Visit Tennessee.

Visit Tennessee.

After four years away from the homeland since my last visit, I was due for a trip back. So, last week I took the kids out to visit the grandparents for ten days in Tennessee. Jake stayed home. He was amazingly still alive when I returned, only slightly skinnier (if you can imagine) from almost two weeks of not eating.

After so much time away and so many new roots being planted here in Utah, I wondered if it would feel the same as it used to when I returned to the south--that feeling of returning "home". And even though so much has changed since I lived there--my parents live in a new house, the school district tore down my high school and rebuilt a new fancy one in its place, there's new subdivisions and shopping centers everywhere you turn--it was an unmistakable of feeling returning to and rediscovering--well, a part of me.

Ok enough for the serious stuff. It was also hilarious to remember the great quirkiness of The South (yes it needs to be capatilized). Within 24 hours I had seen a sign in the front yard of a small backwoods home advertising the "Paternity Testing" business they conducted there, the back of a minivan decorated with car paint the phrase "Jesus Saves" with a Bible verse quoted beneath it, and a grown man with a t-shirt from his "Rebel Cockfighting" tournament. Awesome. Oh, and let's not forget the Nathan Bedford Forest giant (seriously giant) gold statue monument some guy put up on his property which conveniently is on the only tree-cleared patch on the side of the I-65. Nice.

I was able to meet up with my good friend from high school, Kristin, who has since moved back to Franklin with her husband (no fair). We snuck into an open door of the new high school one evening and reminisced, despite the fact the only remaining part of the original school we attended was one of the gyms and the track and football field. We did find two old track trophies I helped win. It was good to see there was at least SOME evidence I went there. I was surprised I didn't have my own giant gold monument outside the school but, whatever. The two of us then went downtown and had dinner and cruised the square. Only once because it's now against the law.

The rest of the week was spent entertaining the kids and hangin' out in the country with my parents and I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was beautiful, relaxing, and --especially out on the patio watching the sunset and listening to the incredible late-night thunderstorms--incredibly cathartic.

Here are just a few of the hundreds of photos I took from the week. And I still need to get the hundreds of photos my Mom took of the week.

Taylor walking the two family bassett hounds up the long driveway. The kids and the dogs were best buds before the end of day one.

Water gun fights in the backyard.

Such pretty scenery!

Craft time at Nana's Day Camp.

Washing the berries after a berry-picking expedition!

A visit to the Nashville Zoo.
The zoo was fun but in the end, Nana's house had just as many new animals to watch than the zoo did!

Entertaining the dogs.

A bird nest at kid-eye level being built on the patio. Each morning there was a new egg inside!

Toads in the garage.

Lizards on the porch.

Catching butterflies in jars.

And bunnies everywhere! (Pops spared us witnessing what the reason for the pellet gun in his office). We didn't even get photos of the wild turkey, deer, horses, cows, or fireflies!

Taylor's 6th birthday was our last day there and we celebrated by dinner at Chuck E Cheese and cake and presents at home. The kids also had a few great nights with Pops while Nana and I went shopping.

We had a great time and the kids keep telling me how much they liked Tennessee. But---the tell-tale sign they really did enjoy themselves? Chase cried all the way from waving good bye at security until we got on the plane because he missed Nana and Pops already.