Moon Roadtrip in Ten

June 9th - 14th held a first for me:
My first road trip with Chris and his parents!

San Antonio was the destination, but we decided to make a quick stop in New Orleans...
'cause you know New Orleans is on the way in a backward-L-shaped-sort-of-way.

I was super excited and ready for a break.

Now, before I get into the details of the trip, allow me to enlighten you on my packing process. Oh yes, I'm a packer. I make lists all the time, and my packing is fabulous enough Tom Hanks' "Cast Away" debaucle would've been a cake walk if he only had my suitcase.

Fortunately for me, my mother-in-law is also a genius packer. I was greeted by the sight of a large Coleman cooler wedged between the bucket seats of their van. Packed inside was an assortment of drinks and snacks, including Starbucks Coffee Frappuccinos and trail mix with chocolate.

So, without further ado, I give you:
The Moon Family Roadtrip in Ten

1) The trip itself was rather relaxing and fun. I didn't drive much and slept a lot, only to awaken when we made food stops at Dairy Queen (for the traditional cookie dough blizzard) and Arby's.

2) Our one-night stop in New Orleans consisted of the usual tourist activities: St. Charles Avenue, Cafe Du Monde and averting our eyes to the risque posters splashed across most of the windows on Bourbon Street.

3) We arrived in San Antonio the next night to HOT HUMIDITY. Yet, like true troopers, we braved the temperature enough to peruse the Riverwalk that evening.

So fun!! I felt like I was on the Pirates of Caribbean ride at DisneyWorld, and lucky enough to get out of the boat to explore the town (minus the dirty pirates and voluptuous women.)

4) The better part of our stay involved us searching for a restaurant that served fried ice cream. Come on! You mean to tell me that's just a Tennessee thing?!?

The Alamo

We never did manage to find any, BUT (at the urging of my mother) I did become introduced to "real tortillas." Thick and doughy, I bought a dozen from a local Mexican bakery and munched on them for the remainder of the trip. Yes, they are that good.

5) Moon (a.k.a. Chris) surprised me with a pedicure at the hotel's spa. He feigned a trip to the hotel's gym with me, and turned around at the doors with a smile to inform me that I had an appointment. :)

Chris riding the rides at the Pacific World War II Museum

So I indulged in an incredible (and incredibly expensive) pedicure wearing my workout clothes and tennis shoes. I guess that's what those disposable flip-flops are for. It was a rather embarassing shuffle back to the room amid the other hotel guests.

6) My iPod got stolen an hour later...

7) Spent some of the trip visiting with Mom Moon's twin sister and her family. Uncle Dave, Aunt Roxanne, and their daughter, Raeanne, treated us to a tour of the area, complete with Texas-shaped tortilla chips, something called Horchata - a type of sweet rice milk, and a cute, little German-esque town nearby called Fredricksburg.

Did not expect to eat wienerschnitzel in Texas, but hey...

8) We also made a stop at my childhood home in San Antonio (one of many). My family lived here while my Dad was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base.

This was actually a home in which I have some memories. It was here I first saw and loved The Little Mermaid. I also remember a giant papasan chair, a scorpion, a bee-infested honeysuckle bush, and a swimming pool - not in the same memory, mind you.

9) Had a fabulous dinner at Boudros, a highly-recommended restaurant right on the riverwalk. They have the BEST guacamole, made tableside. Recipe here! (Why do so many of these "top ten" include food? Hmm...)

10) Last, but not least, I learned a little something about each of my travel companions.

Dad Moon is a pro on a TomTom GPS and he shares my love of DQ.

Mom Moon is someone with whom I could trust to pack for me, and she has a great fondness for chorizo in her omelets.

And Chris? While listening to my iPod with my earbuds on (before it got stolen), I learned from Chris that my "soft singing voice" is not as soft as I thought...

The Book Group

Not too long ago, I was lamenting my lack of girlfriends. Don't get me wrong; I love hanging out with Sadie, telling her all my secrets while we paint each other's fingernails, and have pillow fights.

Sadie and Katie - B.F.F.

But lately, I had been thinking about high school and my freshman year of college. How different my life seems now than then. I had friends that I saw every day, girlfriends that I talked to on a regular basis, and I missed that.

Around February, I guess, I remember talking to my mom about my prayers of late.

My mom mentioned Virginia. VK and I went to grade school together at Zion Christian Academy all the way through high school, attended the same church, man! we even 'went out' with same guy. (Not at the same time, mind you...)

ANYWAY, I love Virginia.

Amazingly enough, Virginia is now a teacher at our old elementary school and still attends my family church.

Well, Virginia's name came up, and before I knew it. Virginia, Kari, Megan (another school friend aka "Zionite"), and I were having dinner at Betty's Parkway in Riverside.

Me, Meg, and VK in Elementary School (Rachel too now!! To my left)

It was like we'd never been apart! We talked and talked and talked. Somehow, the topic of books came up, and before long, we formed a book group.

(Virginia says we can't call it a book club 'cause that sounds like we're old ladies.)

I was ex-cit-ed! I came home, told Chris all about it, and surfed the web for a couple of hours looking up books for us to read.

What do you expect? 1) I'm a nerd. 2) I love to plan. 3) I had some girls to hang out with again!

Chris was happy for me too... ESPECIALLY when our ever-evolving Bible-study, book group decided that we would celebrate each book read with a themed-dinner. The first book we finished was "Beguiled" by Deeanne Gist.

Since it was set in the South, we decided on Southern cuisine.

Menu:
Chicken and Dumplings
Fried Okra
Cooked Carrots
Homemade Cornbread
Fudge Pie (made from a real Southern cookbook - don't know why I'm in awe of that. Most of my recipes are from the foodnetwork.com or TiVo'd)

Here are some of the evening's highlights:

1) Cooking in my apron

2) Cooking in my new skillet

3) Cooking... period

It was the best night!!

I found some pans that I hadn't seen since I opened them at one of my bridal showers six years prior, Chris got a homemade meal thanks in part to his wife, and God answered my prayers when I got to share a meal with two phenomenal ladies.

Oh, and don't feel too sorry for Sadie... we still hang out.

P.S. Anyone interested in joining our small but brilliantly read book group is more than welcome!

Here Comes the Flood

"Historical Flooding," "The Hundred-Year Flood," "No, The Thousand-Year Flood."

I heard these phrases a lot this month... and for good reason.

In less than two days, more than 13 inches of rain fell over Middle Tennessee - nearly double the previous record.

I remember leaving work on Friday, April 30, 2010, mentally preparing for the next week's activities.

Then Saturday came and the rain began.
It didn't stop until late Sunday afternoon.

These are some photos from our neighborhood and surrounding areas:

The dump near our house

Rising Waters Near Our Neighborhood

A House Down the Street

Much of the weekend was spent at home; many of the roads in and out of our neighborhood were unpassable. Sunday, our church was cancelled. We visited my parents' church, Zion, instead, and almost didn't make it home that afternoon because of rising floodwaters.

I came to work on Monday to this:

First Avenue

Second Avenue

So much devastation. Incredible photos from across Middle TN filled the local news on TV.

By Tuesday, floodwaters had claimed the lives of 18 people across Tennessee, 10 of those from Nashville.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the victims of this flood.

God bless Nashville, now and in the days to come.
We will recover. We will rebuild.

We are Nashville.

Birthday for Four Please

So April is a big birthday month for the Moon family...
well, actually for the Holland family.

Each year, Chris' sister, Erin and her husband, Burke, spend April celebrating four birthdays:

Erin's, and their three sons' (Bryn, Caed, and Drew)

Erin and Bryn

I always thought April would be a cool month to born in.
A diamond is WAY better to have as a birthstone than a garnet! Plus, it's warmer and SO SO pretty.

Caed

So in true Holland fashion, a birthday for four was planned.

Now, growing up, I had some pretty amazing birthdays - thanks to my amazing parents. Erin and Burke are no different when it comes to throwing an amazing party.

Last year, the birthday for four was celebrated at the local "Fun and Party Zone," complete with jump jump, inflatable slides and obstacle course.

This year, the party was at the Hollands' home.

Here are some highlights:

1) SpongeBob Pinata

2) Pinata Puppeteer, Burke

3) Pinata Bouncer, Chris

4) Birthday Cake for the boys and Erin, aka E-Rhymz

Chris and I bought the boys an outdoor water sprinkler.
Fellow party guests, Sara and Jeff, bought them the same one.

Despite our best efforts, there was an injury.
Chris was whacked in the hand by an eager party-goer anxious for SpongeBob's loot.

I think he handled it rather well, though.

Friends were made. Laughter was shared. Ah...yes, a good party, indeed!

P.S. How adorable is this he?!?

Drew

Family, Four-Wheelers, and Frontline

Shawn and Callie

Yes, I'm still alive -despite the extended non-activity on my blog recently.

I'm Back!!

I saw a bumper sticker on my way to work this morning that read, "Family is the most important."

Hmmm... very true. And my family is the best. I know, I'm kinda biased.

The last two weekends have been spent with cousins, second-cousins, siblings, brother- and sister-in-law, and nephews.

April 10th was Mule Day in Columbia.
A fun, family-friendly weekend showcasing those fabulously sterile animals we call mules.

I don't exactly know the history of mule day, but it's gotta be good. And for that one weekend, all of Columbia, TN has mule fever. Hundreds of thousands come to watch the "Liar's Contest," the "Mule Pull" competition, and of course, the Mule Day Parade, complete with Mule Day Queen.

It's a great weekend for Columbia, but it was an especially great weekend for me because the Laurie and her family were in town.

Remember Laurie?

Laurie, without trying to get too complicated, is my second cousin... I think.

Anyway, Laurie and her husband, Shawn, and her three beautiful children came to visit. (Not sure what they are to me... third cousins? Or second cousins once removed? Aaaah!)

Lea, Me, and Callie

All I know is, they're great. Chris and I skipped the Mule Day festivities to spend the afternoon with them at my parents'.

We played Mexican Train Dominoes and then...

we decided to ride.

Tah-Dah!

Chris rode with Callie. I rode with Lea.

Now, these little bikes are very deceiving. I won't go into too much detail about the adventure we had, but let's just say, after about an hour or so, we decided to call it quits.

I could feel the ticks crawling on me anyway...

Upon our return to the house, I dismissed the idea of bathing in Frontline. Instead the girls and I decided to bake cookies!

Me: "Ok, Lea, here are the dry ingredients... flour, sugar..."
Me: "Oh Callie, you start crackin' those eggs, girl. I'll soften this butter. Perfect! Let's pre-heat the oven... wait."
Mom: "OH MAN! I forgot to tell you. My oven doesn't work."

WWWHHHHHYYYY???


Me: "Ok, well here's a bowl of sugar and some flour for later then. Girls, let's find a no-bake cookie recipe, shall we?"

Despite the pictures, the chocolate something-or-other recipe we tried tasted pretty good. Then again, I suppose anything with butter, sugar, and chocolate would be tasty...

Thus concluded the festivites of the day. Like I said, it was an awesome visit.

*Pictures from the birthday party and other Moon-like activities to come!*

Easter and a Question

I can't believe Easter has come and gone.

Already?!

I'm so mixed up right now on my dates. Today, as I filled out my work schedule, I dated everything March. Wow... March. A whole month off.

Um... what happened to that month anyway?

Anyway, I love Easter. Truly one of my favorite times of the year.

And this Easter was so perfect. The weather changed from dull, cold, and dreary to sunny and warm just as Easter arrived.

But here's the thing. I've got a story and question.
So be honest with me now...

I love to talk to my friend, Bailey, at church.
Bailey is a bright, happy seven year old.

Always smiling, she loves to tell me about the weekly goings-on in her life, including her upcoming birthday, her latest missing tooth and how it came out, and how she and her older sister got along that week.

But Easter Sunday, she was telling me about all the candy she got from the Easter bunny and the Easter Egg Hunt held the day before.

Bailey: "My basket was so full!" Her eyes were as wide as saucers.
Me: "Did you get any Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs?"
B: "No."
M: "Oh, those are my favorite."

I was excited for her. Yay for candy. Yay for Bailey.
BUT I was also excited for me.

It's true. I still get an Easter basket.

BEHOLD:
THE EASTER BASKETS!
Look at them all. So happy and full. Just waiting to be opened by me, my siblings, our significant others, Aunt Mary Ann, and yes, even my dad.


Mine is the one on the right.

Wanna know what I got?
White Cheddar Popcorn Sprinkles
White Cheddar Popcorn (now eaten by the way)
Green "Floor Dusting" Slippers
Sour Patch Kids, Bottle Caps, Wintermint Lifesavers

AND

yes, my friends, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Eggs
(Cue: Heavenly Choir of Angels Singing "Ah Ah!")

Oh right. So the question:

Is that sad?

I'm still a kid at heart. I still get excited about presents: birthday, Christmas, and Easter. Is it sad that I dread the day when my kids will instead be getting these presents instead of me?

You know, I hear parents say all the time how they just love Christmas because of their kids' expressions and excitement on their faces as they open their gifts.

Well, I imagine MY face looks something like that.
I get excited. I have happy, surprised expressions.

Just wondering...

Truly though, presents or not, Easter is incredible.
The most important day of the Christian faith.

And God is so good. It is true that the best present is Christ.

We serve a living God, and the blessings He gives me everyday are so undeserved.

He was even thinking of me when He created the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg man.

*Stay tuned for my post on Mule Day activities and visit with my beautiful cousin, Laurie and her family.*

Me, Laurie, and my sister, Stephanie

An April Fool's Activities

Today was a glorious day. A sunny, work-ending-at-noon, not a cloud in the sky day.

I celebrated in many ways.

1) I spent time with friends here.

And got one of these:

Actually, this one was Kadi's.
I split one that was white cake, buttercream frosting dyed green for Easter, with a little bunny on top.

And then Aunt Martha dropped half of it on the floor.

This photo was actually taken seconds before it fell. Note the red fingernails ID'ing the culprit.

No biggie. The other half was just as delicious!


So continuing with the sunny, working-ending-at-noon day celebration:

2) I set up my hammock.

Heaven in a net, I say.

One book + one blanket + Katie in a hammock = Heaven

Then Chris came home, grabbed a pillow, and sprawled out on the grass below to enjoy the day with me.
We talked and talked and talked until we fell asleep.

View from the hammock

Celebration of the day ended with:
3) A walk around our neighborhood with Sadie.

We let her loose to dive into the creek that runs near our house.
Now, she was in heaven.

HOWEVER

Wet Dog + My Carpet = "Quarantine Time"

Ah, yes, quarantine time. A practice Sadie loathes.

Quarantine time basically includes Sadie, alone in our garage until she dries, etc. etc. etc.

After about ten minutes of quarantine, I decide to check on the patient to see if she is fit to come inside.

Here's what I found:

Apparently Chris forgot to roll up his car window.