Nashville, Tenessee

Well, as they say, "Time flies when you're having fun!" :) hahaha and holy cow has it ever!!! I'm already into my second week of school and it feels like it's been longer... but I love my classes-it's going to be a heavy load this semester but I hope I can do it and just keep trecking along to get done as fast as I can. I'm looking at graduating within 3 years from now-finishing a semester early... if I keep going at the pace I'm going, I could get done a year early... we'll see how things go. My biggest motivation is that I just want to be done with school and get out and do what I love to do. However, I AM fully aware that that requires school :)

SO! To get away from all the drama that was going on in the Single's Branch during Christmas break, Jennifer, her best friend Chelsea Knapp who was visiting from California, and I wanted to get out of town for a weekend. It ended up working out that we got a group of our friends together, filled up Jennifer's van with bodies, food, and luggage and drove down to Nashville, Tennessee- City of Music. It was a ridiculously good time!!!

Friday, after classes we jumped int he van and drove the 5 1/2 hours out. It was me, Jennifer, Chelsea Knapp, Chelsea Pulley, Sammy Pyne, Jeff Pyne, and Josh Robinson. We got to our hotel Friday night pretty late, but was able to find a resturant open late enough to go eat at. It was this really cool Italian restaurant with pictures all over the ceilings and cool statues... I can't remember the name of it... but after dinner, we were all settled into our rooms.. but full of energy and excitement. The boys came over to our room and literally kidnapped us and took us to a hill where we sleigheded (???) down a steep hill while sitting on cardboard signs from the Circut-City parking lot right next door... What a BLAST!! With sore tail bones, and bruised bums.. we walked away pretty unscathed but finally exhuasted and headed in for the night.

Saturday morning we got up and headed out for our fun day in Nashville! Josh left with his Dad and brother (who had also come down and stayed with the boys) to visit his grandpa and pick up Josh's new car that he bought. I have never seen someone so excited about his car... Josh's attitude and joy was absolutely priceless. We've given him a hard time about it lately about how he doesn't need to get married now because obviously it's going to be Celestial with his baby... aka, his car. He's a great guy and totally fun to hang around with.

Anyway, so we started off at the Grand Ole Opry-which is the home of where the real stars begin. Meaning, all the big time country stars have performed at the Grand Ole Opry, and performed there before they were big time stars. It's a huge honor to be able to perform here. Jennifer's new lifetime goal is to see a show there of someone famous... I have a feeling I'll be going back soon :)

After the Opry, we headed over to the Wax Museum of the Stars and had fun walking around the exhibit of wax models of stars we knew, and ones we didn't. The furnace was out in the building, so it was actually colder inside than it was outside... which made it a little uncomfortable.. but we still had fun.

From there, we headed over to the Aquarium Restuarant and had lunch. This was the COOLEST part of the whole trip, in my opinion. I LITERALLY felt like I was eating underwater. There was this HUGE fish tank right in the middle of the resturant with these GIANORMOUS fishes... and sharks.... *shudder* these things were huge and I don't like fish... hahaha but anyway, it was really neat!!

Off to the Adventure Science Center!! This place was really cool too. Here, we enjoyed running amoungst little kids and adults and played on the playgrounds, did the interactive activities and had a blast being crazy together. The two best parts of this place was the anti gravity simulation where they strapped you (VERY uncomfortably I might add.. I still have bruises) to this pulley thing and when the machine started, you were supposed to try and walk on along the floor... only thing was.. you never knew when it was going to lift you up into the air and swing you around... we literally felt like astronauts in space! SO COOL! I FLEW! hahaha Then there was the flight simulation where you literally flew a simulation, but you were driving your box... car... thing... Sammy was our driver... and let's just say, I was never completely in my seat.. we were either upsidedown, or barrell rolling... I about passed out with all the blood rushing to my head... and what was he doing while I was screaming and trying to remember to breathe normally??? LAUGHING! Yup... jerk ;) hahah he was gonna kill me... But no, it was really fun.

After the Science Center, we finally met back up with Josh and headed back to the hotel where the girls dressed up in our "evening wear" which consisted of classy, and some sparkly outfits, heels and leather coats.. and headed out in search of some old fashioned, home-style Nashville barbeque..... we ended up finding a place that did just that... in the ghettos and I thought I was going to get shot.... it was pretty intense. Jenn and I didn't feel good about being there but everybody else thought it was great, so we just stayed on our guard and freaked the whole time. hahaha obviously, everything turned out fine and still turned out to make a great memory and story for the trip.

We took a drive down to Broadway in downtown Nashville and had fun admiring all the people and entertaining the idea of going clubbing... it didn't happen.. thankfully. But it's still fun to entertain the thought and let our imaginations run wild... Karaoke Bars... yeah... fun stuff :)

We were pretty wiped out and needed to get our rest for the long drive back home Sunday, so we pretty much hung out in the hotel and watched tv... Sammy, Jeff and Chelsea Pulley dragged me outside again to witness the shooting of a potatoe gun... I almost stepped in a dead opossum on my way out to the field... alone, I might add... I was terrified. But it was cool to say I've done it....

Sunday morning, we headed home! It was a fun trip filled with laughter, stories, memories and good times with friends. Next trip...... ?! :) who knows where, but it's coming soon!!!!

With love