Nashville

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Dear Holly: Your Trip to Build-A-Bear for Your 9th Birthday

9 years old.

Dear Holly,

For your first birthday party since we moved to Alabama, I was certain you would choose to have it at Alice Circle; which is like the ideal place for 9 year-old girls.

But no- instead, you chose… to not have a birthday party?

I suppose you overheard Mommy and I talking about how much a birthday party would cost and then thought to yourself, “Well I could get a lot of gifts for less than a birthday party would cost…”

So in addition to your many birthday gifts you received, you asked if we would take you to Build-A-Bear; as we happened to have a trip planned to Nashville the week after your birthday.

You chose a kitty. And you decided she definitely needed a cheer squad hoodie, and 4 shoes, and to be lavender scented. Oh, of course she needed her own cell phone.

Seems like things a 9 year-old little girl would think of…

Grand total at Build-A-Bear: $76.

Still cheaper than birthday party, right?

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: High Speed Go-Karts

14 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

This past weekend we took a day trip back to Nashville, as we still make an effort to catch up with our friends there every couple of months.

Since you got your PlayStation 5 last Christmas, you and your old neighborhood friend Aiden have been playing your games together online.

So you spent the whole day with him, doing 14 year-old boy stuff:

You both went to see the Minecraft movie… a 2nd time now.

You both went axe throwing… something I have yet to do.

And your personal favorite, you both went Music City Kartplex, where you both got to race at a “high speed go-kart” facility.

Oh, and you both got to play your PlayStation 5 games together, in the same room, at his house.

So yeah, you had a good weekend!

Love,

Daddy

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Aspiring to Live Quietly… in Alabama

Back nearly a year ago when our family first started considering moving to Alabama, I was completely unaware of the concept of “living quietly”.

Now that we have transitioned here for over the past month (and are apparently moving into our own house this weekend?), it has become apparent to me that we instinctively were inspired to move from the Nashville area to my Appalachian hometown, so that we could indeed… live quietly.

Here in Alabama, a weekend feels like 5 days; compared to in Nashville, it felt like a hurried afternoon.

There is much less “running around”. There is time to think. There is room to move.

Opportunities for real conversations present themselves more organically.

This is why we moved here. Life already seems more peaceful.

So while it could easily be argued whether my own personality would, in theory, actually allow me to live a “quiet” life, I definitely appreciate the idea now; which I have since learned is not a new concept.

Instead, it’s an ancient one- that is even referenced in the Bible, in 1 Thessalonians:

“Make it your ambition to live a quiet life.”

Sure, don’t mind if I do…

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Dear Jack: You Were Quite Inspired by the Nashville Sounds Baseball Game

12 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

Mommy is the Assistant to the CEO of the start-up company she works for in Nashville.

That means one of her responsibilities is to be the event planner for them.

We never realized that last Sunday’s Nashville Sounds baseball game was going to be such a big deal to you!

You truly enjoyed sitting in the bleachers watching the game; in addition to socializing with the other kids there.

And of course, if anyone was going to catch a fly ball, it would be you!

It just so happened you were able to get the Nashville Sounds mascot, Booster the Rooster, to sign the ball you caught!

To top it off, you told Mommy and me that you are now considering trying out for the baseball team at school.

That is exciting to think about!

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: We Went Snow Tubing at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville

5 years, 8 months.

Dear Holly,

We had already pre-purchased our tickets to go snowtubing at Gaylord Opryland, since they kept selling out every time we planned to go. And then… the blizzard came.

Fortunately, I have a Jeep, so we were able to ironically drive an hour away to through snow where we live in Spring Hill, to Nashville, where it was not snowing.

Then once we arrived in Nashville, we went snow tubing in the manufactured snow.

In theory, we could have just as easily went tubing on any of the hills in our neighborhood. The thing is… we wouldn’t have.

There’s something about organized fun sometimes that truly makes it more fun!

Love,

Daddy