Pacific NorthWest Trek Part I

After finishing up the airstream, we packed it up and headed to Murfreesboro for a few days to tie up loose ends and say our goodbyes.

Pip also made his first kill in Beersheba. So proud.

We loved staying with Sam and Kelly Baggett! So grateful for their friendship and love.

On September 30, 2015 we set off on our adventure to Washington! First stop: Arkansas.

We ended up hitting a few snags during that first leg. What should've been a 7 1/2 hour drive turned into a 16 hour drive! But we eventually made it to Fayetteville at 4am!

Pip made fast friends with our hosts' dog, Atlas.

Wes and I treated ourselves to massages, good food, and most importantly, some wonderful time hiking and climbing with our best friends Aaron and Natalie in the Ozarks.

These friends are the people who introduced Wes and I. We love them so dearly and are grateful that we finally got to spend time with them!

After spending 3 nights in Arkansas, we set out to Colorado. 

It's hard taking moving pictures at night. ;)

We stopped in Kansas at a beautiful lakeside campground on Saturday October 3rd. This was my view out of my bedroom window. 

After breakfast, we loaded up and continued our drive to Greeley, CO. Driving through Kansas and Nebraska was loooooong.

We made it to Greeley on Sunday October 4th and stayed with a longtime friend and mentor Deborah and her husband Blaine, and their two awesome kids, Erin and Grady.

We hiked, enjoyed delicious food, and stayed up late catching up with some of my favorite people!

Devil's Backbone hiking trails: 

Staying with the Chastains was a breath of fresh air and we loved hanging with them in CO! 

Next post covers our second half of our trip from Colorado to Washington!

Christmas Day at the Meeksarosa

After staying the night in Murfreesboro on Christmas Eve, Wes and I drove out to Franklin to my parents house to celebrate the day with my family. 

The group included the Partain family, the Meeks brothers, my parents, and us. Plenty of people to be entertained by!

Little Lainey Bug waiting so patiently while others open their gifts.

Below Uncle Jesse and Uncle Joel looking in on the fun, enjoying their spots.

Nathan cracking up little guy Levi.

Poor Amos working so hard to be patient while others open their gifts.

Sally's new coat!

Flannery testing out her new Hello Kitty toothbrush on Grandpa.

Bubba in a box!

Ever since our wedding, Flannery has loved getting dressed up in a white dress and pretending to be a bride.

We so enjoyed our first Christmas married! But we also missed the Robbins clan so badly! Hopefully soon we'll all be reunited.

Christmas Eve

I realize this is very late, but I wanted to post it anyway!

Christmas Eve was spent in Murfreesboro with my in-laws including our other Branch family (David, Summer, and August), Lindy and John, Granny Margaret, Aunt Monica and her daughter Eva and her husband Cole, and Laurel and Dave with their girls. 

Of course children are so much fun to take pictures of....so that's all I got that night!

August is too quick to get a clear shot!

John and Lindy enjoying our secret santa game.

August wearing his Superman costume.

Brianna working on her new art project.

Isabelle and Auggie work on their new present.

This is definitely not a great quality picture, but I love what I captured between Eva and her mom, Monica. Love them!

Giving Thanks

My first Thanksgiving away from home was a busy and fun one! We started out in Clarksville with Wesley's dad, Randle, and his brothers and families. Good food, beautiful land, and shooting guns made the first half of our Thanksgiving a treat!

Uncle Lyle showing me the ways of the A.R. (set up on a .22). It was pretty fun to shoot, I'm not gonna lie!

Randle and Wesley

Uncle Wesley helping Brianna load her gun.

Brothers

After having a fun and beautiful morning in Clarksville, we headed to Murfreesboro for Part II of our Thanksgiving! Dinner with Wesley's mom, Lindy, and her husband and family was de-li-cious!

Granny Margaret and August

Sisters! Lindy and Monica

David's space being invaded

Wes, Auggie, Granny

It was such a lovely day, and we're so thankful for family.

Getting Creative and Combing Health and Pizza!

One evening Wesley decided to make me a delicious dinner. Because I am allergic to yeast, and therefore cannot eat any type of bread, he decided to make several different types of pizza on tortillas!

The sauce was the most appetizing and guilt-free pizza sauce I've ever had! With kale, carrots, tomatoes, basil, marinara sauce, and a hint of garlic, I felt like I was eating a salad!

With fresh mozzerella, tomatoes, pesto, basil, a creative sauce, and parmesan all on tortillas makes a delicious, easy, quick, and way healthier version of America's current take on pizza. 

Get creative with your sauce, and see what kind of masterpiece you can come up with!