Thursday, July 30, 2009

For the Love of Brown County.....

Brown County (specifically Nashville, IN) is a place that is near and dear to me and my husband. Almost 11 years ago, we went there for the first time.... on our honeymoon. We fell in love with the place and the people instantly. Since then, we have been back several times to visit. In June of every year, we go on our "annual overnight date". My parents, Dave's parents, and one of my best friends, Kara, usually will divide up the kids and keep them. If you haven't been down there, it's hard to explain how different it really is. You must go yourself... I guarantee you will relax and enjoy every minute!
Here are a few of MY favorite things about our trip.....
THE SCENIC DRIVE...
It's about 2 1/2 hours from our house. We usually take the back roads and the scenery is gorgeous. As you get closer to Brown County, the more rolling hills and endless treetop views you will find!


I LOVE being in the car with my husband. I LOVE the fact that we get to have a 2-hour conversation WITHOUT being interuppted by "Hey Mom..."


THE RELAXATION TIME...
We usually stay at the same Inn everytime we go. It sits right on one of the main streets in the middle of town and everything is within walking distance. The people at the Inn are almost like family to us now. There is a nice balcony with rocking chairs where we love to sit and relax. Sometimes Dave plays his guitar and we enjoy the quiet evening air.






THE QUALITY TIME...
There is so much to do there. We love just being on our own time-frame and enjoying each other. Sometimes we sit and watch the people. Sometimes we take the town tour for the ump-teenth time. Sometimes we just goof off!






THE MIDNIGHT WALK...
Every year, we take our midnight walk. Let me tell you, at midnight, this little town is fast asleep. You can hear a pin drop! It's so nice to walk past all of the closed little shops that were once hustling and bustling thoughout the day. We plan out our route for the next day by discussing where we are going to eat, see if any new stores have opened, and do a little "window" shopping.





THE QUAINT SHOPS...
Brown County is chalk-full of adorable shops! We have certain shops that can expect our business every year. We have come to know a lot of the people and look forward to seeing them each year! Each shop has it's own individual personality.

This year we found a couple "new" shops that were tucked back in some "nooks and crannies". These were 2 of the "new" ones that we really enjoyed this year....



This is a 2-story building that is packed with several different shops, including one of my absolute favorite shops.... Kiss The Cook. It has everything that you could possibly want for your kitchen!


I escpecially love the shops with primitive decorations and antiques.



This is Dave's favorite stop! J Bob's Hot Sauce Shop! He stocks up for the year with many of his hard-to-find hot sauces!



This little Cafe opened up last year and we tried it out because of it's unique eclectic style. The chicken salad is awesome and the smoothies will keep you coming back!



They have live music every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday! The bands are generally country or Bluegrass. We enjoyed the Peyton Brothers Band while we were there this year.




It's just a different world down there... and we LOVE it!


Coming up NEXT..... a post about the FIRST Harris FAMILY Brown County vacation!!!!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Summertime Fun....

We are having a BLAST this summer and I am enjoying every second of it! Here are a few pictures.....

Hangin' out at Grandma's pool



Our three 4 year-olds causin' trouble!



Mr. Bryson




Big Daddy and Mamasita






My innocent-looking nephew, Ty








Some random pics of my adorable family....


My sweet nephew, Coy








My niece (who is growing up waaay too fast), Laney







Nolan and Nevin....NUTS!






Ashton, playing it cool at a Summer Sounds Concert



The Fabulous Five...they are always up to something!