A Love Renewed in Kyoto: Our Vow Renewal & the Ring That Marked the Moment

There are moments in life that ask to be paused, held, and honored, and our vow renewal in Kyoto was one of them. When Josh and I were planning our trip to Japan we knew we wanted to renew our vows. We worked closely with Sarah O to commemorate the occasion and chose the stunning Feliz Round Ring.

2024: My Year in Review

 

2024 was one of the sweetest years that I can remember. It was filled with precious moments and memories created with family and friends, unforgettable places visited, and days I would love to relive over and over again. 

The Trip of a Lifetime

In May of this year I had the time of my life traveling to Europe with my older brother, Nate. Over the previous few months we had planned on what countries to visit, reserved accomodations, researched rental cars vs trains vs Ubers and booked excursions.

We decided upon Barcelona, the South of France, Monaco, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome. Over 15 glorious days we explored Monserrat, stayed in a French medieval village, caught snippets of the Grand Prix, roamed the streets of Positano, and stood in awe of the Colosseum.

A Weekend in Venice

During our trip to Austria we planned to visit Germany, along with taking a train to Venice for a couple of days. We booked our tickets and enjoyed the very scenic views from the six hour train ride from Salzburg to Venice.

Hiking the Bavarian Alps to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

Being avid history and WWII fans, Josh and I had planned on visiting Hitler's mountainside retreat, The Eagle's Nest, in Berchtesgaden, Germany. When researching our visit we discovered that you are able to hike the Bavarian Alps up to the historical landmark. We knew right away that was the route we wanted to take, instead of the tourist bus that, according to our tour guide, 99% of visitors use when touring the site. We decided we wanted to be that 1% and hike the exact same path the Easy Company of the 101st Airborne took when discovering the fortress. 

The Hills Are Alive: Touring the sites from The Sound of Music

My favorite childhood movie, and the first film our family ever owned, was The Sound of Music. I watched it more times than I can count. I used to pretend I was Liesl and jumped from couch to couch while singing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen".

I knew if the time ever came where we got to visit Austria, we would definitely be touring the scenes from the iconic film. I will have to say, in my opinion, that the popular bus tour did, in fact, disappoint. It was, not surprisingly, very commercial and for the time and money, left out so many great spots that I was hoping to see. I decided that in addition to the bus tour, I would just research the sites myself and visit them. I am so glad that I did. I have complied the list of places we saw here in this post so if you ever plan to visit, perhaps this article will be helpful. 

Our Austrian Adventure

 

Josh and I had the amazing privilege of traveling to Austria and a couple of other European countries at the end of the summer. We flew into Salzburg and spent ten glorious days exploring the loveliest city, hiking the Bavarian Alps, and jumping on a train to Venice for a couple of days. It was literally the trip of a lifetime. 

Our Nashville Guide Pt. 1

Josh and I had a wonderful getaway in Nashville this past week. We have begun a tradition where we like to take a mini road trip to a nearby city every Valentines. It's a nice excuse to get out of town, explore a new place, and enjoy spending some uninterrupted time with one another.

This year we had decided to explore Nashville. We have been to Nashville a few times but had never taken the time to just explore, get lost, and try new restaurants and browse cute shops.

We booked an overnight stay at the Fox House. This charming tree house has been featured in "Country Living's Tiny Homes" and is absolutely stunning. We had a wonderful stay and felt so cozy, relaxed, and calm in it's tiny space. I felt like it was a bit like The Swiss Family Robinson meets Girl of the Limberlost. Magical.

A Chattanooga Photo Diary

Josh and I love to take road trips so as Valentines Day was approaching we decided to choose a location for a little get-away. Chattanooga is a very special city to us because we had been there quite a few times while we were dating and when we were newly engaged. I don't believe we have been back since before we were married so we decided that a trip there was in order. 

My Favorite Bookshops

Ever since I can remember, books have been a huge part of my life. Growing up, I recall my mom telling me the story of my grandmother always saying that the only thing my parents would ever own were babies and books. Coming from a family of six and owning a bookcase in about every room in our home, I'd say she was about right.

Some of my most cherished memories was my mom taking my brothers, sister, and myself, to the library every Saturday. Being as my dad was a traveling preacher, our family would accompany him on the road most of the time and one of our favorite ways to break up the monotony of a long road trip was to make visits to various bookstores along the way. The best ones were always in New England.

Visiting The Hiding Place / The Corrie ten Boom House

Last May, Josh and I had the privilege of visiting the ten Boom house in Haarlem, about a 15 minute train ride outside of Amsterdam. One of my main reasons for wanting to visit The Netherlands was to see the home and city that Corrie ten Boom originated from. The Hiding Place is one of my favorite books of all time and if you haven't read it then by all means do so! It will leave you inspired, uplifted, and in awe of God's grace.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the story, Corrie, along with her father and sister, created a safe haven for Jews during the Nazi occupation in Holland during World War II.

When in Amsterdam...

Last summer I had the privilege to travel with my husband, Josh, to The Netherlands. We had just spent the week before in Paris and had crammed so many things we wanted to see/do into that week that by the time we arrived in Amsterdam we were ready just to kick back and relax. Amsterdam was the PERFECT city to do just that.

Versailles

When we were planning our trip to Europe we kind of went back and forth about planning a day trip to Versailles. It's about a half hour train ride outside of Paris and we knew it would take a full day. I am so glad that we decided to include it in our itinerary. Versailles was one of my absolute favorite things we did while we were in France and now it is one of my most beloved places I have ever been. I absolutely loved it. I'm excited to share with you guys a little photo album of our glorious day there. 

My Four Favorite Coffee Shops in Paris

When preparing for our trip to Paris I spent hours and hours researching the top places to see, eat, and you guessed it...drink coffee. I decided I wanted to do a little coffee shop tour of Paris so I made a list of places I wanted to try! These are my top four favorites that I visited... 

Boot Cafe 

"We'll Always Have Paris"

"We'll Always Have Paris" -Casablanca 

Shakespeare and Co. & Cafe

Shakespeare and Co. What a sweet little book shop. Ever since I heard about this quaint place and saw it sprinkled across my Pinterest feed I knew immediately I wanted to visit. You may have recognized the shop from movies such as Midnight in Paris or Before Sunset. The first time this shop was opened was in 1919 by Sylvia Beach and during the 1920s it was a gathering place for writers such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, and Ford Madox Ford. It closed in 1940 during the German occupation of Paris and never re-opened. 

Palais Garnier Opera House

Our first evening in Paris we took a tour of the Palais Garnier, the world's most famous opera house. It was the setting for Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera. We were pretty exhausted with getting off the plane at 8:10 that morning (1am in the morning our time back home) and hitting the ground running all day. But regardless of our jet lag, we were still in awe of such a magnificent building.

The Time of Our Lives

Travel Necessities & Tips

So my mother is just the sweetest lady in the whole world. I already knew this but it's always nice to be reminded when she does little things like this. I have traveled quite a bit but it's been awhile and my parents travel all the time. Like All. The. Time. So she was very kind and thoughtful to put together a little bag for us of things that we would need for our trip.

I've also been trying to collect tips from people who have been to Paris or Amsterdam before. You know, favorite spots to eat, dos and don'ts of Parisian society, and those touristy traps to avoid. I have one Instagram friend who sent me a myriad of wisdom about Paris and her numerous trips there. It is going to be super helpful to us.

Along with planning for our trip, I also try to stay inspired by reading, watching films, and listening to music....all French or Dutch inspired. The book below has been a fun little read but all the while I've just reminded myself it is a secular read so there are parts that are not the greatest morally. Take the fun, helpful tips and throw out the rest.

Franklin, a Family Affair

For our four year anniversary this year we decided to go to one of our favorite places: Franklin, Tennessee. Franklin is a quaint cozy town on the outskirts of Nashville. It is made up of several little boutiques and adorable storefronts, coffee shops, cafes and restaurants, antiques shops, and an old movie theatre. The theatre plays old Christmas movies during the holidays. Franklin really is the perfect little spot to get away and just enjoy being together.