Big Things to Happen in Nashville!

That's right, after a mere 18 months in beautiful, sunny, palm-tree-y Ponte Vedra Beach/Jacksonville, we are packing up and heading to the Country Music Capital!  After many days/weeks of discussion, Mike accepted a fantastic job offer in Nashville and we're moving next month!!

While sad to leave the beach and the beautiful scenery in general, we're really excited about Nashville and all that this city has to offer!!  At the top of all the really important reasons to move:

1. Trader Joe's-so excited to be reunited with a Trader's!

2. Culture-not exactly the country scene, but all of the other music, food, and fun things there!

3. Tigers and Red Wings-happening in Nashville this year!

4. Proximity to family-only 3 hours from Mike's Dad, 5 from Mike's Mom and a MUCH cheaper flight to Raleigh (or an 8 hour drive), this is great news for our 2012 plans!!

5. Country Music-haha, I kid, I kid.  But seriously, the music scene is supposed to be amazing, Nashville is second only to LA in producing new up-and-comers in music!!! 

Of course, there's all the less exciting reasons to move, like the promotion Mike received, better quality of life (I think 1-5 encompasses that well), pay, etc, but who cares about those things when there's a Trader Joe's really close?!?! 

We're gearing up to be together in Nashville in time for our 1st Wedding Anniversary over Memorial Day Weekend (we'll be apart for a couple of weeks as Mike needs to start work earlier than we're planning on moving), so things are going to be pretty busy once we get back from England at the beginning of May.  Big things are definitely happening in 2012 so far!!! :-)

Visitors, get your bags packed for a really fun new city to see!!

Meghan & Steve visit!!

Last weekend, Meghan & Stevie came to visit PVB!!  We had a great weekend!!!

Super busy day at the beach!

We  celebrated Meghan's birthday on the beach, followed be a fantastic dinner at North Beach Bistro!

Fun in the sun!

Love him!

Meghan's birthday dinner!

 We love Meghan and Steve and can't wait for their wedding in October!! :-)

Dumb Dumb Files

On Friday I left work in a hurry to head to Raleigh for the weekend.  I got everything together, packed Lloyd in to the car (he'd been stowed away in my office all afternoon) and off we went.  Two hours later, I stop for gas and a sandwich.  "Lloyd, where did I put my purse??"

After the realization that I left my entire bag in my desk drawer, two hours away, I have to call Mike to explain that I'm THIS stupid.  It didn't go over well at first, but he agreed to get in the car and drive two hours to fill up the car and get me back on the road.  By the time he got there, at 9:00p, and I still had 5 hours to drive, we agreed that it was a better idea to head home and give up on Raleigh for the weekend.  Sad to do this, it was definitely a smarter choice than trying to make the trek, sans money and license, to Raleigh and back. 

I'm still not sure how it's possible that I forgot the ONE thing I would never go anywhere without?!  Poor husband, all he wanted was a quiet night watching sports with Milton, and insteand we spent our entire Friday making laps on I-95.  This story will be making a come-back for years.....

Who has two thumbs and isn't very bright?!  This girl!

Spring Training, 2012

Mike, Lloyd, I hit the road early last Sunday to head South to Lakeland, Florida, home of the Detroit Tigers Spring Training stadium, the Joker Marchant Stadium (I don't know why it's named this, I was confused too).  We did this last year also, without the lab, and 2012 proved to be just as much fun as 2011!

We ate Cheesesteaks, Mike drank domestic beer, we ate nachos, it was a great time!  And the Tigers WON!  Sorry, Philly fans, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander were not going to let it be a losing game!

Joker Marchant Stadium

Speaking of, I had to take a few pictures of the $200.00 million over 10 years player that the Tigers signed for the 2012 season:

Prince Fielder

Also snapped a shot of Verlander, doing his job:

Justin Verlander

And just for good measure, took a few of everyone else too!:

Out field

Valverde

Really fun day, glad to see the Tigers getting ready for the start of their season next week!

Not a great picture, but a great day! :)

On a somewhat-related note, the Lloyd was not allowed in the hotel we were staying in so we spent 24 hours sneaking the dog in and out of the side doors of the hotel.  Yes, we know better.  Yes, we did it anyway.  Pretty hilarious to be a fly on the wall watching Mike run down the hall with the 50lb dog in his arms and me running ahead to keep watch and let them through the doors.  Thie things we do for that guy, seriously. 

How can you not love that face?!  He's not a huge fan of the back seat, or having his picture taken 22 times in a row :)