Road Trippin'

On Saturday, May 7, Emily, Asha, Ashley, and I embarked on what would be Scout's first road trip. We had a fabulous time! We were able to introduce Asha to the many friends in Nashville that had hoped, wished, and prayed her to our family. It was a beautiful time with our Tennessee family. We met up with old friends and made new ones. After a week in Nashville, we spent the last few days of the trip in Washington DC. Below are some of our favorite pics.

Asha "was born a ramblin' [wo]man." She cried a little at the end of our drive to Nashville, but only about 20 minutes of our 13-hour drive to DC. Qué campeona!

About halfway between Raleigh and Nashville is the lovely town of Asheville (an artist's mecca). There are many great reasons to stop in Asheville. The Chocolate Lounge is one of them. Two words: liquid truffle. Enough said.

Happy Mother's Day! Asha decided to test her mom by drenching her with formula around 3am, but Em wasn't even fazed. That smile has been years in the making. A little barf or poop (which came later in the trip) wasn't about to take away from her joy!

As you can see, Mother's Day was a drag (wink wink). We got to church a little late and decided to linger in the foyer until after sacrament. Em gave me the honor of walking into the chapel carrying Asha. What a thrill! I half thought the congregation was going to break into cheers. Lots of smiles and excitement, but no standing ovation. Only in Latin America, I guess.

Somebody turned 33 while we were in Nashville. We celebrated the day with a delicious homemade breakfast (thanks Alisha), sushi, a Barcelona game, paletas, flamenco, mate, and a small gathering at the Haglunds. The smile above doubled in size after I tasted the strawberry/sorrel pie that Ashley and Katie had made. Yum yum yum!

I couldn't resist including this gorgeous shot of my two babes. We stayed a few days with the Reynolds, which included many scrumptious meals and lots of fun.

Our last night in Nashville was the best. MauraLee organized a wonderful birth celebration (thank you thank you thank you) with all of our closest friends. We were a little worried about Asha because she hadn't slept much that day, but she was a champ (like always). She took it all in, moving from one set of arms to the next as content as can be. When the party ended another began: indoor soccer with Greg, Josh, Jeff, the Davies, and co. A perfect adios to Nashville!

Two days later we were in DC enjoying a lovely Sunday afternoon at Malcom X Park. The nearby drum circle kept us moving and grooving for a couple of hours.

We spent Monday afternoon picnicking, throwing the frisbee, and walking around at the National Arboretum. What a beautiful place! In case you're wondering (or worrying, like me), the thinning hair on top of my head is only an optical illusion.

We spent most of our DC time with Heather and Adam, Ashley's older sister and bro-in-law. We loved getting to know them and look forward to sharing more time in the future. Asha was sad to not feature in this shot, but someone had to take the pic.

One of our favorite pics from our day at the Arboretum. Look at the adorable expression on Asha's face, not to mention her perfect little hands.

Inspired by the breakdancing documentary we had watched the night before (Planet B-boy), we all took a shot at breakin' the next day. For some it was a birth, for others a rebirth.
*please note that the move featured above is not breakdancing

After close to 1500 miles, here we are at our final rest stop (about an hour from home). With a full belly and a clean diaper, Asha was ready to go. After all, she's a mover and shaker. The first of many family trips to come.