One Amazing Road Trip

We got back about a week ago from a fantastic vacation. We made the crazy decision to drive out to Houston for Chris' cousin's wedding instead of flying. And we made a good road trip out of it, stopping in Nashville for 2 nights, New Orleans for 2 nights, and Atlanta in between. Here are some of the highlights:

And we're off! Evie was a superstar during this whole trip. We rarely had to console her during the driving. But we did sing a lot of kid's song!

Nashville. What a great city! Evie's highlight was riding in the elevator at the hotel.

We had a great surprise on our first day. Long story, but my parents and Jeff ended up staying in the hotel where we stayed the first night, so we went out to dinner with them and had breakfast the next morning. It was a great way to start our trip!

We went to church and had lunch with my good friend from high school, Alison, and her adorable family. It was so good catching up with them. The girls definitely enjoyed "taking care of" Evie.

We visited the Opryland Hotel. Absolutely amazing! We ate dinner by the water show, took a boat ride through the indoor river, and ate gelato in the garden. It was a late night for us, but well worth it.

We were told by many people that Loveless Cafe is the place to go for breakfast. I would definitely agree, although Evie just wanted to be outside and climb the stairs.

We made a quick stop to visit my cousin, Kirsten, and her family. They were such great hosts! They had a full spread of food out all the time!

I miss them already.

Next stop... New Orleans. You can't not go to Cafe du Monde for beignets!

We took a horse and carriage ride around the city.

On a very hot day, we had to sit in the sun for 20 minutes while a freight train passed. 20 minutes is a long time in New Orleans heat.

So, we finally made it to Houston for the wedding. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding. Texas weddings are so much fun!

Here is the bride's family watching the new couple cut the cake.

The bride's siblings all said very sweet words to their sister.

With the new couple! Congratulations, Kate and Taft!

While in Houston, we stayed with my good friend Lisa and her husband, Matt. They have 2 "kids"- Evie was in heaven.

We went to an awesome spray park. Can you find Evie? :)

The kiddie/pug pool was another great way to cool down.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Evie is trying out her independence.

I'm so thankful for "old" friends. Lisa and Matt made our trip even more unforgettable.

Well, it was a whirlwind, but we wouldn't have changed a thing. Chris and I kept saying during the trip that vacations with a toddler are definitely more challenging, yet we had so much joy watching her experience things that we take for granted. But we'll definitely take our Alaskan cruise without her for our 10 year anniversary- still 6 years away!