London 2012

As you probably know, Nick's sister Cait, brother-in-law Josh and three precious girls live across the pond.  While we miss them dearly, it does have one huge perk- the fact that we get to go visit them in London!  Another perk is we try to make the most of our time together.  

We had a smooth flight over and a wonderful first day, picking Lilly up from school and eating lunch.  Unfortunately after that I started to feel really sick and came down with a stomach bug.  I know they did other things while I quarantined myself upstairs but not much happened for me until Sunday.  Thankfully no one else got it.  Sunday night Nick and I kept all three girls by ourselves overnight so Cait and Josh could have a night out.  It went very well and we were proud of our accomplishment- ha! 

Monday we went to the London Eye which is a giant Ferris wheel on the Thames River right in the middle of the city.  You get a birds eye view of the whole city which was pretty amazing.

Big Ben, Parliament and the Thames

Scotland Yard

The Eye has giant "pods" that you can walk around in to see every angle. 

The big girls checking out the view

Later that night we went out to dinner with Cait and Josh to The Harwood Arms.  It is the only Micheline Starred pub in London and it was amazing!  It's fine dinning in a cozy pub setting.  We had a blast.

Thanksgiving at the Farm

This year Nick and I were able to spend part of Thanksgiving day on my grandparents farm in Walburg, NC.  They purchased the land and built their house when I was young and we have so many great memories of the farm.  Over the years Papa and Grams have had cows, sheep, a donkey, chickens and a rooster among other things!  My cousins, Laurie and I loved swimming in the creek, climbing up in the hayloft in the barn, and hiking all over the 27 acres.

A few of the sheep-  over the years we have been able to hold the baby lambs in the spring-  so cool!

All four of the cousins (and hubbys) were able to make it this year which was so much fun! 

Sister and their babies-  Anna and Copeland

We were also able to celebrate Papa's 80th birthday that day! 

After lunch the guys challenged each other to what is becoming a new tradition- racing down the long driveway on scooters.  Here are their game faces-

nice game face Pat

 I actually got a few pictures of Nick and I- thanks Blair!

I love this next one-  all four cousins and our husbands! We have so much to be thankful for- I am so thankful for family and our relationships.  Love yall so much!

September Showers

September has been busy busy with lots of showers for this cute couple-

Family and friends have been so generous the past few weeks and it has been so much fun to celebrate Laurie and Patrick.  

I can't believe the wedding is less than a week away!!!  We are SO EXCITED for you two!

Slumber Party

While the girls were still here this summer, Nick and I were able to have them over for a slumber party.  We have wanted to do this for so long but it just wasn't possible living in VA.  We had dinner at the pool and stayed up to watch a show with popcorn after bath time.  The next morning we saw Uncle Nick off to work and then the girls and I went back to the pool for a bit.  It was so sweet to have time with just us and them.  At one point they asked if they could see my wedding dress and wanted to know if they could try it on- ha!  Sure, why not?  You should have seen their faces when they saw themselves in the mirror.  Too cute.  

Hopefully we can squeeze in another sleepover over Christmas :)

Scheuer Beach Week 2011

Is it too late to post beach pics from the beginning of August?  No? Ok, good.  I don't really have a good reason for not posting in so long, but here's to doing better!

Our annual beach week vacation with Nick's side of the family takes place at DeBordieu Beach in the South Carolina low country.  We look forward to it all year.  This year was so much fun.  I didn't take too many pictures, but here are some highlights.  

The view from our house- beautiful!

One afternoon Nick and Josh went paddle boarding/ fishing in the sound.  They met a man who gave them a whole bucket of blue crabs that he had just caught.  They cooked them up, and while it was hard to get the meat, they were delicious! 

The house we rented was so fun and eclectic-

Another afternoon Nick and I took the big girls out for an ice cream date in Georgetown.  So fun!

what a good uncle :)

 And just because she is so darn cute- check out those eyes!

The rest of our time was spent relaxing on the beach, swimming in the ocean and eating delicious food.  We are so thankful for such a great week spent with family that we love.  I am already looking forward to next year!

Nashville Half Marathon

Last week I made the trek to Nashville for the Country Music Half Marathon.  I've been training for this race for several months and I can say with out a doubt this is one of the most challenging things I have ever done!  Training stretched me in every possible way- physically, mentally, and spiritually.   Looking back, all the hard work was totally worth it and I am so proud that I accomplished something a year ago I never thought I would do!

I feel like I need to give an acceptance speech here and thank those who made this race possible-

• Thanks to Laurie and Mari, my running buddies-  with out you I never would have signed myself up for this crazy thing.
• Thanks to Nick for being my running coach/training partner and making me run when I didn't want to.
• For my SIL Cait who ran with me in London and encouraged me/was my personal trainer for our long run by the Thames (so cool!)  and helped me build some confidence!
• My cousin Blair for being a wonderful hostess in Nashville

                                                         
                                                   sisters and sister-in-laws (soon!)

The course was definitely hillier than I expected and much warmer than I was used to. By the end we were exhausted and could barely walk.  We finally made it back to Blair's and took a much needed shower and a nap.  Feeling refreshed we went to dinner at a fun mexican place in her neighborhood.

Nashville was awesome, as was the company.  Thanks for having us Blair!

London

The rest of my week was spent in London, hanging out with these precious girls-

They are so sweet and I had the best time just being a part of their daily life.   We played church, put on shows, read stories and colored pictures.

We also did a little bit of sightseeing.  One morning we took the tube to Westminster and took a boat ride down the Thames.

Another morning we made Easter "helmets" as Elliott called them (she meant bonnets- ha!) and the big girls searched for eggs in the garden.

I am so thankful for these relationships and the opportunity to be part of such an amazing family!

The Cotswolds Part 2

For our second day in the Cotswolds, we rented bikes.  Biking is such a great way to explore because you get to cover ground quickly.  So much so that we actually rode over twenty miles that day!  

The weather couldn't have been more perfect and the scenery was beautiful once again.  The man that rented us our bikes made a comment about the only hill being at the beginning of the ride.....I'm not sure what his definition of hills are, but the ride turned out to be quite hilly.   

I love this picture of this old church and the red phone booth-  such a juxtaposition!

We stopped in Morton-on-Marsh to gather our picnic lunch that consisted of a baguette, cheese, and nutella- of course.  Cait was loaded down with the goods.   We stopped in a beautiful field for lunch and a quick nap in the grass!  Such a fun way to spend the day!

The Cotswolds Part 1

I was blessed to be able to spend my spring break in London with our family that lives there.  I know, I still can't believe it either!  My sister-in-law, Cait planned an overnight trip for us while I was there to the Cotswolds- Chipping Campden more specifically.  It looks exactly like you would picture the English countryside to look- complete with thatched roofs and sheep.  It was like we had stepped back in time- everything was so well preserved and perfectly quaint.  

There are public footpaths that cover the whole area.  We hiked along these trails the better part of our first day, stopping in a pub for some classic British cuisine.  The footpaths cut through private property and pastures so we were walking right by sheep hanging out in the fields. 

After our five mile walk we treated ourselves to afternoon tea and scones-  I can see why the British love their tea so much.  It's a great way to spend your afternoon!

Cait, Chris and I got a little carried away while we were ordering and ended up with these treats too-

We ended our first day with a glass of wine while enjoying the sunset-  it doesn't get much better!

Baby Metcalf

Last weekend I made the trip to Raleigh to celebrate my cousin Blair and her sweet baby on the way!  Blair and her husband Rob live in Nashville and I don't get the opportunity to see them that often, so I was excited to be able to make it.  Some of her friends from Raleigh hosted a wonderful brunch shower in her honor.  

My Aunt Rhonda (Blair's mom) wrapped up a few things from when Blair was a baby and gave them to her at the shower- such a great idea and so sweet!  Blair and Rob are going to be surprised by the gender.  She was glowing the whole morning- I can't wait to see her as a mom. 

The food was awesome- frittatas, baked french toast, grits and more.  Yum!

Of course we had to get the four cousins shot.  I am so thankful for my sister-like cousins.  They are such a blessing!  My other cousin Anna is a new mommy (remember sweet Copeland?)  and their babies will be 5 months apart- so fun!

We are so excited to meet Baby Metcalf!  We are thrilled for you guys and love you so much!

Weekend with the Scheuer's

This weekend Nick's parents came up to Blacksburg for a visit.   Turns out they brought warmer weather with them as well.  This weekend was one of the nicest we have had in a long time.  It even got up to 60 degrees yesterday.  On Saturday we took full advantage of the nice weather and went for a hike at Buffalo Mountain, right past Floyd.  

When we got to the top we were rewarded with an amazing view and a wonderful picnic lunch.  

The rest of the day/ weekend was spent exploring Floyd, cooking delicious food (of course!) and just enjoying being together.  I have to include this-

At one point Saturday night I looked around and realized we were all engrossed in our various Mac products.  Pictured here we have an iPad, iPod touch, and a Macbook Pro- not to mention I was probably using the other Macbook as well.  This makes me laugh- I guess we are keep Steve Jobs in business....