i think we have had the best summer to fall transition ever this year!! i mean, you just have to take it easy on my summer spirit, you know? 🙂
so, we were in hot, glorious florida on the official day of fall equinox, which was totally okay with me. we arrived back in nashville to a day of gorgeous 90s, which was followed by a day of bummer rainfall… and a few days later, it was really just the perfect time for me and the babers to hop in the car with my mom and head up to lexington to see my grandmother for her 80th birthday!!
i really, really love lexington in the fall. just being there brings back so many memories for me!
step 1: get your willies out!! it was such a beautiful morning to let those little leggies run around in the grass before spending a handful of hours in the car. although, thank goodness we’re finally past the age of absolute pure carseat hell torture. so. hallelujah for that!
there are *extremely* rare occasions for which i find fast food an acceptable option… but i can’t help but love our tradition of stopping midway at the dairy queen for a perfectly-timed reprieve and a little something with ketchup on it. 🙂
okay, so, ummm… this house makes me feel pretty behind on my fall decor!!
loving on our bettye-mom! she wants to grab and smooch him aaaall the time, bless her. she doesn’t know up from down but that woman knows how to squeeze and kiss a baby!
[no, but really… she seems to know that she recognizes and loves us, but that’s kind of it. as maddalena and my mom talked about so sweetly together, “her brain doesn’t work very well, but her heart still does!” alzheimer’s is just horribly cruel. i miss her a lot and wish my babies could’ve really known her!]
happy 80th birthday to our bettye-mom!!!!!! we love her very much! we also love cupcakes. she also loves cupcakes! hey hey!!
i cannot even say just hoooooow proud i am of my two little bunnies!! i know you shouldn’t totally brag on how awesome your children are, but…….. i have to. because mine are awesome. they brought so much sweetness to that place! it’s fun to see the residents there light up at little ones running around. they really don’t have much going on, and you can tell it starts to bring back their own memories from so long, long ago. plus, the lengthy, carpeted hallways were perfect for maddalena and rocco to run up and down and up and down, laughing and greeting people!
#momlife. haha! and oh, those babies sure know a good stump to jump off of when they see one!
aaand then we may or may not have gone and perused anthropologie for a smidge before dinner on our second night! the store of my heart, that place. my wishlist is officially edged in gold and gold and more gold, omggggg.
ducks and fountains!!! we stopped on both of our nights there to eat in this bistro that’s in a huge, amazing bookstore with this pretty area right outside of it! oh, our family… ducks and fountains. endless love. instant happiness!
…while the kids played around in the little bookstore play areas, i was mindlessly scanning absolutely random childrens book spines among a million books on a million shelves… and what. are. the. ODDS!! that i would spot this title?!?!?!!! seriously?? i mean, that’s fate, right there!! so, obviously it came home with us! oh, i meeeean… i told santa claus about it. 😉
i’m 1,000% convinced he’s an angel. 🙂
…and on our way back to nashville, instead of making our typical dq pit stop, we popped over to amish country foooooor…
[okay, and time out for a sec! you knooow how much i passionately love health & wellness from the inside out, but heck, sometimes you just have to live a little!!]
…THE BEST DONUTS EVER EVER EVER!!! and also, for this amish healing balm that my mom’s been bringing home ever since she first discovered this place. it’s basically a miracle in a jar, and now we’re totally stockpiling it. but!! those donuts!!! literally the best donuts i’ve ever had. and no they did not last a day once we came home with them.
sooo, boom!! great success. it made me so happy to get some time in lexington as the weather starts to cool, visit my grandmother, and get some quality time with my mom and the little ones. trips up there don’t look the way they used to when i was younger [gosh, i miss going to my bettye-mom’s house sooo much], but we still had so much fun!! plus, as maddalena re-discovered, you get to jump on hotel beds. 🙂 🙂 oh, i love my peeps!
[ps. my very favorite flats are frye // maddalena’s ivory + pink leggings are tea collection, shoes are cientas [the rubber is infused with this amazing scent!] // rocco’s collared shirt is tea collection, shoes are robeez! and he’s officially outgrown them, my big boy! waa!]
Oh this post. It gets me every time. Going to visit her. I'm so so so glad you go! It would be so much less painful to not go but the joy you bring not only to her but the other residents? It's priceless. And it probably warms your heart that they can see her and know her in any sense. Lexington in the fall looks great!!
thanks love!! every time we go, it's hard that it's not the same as when we were younger… but it's still so good. i love getting to see her and getting to be in lexington and getting to take the babers!!!
What a sweet post! I can see why your crew would bring so much happiness to everyone there!! I am jealous of your summer to fall transition! We had summer and then sudden cold, rainy weather. SO gross! I want a few days of pretty fall weather!
you are sweet, thank you so much!! and ahh, i was so thankful the transition has gone pretty smoothly this year! i struggle to let go of the gorgeous months, haha!!
Hi Brittany, this is Laura Orsolini, the author/illustrator of Maddalena!
I ran across your blog while searching the Internet for my book. To know that my story has met a new reader is a wonderful feeling.
The inspiration for this book was actually coming from a doll that I owed and loved (and lost…) during my childhood; her name really was Maddalena and this album it’s a bit my way to say goodbye to her. I hope you and your kids will like it.
Warmly
Laura
oh my goodness, thank you so much for leaving me this message!!! this makes me SO happy!! and what a precious book!! we love it so much. it is beautiful, and it’s still just incredible to me that i happened to look down and see that book with her name right in front of me at the store. that is a rare occurrence around here with the name maddalena!! thank you, thank you for sharing your story!! xoxoxo