highland games

Three years ago, Brian and I got married in Linville during the weekend of the Highland Games. I'll never forget driving from Westglow (after getting my hair done) to the church in Banner Elk and seeing mountain men in kilts along the drive. When our friends Jimmy and Christen asked if we wanted to drive up this year, it was only appropriate that we go! 

Brian said it felt like we were entering the world of Harry Potter. He was right.

The weather was interesting.. It started to rain, but it was still really bright. Hence the umbrella and sunglasses.

After the games, we drove down to King St. and walked around Boone, and then ate dinner at Woodlands. It was so wonderful to back in our old town! 

On Sunday, we took the dogs to the dog park and then had lunch at Amelie's in Charlotte. With all my trips to Charlotte, it's surprising that I had never been to Amelies before... So good. 

Then it was time to head back to Atlanta... Toby slept the entire ride back and is still recovering from so much excitement and activity. It was a great weekend trip with wonderful friends!

goodbye kramer

Tonight, my mom called to tell me that Kramer had to be put down.. He had been declining for a while, and it all came to an end tonight. So sad. He was a very special dog and lived a good, full life.

I wasn't his favorite person because I dressed him in my old doll clothes when he was a puppy. And then I brought my big scary dog (Toby) to his house for holidays which he wasn't too fond of. He and my mom had a very special bond. She talked to him like he was a person, and he listened to her. These green chairs was his favorite spot. He and my mom fit in them together perfectly. 

The dog loved chocolate. One Christmas, he ate a whole pound of chocolate. And lived. The first year my parents decided Scott and Natalie were too old for Easter egg hunts, everyone was a little sad. While they were all at church, Kramer went into Scott's room and found his Easter basket full of candy. Instead of eating the chocolate (which he clearly loved), he took random pieces and left them in different areas of the house. When everyone got home from church, they kept finding pieces scattered about under tables and chairs.. my mom likes to say that Kramer gave them an Easter egg hunt. :)


Kramer was our first "real" pet to die. Our bunnies and hamsters don't really count... He will definitely be missed! 

three

We celebrated our third anniversary yesterday! Since I had to work late, we went out for dessert at Cafe Intermezzo. They have an amazing showcase of cakes, cheesecakes, and mousses topped off with a dessert "tour guide." It was the perfect cozy spot to celebrate three years!

Natalie was in town, so she got to come too! She has been staying with us for a few days, but left for Rhode Island today. It was fun having her here!

santa monica sunset, Laguna Beach, San Diego & bikes on Venice

I made it back to Atlanta today, and I am missing the cool LA weather! Here's the rest of my pictures from the trip... 

 Walter wanted  to see the view too!

On Saturday, we took a day trip down the PCH to San Diego! We had no real agenda which was fun..

We stopped at a cliff to look at the view. This was the most beautiful sight of the entire trip. I felt like I was in a different country.

 A little scary...

 We drove through Long Beach and saw the Queen Mary.

 And stopped in Laguna Beach for lunch!

 After lots of traffic, we finally made it to San Diego. We started off by exploring Old Town.

Our favorite part of the day was the authentic Mexican dinner we had at Orgega's. We all tried papusas for the first time. YUM.

We took the interstate home and made it back in less than 2.5 hours.. It was a long day, but we were able to see a lot!

And what's a trip to LA without bike riding on the beach? We rode up Venice Beach, past Santa Monica for a 11.5 mile ride.

It was a great trip, and I'm thankful I was able to visit again so soon. Four more weeks till school starts back again... I'm looking forward to being in town some and relaxing before going back to work full time. I love the summer!