Summertime (and the livin' is easy)

Let's talk about vacations and luxuries while being in the midst of the adoption wait.  I think it is absolutely necessary to still enjoy some of life's luxuries, even if we are a little nervous about the costs we are enduring for the adoption. We can't sit at home and think about nothing but waiting.  Distraction is the best coping mechanism I have found to get through this ever dragging process.

We do not have a "real" vacation planned for this summer, but we just went on a long weekend trip to Knoxville, TN for John's curling club.  For those who need a reminder or who for some crazy reason missed the winter Olympics, curling is an olympic sport that is played on ice. John is a part of Atlanta's first curling club and they happened to get into a bonspiel in Knoxville called the "Rocky Top Open Bonspiel" which is hosted by the Great Smoky Mountains Curling Club .  I had never been to Knoxville and I have to say I was really impressed.  It was a smaller city with big city features.  We ate some of the best food I have had in a while.  I would really recommend the French Market which is downtown on South Gay Street. We had some delicious crepes for breakfast our last morning there and got chocolate croissants to go! Did I mention they had free refills on iced coffee?  They know the way to my heart for sure. I thought I had more pictures from around town, but they turned out to be mostly food.  Shocker!

Chocolate croissant, fresh out of the oven!

Crepe!

John out on the ice (note the curling pants)

Spielin'

In a little over a week, we will be traveling to Wilmington, NC for another bonspiel.  The good news is that there is a beach in my future! The bad news is that I need to find a bathing suit (just about every woman's worst shopping nightmare).  We will pack up an emergency baby bag (because we can hope right?!), some SPF "insanity level" for the beach (because I basically glow in the dark), and some winter gear for the ice rink!

In super awesome adoption news, all of our home study renewal stuff has been turned in and our home visit is complete!  We now wait for our home study to be re-written/copy and pasted/tweaked a bit and wait for approval for another year of waiting.... good lord, please no!  My zen state only comes easy when I picture baby with us.  On that note, let's all share our adoption Facebook page ! Hey, good idea! I promise to better about making update posts.  I know it is pretty boring at times.  OR here is an idea, follow us on instagram where I am attempting to post 100 days of happy stuff.  I thought it would be really easy and it would be IF I could just post cats, Frank Turner mega-fan stuff and coffee. I guess I could, but it might run some people off.

On the topic of life's luxuries and cutting back, I am doing living room yoga rather than going to a class, but hat could change if I find the right priced studio. I will also be attempting to make my own iced coffee with this recipe from the Pioneer Woman- rather than purchasing one every day (which I am so guilty of).  My apologies to my local coffee joint, which I single handedly keep in business.  I promise to visit you on special occasions and when I have friends to meet up with.

Everyone, please send our kitty Spike good vibes.  He hasn't been well and was still acting a little off this morning. The vet wants x-rays and blood work.  He means the world to us and we hate when he isn't in tip-top cat shape.  12 years old and still my baby.

A few more pictures from Knoxville.  The skies were beautiful the entire time.

We attended a party at the Concord Yacht Club

A rainbow greeted us as we drove in to Knoxville

Thanks everyone for reading and demanding more! Love getting comments and requests from everyone!  I am open to writing about topics that people want to hear about, so bring 'em on!