July 4, 2014: Mayberry

A very delightful friend asked me to accompany her to a small-town parade an hour away.  I was elated.  It couldn't have been better timing on her part.  I had been in a car accident that very week and was carless, feeling down and emotional, and rather sheepish.  Just having a friend to pick me up and drive and chat with was what my soul needed and I truly feel like she was listening to the spirit in asking me to tag along.

The parade was in Mayberry, the fictional town based on the popular TV series 'The Andy Griffiths Show'.  But the real name of the city is Mt. Airy.  And by "Small Town" Parade, this was a small town parade!  I believe there was a family reunion who marched through the parade, about every old car as seen in 'The Andy Griffiths Show' and a few firetrucks.  The rest were political cars (and by the looks of all the cars this appears to be an anti-Obama city). 

After the parade, we grabbed a bite to eat.  Lily just held on to her Ritz cracker for dear life the whole morning.  

Overall we had a very simple 4th of July celebration, but it was just what we needed to feel refreshed and take on the following week!

I Think I May Be Raising A Model

The most annoying and irritable thing about my iphone is the quality of pictures that it produces.  They are just terrible compared to my Nikon.  However, with a toddler, carrying around a bulky camera is out of the question most days, so I have to silently accept the pictures that I capture.  

Regardless, even though the quality may be.... ahem... poor, the subject of the photo is remarkably fantastic and adorable.  I'm still able to see her smile and smirk and personality come out in each photo. And while each picture may be low quality, I still feel like some pictures I take make my little girl look just like a model.  

Here are three of my absolute favorite photos.  Maybe I should start carrying them in my clutch, for I run into people all the time that ask if Lily models clothes for fun and expensive clothing places like Puma, JCrew, and Carters.  While she doesn't, you never know... maybe it's in her near future!

Pool Time

Once we introduced Lily to water, it was hard to keep her away.

While we stilled lived at an apartment complex, we tried to take advantage of the pool and went at least once a week to play in the water.  Often times we had company, other times Daddy joined us, but we had fun nonetheless.

"Doll Doll" has to go with us everywhere, including the Pool.  Lily has so much more fun when she comes with us and is so protective of her.

One specific time Marin brought a little blow-up boat for her boys to play with, but they were uninterested in it.  Lily, on the other hand, was enthralled with the boat and sat in it like a princess.  She made sure that the boat went with her everywhere she did so I wouldn't forget to put her inside when we jumped into the water.

Of course, the best part of pool time is snack time!

Exploring Winston Salem

While Michal and I lived in SLC & Warsaw, we really took advantage of getting to know our city very well.  We went exploring weekly, tried out new cuisines often, and took part of various fairs, festivals, and celebrations.

Moving to Winston Salem has been a bit of a different story.

Not only do we have a little tiny princess that we take with us everywhere, but we are very unfamiliar with the area and haven't had the time to really research it.

But we are trying to change that.

So here are some things that we have checked out.

Pilot Mountain

Basically, this looks like a large dead volcano, but it's the only land elevated above others. (Hence the name 'Mountain').  While it doesn't feel like Utah mountains, I enjoyed our hike there.

Hanes Park

While, I didn't get any pictures of the park, I did get an awesome picture of this bicycle shop that had a dystopian bike trailing down the side of the facade.

Old Salem

I still need to check out the shops, but Michal and I go walking here on Sundays.  It's quiet, peaceful, and full of character.

Art District, Downtown Winston Salem

Check out how cool some of these abstract artworks are.

No commentary on my opinions here.

Gargoyles?

I love finding hidden treasures... or maybe unique things about my city.  I can't wait to "find" more.

To be continued...

15 Month Stats

May 13, 2014

15 Month Stats

Weight: 20 lbs 14.5 oz (9.483 kg)

46%

Height: 30.5" (77.5 cm)

50%

Head Circumference: 18.5" (47 cm)

84%

Lynchburg

On May 9, some of my favorite people reached out to me and coordinated a meet up in Lynchburg, VA.  They drove from Washington DC, I drove from Winston-Salem, and together we had a heartwarming and joyous reunion. Lily and I left a little early (I thought we'd have to take a lot of breaks along the way, but she just slept the whole time) so we got their early and checked out the city - just us girls.

I loved how when you looked down the street, you saw tower after tower after tower.

While Lily and I were bonding, she ran into a "princess" (it was actually someone doing a photo shoot for a magazine).  She saw Lily and was in love with how cute she was with her 'doll-doll'.

But, she wasn't the only admirer of Lily.  Everyone in Lynchburg loved her! We ran into a group of veterans who meet together each Friday to 'support the troops.'

Lily begged to go and visit some shops.  When she went straight for the dolls, I could tell why she was itching to go there.

Once I met up with my dearest, kindest Torrey and Courtney, we went exploring.  

We saw some pretty interesting things, checked out a random art studio, and gave into guilty pleasures and gorged on eating ice cream in the heat.

We also ran into the veterans again and all of the soldiers may have developed a crush on Torrey (I can't blame them), so she got her picture taken with them.  

Courtney was super bummed that she forgot her "proper" camera, but she still took some pretty spectacular photos, even if they were just iPhone quality.  Check out her fabulous photos here.  

Good grief, aren't my friends just adorable?  I feel like I need to pay them to hang out with me because of all their wicked and resplendent qualities, attributes, and talents.  I truly believe that moments spent with these incredible individuals help to make me a well-rounded, better person.  Every time I get to spend with them is extraordinary, and I seriously can't wait to meet up with them again.

(Photo Credit: Courtney Homer)