Fall Travels to Chicago & Lake Tahoe

First, I want to thank all of you for your support after posting the last blog post about our miscarriage. You all have filled our hearts with love and encouragement, and it means so much. Many of you shared your own story with me, which I know isn't always easy either. All of your stories continue to help me know we aren't alone in this, and be more confident that everything will be okay. Thank you all for that. I tried to thank as many of you as I could, but if I missed you, please know your love and prayers have been appreciated.

I hadn't blogged in a while, and wanted to share some photos of our other journeys in the fall to Chicago while the Cubs were in the World Series, and our trip the next weekend to Lake Tahoe.

First up - Chicago! This trip was the week after the miscarriage. I was worried I'd be a downer and sad the whole trip, but thankfully my spirits were lifted and being part of the history of seeing the Cubs in the World Series was the perfect distraction. 

Nick and I ended up snagging tickets to game 5 the night before the game. We were already in Chicago with his family to enjoy the festivities when the Cubs lost the first two games at home, so prices dropped. I'm so glad it worked that way so we could get into the game! 

Before the game, we all went to walk around Wrigleyville together. It was such a great atmosphere! You could feel the largeness of this game and fans were so excited. 

Once we parted ways with Nick's family, Nick and I went into the stadium to see what all was going on. Here was a Sports Nation newscast. Bob Costas was down there meeting fans and we allllllllmost got that chance. 

We stood there for a while just to take it all in. We knew anyone in this stadium paid a lot of money to be there and it meant a lot to them. There was something special in the air the whole night. It was honestly a magical dreamy feeling to be there, and I was in awe through the whole night. 

Nick enjoyed a wrigley dog. :) I ate nachos and popcorn. Not a typical dinner, but gluten free can be tough at a ballpark! When you're on cloud 9, at the World Series, any food you enjoy there is pretty amazing. 

I was excited about our seats too - we were up higher but could see all of the action! 

 Enjoying my rum chata coffee and good company :) 

After the game (the only Series game the Cubs won at home!) - excited crowds to see a W in the World Series in the game we needed to win to continue on. 

Here was the Fox Sports broadcast after the game too. Fun to see them in person after watching them on TV so much! 

There's A-Rod in the middle on the stage :) 

I have tons more photos on my phone, but that's all I'll post for now. It was one of the most amazing experiences. I'll never forget that night! To watch the Cubs go on to WIN the series we got to be part of was incredible, and I'm so grateful we could enjoy it and be part of history. 

Next up is Lake Tahoe! We went the following weekend. It was such a beautiful, great trip. 

We took a trip one afternoon to Donner State Park. Do you know about the Donner Party? Pretty sad and eery to think of all that transpired in this area so many years ago. 

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset boat ride on Lake Tahoe. 

This was our dress up night. We didn't get many photos that night, so a selfie will do!

Here's from the top of the mountains at Donner State Park. So beautiful! It was a gorgeous view. And was very chilly up there! 

It was quite cold and windy at the peak! Very beautiful though. 

Relaxing with a bonfire and Lake Tahoe. Such a perfect pause in time. 

This was the resort we stayed at. There's beauty everywhere you look in Lake Tahoe. 

Back from our trips, here was our Thanksgiving meal. This was our first time for Nick and I cooking a turkey and it was fun "hosting" my dad and preparing all the food. Isn't it cute how we all matched without planning it?! Haha Nick and my dad's sweaters were matching perfectly.  

Christmas with my parents was wonderful as usual too.  

 First Christmas in our new house! Such a blessing. 

Today's Pinspiration:

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Our Sweet Island Vacation {Part 4}

Today's the final post in our vacation series! If you missed previous posts, you can see them here:

Amelia Island, FL: Day One

Amelia Island, FL: Day Two

Amelia Island, FL: Day Three

Here we're at the end of a half-mile long pier on the north end of the island. 

Gorgeous. 

Yet another quiet beach on the island. I wish we had another day to just stay on the beach and explore more. The beaches were so great. 

 This is in the Fort Clinch State Park - more with these awesome trees! This drive is the dreamiest under this pretty green canopy.

Here's a video I took driving through the park under the canopy - right when I started the video, we spotted a baby deer! Such a neat moment.

 Fort Clinch was used built in 1847 and has so much history. I won't go into detail, but you can click here to read more about it. 

It was neat exploring the grounds picturing what life was like for the soldiers who actually lived here so long ago. 

After lots of walking and exploring on the warm day, we were ready for another tasty lunch spot. 

 We enjoyed another gorgeous patio and wonderful food. Nick had a fish sandwich he said was possibly his best meal of the trip and I had a pulled pork chef salad. It was our first fried green tomatoes experience too! 

This big tree has a fun story, I had read about it before the trip and was excited to have found it! Kate Bailey was told by the local government they were taking down this tree for emergency vehicles to get through. She objected and even stood on her porch with a shot gun when they tried to come take it down. They ended up paving the cross street and leaving this tree alone. What a beautiful tree that still stands today! 

The gorgeous ocean view from relaxing on our balcony. Listening to the ocean is naturally so relaxing. 

Egans Creek - we went on a nature walk to get here - I hoped we'd spot some gators, but no such luck! It was a very peaceful little area to observe birds and take in the fresh air. 

We saw lots of bunnies on the trail! Very sweet. 

Such a pretty walk to the creek. 

After the walk, we checked out a great pizza place I read about. It's a great local spot which was fun to see. Everyone seemed to know each other and our food was great. I had heard about the gluten free pizza which I really enjoyed and recommend - Nick sampled pieces (HUGE pieces that is!) of 4 different kinds of pizzas for fun. 

We ended the day with a sunset beach walk. Oh so lovely. 

Sunset + ocean + palm trees. 

 Our last oceanside selfie. Not ready to leave yet. 

We got up early the next morning, since I had to see a sunrise over our little island paradise. 

 I'm so glad we did - it was beautiful to slowly watch the sun peek over the horizon. 

What a peaceful final morning of our trip. 

One last picture with the ocean and me. 

What a pretty patio view! We miss this. 

Here's out hotel as we drove away - you can see our second floor balcony and the ocean. 

We stopped in downtown again to grab coffee at our favorite little spot before driving back to Orlando.

Amelia Island coffee - so delicious! 

On the bridge leaving the island - here you can see the pretty marshland over Amelia River that flows between the island and mainland Florida. 

 Passing Daytona Beach on our way back to the airport. What a great trip! Vacations seem to go by so fast, but this trip was a great break away to enjoy relaxation and the best food. Locals like to keep this little island a secret, and I see why - it's perfect not having crowds on the beach and enjoying a slower pace. We went "off season" which helped I think too. Thank you, Lord, for this great getaway!

*Here are the rest of the vacation posts*

Amelia Island, FL: Day One

Amelia Island, FL: Day Two

Amelia Island, FL: Day Three

Amelia Island, FL: Day Four 

Today's Pinspiration:

I can relate to this quote. Taking a step away from normal daily life responsibilities is so refreshing for the soul. Being able to wake up and do whatever you want with your time is the best freeing feeling. I'm so thankful and blessed we took time for this getaway for ourselves and our marriage. 

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