Weekend Getaway in the ATL (May 9, 10 & 11)

You may have noticed that I've missed a few days in my Photo-a-Day-in-the-month-of-May journaling... or maybe you didn't.  A picture for May 8 just didn't happen...sadly.  I was quite busy that day preparing for a romantic weekend away with my husband.  We are celebrating our 10th anniversary on the 22nd of this month and we were blessed to be able to take a short trip this past weekend.  We joked that the theme for the weekend was Eat, Drink, and be Married...  and, that's pretty much what we did...

 

On the way into the city, we stopped for lunch at the Canoe Restaurant and enjoyed a scrumptious lunch on the patio which overlooks the Chattahoochee River.  We highly recommend the Salmon Burger and Fish Tacos...but we especially recommend the Truffle Fries.  I'm pretty sure I have never eaten French Fries until now, y'all.  The absolute freshest fries I've ever tasted, fried to perfection and tossed with fresh parmesan, sage and rosemary.  Drool.

We were stuffed after the fries and our lunch, but our waitress convinced us to try {a smaller version of} their famous dessert, the Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream Sundae.  It is homemade Buttered Popcorn flavored ice cream, drizzled with caramel syrup, and topped with homemade cracker jack.  It is phenomenal.  When she first told us about it, the ice cream didn't sound too good to me, because I can't stand those popcorn flavored jelly beans and that's what I was imagining.  This doesn't even compare.  Apparently they soak buttered popcorn in cream and then strain it to make the ice cream so it truly is flavored with buttered popcorn.

After lunch, we headed into the city and visited The World of Coca-Cola.  This was a really fun afternoon spent together and the museum is very interactive which makes it even more fun!  SO much memorabilia associated with Coke.  

I don't normally drink soft drinks, but by the time we got through the whole place and had read and seen and heard so much about Coke, I was desperate to have one!  We enjoyed tasting Coke products from around the world...

But nothing beats the taste of the real deal...

When we left there, it was pouring rain and we had to run to the parking garage and we got soaked!  We drove a short way to where we were staying at the Loews Hotel, downtown.

We were very pleased with the hotel and really enjoyed our stay there.  We opted for a corner room which had a bit more space than we were expecting and of course the view was great from the 18th floor.

Greg had a taste for a good steak for dinner, so we decided on STK which happened to be right around the corner from our hotel.  Since it had stopped raining, we enjoyed walking to dinner.  STK was a fun modern restaurant with a very intimate feel.  We had a cozy table and enjoyed great service.  The food was incredible.  (This picture is from my phone and doesn't do it justice!)

After our dinner, our waiter brought out more plates and said, "There might be something else coming for you guys..."  He showed up with a bag of freshly made doughnuts and two kinds of caramel dipping sauces.

They melted in our mouths.

The next morning, we decided to keep things leisurely and ordered room service for our breakfast.  This was a real treat and we were definitely spoiled!

After breakfast, we headed to Piedmont Park to check out the Green Market {farmer's market} that is there on Saturdays.  The park itself is gorgeous and we loved looking at all of the items being sold...fresh veggies, local pie, fresh coffee, soaps and bath products, fresh eggs, goat cheese, various sauces and condiments, and the list goes on!  We tasted some fresh strawberries, goat cheese, and more.  We enjoyed walking around the park for a bit afterwards.

When we finished at the park, we went to Mary Mac's Tea Room for lunch.  When we drove up and the sidewalk was packed with people, we wondered if we would even get in, but since there were only two of us, we were able to be seated right away!  This restaurant is the ultimate in traditional Southern food.  Greg enjoyed Fried Chicken, Butter Peas, and Creamed Corn while I sampled the Macaroni & Cheese, Squash Souffle, Green Beans, and Cheese Grits.  The bread basket was delightful as well.  We were really hoping we'd have room for Banana Pudding or Peach Cobbler, but alas, we were so full.

Saturday night we enjoyed a casual dinner at Max Lager's Wood-Fired Grill and Brewery.  Greg enjoyed another great steak and I wanted something a bit lighter and the Chicken Maxadilla's did not disappoint.

After dinner, we met up with some friends and headed over to see the Braves play the Cubs!  We had crazy-good seats and despite a 1-hour rain delay had a great time with our friends and enjoying the game.  Lots of good plays, and nothing compares to the energy that is felt in a stadium that size!

Once the rain moved through, the skies cleared out and the view from our hotel when we got back was really beautiful.  Love the night-lights.

After a late night Saturday, it was so nice to be able to sleep in on Sunday and we were glad for a late checkout at 12pm.  We wanted to explore the Virginia-Highland area and walked around a little bit, but discovered we were both feeling really tired.  We decided to try the Atkins Park Restaurant located in the Virginia Highland area.  While our experience wasn't the best here, we did enjoy our time together.  

After a late brunch, we headed back home.  We are still reveling in the special time that we had together celebrating 10 years of God's faithfulness to us in our marriage.  I am blessed beyond what I can describe when I think of the way that my husband loves me and cares for me.  He is still my very best friend and I love to be with him.  We had so much fun together and I am so thankful that we can say that after ten years of marriage we love each other more than we did when we said, "I do."  God has been so faithful to us throughout the last ten years and we are excited to see what He has planned for us in the next ten {and beyond!}.

Special Date Night...

There's not a whole lot to say about this post, because the pictures speak for themselves.  The background is that my husband and I enjoyed a special date night on Saturday, which began with a gourmet dinner for two,  followed by a concert with family, and {second} dessert and coffee after that.

I absolutely revealed to everyone in the restaurant that I don't get to eat these sorts of meals regularly by photographing almost everything that arrived at the table {I forgot to take pics of our salads.} 

So on to the pics...

freshly made bread and oil for dipping

We shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio and enjoyed our appetizers...

hers...

Farmhouse Cheeseboard
Savannah Bee Co Honeycomb/Fresh Berries/Crostini

...and his...

Seared Tuna
Date Emulsion/Cider Gastrique

{insert pictures of beautifully crafted salads here...}

Wedge Salad

Oven dried tomatoes/house smoked bacon/warm blue cheese vinaigrette

Caesar Salad

Parmesan-Peppercorn Vinaigrette/Croutons/Grated Parmesan

Our waiter was experienced in that he gave us plenty of time after the appetizers and salads to talk, drink some more wine, have another piece of bread and let that food settle before bringing the main dishes.  We SO appreciated that.

Tanglewood Farms Chicken
Creamed Brussels/House Bacon

and his...

Beef Short Rib/Haricot Vert/Garlic Whipped Potatoes

And finally, dessert...

Shot Samples
Chocolate Brownie/German Chocolate/Caramel Cinnamon/Strawberry

May...where ideals and reality meet.

Eventually, I will learn that blogging every day (even just the weekdays) for a month is NEVER going to happen for me.  It's not only a time-thing, but also an idea-thing.  I don't like forced writing...I did enough of that in school.  Even now I'm struggling to peck out a suitable introduction for all the pictures I'm about to show you in place of me actually having to write something worth reading!  So...I guess that does it - when in doubt, write about your doubts...?

Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to...while we haven't been blogging...

Grilled BBQ Bacon Pizza - a first for us...definitely NOT the last

Playing in the Kiddie Pool.

Learning how to pedal on the trike...

And having SO. MUCH. FUN.

Celebrating a friend's engagement!!

And helping plan their November wedding! 

Keeping a close eye on the enemy...

Cute in the front yard, enemies in the back...

Baking...lots of "from-scratch" stuff going on around here

(Pictured above: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes, Morning Glory Muffins, WW Bread)

Celebrating 8 years of marriage!

Playing at the fountains!

Taking LONG summer naps!

Cleaning the deck...

Staining the deck...

I had an anniversary post all planned out...in my head.  I want to post a photo from each year that we've been together just for reflection and fun -- but I have to find them.  I've started looking and I have 2 or 3...  The boxes of pictures/disks were on the kitchen counter for several days but then they got moved to the guest room where they are now collecting dust...I AM determined to get it done though, so stay tuned for THAT post. 

One other quick recipe to share...we've been enjoying the basil, chives, and parsley in our backyard and have been making all sorts of yummy things with them.  These Grilled Pork Chops with Basil-Garlic Rub were quite possibly THE. BEST. pork chops we have EVER had.  Yeah...they were THAT good.  C kept saying, "Thank you, Daddy, for grilling the pork chops for suppah!"  We'll be having these again this week!

Okay - that's all for now.  Hope to get that anniversary post up soon, and I have lots of other ideas coming up for June....now to find the time to post them all... 

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Monday Musings: Notes from the Marriage Conference

We were able to attend a marriage conference on Friday night and Saturday morning, so I decided to share a few of my notes from that with you today.  Not a lot, because that wouldn't be fair to the speaker, but just a few things...

3 Treasure Principles:
- Everyone lives for some kind of treasure.
- The thing that is your treasure will control your heart.
- What controls your heart will control your behavior.


The things that you name as treasure will always deepen and propel your marriage OR they will victimize your marriage.


Marriages must be fixed vertically before they can be fixed horizontally.


Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that doesn't demand reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving.


Love loves to love...are you willing?
There is no such thing as love that doesn't require sacrifice.
Is your marriage a chronicle of daily sacrifices?
Love looks to the interest of others.
Love is not a contract; it is a sacrifice.


"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God...This is how God showed his love among us; He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us this way, we also ought to love one another."
1 John 4:7-11

The Tone of Home...

The ordinary acts we practice everyday at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.  
Thomas Moore

 There are many articles and blog posts out there on "making home a haven."  My intent with this post and most of my others, is to pass along the things that I find helpful or interesting.  I rarely write something that I personally came up with or invented...

As homemakers, we have a huge opportunity to "set the tone" for our home...whether it is peaceful or chaotic, pleasant or tense, and yes, even clean/tidy or dirty/disorganized.  While some may not see these things as affecting the overall atmosphere of our homes, THEY DO.  God created us with senses, and our moods are very much affected by those senses.  So, the challenge is, how do our homes look, smell, taste, sound, feel?

Smell is a huge one for me...especially this time of year when the air is cooling, I equate warm smells (pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla) with coziness.  So, most days this week, if you came by my house, there would be a candle or two keeping things smelling cozy.

photo credit

As your family members are coming home or guests are arriving or friends stopping by, think of how you can make your home smell inviting to them.  Sometimes it's a home-cooked meal that you've spent a long time preparing, sometimes it's just opening a jar of spaghetti sauce to simmer on the stove, homemade or pre-made cookie dough baking in the oven, a mix of water/citrus peels/spices simmering on the stove, or just candles.  

Sound is another big one for me.  Both my husband and I grew up in homes where music was often present.  For calm, I like instrumental music, especially piano based, such as Jim Brickman, George Winston, or John Tesh.  But, for cleaning, it's good to have something a little more upbeat! :)  Lately, I've been listening to my Autumn music...

check it out on amazon HERE

It's important for our families that our homes be orderly and clean.  Now...if you walked into my house RIGHT NOW, you would find toys scattered around the family room floor/couches, toys scattered over my daughter's bedroom floor, 2 piles on my counter of things I need to go through, dog hair on the floor, fingerprints on the windows, etc.  I'm not talking perfection here...but, having a place for things to belong is helpful for everyone in keeping things orderly.  Keeping up with regular household cleaning/maintenance is good for everyone's health and well-being.  Our God is a god of order and He created us that way too.  Most people (that I know of anyway) will thrive in an atmosphere of cleanliness and order as opposed to filth and chaos.  As mothers and homemakers, it is important that we pass this along to our children.  Cleanliness and order make me very happy...or maybe you picked up on that. :)

Taste & feel are not as high on my list, but I still think they are important.  Although, if taste is being used figuratively and not literally, I understand it a little better.  Recently, I've been pondering over Psalm 34:8: 

Taste and see that the Lord is good...

Specifically, is taste being used there in a figurative or literal sense? Haven't taken the time to research it yet, but I hope to, so I'll get back to you on that one. :)  It IS important that we provide our families with food that tastes good...but typically we do that anyway.  I think it's important to help our children develop a taste for those things that are good for them...children who are full of sugar and carbs are typically NOT pleasant children and NOT pleasant to be around.  I definitely notice increased amounts of sugar in my daughter (even just a sugary breakfast like pancakes/syrup) affecting her mood.  Caffeine has this same effect on adults...so, that one or two cups of coffee in the morning is helpful to get us going and give us some energy for the day, but after that, it might be good to switch to water to avoid becoming hyper or edgy, and thus setting a negative tone for our homes.

Feel definitely makes our houses cozy and comfortable.  Furniture that is comfortable to relax on, blankets, pillows, linens, clean-smelling towels, freshly-washed sheets, etc.  All of this will make our homes enticing places to be and our families will feel loved through these things, even though they may not even realize it.  

Setting the tone for our homes and making them cozy and comfortable places to be for our families, friends, and guests, doesn't require us to spend a lot of money.  Perhaps some for necessities, but the main thing that it requires from us is time.  Time is a huge gift and a way that we can exercise self-discipline and show love to our families.  Creating a peaceful place for our husbands and children to feel welcome has long-lasting benefits that are more important that a lot of other things we could be doing.  You've heard the saying, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy..."  And, it's very true.  Our attitudes really do provide the example for our families, especially children.  If we are grumpy and irritable, our kids probably will be too.  If we are calm and disciplined, our kids probably will be too.  If we are loving/respectful and sacrificial, our husbands probably will be too. It doesn't always work this way, but a lot of times emotions are cyclical and if we start the cycle positively, others will follow.

SO -- light a candle, put some nice music on, tidy up a little, fix a yummy snack, and spend some time with your family this weekend in the pleasant atmosphere of HOME. 

my favorite marriage books...so far...

(y'all....i have typed this post 3 times now and blogger is still not cooperating, so please forgive the different size and color font for the second half of the post.  i'm done trying to fix it.)

we celebrated our 7th anniversary in may.  sometimes i can't believe it's been that long and other times i wonder where the time has gone, because wasn't it just yesterday we were on our honeymoon?!?  i think that's a good thing...when you feel like you've been with someone forever, but yet, it's been so great that you just don't know where the time has gone.  couples who have been married for 40, 50, even 60 years say the same thing.  i feel like i have nothing to offer when i look at them, because they have had SO much more experience than me with my 7 years.  but...they had 7 years...and then 7 more...and then 7 more...and so on...  so, everyone has to start somewhere.  

in those 7 years, we have read a handful (and it really is a handful considering just how many are out there!) of books, specifically pertaining to marriage.  all of them have been good, but there have been 3 that have really "hit home" with me.  if you haven't read them, i encourage you to secure a copy as soon as you can and read it with your spouse, or read it individually and then make time to discuss it together.  we actually went on a date several months ago for the purpose of discussing one of these books that we had read individually.  i was pleased to find that at least 2 of them are available through my local library system, but there's always used copies on amazon, or post on facebook and see if a friend has a copy you can borrow.  :)   if you have read them, i'd love to know your feedback.

the subtitle to this book doesn't show up in this little box, but the subtitle says, "What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy more Than Happy?"  that is a good summary of what the book is about (imagine that!). "Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person.  It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply."  we read this book together several years ago (before C) and it sparked a lot of good discussions between us.  i've been wanting to read it again, because i feel like i need the reminders...constantly.  i'm forgetful, y'all.  gary thomas also has two other books out that i really want to read (in fact i had them from the library but had to return them before i was able to read them.)...sacred influence - for wives, and sacred parenting...for parents, obviously. :)

i have to admit that of these 3 books i am listing here, this one is probably my 3rd choice.  but, it did make the cut and it is being discussed here, so obviously i thought it was good.  watch out -- this one is pretty convicting, if i remember correctly...it's been awhile since we read this one too.  Dave Harvey not only offers a biblical diagnosis of marital strife, but prescribes the cure as well - the gospel.  When Sinners Say "I Do" provides clarity in conflict, hope in despair, and points the way to a joy-filled, God glorifying marriage. -- C.J. Mahaney  the style of this one is a little bit lighter and i remember having several laughs as we read.

 

this is our most recent read of the three, and my favorite.  i think i can safely say that this book profoundly changed a lot of the ideas i had about marriage and really helped me to understand the roles of husbands and wives so much better.  i was NOT on-board with everything in this book because of some personality differences and ways in which i felt the author was being stereo-typical of men and women, but for the most part i thought he had some great things to say.  he has 6 chapters of practical helps for wives to know what it really means to respect their husbands, and 6 chapters of practical helps for husbands to know what it really means to love their wives.  while not all of these things will appeal to all couples, i think every couple can find something on the list that they can relate to.  if nothing else, it really gets you to talking (or it did us) and communicating about feelings, needs, etc.  while the other two books focus more on the individual's and couple's spiritual lives, this focuses more on practically living that out.  both are so important for a healthy, God-glorifying marriage.  

SO -- if you were looking for something to read...look no further. :)  again, if you have read any of these books, i'd love to hear your feedback, and probably so would the rest of the readers...because they need more than just MY opinion. :-)

PS - thanks to y'all who have told me recently that you enjoy reading this blog.  i enjoy writing it and sharing our lives with you.  thanks for reading and encouraging me!