Yesterday was a good day! We spent it at one of the prettiest breweries, eating delicious food, drinking some refreshing beer, listening to live music and fighting off all the bugs. Well, the bugs were annoying, but the rest of it was very good. I've been dying to get to Asheville since our babymoon before we had Asher, so it was really nice to get back up the mountain and enjoy the day. It's so nice to be a short drive away, especially for Asher since he still insists on screaming the ENTIRE TIME he's in a car. Lord, please change that soon!!! 

The hot summer days are officially here and it was definitely hot! But, watching this boy run around without his shoes and rolling on the grass and watching bugs made me happy. It's so cute to see the little boy in him growing and getting bigger! 

happy boy, as long as he's not in the car!! 

I know we will be back at Sierra Nevada soon, but I can't help but dream about the crisp fall days we can spend there later this year. Sorry, fall weather always has my heart!!! 

celebrating four years & a new baby.

Peter and I were so excited to have a chance to get away for a day date over the weekend!! It was our first day date since having Solomon. We had plans to make an overnight trip but decided just a long day away would be best. Thankfully, Asheville is close enough to make the perfect little day trip. We are hoping to make a couple more trips this fall. Our busy Saturday was the best way to celebrate four years of marriage and a little babymoon fun to celebrate our latest bun in the oven. I honestly can't believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by! 

We started the morning with a trip to Tandem and I was so excited to test out some of the new fall flavors!! I got the lavender honey latte and Peter got the spiced apple waffle. I decided to try the blueberry crepe and I was so happy I went with my gut, the sweet blueberry was much better than the spiced apple. Sorry, babe.... haha! 

Once we finished breakfast we took the short 45 drive to Sierra Nevada for some beer and amazing food. One thing I can honestly say about this place is how wonderful the menu is. I don't even feel deprived as a pregnant lady visiting a brewery!! I told Peter we need to head back again sometime this fall with an empty belly so we can enjoy more of the menu. Since we just needed a snack, we decided to get the pimento beer cheese with pretzels, it was delish! 

After some more brews and snacks in downtown Asheville, we drove back to Travelers Rest to finally try out a spot I've been dying to visit, Restaurant 17. Once again, we weren't exactly starving so we each tried one entree but I'd love to come back again and try more of the menu. This spot always has an evolving menu so I know we will have another date night here at some point. Our meals were very good. 

So thankful to do life with you!!! You are the sweetest hubby and the best daddy, I can't wait to tackle parenting TWO BOYS with you. I know you'll make the ups even higher and the downs a lot less stressful. Love you, Babe!!!

Our Asheville Vacation.

We were gone to visit lovely Asheville for the majority of last week and it was so delightful. Unfortunately, it was raining off and on a lot of the time, but we made the best of it and really soaked up the sunshine when we found it. Asheville is one of my favorite cities and the downtown area is a lot of fun, but this trip was spent checking out a lot of fun places in the surrounding area of Asheville. One of the breweries on our list to try was definitely Sierra Nevada! We had heard so many great things about it and their beer is some of our favorite. We timed it perfectly with a late morning full of sunshine so we could explore and play, then once the rain started we were ready to enjoy the tapas style menu. It was all delicious and the scenery was beautiful!

Solomon was excited to find a little play area with sand and toys! 

& Peter was excited to find a beautiful garden to check out... ha!

some fun with the bocce ball court! 

The beet salad made my heart and tummy so happy!!!! All the food was amazing but this was definitely my favorite thing we ordered. It was also beautiful... pretty food is always better, right? 

Asheville had a LOT of beer cheese, I think we had some at almost every restaurant we went to. This one was a pimento beer cheese, umm.... yes. thank you, I'll take five of them! 

The way he is coloring so determined and focused kills me! & those curls, and chubby hands... pretty much all of this makes me want to kiss him a million times. 

His shirt was pretty fitting for the day... rain & crayons! ;)

Since Friday morning was finally full of sunshine, and the rain was going to be crazy in the afternoon and night, we decided to enjoy some time outside. Peter saw a sign for the North Carolina Arboretum while we were driving one day, and after looking it up, he had to go. It is so beautiful and with the beautiful weather, we were in for a treat. I went a little camera crazy here which means I took a TON of pictures and barely gave my camera away so I'm not in any of the shots. HA! But, all the pictures I got of Solomon and his sweet daddy together are killing me. He loves his daddy so much and watching him try and copy everything he does lately is so sweet!!

a perfect example of wanting to copy daddy. He was watching him stoop down to his level as he was showing him some birds and Solomon had to squat down and look up too. I have to frame this picture! so sweet... and the one below is precious, too.

such a gorgeous spot with the surrounding mountains and beautiful landscape. It made me want to go to Biltmore pretty badly! 

I think I need to frame this one too..... all the heart eyes for my guys!

I was taking some photos of some flowers on one of the trails when Peter told me to hurry up and run over. I was so excited to find this beautiful butterfly fluttering around on this pretty flower bush. It was so magical. 

& this photo is totally NOT posed. I was walking slowly behind my mom taking pictures when I saw her lean over and smell this tree. It was a perfect moment and I love how sweet she looks doing it. Such a good Mom and Gigi, we are so thankful for her!

I want to plant these trees all over our yard!!! They are so pretty!

After a LOT of beer over the five days we were in Asheville (so many breweries, so little time!), we wanted to switch things up and check out Asheville Distilling Company. Peter is a big fan of the blonde whiskey and he was excited to try some of their other items. The tour was short and sweet and then we got to taste all of the different products they have. It was interesting to learn about the company that started with a lady named Troy (that's her husband that gave the tour) that wanted to make quality moonshine and seeing how much the company has grown in such a short time. If you like craft quality liquor, you have to try this place out!

I'm not a huge dark liquor fan (I really only like tequila!) so I chased Solomon around while my mom and Peter got to taste everything! But, I do have to say that the blonde whiskey is the ONLY whiskey that I've ever kind of liked. It's good and so smooth!

And I'll end on this sweet picture, I love those two a lot.... and I really love that my mom loves to travel with us. She is so helpful with Solomon but I'm so thankful that she truly wants to help and create memories with us. Love you, Mom!!! Plus, I love even more that my sweet hubby enjoys having her around, too. It's always a good thing when your two best friends get along and love each other, am I right?!?