Biltmore Estate

My mom and I can't get enough of the Biltmore Estate! I am an annual pass holder, and this was mom's third trip. It is just stunning, and this time we spent a lot of time in the gardens. It's eye candy...

(the conservatory)

Grove Park Inn

While my mom was visiting, we spent an afternoon at the historic Grove Park Inn. GPI is an Asheville landmark and home to one of the top rated golf courses and spas in the country. Politicians, dignitaries, and the rich and famous always stay at GPI when they are in town. Mom and I walked all around the grounds and had lunch on the Sunset Terrace which offers great views of the Blue Ridge mountains and the city of Asheville. For lunch, mom had a chipotle meatloaf sandwich and I enjoyed a crab cake BLT. To top it all off, we shared a slice of hummingbird cake. It's a cross between a spice cake and banana bread, and it is a southern favorite. Hopefully next time we can schedule a visit to the spa!

(the view from Sunset Terrace)

(the entrance to the subterranean spa)

(mom in front of GPI)

(one of the two fireplaces in the lobby... they burn 12 foot logs!)

(beginning of fall colors in Asheville)

Asheville Tourists

A couple of weeks ago, my mom came to stay with me for a few days while Trev was out of town. We had a great visit, and we had a wonderful time being Asheville tourists. We took a trolley tour of the town and saw...

Great architechture of the Flatiron Building, the Basilica, and the art deco City Building...

Historic homes...

And the Grove Park Inn and the Biltmore Estate (pictures in following posts).

Getting Back to Happy

Trevor and I are starting to return to the things we love doing. I was very sick the whole time I was pregnant, so we haven't been able to enjoy the great outdoors in many months. This past weekend, we decided to try out a new hiking trail on the grounds of the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock, NC. The trail was beautiful and peaceful, and although the view from the top was obscured by overgrown trees, we had a great time just sitting, talking, and laughing.

It's a good thing the trip back to the car was downhill...

Broken

It is amazing how quickly life changes! As reported in our last post, we were elated when we found out in June that we were expecting... and the news got even better from there. We soon learned that we had identical twin boys on the way. Gavin and Cooper immediately became the lights of our lives, and although I was feeling quite sick most of the time, our days centered around preparing for their arrival.

On August 30th, our lives changed again, this time for the worse. I went into pre-term labor that resulted in an "inevitable miscarriage." We had to say goodbye to our boys and hello to very broken lives. We were broken mentally, emotionally, and in spirit, and for a while it was unclear how we would be able to move forward in such a dark time.

However, we have moved forward with love lighting the way. Trevor and I learned just how strong our relationship is, and we both learned how amazing our family and friends are. The outpouring of love and support was overwhelming, and it has truly helped us move out of the darkness.

Today, the future seems much brighter. I am completely healed and healthy, and we have been given the go-ahead to try for another baby in a couple of months, so we are filled with a new sense of hope and promise. A piece of our hearts has been forever lost, but we are so thankful to have been given the opportunity to know and love two little spirits that will be with us forever. I can't say everyday is a good day, but I can say that each day we feel a little less broken.

We're Back!!

Trevor and I are happy to return to our blog! The last year had been incredibly busy with new jobs, school, student teaching, and more school! Thankfully, Trevor only has four more classes and I will be completely done June 14th... that means I have time to blog again!

This new series of blog entries will serve as a journal for the next adventure in our lives. Trevor and I are having a baby! It has been a long, difficult five year struggle, so we are feeling absolutely blessed and elated to be pregnant.

There are few details right now... I am around 8 weeks, but will know more for sure after our first ultrasound on Tuesday. I haven't been sick (yet), but I have no appetite and feel very tired. There is not a history of morning sickness in the women in my family, so I am hoping the trend continues. If not, I will happily deal with whatever comes my way!

We look forward to sharing this experience with all our family and friends. Much love to you all...

Savannah, GA

Easter weekend we made plans to go to Charleston with my parents. When my mom called to make reservations she discovered that the entire city was booked for the holiday weekend! So, we changed our destination to Savannah, Georgia. It was a new city for all of us, and we had a great time! On Saturday, we all set out to see Tybee Island, one of the many islands of the coast. I love lighthouses, so seeing the Tybee Island Lighthouse was a must for me. We were able to tour the grounds, the keepers' houses, and the lighthouse too. It was a long trip to the top...
But the view was well worth it! Then we all made our way to the beach to put our toes in the Atlantic. It was COLD!
After Tybee Island, we had lunch at Uncle Bubba's Restaurant. Uncle Bubba is Paula Dean's brother, and the city of Savannah is very proud of its famous culinary siblings. Our lunch was delicious, and I tried my first fresh oysters. Unexpectedly, I loved them!

After lunch, we headed over to tour Fort Pulaski. The fort was used to defend the city during the Civil War.
Inside the walls of the fort, there were two levels. The living quarters were located on the bottom, and the top level housed many weapons and views of the surrounding area.

The view looking down the barrel of one of the guns used at the fort.

Me and mom at the fort.

Saturday was a great day. The only bummer was that by the end of the day Trevor was MISERABLE! His allergies went crazy and he was not feeling well by the time we returned to the motorhome. The next morning, he wasn't feeling any better, so I set out with my mom and dad to see Savannah's historical downtown. The buildings were amazingly beautiful! This is the Catherdral of St. John the Baptist.

The stained glass murals were amazing.

And the architecture was beautiful.

We walked all around the city, including Forsythe Park.

Here are some of the other buildings we saw on our tour of the city.

This is the Mercer House... it was featured in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Throughout the city, there are over 20 squares, which are like small parks. Most have statues of important historical figures.

Later in the afternoon, the three of us went on a ride on the river boat. It was a great way to see the city's coast, and after all our walking it felt good to sit for an hour!This is the River Street area, seen from the river boat.

We had a great day in the city, but we definitely missed Trev! Later that evening, once he was feeling a little better, my mom and I took him into the city so that he could see some of the highlights. Hopefully on our next trip he won't be confined to bed rest!