Tag: Travel

Falling Spring

Jessica

What does a mermaid-wanna-be like me do while smack dab in the middle of the Midwest? Look for water, of course!

Thursday, Little Bit and I ventured over towards the town we will be moving to. On the way, after a right turn and a couple of left turns down on some forest roads, we came to one of the most unique places I’ve ever seen.

And, we had it to ourselves! It. Was. Amazing.

It was homesteaded in the 1850’s and has a wonderful log cabin and mill. It’s almost like some scene from a story. The water is crystal clear, under the mill is sand, and the whole area just screams “history.”

After poking around in the building for a few minutes, I stepped around back. We could hear water gushing and I expected to see something similar to what we’ve seen in the past few weeks- water either coming up from the ground or pouring out of rocks near the bottoms of caves.

Wrong!

Instead we saw nature truly putting on an incredible show. A gorgeous gift, aptly named:

Falling Spring.

Full Circle Again

Jessica

We are moving, finally. After a year and a half of trying to move, things finally worked out.

My husband was offered a job in a new town on the opposite side of our state and after some heartfelt contemplation about the benefits of moving vs staying put, we grabbed onto our new adventure.

He started working over there three weeks ago and Little Bit and I are trying to get our two properties ready to sell. Last week, we went over to visit him and have a look around.

Oh my gosh!!! You guys are going to LOVE this area. I was so worried that we were leaving our clear water streams and land abounding with nature behind, but guesss what?

Over there, the rivers are clear, there is a National Scenic Riverway, and thousands of acres of National Forest land. I am absolutely sooooooooo excited. Just think of all the new places we will have to explore!

In fact, we’ve already started. Within this past week, we’ve already ventured down several pine tree lined mountain roads, looked for wild horses, hiked around a gorgeous mill, stood on an old rickety wooden bridge, rung the bell at an old schoolhouse, and seen water the color of a stunning blue ocean in an Ozark stream.

Oh, and get this. There is a fishing lake just north of our new town which is pretty cool. You see, about twenty two years ago, my husband and I lived at a lake and went fishing almost every night after work.

When we moved to Marshfield seventeen years ago, things came full circle (you can read about it here, if you like) and as crazy as it seems, my heart just told me, they are coming full circle again.

Art Via Christmas Lights

Jessica

If you are ever down in Southern Alabama, Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore is definitely worth a visit.

We went there last night to see the walk through Christmas light display. Oh my! It was beyond fabulous. I’ve never seen so many Christmas bulbs in my life. Every color you can imagine adorned nearly everything in sight.

A winter wonderland indeed, but there was also an underwater scene complete with sting rays, starfish, and sea horses. There were toys, animals, and flowers. The trees absolutely shimmered. Around every corner, we were just in awe.

We had a wonderful time and are so glad we went. What a beautiful way to showcase the spirit of the season with art via Christmas lights.

December Vacation

Jessica

We are 5 days into our birthday at the beach. According to this sign that’s hanging on the wall in our condo rental, we are pretty much on track! Well, except for one thing. sunscreen. Oops!

  • We’ve soaked up the sun.
  • I took a nap on the balcony today.
  • My husband and Little Bit built sand castles.
  • The first night we got here, we played a sports trivia game and we laughed so hard. Sports is not really my expertise.
  • We’ve enjoyed the beach several times, including this evening.
  • There’s a gorgeous indoor pool, so we swam and played.
  • We are rocking RELAX. My favorite question of the week is: “should we stay on the island or go do something?” Island is the key word here.
  • I’m always barefoot.
  • So far, we’ve taken long walks at the fort and on a few beaches.
  • Eat seafood? Why yes! Only every single day! There is a fresh seafood market on the island. We bought red snapper, grouper, two kinds of shrimp, blue crab claws, and raw oysters. Needless to say, we have feasted well every day so far. Yum!

I’m so glad they have this sign! It totally reiterates these awesome moments we’ve been having on our first ever, December vacation.

Hitting the Road

Jessica

My Little Bit made his grand entrance into this world 11 years ago today. Although I loved a lot of things before his arrival, seeing him for the very first time sparked an all encompassing sort of love.

There is nothing in this world like motherhood. Trust me, on this one. 5 years of infertility and loss, pretty much cemented in how truly amazing holding your own baby is. Since the day this kiddo was born, he has been loved beyond words and celebrated even on days not his birthday.

I have to pinch myself when I think about how the moments, hours, and days flash by. One minute a baby, blink, blink, blink, and the next, a kiddo reading chapter books and seeking a bit of independence.

Most of these 11 years have been spent seeing the world via maps, gravel roads, and highways. A good chunk of our memories so far, include cruising our local countryside, taking pictures, and savoring the views.

Just last night, on the last night of age 10, we drove around town looking at Christmas lights, then took the backroads home. On some ol’ bridge, we rolled down our windows in 20 degree weather, and were greeted with a zillion-ish stars.

In a few hours, we are heading south for our weeklong birthday “party.” The beach is, once again, calling our names.

We let Little Bit pick out where we’ll stay and he chose a beautiful condo with a pool, boardwalk, and a Gulf of Mexico view.

Talk about excited, this momma’s birthday wishes are coming true and thanks to my wonderful husband who was able to get a week off work in December, we are hitting the road.