Nashville Bucket List

You may remember that one of my resolutions was to create a bucket list of things we want to do while we are still living in Nashville.  It wasn't hard to think of all the things we haven't gotten around to doing, and it didn't take long before I had a pretty long little list of things to do! So without further adieu- my Nashville Bucket List!

1. Visit the Frist Center for Visual Arts- I have been meaning to visit our local art museum for a while now, and even did go one time (but never got inside because there was literally no where to park!). I'm not a huge art buff, but there have been some really amazing exhibits that I missed out on, so I want to take advantage of this before I don't have a chance to!

2. Hang out at the Downtown Public Library- I am already a huge fan of the Nashville public library system, but their online reserve system is the reason I've never visited the main branch! It is really convenient to pick out my books online and then just pick them up at my neighborhood location when it's available. However, the downtown branch is a tourist attraction on its own! I'd love to spend a Saturday just sitting in the cafe and reading a good book.

3. Visit the Nashville Zoo- who doesn't like the zoo?!

4. Walk the trails at Radnor Lake- I'm told this is one of the best parks in the Nashville area and I'm a little embarrassed I haven't been before! There are tons of walking trails where it's impossible to not see some wildlife.  There is so much nature to experience around us and it's definitely time I got around to exploring!

5. Go to a Tennessee Titans game- I much prefer college football over the NFL, but LP field is practically walking distance from our house.  Marcus has been to a game and I think it's my turn!

6. Weekend trips to Chicago, Chattanooga, Asheville, and the Smokies- If and when we move back to Texas, we will never live this close to these places that we can just take a drive for a short weekend getaway. It's really hard to do this when your husband works on Sundays, but I'm determined to make some of these trips happen!

7. Spend a hot summer day at Nashville Shores- We planned a day like this last summer. We planned it a month out so all of our friends were off work and could go. And then it rained. I'm pretty sure there are better water parks out there, and this one's probably nothing to write home about, but I still want to go.

8. Go to the Doyle and Debbie Show at Station Inn- The Station Inn is a legendary bluegrass venue in town, so I've been wanting to take my dad since we moved here, but the last two times he's visited it hasn't worked out. I do want to take in the bluegrass tunes, but I also want to see the Doyle and Debbie show, a country music parody show. They just recently took the show to Chicago and it's gotten great reviews, plus "Debbie" is my Zumba teacher! So this is at the top of my list. :)

9. See Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God at the Ryman- Andrew Peterson has been doing this Christmas show at the Ryman every year for a while now, but we always have to leave town too early to see it. Hopefully we can make it this year!

Wow, that was lengthy. If you're still reading, I thank you. Now you have to come visit so we can do some of these things together! There's no time to waste!

Wish you were here!
The Womacks

Sewing Goodies

Not to brag, but I have some amazing friends and family.  Everyone has been so encouraging of my new quilting endeavor and I'm so excited to continue learning and practicing and making more and more quilts!

But now I am going to brag and show off the new goodies I got from some of my favorite people!

This adorable pincushion is from my brother-in-law, his wife, and my three favorite nieces:

Isn't it so so cute? In fact, it looks similar to this one I pinned a while back.  So needless to say, I love it! AND, Melissa made it! With the help of our oldest niece, Abby, of course. 

Next is another adorable little pincushion that Santa brought:

My mom picked up this little jewel on a stop in Amish country. I think every quilter needs one of these!

One of my best friends, Ashley, from Claudie Belle Designs, hooked me up with some essential sewing tools:

I was in desperate need of a seam ripper! But I also love the thread stand and pincushion mason jar. She sells these in her Etsy shop along with so many other cute things, so you should definitely check it out!

And last but not least, major props to my wonderful hubby who gave me this fancy new pair of Gingher fabric shears:

I also pinned these specific scissors and he got them all on his own without ever seeing my board. Is he the best or what?!

I am taking a short break from the sewing machine after all the Christmas craziness, but I can't wait to put all these things to good use.  I have two MUST-DO quilts that I am really really excited to start, so STAY TUNED!!! And thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of my new little hobby!!! :)

Review and Resolutions

As 2011 rolled in, it was hard to believe that it would be able to top 2010, the year Marcus and I got married.  To be honest, I'm not sure any day can top our wedding day (until we have kids) but I do know that every year with Marcus just keeps getting better and better!

Our year started off with my transition into full-time employment. What a blessing! I love where I work and I'm so privileged to be a part of the Blood:Water Mission family.

Then...

We returned to the scene of our engagement...

Alki Beach in Seattle

 And welcomed our beautiful niece, Clare Isabella!

We also welcomed a new addition to our little family!

Maximus Womack 

Look how much I've grown!

Marcus finished his second year of seminary and started his third, with a trip to England in between.

High Five, John Wesley!

 We celebrated lots of weddings...

The Pitcocks!

The Litzlers! 

The Rigdons!

The Robinsons!

The Zeisigs!

...and the first anniversary of our own wedding!

One year!

We went to Disney World...

...and marked U2 and Martina McBride off our concert bucket lists!

I made my first quilt...

...and my second!

All these things are just wonderful reminders of the blessings God has given us, and as I look ahead to 2012, I know it will bring many more blessings.  I can't wait to see how our story continues to unfold.  I'm usually pretty bad at coming up with resolutions, but I do have a few things I'd like to accomplish this year.

1. Get back into the routine of exercising at the Y. This was a resolution last year, and it lasted for a solid nine months. I was pretty proud of us! I want to do better this year, and that may mean I have to give up some things to be better disciplined about staying active!

2. Start a routine of cleaning and maintaining our house. I'm SO bad at this right now. I rarely have any motivation to clean the house, yet I constantly feel frustrated at the state it's usually in.  I really want to be better about this and if you have any suggestions, I'll gladly take them!

3. Spend more time in prayer. Starting this one now with Stormie O'Martian's "The Power of a Praying Wife" devotional.  I can't wait to go through this book and hopefully share it with you!

4. Create a bucket list for Nashville.  Knowing that there is a chance that we'll move back to Texas at some point after Marcus graduates, our time in Nashville is likely becoming more limited. There are several places to go and things to do here, as well as places to visit nearby. Time to write them all down and start checking them off!

I could probably go on, but I think this is a good start. Don't want to get overwhelmed before I even start!

Thanks for letting me share our life with you!

Wish you were here!

The Womacks

Happy New Year!

I cannot believe it is already 2012! I hope you all had a great time ringing in the new year.  The Womacks sent 2011 out in style...on the couch.  It was actually a nice NYE, just going out to eat and spending time together as a family.

I have enjoyed reading all of your posts about the holidays, and I finally have a chance to sit down and share mine.  We had a great time in Texas visiting with family and friends and celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.  It always goes by way too quickly, but it was also good to come back to Nashville and start settling into the new year.

Our break started with the wedding of our dear friends, Nicki and Alex. After dropping Max off in Longview with my parents, we headed down to Houston for the party! We had such a great time celebrating and catching up with close friends from college.

The Womacks and the Zeisigs!

We headed back to Longview on Sunday and spent some time with my family. It was really great having time to just relax, eat, and enjoy family time! I was really excited for our family gift exchange because I finished my grandmother's quilt! While it was fun to watch everyone open the gifts we gave, I was most looking forward to this one.  Here is the completed quilt!

Front

Back

My grandmother collects quilts, but has never had one made for her. I made this using some doilies that her grandmother and grandmother-in-law made! This was such a special project for me and I'm so pleased with how it turned out. Here she is opening it up!

I think she liked it!

Unfortunately, I was really bad with the camera this year, and didn't get many pictures of the rest of our family. Maybe I should add that to my list of new years resolutions?

Christmas at Nunna's!

On Christmas Eve, we headed to Rockwall for Christmas with the Womacks. We had so much fun visiting with family, especially our nieces.  They NEVER run out of energy so there was lots of play time while we were there.

Love these crazy girls!

We are always sad to leave Texas, especially when we don't know how long it will be until we're back. But we returned to Nashville hopeful for the new year and all that it has to offer. Come back tomorrow for a review of 2011 and my resolutions! I know most people have already done this, but better late than never, right?