Chicago in Nashville!

About six weeks ago, we started traveling almost nonstop, only swinging through Nashville to wash clothes and repack suitcases before the next trip...so I have some catching up to do. In fact, I'm penning this by hand sitting on a beach chair beside the Atlantic Ocean. But I'll get back to that...

In early April, our amazing friends Johanna and Jason, and their two-year-old Marin, and Erica and Craig, and their 18-month-old son, Kai, traveled all the way from Geneva, IL to visit us in Nashville. We had so much fun...getting up early with the kids, staying up late to hang out, and filling every minute in between!

Erica and Craig's flight landed Saturday morning, just in time to put all the kids down for naps and catch up for a few quiet hours. The Pattersons pulled in that afternoon, and all four of the kids were immediately inseparable. Rob flew in from a bachelor party in Vegas a couple hours later, and the party officially started. The boys popped beers, the silliness started, and before long, all the little ones were back in bed (after one of the cutest baths in recorded history). We had a festive southern dinner at home -- shrimp and cheese grits, cornbread and chocolate meringue pie from Dotsons, a local place where all the waitresses call you Sugar.

We all almost died laughing all weekend. There's actually photographic documentation of some of us wetting our pants. Since two of us are pregnant at the moment, I won't disclose who (both of us).

The next morning, Erica, Jo and I left the men in charge to boutique shop in downtown Franklin. Jo found the most fabulous mirror for her mantle, featured in Southern Living magazine. When we got home, we could hardly believe our ears... Silence. Every kid in the house was fed and napping (as in four kids sleeping at once). Talk about amazing dads! While we were gone, the guys "helped" brainstorm hilarious names for Vlach baby #3...Papaya is our current front runner. The guys took their turn in Franklin to watch some March Madness at a Civil War jail-turned brewery. Then our sitter came over and we all shot down to Music Row for some honkey tonkin', live music, and $5-cowboy-hat shopping (which I'm wearing on the beach!).

We could hardly believe our visit was drawing to a close. The next morning, we said our farewells to Jo, Jason and Marin, who got a jump on the road for their brave drive home. Did I mention Jo is crazy pregnant and had a nine hour drive with a two-year-old? Later, Erica, who is a talented professional photographer, took maternity shots of me (more on this soon too), before she, Craig and Kai headed to the airport to start their journey.

 Every second of the weekend was fabulous. But even more, it meant the world to us that our amazing friends made such a long and difficult trip to visit. We love you guys!