Living the Good Life

While it is sizzling hot here in Mid-Tennessee, we go to the water. On Wednesday evening, we packed up the fishing rods, chairs and children and headed to the lake for some evening fishing. 

Learning how to master the rod from his daddy:

Little man reeled in his 4th fish. It was too small so he released it back in to the lake but he was super proud of catching it. 

Amelia was less lucky but still enjoyed trying it and wading in the water:

The sunset and scenery was beautiful and very relaxing:

Great way to end a hot summer day. But all this heat is good for my vegetable garden. Everything is starting to get bigger and ready for harvesting. This was Thursday's harvest:

My friend Bettina and her daughter (one of our "safe" people) stopped by spontaneously on Thursday afternoon. She loved the kitten. If you ever wonder, an almost two-year old and a 17-week old kitten are on the same level. 

Friday after lunch, we headed to the Y pool. The kids love jumping in and practicing their swim skills. This summer, Elliot is so close to passing his swim test. The early bird gets the whole pool to themselves (pictures from 2 weeks ago):

While there were more people here yesterday, it still felt like we had enough room to ourselves to ensure social distancing (the chlorinated water also helps). I even got to swim for 30 minutes. Afterwards, the kids were ready to relax a bit:

 Freckles, tan lines and smiles:

This is how we make the best of this summer!

10th Anniversary and Fireworks

On Friday, Derrick and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been 10 years since our beautiful wedding day in Germany. I still remember it like yesterday despite that the day passed by so quickly. But so did these past 10 years: 2 children, 5 moves, 3 different States, new jobs, our own home but the wedding dress still fits.

Now:

Then:

I'm married to the man of my dreams, the one who walks By My Side (our song by Tenth Ave North) thru joy and happiness and despair and sadness.  I'm proud to be his wife and to be the one who raises these two children with him. Derrick, I love you always and forever!

There were no gifts or flowers but a day spent together as a family. We enjoyed a delicious lunch with King Crab Legs and champagne and a visit to the jewelry store to get my rings combined into one (something I wanted for a long time). 

Since our wedding day, thanks to my father for the surprise gift, and the fact that our anniversary is the day before Independence Day, we always get a fireworks show. Despite all the firework show cancellations in the city due to Covid-19, we made our own little fireworks show. 

And once the children were in bed, we turned up the music and danced under the stars in our front yard. It was the perfect day and I will always remember it. You are the one I need to go to bed with every night and wake up to!

Happy Birthday, America! Our 4th of July was nothing special except we had to purchase a new washer and dryer and digged for some worms in the yard. While it was a super hot day, we decided to avoid crowds by staying home. Popsicles and then Hamilton on TV while playing Monopoly and ribs for dinner...all American day. 

Today, we planned on going to the beach but thunderstorms were in the forecast for late morning, so we just headed to the creek near our town. The water was refreshing and it was so peaceful. While the children caught some crayfish, the adults waded in the water. Next time, we will bring a chair and a cool beverage. 

Happy 4th and we hope everyone enjoyed a fun and safe weekend!

Kentucky Down Under

Yesterday, we took the day off and went on an adventure. We drove an 1 hour up North to Kentucky Down Under Zoo where we rented a golf cart to get around the park. While it was a hot day, it was quite bearable at the zoo due to the tree covers, the breeze on the golf cart and the fact that it wasn't very crowded. Nonetheless, we ensured to stay socially distanced and wear our masks when around people. 

From milking a cow to feeding and petting kangaroos/ wallabies and lorikeets, animal shows, a petting zoo and a humongous Clydesdale walking around the grounds, there was something for everyone. 

The kangaroos and wallabies (the darker ones) were very tame and enjoyed being pet and fed. We even saw a joey nurse and then crawl in to his mother's pouch.

Lorikeet feeding was very interactive and the birds came right to us. Amelia even got baptized by being peed on. 

This is a big horse:

First time seeing Coatimundis. They are native to South/ Central America and love to eat grapes. There smacking sounds were adorable. 

 At the animal show we learned about the Laughing Kookaburra (you can hear his laugh on the video), the Leopard Tortoise as well as this non-venomous snake.

 View over the Kentucky countryside:

The zoo also included a tour thru Mammoth Onyx Cave where we saw stalagmites and stalactites. 

We had a late lunch at the Amish store and stopped by Dinosaur World only a  few miles away from the zoo. Only the walk-thru exhibition was open though but that is what the children wanted to see anyways. 

Because it was so hot, instead of heading home, we drove straight to the Y pool and enjoyed a nice late afternoon swim. 

Staying safe and local and still having fun...it was the best summer day so far!