewery. Technically, <a href="https://www.thestate.com/news/business/article203926699.html">Steel Hands Brewing</a> is in Cayce, which is less than 10 minutes from our house {win!} It's also right down the road from one of our favorite restaurants {Henry's} and from the Timmerman Trail where we like to bike. There's a lot of good things coming to Cayce and I'm all for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But back to Steel Hands. It's the 40th {!!!} brewery that Patrick and I have visited together since 2015.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaej73zBKPOUuLlc9SDqlNKuJ4vMSCnjEXsXco0ftJLZ6eGzZO3652sRbun6ODz_kcxUteRhnq7HMtxUDA5WlWBX0V3CulUpYXebKMrBsGnsR0ogLZU8lr6bQX2AFMhjH4b4ns7BB1Ckm/s1600/SteelHands_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaej73zBKPOUuLlc9SDqlNKuJ4vMSCnjEXsXco0ftJLZ6eGzZO3652sRbun6ODz_kcxUteRhnq7HMtxUDA5WlWBX0V3CulUpYXebKMrBsGnsR0ogLZU8lr6bQX2AFMhjH4b4ns7BB1Ckm/s640/SteelHands_1.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Steel Hands Brewing <a href="https://www.thestate.com/news/business/article203926699.html">announced</a> that they would be opening up the Midlands largest craft brewery back in March and I have been counting down the days until I could visit ever since. The taproom seats 150 people and they're busy working on their outdoor patio space that will seat even more people. The outdoor space is about half complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Right now, they're open on Thursdays from 4-10pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-10pm, and Sundays from 12-8pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On tap, they have:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ShCLn35Ii3CW-v7RMzwHpeQ3pOVJCy7LyOqsUTp8dSFWK-q6gT9K5hBhKVuPUEE5xUhHgv4lUlkLwhZ-tCXnIa9MPVKjNtv4I0FcokfSDNu7gDCwPR2GRjLOytaUSQ3isHBc_L7y1SSJ/s1600/SteelHands_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ShCLn35Ii3CW-v7RMzwHpeQ3pOVJCy7LyOqsUTp8dSFWK-q6gT9K5hBhKVuPUEE5xUhHgv4lUlkLwhZ-tCXnIa9MPVKjNtv4I0FcokfSDNu7gDCwPR2GRjLOytaUSQ3isHBc_L7y1SSJ/s640/SteelHands_5.JPG" width="480" /></a></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I tried the Pilsner, Pepper Pilsner, and the Lager. Hands down, the Pilsner was my favorite of the three that I sampled but I'd be ok with grabbing a pint of any of them.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWmdVPRjznmNrmeNaB7qoDzz0gK6tLfrZMRBuv0Sad0vxZ4zSqdULENqTBinWxUVvthDcRiAJTeVb40caRv6BfGWqN_6MIE4y9hwInbXUm4Y5fxfkgc5gQo2ljyyngCcfNtbo14BrePcV/s1600/SteelHands_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWmdVPRjznmNrmeNaB7qoDzz0gK6tLfrZMRBuv0Sad0vxZ4zSqdULENqTBinWxUVvthDcRiAJTeVb40caRv6BfGWqN_6MIE4y9hwInbXUm4Y5fxfkgc5gQo2ljyyngCcfNtbo14BrePcV/s640/SteelHands_4.JPG" width="480" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As for Patrick, he tried the Tropical IPA and the Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout in addition to the three that I sampled. We also checked out their kitchen and had their Duck Fat Fries and their Pretzels + Beer Cheese. Patrick loved the fries and y'all, I need their beer cheese in my life on a daily basis. It was delicious!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We both loved <i>everything</i> about this brewery. It's got a <i>huge </i>{by Columbia standards} taproom that's filled with plenty of seating. Not every brewery has a lot of seating but this one definitely does. Their beer is fantastic. The atmosphere was wonderful - enough people to be lively with a quaint bluegrass duo playing in the background.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Does anyone else spy @easelcathedral setting up shop in the background of this photo?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Their brewery capabilities look to be fairly expansive, with room to grow if needed down the road.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7YrjikkWdCVOoX0IiT_CHHmdOnjgyQrLzX7KJV6QWDQn7RldkE62E1J2O4GKVOVKAYXqspk_kOKu_lkQtUNhaCeZOYiIjYXPe0Ixhjh4WHmGZYxyyvO_ShDLiOMLBfbngbECGG9M2r2Z/s1600/SteelHands_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7YrjikkWdCVOoX0IiT_CHHmdOnjgyQrLzX7KJV6QWDQn7RldkE62E1J2O4GKVOVKAYXqspk_kOKu_lkQtUNhaCeZOYiIjYXPe0Ixhjh4WHmGZYxyyvO_ShDLiOMLBfbngbECGG9M2r2Z/s640/SteelHands_6.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And the outdoor area? I can't wait for better weather to be able to get outside and enjoy this area! To the right of all of this outdoor seating is a big grassy lawn that has a nifty stage built from shipping containers at the end of it. Live music, great craft beers and plenty of space for everyone? I'm ok with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Have we already tentatively planned two trips out there this week? Maybe. Is this going to be Riley's first brewery? There's a really good chance it will be! This is one brewery that I have a feeling we are going to be regulars at sooner than later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cheers!</span></div>
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</script><br />Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-67682913525905219532018-12-10T06:00:00.000-05:002019-10-17T20:32:55.416-04:00Welcome to the World, Riley!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Welcome to the world, Riley!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTarsX673ZMg2X5VQVlY9sM7hHWsPCAjw35Q9po5_ekm5Ft75nStEpmHExhgilejz1n6WFGqGWvyWdgXMNn4pn2sNF8d28aJkKbsKo7exLIA8yR49NYaoK-3uPHjKGep04PDPG00m8ZTu/s1600/Riley_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTarsX673ZMg2X5VQVlY9sM7hHWsPCAjw35Q9po5_ekm5Ft75nStEpmHExhgilejz1n6WFGqGWvyWdgXMNn4pn2sNF8d28aJkKbsKo7exLIA8yR49NYaoK-3uPHjKGep04PDPG00m8ZTu/s640/Riley_1.jpeg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Patrick and I are thrilled that sweet girl is here, and we're loving life with her in it. Life as a family of three is pretty awesome if you ask me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There have been so many baby snuggles. All the snuggles. We can't get enough of them. Who needs to be productive or get things done when you can have baby snuggles instead?</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYLecgqPkiBb25pvVv5kG8dvWdZ5_owUd1gN-7J6xKPm7FpZNpqvNeh8ze4IR2jM8zX3dUaCvYpo4YxH8RXP4d4wDXoz7V0J3Szgbn2e-Vf_pMl9hJz0c9ISQ5rADCD74Z8Ea_y-jB-oE/s1600/Riley_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYLecgqPkiBb25pvVv5kG8dvWdZ5_owUd1gN-7J6xKPm7FpZNpqvNeh8ze4IR2jM8zX3dUaCvYpo4YxH8RXP4d4wDXoz7V0J3Szgbn2e-Vf_pMl9hJz0c9ISQ5rADCD74Z8Ea_y-jB-oE/s640/Riley_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We ventured out for one walk before the freezing cold rain rolled in, and I'm already looking forward to our next walk around the neighborhood. I keep checking the weather forecast looking for days where it'll be warm enough to take her outside. It's the downside of having a baby during this time of year - lack of warm walking weather.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We spent a morning with Aaron of <a href="https://joshuaaaronphotography.com/">Joshua Aaron Photography</a> doing a newborn photo session. I cannot wait to see how those photos turn out! And I'm excited to create our first family Christmas card to send out to everyone. We snuck in a few good Christmas-themed photos since we had our tree up and our stockings on the mantle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our parents have been <i>amazing</i> in helping us out! They've been coming over to get in baby snuggles so that we could get things done around the house from eating lunch to doing laundry, running to the grocery store, and showering.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38CBnry5ipLqgToNvMl4xbg3W3fGF52k8JHUukdKmFGqj-RtYQ9HNNaFwU2P9Iv_5fUiUH5cxXv-yOLB6FQBBN_0DOiv2Oong45Jv7v4D8FMjpkQTEYXBIG4CYElHHviXaKr_j-nIpbqJ/s1600/Riley_4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38CBnry5ipLqgToNvMl4xbg3W3fGF52k8JHUukdKmFGqj-RtYQ9HNNaFwU2P9Iv_5fUiUH5cxXv-yOLB6FQBBN_0DOiv2Oong45Jv7v4D8FMjpkQTEYXBIG4CYElHHviXaKr_j-nIpbqJ/s640/Riley_4.jpg" width="480" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Life sure is sweeter with Riley in it. Thanks to everyone for all of the well wishes, the cards, and gifts - we've appreciated them all and we look forward to being able to introduce her to more of our friends and family soon!</span></div>
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</script><br />Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-75294920339314207062018-11-26T06:00:00.000-05:002018-11-26T08:03:55.881-05:00Happy Due Date, Baby Girl!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3HX_xusTNH0NDje_ySPco92zkjnfV89crtQsxlzusMV1ux3x59Ohtou8EmG6UYLUqW4bcrey7OpvzD9xq4iMWlE5CvBlWi0yqZZM4_qQwF1nayxvbPtCfhM3TSJBJFDVshSuxdT4IO__/s1600/20180520tinymerritt022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3HX_xusTNH0NDje_ySPco92zkjnfV89crtQsxlzusMV1ux3x59Ohtou8EmG6UYLUqW4bcrey7OpvzD9xq4iMWlE5CvBlWi0yqZZM4_qQwF1nayxvbPtCfhM3TSJBJFDVshSuxdT4IO__/s640/20180520tinymerritt022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Waiting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've never been particularly good at waiting or being patient. I'm more along the lines of instant gratification most of the time. But you know what? I can be good at waiting when I know exactly how long I'm waiting for. Waiting for baby is much harder because there really isn't an <i>official</i> end date in sight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Could I go into labor any minute now? </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sure, technically I could. Has baby girl made </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">any </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">moves towards making her grand debut? Absolutely not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">... but, our house is spotless.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYOkiNob_5buxLtd5TVHNk5RQS4K6jZH_Sl9rii8Nu2rnpWF1dzUbUUaDQ9Xu-p-bPDDD1VidhkPP7ZjhfIUCV1AlUCEIVuumCwI7alsgT9Y3pMvftKwncg-K04jNKBrjrxNCsc4iYbj2/s1600/IMG_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYOkiNob_5buxLtd5TVHNk5RQS4K6jZH_Sl9rii8Nu2rnpWF1dzUbUUaDQ9Xu-p-bPDDD1VidhkPP7ZjhfIUCV1AlUCEIVuumCwI7alsgT9Y3pMvftKwncg-K04jNKBrjrxNCsc4iYbj2/s640/IMG_0014.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our hospital bags are all packed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The car seat is installed in my car and the extra base is installed in Patrick's car.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our parents are all in town, done traveling for the time being.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All of the laundry is done {thanks to a fancy new washer and dryer that Patrick came home with last week!}</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcU658GWkGxC4PHla9WphN06jhTryCdKSXm9wlma-u9W8kl-21Lwb5wb7VS6mHAnt9qitPKqSqqI6M_J-8c9ddzmlbNsBk3eh-1WOzGuCWltdhJVlIbtab6gt1JnKrEbczOQo0cJP7Nnd/s1600/E770ABF7-3B3B-4382-84CC-ABB4BF256DFC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcU658GWkGxC4PHla9WphN06jhTryCdKSXm9wlma-u9W8kl-21Lwb5wb7VS6mHAnt9qitPKqSqqI6M_J-8c9ddzmlbNsBk3eh-1WOzGuCWltdhJVlIbtab6gt1JnKrEbczOQo0cJP7Nnd/s640/E770ABF7-3B3B-4382-84CC-ABB4BF256DFC.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had plenty of time to do some serious Black Friday shopping on Friday and throughout the weekend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We made a dent in our Christmas shopping.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our house is decorated and ready for the holiday season.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNY_-iosfsshvS2oBv01cLGttXFQfo8u8WAj7u3zv1aTcnYOPjJ3mCfsf9AJV0EFtpeApWpV2rwH11q2l8ah-mNdrYMJhr4Wa4nij7cdE5j3UogrWpeUi3ePlLyS8yFn1o-QtLFrujQDJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-25+at+4.18.32+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1198" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNY_-iosfsshvS2oBv01cLGttXFQfo8u8WAj7u3zv1aTcnYOPjJ3mCfsf9AJV0EFtpeApWpV2rwH11q2l8ah-mNdrYMJhr4Wa4nij7cdE5j3UogrWpeUi3ePlLyS8yFn1o-QtLFrujQDJ/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-11-25+at+4.18.32+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, baby girl, we're just waiting on you. I never actually pictured you arriving on your due date because I always thought you were going to surprise us all and come early. Still being pregnant today wasn't anything I ever considered. Here I thought that we'd already be at home, snuggled up on the couch watching some Christmas movies, learning how to change diapers, and figuring out how to survive on a few hours of sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Happy due date, baby girl! We can't wait to meet you and you're more than welcome to introduce yourself any time you want. But seriously. <i>Any </i>time you want.</span></div>
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</script>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-47633163011415460022018-11-23T06:00:00.000-05:002018-11-23T06:00:02.484-05:00Breaking From Tradition<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Happy Solid Orange Friday!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For the first time in thirteen seasons, I won't be at the annual rivalry game between Clemson and South Carolina.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've been to twelve straight games in the series and throughout the twelve years, I've seen an even split of wins between the two teams. Patrick and I have been to the nine games together {and our relationship has survived all nine!} and it's going to be weird to watch the game on TV this year. We're so used to spending the Saturday after Thanksgiving tailgating with our friends before watching our teams square off against one another.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Let's take a quick trip down memory lane...</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2006: Freshman year of college</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{USC win}</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OcIdtSf7KRqt0LHXhU-dWICIAyEpDDc96ovilPj2wofcnCIyapQ9UU7QTv_h67UckKEbQWmRo2kCdlw0LVDZf8315jTWAS_afycyATvslrqn7zjykluhTQufNalTpSFmpBZ3kf0d1ZpI/s1600/PB251212.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OcIdtSf7KRqt0LHXhU-dWICIAyEpDDc96ovilPj2wofcnCIyapQ9UU7QTv_h67UckKEbQWmRo2kCdlw0LVDZf8315jTWAS_afycyATvslrqn7zjykluhTQufNalTpSFmpBZ3kf0d1ZpI/s640/PB251212.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2007: Sophomore year of college & first game in a <i>really</i> long time at USC. Also the coldest game I had ever in my life been to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{Clemson Win}</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeExrngyu39sLbTZPaFmvVCvckLTx6Nn9J4C0VoQZBqif2uWqyggs7LoXmqDM9Kvm2nZk0RQOv_Zv4dPPOyz8cx1fuOssZ-zNshLbO5rNsn-X6SHuZMsHt8r8c3vozNuOfPE_KD9TbTUj/s1600/PB230076.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeExrngyu39sLbTZPaFmvVCvckLTx6Nn9J4C0VoQZBqif2uWqyggs7LoXmqDM9Kvm2nZk0RQOv_Zv4dPPOyz8cx1fuOssZ-zNshLbO5rNsn-X6SHuZMsHt8r8c3vozNuOfPE_KD9TbTUj/s640/PB230076.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2008: Junior year of college & the most miserable game I had ever been to. It was so cold and was sleeting during most of the game. Our Interim Head Coach {Dabo} beat USC's HOF Coach {Spurrier} and it was awesome. Patrick actually attended this game to and at the conclusion, swore that he was <i>never </i>attending another Clemson game again {little did he know!}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{Clemson Win}</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHdsH6NcXZL2XPoanxqYrEQG4R5QADc5KWIc90QphDhELy-Y4N6ExRBueKXQIHWbLZDpUTIfFINHo9X-l-rR1ahAHXbJSLCSXpiK6LjwreBmllj2WBCxr7jcApo0rY4xAisk9cm7TJmRI/s1600/PB291042.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHdsH6NcXZL2XPoanxqYrEQG4R5QADc5KWIc90QphDhELy-Y4N6ExRBueKXQIHWbLZDpUTIfFINHo9X-l-rR1ahAHXbJSLCSXpiK6LjwreBmllj2WBCxr7jcApo0rY4xAisk9cm7TJmRI/s640/PB291042.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2009: Senior year of college and our first rivalry game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{USC Win}</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrvxgDQKgeC1hJmA9cq6wCWnghGud68PzEMViX57l43WiQjSatbCJxvSPgzYfcR4LbzGyEGy-HNzeJTLknSCceu-24Fx7Bofv54P5PmskUJGcSZANJesQ0aStOSz3safTyLT9lRRfoYL3/s1600/PB280966.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrvxgDQKgeC1hJmA9cq6wCWnghGud68PzEMViX57l43WiQjSatbCJxvSPgzYfcR4LbzGyEGy-HNzeJTLknSCceu-24Fx7Bofv54P5PmskUJGcSZANJesQ0aStOSz3safTyLT9lRRfoYL3/s640/PB280966.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2010: Year 2 of our rivalry relationship.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{USC Win}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyyk8Y1CAO6ga9TgSnVkO8JpAkjhkn5eQldn199Si8bRxKDEju03m_k0sD0-PjSfSj26bH3KC2GTDakv1NsHUJwgqhx_mhSMRywb9AYTt1xUaDaALDFkmQ0pb_QVN5AsSfHeJ-SyK8Pmz/s1600/PB272126.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyyk8Y1CAO6ga9TgSnVkO8JpAkjhkn5eQldn199Si8bRxKDEju03m_k0sD0-PjSfSj26bH3KC2GTDakv1NsHUJwgqhx_mhSMRywb9AYTt1xUaDaALDFkmQ0pb_QVN5AsSfHeJ-SyK8Pmz/s640/PB272126.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2011: Year 3 of our rivalry relationship. This was a <i>long</i> day of tailgating that culminated in walking down railroad tracks, cutting through an abandoned warehouse, and me falling down a set of stairs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{USC Win}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEIfrSABbPKTGIvchT1p4JT6m0FxbRuC6lKttmVyJfBfFL8hmH-R4NmsNjJc_wGQawnkVbOfz6bEkOoaHTk2DhYILvuJahvw4y2hGaZ7lojFrZzU9WpdgTAtpqaWSDuQvwsBipxJlFlEk/s1600/IMG_3661.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEIfrSABbPKTGIvchT1p4JT6m0FxbRuC6lKttmVyJfBfFL8hmH-R4NmsNjJc_wGQawnkVbOfz6bEkOoaHTk2DhYILvuJahvw4y2hGaZ7lojFrZzU9WpdgTAtpqaWSDuQvwsBipxJlFlEk/s640/IMG_3661.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2012: Year 4 of our rivalry relationship. The tailgate was exceptionally fun, but the outcome of the game? Not so much. USC notched win #4 in a row.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{USC Win}</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEh87zFD-fRjCrQSWOmvWKc0skpuvOq-revtLU2_papMe7X1Y-LIiohaLYDltxRfrbdaFxn4JjZ2haHO07V_0xH9zPYouCtCn7ULQl_hCCVUkK58RMQBaE9q79_BBLrJaa6wx7IffqKri/s1600/IMG_9402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEh87zFD-fRjCrQSWOmvWKc0skpuvOq-revtLU2_papMe7X1Y-LIiohaLYDltxRfrbdaFxn4JjZ2haHO07V_0xH9zPYouCtCn7ULQl_hCCVUkK58RMQBaE9q79_BBLrJaa6wx7IffqKri/s640/IMG_9402.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">2013: Year 5 of rivalry relationship. It was the year of the Chicken Bog, being picked up and dropped, and another Clemson defeat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">{USC Win}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueegOBKz7I9mABuIAocjSk2FcleAKhr7MJTMhBCQMpuQqFJ6uBihVzEAkUMIR12QT_qCP-qIiNLelAD349fYRVMLT2D65mAEPGXr4inG3tmbbyRSW4sCYlG39CNix93gSEjdiUMDOIrul/s1600/IMG_7136.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueegOBKz7I9mABuIAocjSk2FcleAKhr7MJTMhBCQMpuQqFJ6uBihVzEAkUMIR12QT_qCP-qIiNLelAD349fYRVMLT2D65mAEPGXr4inG3tmbbyRSW4sCYlG39CNix93gSEjdiUMDOIrul/s640/IMG_7136.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">2014: Year 6 of our rivalry relationship and at least the 4th year in a row of Patrick and his Gamecock flannel and the FIRST TIME that Clemson won while we were dating! It was the beginning of excellent things to come.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">{Clemson Win}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6D01gdSSBFqps-14pGmPYSnUsxplll9xxDJSVtt-MEqyOj6sI8WTmHOde8gWTsfjdYi1guOW11X-Fp7kRwe4twmg-H0k91HRQU9Mu-UcNRvyKmrB0xNlRFZqJOPR7k2IsntipjdnsTkp/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6D01gdSSBFqps-14pGmPYSnUsxplll9xxDJSVtt-MEqyOj6sI8WTmHOde8gWTsfjdYi1guOW11X-Fp7kRwe4twmg-H0k91HRQU9Mu-UcNRvyKmrB0xNlRFZqJOPR7k2IsntipjdnsTkp/s640/IMG_4850.JPG" width="426" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">2015: Year 7 of our rivalry relationship. Hands down the warmest Clemson/Carolina game to date - we were all rocking short sleeves rather than scarves, coats, and hats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">{Clemson Win}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDE22fiEToEzSDa4V36ruok5HrqwxDUYpHLAC59U2axLiryDsRb92JEFRFq7nmRw_Qmu44Hrg9DbE5dOzSoKKNwEMqUcISjRj-z0qKG2wgU6C5OwTYdNJlygZXexZC7SovBqXFjmPOIdk/s1600/IMG_2571.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDE22fiEToEzSDa4V36ruok5HrqwxDUYpHLAC59U2axLiryDsRb92JEFRFq7nmRw_Qmu44Hrg9DbE5dOzSoKKNwEMqUcISjRj-z0qKG2wgU6C5OwTYdNJlygZXexZC7SovBqXFjmPOIdk/s640/IMG_2571.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">2016: Year 8 of our rivalry relationship. It was our first married game and one of the best Clemson/Carolina weekends. We had rented a house just outside of Clemson with a group of friends and spent the whole weekend together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">{Clemson Win}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCGnCYfeWQtomybcX-FQxu2a9LsGSPRWg13F56Sr7rbCcdy3nbG_W-N32xJo7CZQvDmuE_rhdWXDmEdUvehdahYmIGdhf7RlGggWabqAHhqJFc95dXo0T3D062wt_YPhboYIQSiPKZ_y_/s1600/IMG_6930.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCGnCYfeWQtomybcX-FQxu2a9LsGSPRWg13F56Sr7rbCcdy3nbG_W-N32xJo7CZQvDmuE_rhdWXDmEdUvehdahYmIGdhf7RlGggWabqAHhqJFc95dXo0T3D062wt_YPhboYIQSiPKZ_y_/s640/IMG_6930.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">2017: Year 9 of our rivalry relationship and another Clemson win! I also absolutely froze during this tailgate because I accidentally forgot to pack a pair of leggings for when it got cooler after the sun went down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">{Clemson Win}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDoSexh_gG8WK7Myc5sKBQwUqpKgqo8Wn_In2LI-I7uG1f-X3ZPk7psE10l2iHBIlAiVl9iNG_J-7kWfgmp3gVrq1qa70V6aneBn_RQImVKHF0yt-H-JaI7RF1rXwv0EGuZ9EjvgFzlzc/s1600/IMG_8785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDoSexh_gG8WK7Myc5sKBQwUqpKgqo8Wn_In2LI-I7uG1f-X3ZPk7psE10l2iHBIlAiVl9iNG_J-7kWfgmp3gVrq1qa70V6aneBn_RQImVKHF0yt-H-JaI7RF1rXwv0EGuZ9EjvgFzlzc/s640/IMG_8785.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The irony of having a Clemson / Carolina weekend due date was not lost on us when we found out that we were expecting baby girl. It's only appropriate for two people who built their relationship during football season, who have season ticket's to both Clemson <i>and</i> Carolina, and for two people who have always been distinctly Clemson and distinctly Carolina.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our friends know us well, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaYi8L2HTlRGMXxtBR4Zp2ENRi9NKm4u7LcyXkM475LrJ0jpnTu6Lqjh3DKqn7ksLaaAifPRGA9VoxhoTYSBS2s8ffmp5qPen6w5Iu-QrZ2evaKajKXkAzNixTkND5AiqMszbWVHlUGoH/s1600/IMG_0280.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaYi8L2HTlRGMXxtBR4Zp2ENRi9NKm4u7LcyXkM475LrJ0jpnTu6Lqjh3DKqn7ksLaaAifPRGA9VoxhoTYSBS2s8ffmp5qPen6w5Iu-QrZ2evaKajKXkAzNixTkND5AiqMszbWVHlUGoH/s640/IMG_0280.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They've already prepared baby girl for next football season!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's just weird to think that we might be watching the game this year in the hospital if she decides to come this weekend. I know that she's going to come when she decides to come, but it would be truly appropriate for her to show up just before kick off. But, just as likely, we could be watching the game from our living room tomorrow night as we hang out waiting on her grand debut.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are <i>very</i> few reasons why I would ever miss a Clemson / Carolina game. This little girl is at least a very good reason to miss it!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">GO TIGERS! Beat USC!</span></div><!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --><br />
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Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-23117347599981723682018-11-21T06:00:00.000-05:002018-11-21T06:00:00.785-05:00A Celebration With the Girls<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Earlier this month, some of our long time family friends got together and threw us the sweetest baby shower. This group of friends is one that Patrick and I both love to celebrate with - we have celebrated all kinds of events throughout the years with them.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There have been engagement parties, wedding showers, weddings, baby showers, baptisms, birthdays, and more. If there's something to celebrate, we like to get together and party.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Baby Girl was no exception.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The hostesses knew that Blue Flour Bakery cookies were a must, along with cheese straws. They even pulled a recipe from my blog to make, too!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s640/IMG_4280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzICtoSbPJJ7SUFfULBHc0X5ItFCf9CvG1qHCYsA-yMjS9tEHi60zt5P6P8bSX5P7v_T1lX4z0QJdKKuqx9C24QDwEV-i_oxOyrew65f-QkPcpy0bDG7qp6alN8RcCi8B7uCpDnkhuIb1/s640/IMG_4282.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzICtoSbPJJ7SUFfULBHc0X5ItFCf9CvG1qHCYsA-yMjS9tEHi60zt5P6P8bSX5P7v_T1lX4z0QJdKKuqx9C24QDwEV-i_oxOyrew65f-QkPcpy0bDG7qp6alN8RcCi8B7uCpDnkhuIb1/s1600/IMG_4282.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAzKbo1VlpSAQf-yntyHGpOz38_F512yNALu4F2PmcDdqTd_o6EouwjrKagClzP1MGqebtr3t4FvyYoMoa657Vddz7ed8fBd2ov5-fnXFrI1ZB9fACKNtcHSgmrnxJ25nnloxtRETJ2DZ/s1600/IMG_4285.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAzKbo1VlpSAQf-yntyHGpOz38_F512yNALu4F2PmcDdqTd_o6EouwjrKagClzP1MGqebtr3t4FvyYoMoa657Vddz7ed8fBd2ov5-fnXFrI1ZB9fACKNtcHSgmrnxJ25nnloxtRETJ2DZ/s640/IMG_4285.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The gifts at this shower were definitely some of the most thoughtful ones that Baby Girl received. One of the girls that I work with handmade three gorgeous baby outfits. My aunt handmade two baby blankets. One of the girls found the most perfect outfits for her that look like something <i>I </i>would wear {with the exception of that Gamecock one!} Another girl I work with collected shells along the coastline and arranged them in a shadowbox for her low country / beach themed nursery.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WKYzJ9qWJZ5RI-DNaw26Yewkepdy8GWmwHiJxbYcJgKVsOqfxHeADe0zQIKcGCMTF0YCWqNGciMynNIOBJg9w_DOt0O5FaB_AolKNd9p0W8dZd3lo6fgOpf-SLrWTHE7llfhP-yTkkJd/s1600/IMG_4324.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WKYzJ9qWJZ5RI-DNaw26Yewkepdy8GWmwHiJxbYcJgKVsOqfxHeADe0zQIKcGCMTF0YCWqNGciMynNIOBJg9w_DOt0O5FaB_AolKNd9p0W8dZd3lo6fgOpf-SLrWTHE7llfhP-yTkkJd/s640/IMG_4324.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90MveukR4B2buNgymdNFAI68FnNRrgtp9Qrvcnk-Cv2_DTg1ij47YjqtPtSGFHjeGvQHaLgZs6r4IyXUbY0V06bUX_pWr9QDqyllgpRjO56a_3qhvX4UeKxZCk_lc0eBromOZBMYDZols/s1600/IMG_4280.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wPZ2mZeFP_ewUwbnOQpAqUj1PYO0WgWV8ykGf0DzXvrIMCnUUxpfVZrfIr1-y8lwBtMML9PLobuJ7kEFhepJKqm8YiEA07b186fU0pK2mUUwx1bCBnIvljlhxcTF9l2awSEN4xVJltcZ/s1600/IMG_4295.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wPZ2mZeFP_ewUwbnOQpAqUj1PYO0WgWV8ykGf0DzXvrIMCnUUxpfVZrfIr1-y8lwBtMML9PLobuJ7kEFhepJKqm8YiEA07b186fU0pK2mUUwx1bCBnIvljlhxcTF9l2awSEN4xVJltcZ/s640/IMG_4295.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These mothers know how to put together a party, y'all.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ANs7KT9MjRjQwwl8zEU7Cre3oGTQTyj6FhSwbHhkrRx1Yi4h8cUTbK9SuKTwUrTuDWw6OIcW-EtURvFdwtLfPKG7fUXsFASOBCku3rnbYvxaJfmoYwLwqXNFrs_hUTX8_qbK-5Q-NRcT/s1600/IMG_4415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ANs7KT9MjRjQwwl8zEU7Cre3oGTQTyj6FhSwbHhkrRx1Yi4h8cUTbK9SuKTwUrTuDWw6OIcW-EtURvFdwtLfPKG7fUXsFASOBCku3rnbYvxaJfmoYwLwqXNFrs_hUTX8_qbK-5Q-NRcT/s640/IMG_4415.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And this great-grandmother-to-be knows how to party. She might be 93, but I think she's got more energy and more things on her social calendar than the rest of us combined.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCycQ3kkkvRc0EXYk8IBnmX0bvcwz8ZMqJqmQt8Bw0VpR7qlVWDTqEUTpRklFllsMIlXdocEN4RdIF7uaRF5rDNEmANbjNY1CAyQNON5yOS7jPiYLyAniaLJ36jWP7rp-zBflIaR-1s-D/s1600/IMG_4411.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCycQ3kkkvRc0EXYk8IBnmX0bvcwz8ZMqJqmQt8Bw0VpR7qlVWDTqEUTpRklFllsMIlXdocEN4RdIF7uaRF5rDNEmANbjNY1CAyQNON5yOS7jPiYLyAniaLJ36jWP7rp-zBflIaR-1s-D/s640/IMG_4411.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">& this group of girls? They're pretty awesome. Some of us have known each other for nearly 26 years! We've been there for each other's milestones throughout those years... engagements, weddings, & babies. Here's to adding one more celebration to the books!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d-s1iVJufzNt71LPEP1chCfExnUFCK3stlXBfxolyRKdYHY8oBq5UQb0FMMOBOx7vZuG01hWmM8wogF19SUPjkvC2H04hvtmXyzA3BHVkaRvwvndcKPelgmi_wCBog0lCF9AqQdBO5Rq/s1600/IMG_4402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d-s1iVJufzNt71LPEP1chCfExnUFCK3stlXBfxolyRKdYHY8oBq5UQb0FMMOBOx7vZuG01hWmM8wogF19SUPjkvC2H04hvtmXyzA3BHVkaRvwvndcKPelgmi_wCBog0lCF9AqQdBO5Rq/s640/IMG_4402.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --><br />
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</div>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-54399742183968528772018-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:002019-10-17T20:38:29.463-04:00Baby Bumpin' in Downtown Charleston<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvh2VHDe71ZWXcLYl5u7ImeJOGawBBPVfOAT8i1qBvwF7hFa_cI7T-VFKf6EuXXraZxJR1dQPwzmbHW9V7-gTk3dv5R6dGxX6mS9dF3spCb_CbjiMUx95aR7sH-MPPulo0i_Z1q3cooLM/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvh2VHDe71ZWXcLYl5u7ImeJOGawBBPVfOAT8i1qBvwF7hFa_cI7T-VFKf6EuXXraZxJR1dQPwzmbHW9V7-gTk3dv5R6dGxX6mS9dF3spCb_CbjiMUx95aR7sH-MPPulo0i_Z1q3cooLM/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-23.jpg" width="640" /></a>x</div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While I haven't documented too much of my pregnancy here on the blog, one thing that I really wanted to do to document it was to have maternity photos taken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzffA3arxnMYmuhOt91TH8tuUyuVHGLKR-0C6JxMrK3Nrm8M22oVlxs5qEDoyG81tK4kVtl44QlDPuQNeX5dVL-_4eg6MtAdiHsfLHgOKEfnCPUb8K0FzUdtv4cx4s8jo7Aj7uouRiB2i/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-04.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzffA3arxnMYmuhOt91TH8tuUyuVHGLKR-0C6JxMrK3Nrm8M22oVlxs5qEDoyG81tK4kVtl44QlDPuQNeX5dVL-_4eg6MtAdiHsfLHgOKEfnCPUb8K0FzUdtv4cx4s8jo7Aj7uouRiB2i/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-04.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Enter in Caitlyn, of <a href="https://caitlynmotyckaphotography.com/">Caitlyn Motycka Photography</a> and the blogger behind <a href="http://www.homesweetruby.com/">Home Sweet Ruby</a>. I've been following along with Caitlyn for years and have watched as she picked up a camera and began to take absolutely stunning pictures of her family and friends. I was so excited to see that she decided to start her own business earlier this year, and immediately messaged her about taking maternity photos in downtown Charleston.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn53LFxnc3KifyxD-P3p9LWECIsTpDNRsCX3GFuuBYbENqOQdNipLDvv_T67hXJUUY3DUg0IHwaWhddYwCvrwb8JhFUaIx-lP5v5n7WsmlV0_3uo8OVIlRowkkuG1MUUmUcGiClHk7ad13/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-13.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn53LFxnc3KifyxD-P3p9LWECIsTpDNRsCX3GFuuBYbENqOQdNipLDvv_T67hXJUUY3DUg0IHwaWhddYwCvrwb8JhFUaIx-lP5v5n7WsmlV0_3uo8OVIlRowkkuG1MUUmUcGiClHk7ad13/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fast forward a few months, and Patrick and I met up with her early on Sunday morning in October to document this ever growing baby bump of mine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvh2VHDe71ZWXcLYl5u7ImeJOGawBBPVfOAT8i1qBvwF7hFa_cI7T-VFKf6EuXXraZxJR1dQPwzmbHW9V7-gTk3dv5R6dGxX6mS9dF3spCb_CbjiMUx95aR7sH-MPPulo0i_Z1q3cooLM/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-23.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBeq5GEye-HoV6cBkuwhj8yIFXXK9HV0o0IQnhZ4ehdNTkaX1BNUWWI1Mt3DpE2E-KOwasnIwGddx7rgXbWT9bq_iKXx8895HolTe518DopovhU1vq8KslhdWwG8YGrHUVt9AOFWdR5Ca/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBeq5GEye-HoV6cBkuwhj8yIFXXK9HV0o0IQnhZ4ehdNTkaX1BNUWWI1Mt3DpE2E-KOwasnIwGddx7rgXbWT9bq_iKXx8895HolTe518DopovhU1vq8KslhdWwG8YGrHUVt9AOFWdR5Ca/s640/IMG_0180.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fun fact: this particular Sunday was the very last day that I was able to squeeze my engagement ring and wedding band on my finger. My Clemson ring had to be ditched a few weeks prior and I've been rocking my Enso ring ever since. I'm just glad that I was able to wear my regular rings in these photos!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvh2VHDe71ZWXcLYl5u7ImeJOGawBBPVfOAT8i1qBvwF7hFa_cI7T-VFKf6EuXXraZxJR1dQPwzmbHW9V7-gTk3dv5R6dGxX6mS9dF3spCb_CbjiMUx95aR7sH-MPPulo0i_Z1q3cooLM/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-23.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWblBLK9z_5trQVDNGgQq78DU5XrN8ANm_MCap8VQpssx607WzWFpk1eS6lauLAZNNEADZKA22kBInk0z8klYAkvzkwlSCq-LVxz79gmW3kBseMtc5It2pwzO7kWjZH4TNkO0jYoAzLxR/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-44.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWblBLK9z_5trQVDNGgQq78DU5XrN8ANm_MCap8VQpssx607WzWFpk1eS6lauLAZNNEADZKA22kBInk0z8klYAkvzkwlSCq-LVxz79gmW3kBseMtc5It2pwzO7kWjZH4TNkO0jYoAzLxR/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-44.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We took the majority of our photos in downtown Charleston on Chalmers Street between Meeting Street and Church Street. Fair warning: this is hands down the bumpiest, roughest road to ever drive down! Extremely picturesque, but extremely bumpy. If we lived in Charleston, I'd probably make several trips down this road to try and get labor going.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You also don't have to worry about being in the way of cars on this road. It isn't well-traveled, and when it is, the cars are going so slow that you can easily hop out of the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4ZZsfh9W-bh0gAiAhhvBV73hSuw4anQBC3ICv2fRywkGynIOLKq2gaVpQo7WP13QahWfLMuk12KyqbpH9g5mE5vkfJYKEPGUrED0TaGtXB3pc_amwo6MrFthoRybSWGmxClMVNyl5Ej6/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-05.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4ZZsfh9W-bh0gAiAhhvBV73hSuw4anQBC3ICv2fRywkGynIOLKq2gaVpQo7WP13QahWfLMuk12KyqbpH9g5mE5vkfJYKEPGUrED0TaGtXB3pc_amwo6MrFthoRybSWGmxClMVNyl5Ej6/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-05.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We also ventured into Washington Square Park for a few photos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeW7Zfa0YhrcPbKlYgnRmxh3Pc-Qg9lEcrDXPejecWTu3bVcB-m1EVIcOUts92oXft96WrmcOt49yg2X41GFR3SNnIqqK2Ike0s_OA3Kq3lxHGhdyUiEO-63vKI4jY4u_WswRLTIy-UGc/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-51.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeW7Zfa0YhrcPbKlYgnRmxh3Pc-Qg9lEcrDXPejecWTu3bVcB-m1EVIcOUts92oXft96WrmcOt49yg2X41GFR3SNnIqqK2Ike0s_OA3Kq3lxHGhdyUiEO-63vKI4jY4u_WswRLTIy-UGc/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-51.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And of course, it wouldn't be a photoshoot with a professional photographer if Patrick and I didn't have at least one dancing photo. These always end up being some of my favorite and we have quite the collection going these days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9jPWmeiY-TAwt0bmKNRAzbAnQvl3MMatCxLKlJ8QgmuwiiHG9cLeV8gllXYJ1lFe1TH4LU5cVk6v1KbsHdYHsOq0S52kDBRdbLp7MGDZhu0wYFMwI2b1x2irYnllLzAqnUWuTIIHFc5G/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-56.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9jPWmeiY-TAwt0bmKNRAzbAnQvl3MMatCxLKlJ8QgmuwiiHG9cLeV8gllXYJ1lFe1TH4LU5cVk6v1KbsHdYHsOq0S52kDBRdbLp7MGDZhu0wYFMwI2b1x2irYnllLzAqnUWuTIIHFc5G/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-56.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you live in the Charleston area, or if you're traveling that way, and need some photos taken of your family... I highly recommend Caitlyn! She was super easy to work with and I love how our photos turned out! You should see some of the sessions that she does down on the beach - they're stunning. Am I already mentally planning another session with her sometime next year when Baby Girl is here? You bet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As for now... now, we're just counting down the days until we get to meet this sweet little girl!</span></div>
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</script><br />Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-35253875281287146962018-11-19T06:00:00.000-05:002018-11-19T06:00:02.912-05:00A Kiawah Island Baby Shower<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are a lot of things that make Kiawah Island so great and a place that I love to visit</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KgewOnvisUP1uDCyh3tliak6fvCTvTSBQDSlKp_6WE9pVqTIoI-wlAO4noo0vehLy1Nw-u5qkK6LhEymAOO2wFj4UZAnDcec8i3lpjLovRX44i0YnXreTHRNXPeMdxAzHE5ThNbDaUol/s1600/IMG_9861.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KgewOnvisUP1uDCyh3tliak6fvCTvTSBQDSlKp_6WE9pVqTIoI-wlAO4noo0vehLy1Nw-u5qkK6LhEymAOO2wFj4UZAnDcec8i3lpjLovRX44i0YnXreTHRNXPeMdxAzHE5ThNbDaUol/s640/IMG_9861.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There's the beach, the miles and miles of bike paths around the island, the beautiful places to explore, and the endless alligators to spot. But what makes it extra special are all of the people down there that have become close family friends of ours over the last 5+ years that my parents have had their house there.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One of those couples' {who we've actually known for close to 30 years} asked if they could host a baby shower for us for all of our Kiawah friends to attend. Everyone wanted to celebrate Baby Girl and we were totally on board.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Becky and Satch hosted the shower in their home and prepared some delicious food {including plenty of sugar cookies and goldfish for me!} and even turned on the Clemson football game for those of us that were interested in catching the 2nd half of the Clemson vs Wake Forest game. All of our friends there completely spoiled us with presents for Baby Girl. From handmade Clemson and Carolina afghans to clothes, books, and more, there was so many wonderful things to open up.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9TZuAGryJ0OXgj-4m0-kPdsygcm1L706F5AaRcG4rKyECmAcUX4P53KNVzI0-fznIStnFcvjTHpMTwYmMnyZVqKXqukoAUhAtN-COlZW2kDaBzl9cbP_TxoYDfNWvrb3cWoMmYJm6d37/s1600/IMG_3792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9TZuAGryJ0OXgj-4m0-kPdsygcm1L706F5AaRcG4rKyECmAcUX4P53KNVzI0-fznIStnFcvjTHpMTwYmMnyZVqKXqukoAUhAtN-COlZW2kDaBzl9cbP_TxoYDfNWvrb3cWoMmYJm6d37/s640/IMG_3792.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaJql3UEIL9jL8PKDw6anALO4Of93LStv1KhX_uuAa3yC8sAsLJhMTd-WRunNXgCuQtVDpJpt0w-ghgb6KZakO7imEei9gb9FNixoSyyQHSv3SZjBIlU4ukkNyJOICwBYFXYgHxWdYHiK/s1600/IMG_3821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaJql3UEIL9jL8PKDw6anALO4Of93LStv1KhX_uuAa3yC8sAsLJhMTd-WRunNXgCuQtVDpJpt0w-ghgb6KZakO7imEei9gb9FNixoSyyQHSv3SZjBIlU4ukkNyJOICwBYFXYgHxWdYHiK/s640/IMG_3821.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaJql3UEIL9jL8PKDw6anALO4Of93LStv1KhX_uuAa3yC8sAsLJhMTd-WRunNXgCuQtVDpJpt0w-ghgb6KZakO7imEei9gb9FNixoSyyQHSv3SZjBIlU4ukkNyJOICwBYFXYgHxWdYHiK/s1600/IMG_3821.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiAaV-RyZk53_spMJdm5qwEZwc8MSQgRN70IS4WA0MogR0xz4ek3uQRQHNKgI9hVmWMz466hPPL5pLhrFeGNtF-uoaNQjGalkunavh-rQ-xXzBbuc6I5sT2XP_paza-Gotuqw3bnmpfXP/s1600/IMG_3848.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiAaV-RyZk53_spMJdm5qwEZwc8MSQgRN70IS4WA0MogR0xz4ek3uQRQHNKgI9hVmWMz466hPPL5pLhrFeGNtF-uoaNQjGalkunavh-rQ-xXzBbuc6I5sT2XP_paza-Gotuqw3bnmpfXP/s640/IMG_3848.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iJSWmGAy0qW6lcQFqbRzhA5ppmG1_1Wkmzf9fQxFRD104EKTtin_Hb56jdIhgXKd5jDT1upUSwMeNbEQzKi3Qq5nYTaPUmnQSfyEwnOQzY_8llRnPlfwmA21DHflAeRxfT_I7-yJbKoS/s1600/IMG_3815.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iJSWmGAy0qW6lcQFqbRzhA5ppmG1_1Wkmzf9fQxFRD104EKTtin_Hb56jdIhgXKd5jDT1upUSwMeNbEQzKi3Qq5nYTaPUmnQSfyEwnOQzY_8llRnPlfwmA21DHflAeRxfT_I7-yJbKoS/s640/IMG_3815.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{I have no idea what's so hysterical in this photo... but I'm willing to be it has something to do with the tutu we found in this present}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our hostess even remembered the grandmothers, and got them each a gift, too!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7isWicNCaURcw6Mgmd82_uSNsQtpXp9XOZRfr4-uw0ItpQV6VzLXaCLIFTiPFyUoDg7fQd-EX5JX6gjgPCuXGvKR9AYFo9R2qTaYR-GwMladoP58wJtak9ywjyHoa2POcuyLkJrLxdVS2/s1600/IMG_3866.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7isWicNCaURcw6Mgmd82_uSNsQtpXp9XOZRfr4-uw0ItpQV6VzLXaCLIFTiPFyUoDg7fQd-EX5JX6gjgPCuXGvKR9AYFo9R2qTaYR-GwMladoP58wJtak9ywjyHoa2POcuyLkJrLxdVS2/s640/IMG_3866.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was wonderful to be able to celebrate with our families, too! Not only did both sets of grandparents-to-be make it, but my brother and his family, as well as my aunt and uncle made it out to the island for the celebration.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz3KCj9aJ-wHIJMN_761FoYkR2Ex9FpEKNDmujaE0SpdZEgicIjl463WfHlYAbQPxh-wfERC5kxgejzkTtYa7JwOCyvKVir3OQSJWLSQgX8ghxJZhjyT6JczdYtSnjUvwqAcRdMVSrCiK/s1600/IMG_9906.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz3KCj9aJ-wHIJMN_761FoYkR2Ex9FpEKNDmujaE0SpdZEgicIjl463WfHlYAbQPxh-wfERC5kxgejzkTtYa7JwOCyvKVir3OQSJWLSQgX8ghxJZhjyT6JczdYtSnjUvwqAcRdMVSrCiK/s640/IMG_9906.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's crazy to think that the next time we're down on Kiawah, we'll have a little one in tow with us. I sure hope she loves the beach as much as Patrick and I do. Between Kiawah and Edisto, it's safe to say that she's going to grow up spending a lot of time out on the sand and in the waves. It won't be long before she's hooked up in some form or fashion on the back of my bike for bike rides around the island!</span></div><!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --><br />
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</script>Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-37598879107396012162018-11-18T18:00:00.000-05:002018-11-18T18:20:22.495-05:00Life Lately<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There have been subtle hints. A few nudges. A few straight up "why haven't you been blogging lately?" questions.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hear y'all. Let's get this thing rolling again, alright? But first... we need to catch up a bit before I dive back in. What's been happening since the last blog post back in August?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>{September}</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We technically kicked off the first weekend of September in August with the launch of the Fall issue of Fig Columbia at Hotel Trundle. It was hands down my favorite launch party to date and I absolutely love any time that I get to spend at Hotel Trundle. I'm just trying to figure out how to work a staycation there into my very near future.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMM7gRwDg4OHuZu6QAwcF6lCxSzsiksp9sPkUNBcUFllvMuMAzWjbN0yQKEDk5cGl083gO8jiPWBlsrwvnl0Uub_byiCRmlYcFKtKcKUYdx46aK2WVTU9mnMdPTHDyoehofNyIt3-oia6/s1600/IMG_3274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMM7gRwDg4OHuZu6QAwcF6lCxSzsiksp9sPkUNBcUFllvMuMAzWjbN0yQKEDk5cGl083gO8jiPWBlsrwvnl0Uub_byiCRmlYcFKtKcKUYdx46aK2WVTU9mnMdPTHDyoehofNyIt3-oia6/s640/IMG_3274.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwMjRL9_cS-HAXCwcUeWPOaZjKXUHRWp-NYgEbu_a3cnVZQbWMlj4fVQyc5s9CxG_9pNG_58j1tKemySzFNDkoO-05DsHP9FCA8vyaQkMUY6G2UfHgPpwtx6sAiPHn-hMkwKPg24IcYs0/s1600/IMG_9060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwMjRL9_cS-HAXCwcUeWPOaZjKXUHRWp-NYgEbu_a3cnVZQbWMlj4fVQyc5s9CxG_9pNG_58j1tKemySzFNDkoO-05DsHP9FCA8vyaQkMUY6G2UfHgPpwtx6sAiPHn-hMkwKPg24IcYs0/s640/IMG_9060.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From there, we ventured to the upstate for John and Kayla's wedding weekend and an <i>extremely hot</i> Clemson game.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tV-JHH-prTpD_8T2ToStqrtjttTG20eZVU2E46Guf25YdyIwXhs9KptFgPmCw0cIXEVVl6gvrdfP5cJ56ICxOVyIzWKP8IKI1wGG-hbEDPzWzUYxQLRdYFR7aBZiaTGPaqWATUEtLwOy/s1600/IMG_9083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tV-JHH-prTpD_8T2ToStqrtjttTG20eZVU2E46Guf25YdyIwXhs9KptFgPmCw0cIXEVVl6gvrdfP5cJ56ICxOVyIzWKP8IKI1wGG-hbEDPzWzUYxQLRdYFR7aBZiaTGPaqWATUEtLwOy/s640/IMG_9083.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR8aE6OVTnrUpZLOl78k7Dm-srnkLhUjHWtzDal8YZhmo1phKwdghOkAENXLPpayXxOByR2GmojvlIsIMkJ27KHPrYBbk3To1lLhUaxd8F3YBA4pGWPysvdtuaUmIlRgDPVG28bk_-P2S/s1600/IMG_9136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR8aE6OVTnrUpZLOl78k7Dm-srnkLhUjHWtzDal8YZhmo1phKwdghOkAENXLPpayXxOByR2GmojvlIsIMkJ27KHPrYBbk3To1lLhUaxd8F3YBA4pGWPysvdtuaUmIlRgDPVG28bk_-P2S/s640/IMG_9136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbNvO6elRtQCOYZvYMR-uFoPYVXQEoVA1k2CO93UqbWO15WmxMI2sgeYk3gQJ2tV-YbpqQaJ-RSMrcneugnXDPWSSfOQcp2sx58zASeak5jzg9kEmr05YjK5j_ZZpYpZjyuFze89tWYe6/s1600/IMG_9241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbNvO6elRtQCOYZvYMR-uFoPYVXQEoVA1k2CO93UqbWO15WmxMI2sgeYk3gQJ2tV-YbpqQaJ-RSMrcneugnXDPWSSfOQcp2sx58zASeak5jzg9kEmr05YjK5j_ZZpYpZjyuFze89tWYe6/s640/IMG_9241.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There was always a super sweet baby shower hosted by our friends... that I have zero pictures from. How this happened? I have no idea. The photos I took all ended up corrupted.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The other highlights of this month might have been finally finishing furnishing our bedroom {including adding a new carpet!}, beginning to work on the nursery, and starting to make our front entry way closet actually usable.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyxMsPPOm3AwYJo3C5QPIl2luI2TpTf1JkeNfMbfZTYxKkXcnFAv8EhnDLSRaV5wnFdr3iNd81RhncGJsOF8XAOIO5uL83hpmbyTBEQFDdyA61ts4jLH7BKi4KBe7KVsbexRty8hVngdz/s1600/IMG_9728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyxMsPPOm3AwYJo3C5QPIl2luI2TpTf1JkeNfMbfZTYxKkXcnFAv8EhnDLSRaV5wnFdr3iNd81RhncGJsOF8XAOIO5uL83hpmbyTBEQFDdyA61ts4jLH7BKi4KBe7KVsbexRty8hVngdz/s640/IMG_9728.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">{just need to find something to hang above our bed now that we've taken down what used to be there when we got a new bed frame}</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOs46EtE-F4lBSO5L03M6dVqNy6v8OSrnSDf3phxn9BgdKOwswWTobPEKh6_E3u_Bt-OuvdB8t1MBjzCRkLFNXySpapgqlxUIW_oku1h3NfI2VN8B-GrsC4HsFlddZud9XAoak7nrAUkO/s1600/IMG_9821.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOs46EtE-F4lBSO5L03M6dVqNy6v8OSrnSDf3phxn9BgdKOwswWTobPEKh6_E3u_Bt-OuvdB8t1MBjzCRkLFNXySpapgqlxUIW_oku1h3NfI2VN8B-GrsC4HsFlddZud9XAoak7nrAUkO/s640/IMG_9821.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>{October}</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">October started off with a weekend down in the low country where our Kiawah friends hosted a baby shower for us {more on that later this week}.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeBQJHBCqjdiskru1zFqpfoSnDd4kAeVM2qJYlkCNXcTRLKViZxbtBmBeEXQ64SGJmflQJuEmzmD6a7hyphenhyphenl0kZqhveCwvVhiiub-0M4lwTC1faa8qjG3dXgTs_VNCQqPAMwGfrIsDyIJsN/s1600/20181006-MerrittMaternity-21.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeBQJHBCqjdiskru1zFqpfoSnDd4kAeVM2qJYlkCNXcTRLKViZxbtBmBeEXQ64SGJmflQJuEmzmD6a7hyphenhyphenl0kZqhveCwvVhiiub-0M4lwTC1faa8qjG3dXgTs_VNCQqPAMwGfrIsDyIJsN/s640/20181006-MerrittMaternity-21.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">& the next day, we followed the shower up with maternity photos {more of these this week, too!} and brunch in downtown Charleston.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4A0y1e1TYCBX1R1T7n2xjJSqXn_xOaeCqP-606nRGVQayiLS45kqZ1qoAv8Zb23s5_TZ8q5IgyJP-yG6_WfXDKnEhXgMkQpE2YrftlvC-12N8WPQ3PiHZkJ81i35Jb1_BJe1-pvGGCOXM/s1600/IMG_9898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4A0y1e1TYCBX1R1T7n2xjJSqXn_xOaeCqP-606nRGVQayiLS45kqZ1qoAv8Zb23s5_TZ8q5IgyJP-yG6_WfXDKnEhXgMkQpE2YrftlvC-12N8WPQ3PiHZkJ81i35Jb1_BJe1-pvGGCOXM/s640/IMG_9898.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We continued working on Baby Girl's nursery...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIhaHycguMgmh7lTATmtOBLFxHMCP_Y0cdNnnZlE9Bvlhn8uPZGxCPuqPVp6GKn98szPXNm0mgCot3cQr0DekcfdqSMtu6npA8HLQsje6m6Ei7-_o-cVIWRjKQD0fLnmKD1XEbkuRJAJZ/s1600/IMG_9956.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIhaHycguMgmh7lTATmtOBLFxHMCP_Y0cdNnnZlE9Bvlhn8uPZGxCPuqPVp6GKn98szPXNm0mgCot3cQr0DekcfdqSMtu6npA8HLQsje6m6Ei7-_o-cVIWRjKQD0fLnmKD1XEbkuRJAJZ/s640/IMG_9956.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jcmEl0e-p82kHHUOonjgcvRhTLvrkYu_-dyDFWeG1C76bIBvRqK7gAUKV6icH2SgU8sj7OrhcDJ6fvb9uh2oedx-5-elGDj30J4tpWI05N374S7Fah0VV6hyphenhyphenbKB8DubR1NEQPmnJI9ZL/s1600/IMG_9989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jcmEl0e-p82kHHUOonjgcvRhTLvrkYu_-dyDFWeG1C76bIBvRqK7gAUKV6icH2SgU8sj7OrhcDJ6fvb9uh2oedx-5-elGDj30J4tpWI05N374S7Fah0VV6hyphenhyphenbKB8DubR1NEQPmnJI9ZL/s640/IMG_9989.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We attended the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner with the team that I work with. This should probably be an entire post of it's own one day, but let's just say that the bridge dinner is a lot of fun and I'm hoping to go back next year when I can enjoy the drinks, too!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlmZVgJhoDOqPEIcBu5_WV-DtWxPID3vP3pm4ZmZLLMHOh8-bpB6w916lZ0mmBQWhedtpyuqn1T0uHHjNft8Ij5OkARNRHxzYKIGL7YAA76Qe8adWh_i7sjT9ogcXDs3jy37LHr3mxuuD/s1600/IMG_5158.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlmZVgJhoDOqPEIcBu5_WV-DtWxPID3vP3pm4ZmZLLMHOh8-bpB6w916lZ0mmBQWhedtpyuqn1T0uHHjNft8Ij5OkARNRHxzYKIGL7YAA76Qe8adWh_i7sjT9ogcXDs3jy37LHr3mxuuD/s640/IMG_5158.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOGF3W5bxzCGN33Oo48MX72n1xd0STFKJ9C048mkLKKOjpQKNfFLMCvBjLNsyBq8I4sU-cOfL8yGGSfocdKoi_XE_M9fweeM1YwLx3f74DIcfM0xOkMjdGfZk1MEpx1KJYKy8QKvOMw7L/s1600/IMG_1570.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOGF3W5bxzCGN33Oo48MX72n1xd0STFKJ9C048mkLKKOjpQKNfFLMCvBjLNsyBq8I4sU-cOfL8yGGSfocdKoi_XE_M9fweeM1YwLx3f74DIcfM0xOkMjdGfZk1MEpx1KJYKy8QKvOMw7L/s640/IMG_1570.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>{November}</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">...baby month!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYrH4x3zU1Vd_gzAq0EEEofGFcP5c3MydClR-JC2YY7PgkjpkQ2X2iV5E1jm8pmjJV6OXIpBMfMlt9Gc8AwssjJiX8LvNOLPyqtyVC6cqfCucDqNYb34jKUUm6MG9DqIs2SmwHl4JECoW/s1600/IMG_0167.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYrH4x3zU1Vd_gzAq0EEEofGFcP5c3MydClR-JC2YY7PgkjpkQ2X2iV5E1jm8pmjJV6OXIpBMfMlt9Gc8AwssjJiX8LvNOLPyqtyVC6cqfCucDqNYb34jKUUm6MG9DqIs2SmwHl4JECoW/s640/IMG_0167.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's been a solid few weeks of getting ready for Baby Girl's arrival. We had our last baby shower, we've pretty much finished up the nursery, we've had our house cleaned from top to bottom, and now we're just playing the waiting game until she decides it's time to show up.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This whole waiting game though is giving me plenty of time to catch up on blog posts that I've wanted to write over the last few months. Are you ready to be bombarded this week? Because you're definitely going to be bombarded this week with all things baby.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We haven't been traveling. We haven't really been to football games. It's been a <i>very</i> different kind of fall for us. The last time I packed a suitcase? The first weekend of October. I have not stayed put in one place for this long since... high school? Maybe freshman year of college? The next "trip" that we take will be to the hospital.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And that's only freaking me out a <i>tiny</i> bit.</span></div><!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --><br />
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Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509744692512258055.post-76895391607807680162018-08-24T06:00:00.000-04:002018-08-24T06:00:05.140-04:00Edible: Sausage Balls<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until a few years ago, I stayed away from all things that had sausage in it. I didn't eat sausage links or patties at breakfast, I didn't eat any kind of pizza that included sausage as a topping, and I certainly didn't eat things like Sausage Dip or Sausage Balls. Nope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have no idea how the flip got switched, but now, I'm likely to choose sausage over bacon for breakfast and at a party, go ahead and <i>try</i> to pull me away from the Sausage Dip. Ain't gonna happen. When our friends Chris and Sarah showed up to a tailgate with sausage balls a couple of seasons ago, I'm pretty sure that I devoured at least half of them, if not more. Ever since then, I've been on a mission to perfect the Sausage Ball recipe.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqG5nzd_WkEf6WHtFdZ9E0JFwp1vA9hujtRFEnq1LkifPnrTfeqsSoSU_y4lQ8N2eyJaDyGOS4yUgl4vJb5Aeoz9vluq7N4ZCEpd8LxK-G3atzt7nEsWAo6R48LlYNkphtk7bi5I0RB4rj/s1600/SausageBalls_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqG5nzd_WkEf6WHtFdZ9E0JFwp1vA9hujtRFEnq1LkifPnrTfeqsSoSU_y4lQ8N2eyJaDyGOS4yUgl4vJb5Aeoz9vluq7N4ZCEpd8LxK-G3atzt7nEsWAo6R48LlYNkphtk7bi5I0RB4rj/s640/SausageBalls_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">... except, there's no need to perfect it. Any basic recipe for sausage balls is pretty fantastic! Here's the one that we like to use in our house.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGDwpP8KtqNJi1tTzo4fI-Kn_Qgtti_zthqLyXMHfO6_mZ2xZCDn54Ea38yCzH1J-srP-eEIhEDPZx7s5O2d4O7jpF5w97IddKgNmlNGzypWWJgNHKQLHF-Nd3InLJ7IFp3UrXxPFQVlw/s1600/SausageBalls_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGDwpP8KtqNJi1tTzo4fI-Kn_Qgtti_zthqLyXMHfO6_mZ2xZCDn54Ea38yCzH1J-srP-eEIhEDPZx7s5O2d4O7jpF5w97IddKgNmlNGzypWWJgNHKQLHF-Nd3InLJ7IFp3UrXxPFQVlw/s640/SausageBalls_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Sausage Balls</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Ingredients</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3 cups Original Bisquick mix</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Directions</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Mix together sausage, Bisquick, and cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Roll mixture together in your hands to form 1" balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Cook in the oven 20 - 25 minutes, or until brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Things I will never admit: how many of these bad boys I ate by myself. I'm not great at sharing when it comes to these, and I've got a husband who respects the "don't you dare touch that piece of food" look that his pregnant wife occasionally has in her eye.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSJR-QEzTEeKkaklglyJd9HIOUA9_ZetPsiWiUwl5PM3GSWsAwvx86iTRLC8h4_Iz5Yi1LMJwBYdEdlVyuLCqs86LOk1ybrh0ESgwuHn1Wbc6extj3MBxvw7HLIEaznKOrPk1cYZwbYCV/s1600/SausageBalls_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSJR-QEzTEeKkaklglyJd9HIOUA9_ZetPsiWiUwl5PM3GSWsAwvx86iTRLC8h4_Iz5Yi1LMJwBYdEdlVyuLCqs86LOk1ybrh0ESgwuHn1Wbc6extj3MBxvw7HLIEaznKOrPk1cYZwbYCV/s640/SausageBalls_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">These are exceptional ideal for morning tailgates. Can you tell that I've got Clemson football games and tailgates on my mind this week? Sin</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ce Clemson's first game of the season is at noon and will have a morning tailgate, you can bet that these will be making an appearance at the season opener. </span></div>
Chesson | Magnolia+Mainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13242822526422005649noreply@blogger.com6