Another Visit

Another long weekend means more family fun at our house. This time it was Brian's Dad and step-mom who came down to visit. Man, it was a great weekend! Again, we had terrific weather, fantastic food and tons of fun visiting some local attractions.

After another killer dinner at Public House on Friday night, we started Saturday out a little lazy. It was great to just relax and enjoy our coffee. We had lunch at Blacksmith's. It's a great little sandwhich place with the most "delightful" patio. (We decided the VERY underused "delightful" was the only way to describe our time there). Not only did we have great food, there was a band playing live Latin music. The breeze was blowing and the sun was shining. It was such a fun, memorable time together.

From there we headed up Lookout Mountain to, well, lookout. The weekend's lack of humidity made for one of the clearest views we've ever had during a summer month. Of course it was cah-rrrazy packed full of tourists, and we still had fun.

After a little nap (it was terrific - I got to take a nap both Saturday & Sunday!!!) we had the quintessential July 4th barbecue dinner and then headed to the park for a concert and fireworks. The Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra plays each year in Coolidge park for Independence day. There were patriotic tunes, some military marches and even a little bluegrass... after all, bluegrass is so intrinsic to this part of the country's DNA. Of course it would be included in a celebration of country. It's a totally "family friendly" event. Connie, Brian's step-mom, said it best, "I never even worried about anyone urinating on me. And I didn't have to dodge any vomit." If you've ever been to a July 4th celebration in downtown St. Louis, you'd know those types of things are to be expected. It was refreshing to have an evening totally lacking in belligerent rednecks. What a wonderful way to spend an evening topped off by fireworks.

Family visits are a strange thing. If I'm being honest, I'm typically a little nervous. There are generally some unspoken expectations. You want to make meaningful memories, you want each person to enjoy themself, you want everyone to be comfortable. There's pressure, even when you tell yourself there isn't any. In spite of the pressure, I look forward to the visits immensely. And no matter how long they last, the days seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. In-law visits are even a little more strange. With my own parents, I know what to expect. I've known them all my life. Little they do or say really surprises me. In-laws, on the other hand, they are unpredictable wild beasts. I've only known them for a few short years. Nearly everything they do surprises me, because we're still building relationships. The beauty though is that In-laws are like road maps to my husband's psyche. They are the best ticket I've yet to discover into the brain of my mate. What's cool is that the better I get to know them, the better I get to understand my handsome husband. What an amazing gift! Even if I didn't enjoy my time with them, which I typically do, I'd treasure our visits.

Plus, we always eat so well when our families are in town.