Family Weekend!!

Red, Mom, and Michael came to visit Richard and me a few weekends ago!! We had such a blast spending time with everybody in Nashville. They arrived around 6 o' clock Friday night, which gave us just enough time to eat our barbeque sandwiches and visit the Grand Ole' Opry before hitting the sack.

The next morning I had to convince everybody into trying a yummy fish taco from the local Fish Market. Unfortunately, they were not very impressed- I guess I can't blame them too much because the place does kinda have a strong fishy smell:0?! Oh well, maybe that's why I like it ... it reminds me of good ole' Louisiana!! Next, we decided to join all the locals and tourists alike on the streets of downtown Nashville. Let me just say, my brother was quite the tourist!! He absolutely loved it- and we all loved seeing how much he loved it. He thought he had to have everything from the belt buckle, the cowboy hat(s), the Hank shirt, AND the music- He came to Tennessee a Rockstar and left a Cowboy in a true Nashvillian fashion.

Last but not least, I wanted to take my brother (and the rest of the crew) to the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchberg, TN. Although I am not a supporter of drinking OR Jack Daniel's, I have to say that visiting the distillery is quite a unique and enjoyable experience. The humorous thing is the distillery resides in a dry county; therefore, they serve lemonade at the end of the tour rather than the expected Jack Daniel's:0. How funny is that?!

Well, after much fun, momma's homemade soup, and experiencing a little bit of what Tennessee had to offer, it was time for the family to return back to sweet Louis and Ana. Oh how I look forward to their visits?!

Girl of a Sailor Man

My dad was in the Dauphin Island Race last weekend! This was his 2nd year to participate in the event- and let me just say...this is what this man lives for!! As a teenager trying to find his purpose and place in this world, my dad remembers praying and asking God to give him a hobby- something to be passionate about, to love, and to glorify Jesus through. After a few months of praying, a co-worker invited him to go sailing with him. Ever since that moment, my dad has absolutely loved this sport. I remember growing up and going to dad's house every other weekend. Those weekends were spent on the lake IN a sailboat- I learned that a little thing called "wind" was a very important part of God's creation during that time. Sorry, back to the race...Dad's team won first in their class Saturday!!! And, FIRST OVERALL in the Sunday race!!!! YAY!! I love my dad very much and I hope he has many more Dauphin Island races to come!

The Crew

My dad is the handsome fella in the gray shirt.

p.s. His bottom lip isn't normally fire engine red. At the very end of the Sunday race, he got hit by the one of the poles on the sailboat which resulted in a trip to the ER. As they say, "Like father, like daughter."