Panthers Fan Cruise

After 2+ years of begging/pleading/bribing/schmoozing we were invited to go on the Panthers Fan Cruise at the beginning of March! Apparently long snappers are not high on the list of requested guest appearances...boo. But, whatever, we got to go! Did I mention it was all paid for by AAA of the Carolinas? Oh yea...free vacation.  For those of you who know, I like to travel and I like saving money.  And when you can combine the two?!?! Mind glowingly fun. If its free...its for me (us).

We were on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship in the world we are told.  It was huuuuge. Loved it. The port cities were pretty average in my humble (and apparently snobbish) opinion, the main focus is the ship.  It makes sense, it was unreal.  We went to the private Royal Caribbean port of Labadee, Haiti, Jamaica and Cozumel.  Cozumel was my favorite, we snorkeled and then took a cab to the other side of the island for lunch at Coconuts. The food and the views were so worth the trip.  In Haiti we did a yoga class on the beach and then spent so time in the water.  Jamaica we stayed near the port shopping center and kept it pretty low key.  We went to Jamaica for our honeymoon and did most of the touristy things then, and we are going back in July for a wedding so we weren't too stressed about exploring.

There were 4 other current players and one former player who was the emcee.  It was fun to get to know everyone because I hadn't really met any of them before!  The fans were GREAT, only a handful of awkwardness in the whole group ;).  We really had a good time chatting with everyone and getting to hear their reactions to things and the questions they had.  The whole point of the cruise is to give the fans an up close and personal experience with the players and I think they got just that.

Here are a few fun pictures from the trip!!

Our ship towering over the competition

Labadee, Haiti

On the boat...Haiti in the background

Jamaica...after we drank the coconut water, he split it in half so we could eat the flesh...YUM

Chalk Talk Night with the fans...get all your pressing special teams questions answered!!

View from lunch at Coconuts in Cozumel

Happy cruisers (check out that beard!!)

 Hopefully they liked us and might even invite us back next year!

Orlando

At the end of February we traveled from Phoenix to Orlando for our annual Pro Athlete Outreach conference and just like in years past, it was wonderful!  It is so great to be able to reconnect with friends from around the league, and for the friends who are no longer in Carolina it is often our only chance to see them.  We were at the same hotel as last year so we were familiar with the area and hotel.

In addition to all of the great speakers and worship music (Dr. Tony Evans, Miles McPherson, Louie Giglio, and Aaron Lindsey) we got a fun little bonus in the form of our 18 month old godson and his parents!  The resort we were at (The Omni at Championsgate) had tons of open grassy areas, a 9 hole hole par-3 course, lazy river, kiddie pool, water slide etc.  So we got to watch the little guy go crazy with all the activities.  Living up north, he hadn't had much of a chance to be outside all winter so it was awesome for him to get out an run around.  I think his favorite was the lazy river, it was adorable to watch!

It was a pretty quick trip, just in and out for the conference but we did fit in a quick morning at Magic Kingdom, JJ and Mason got to play golf at Bay Hill, and one of the most unique experiences of my life...VIP treatment at a concert!

Our best friends are good friends with several of the guys from Needtobreathe and they just happened to be playing at House of Blues in Orlando while we were there. Life is all about who you know, right?! Needtobreathe is an amazing Christian folksy/rock group from South Carolina (so we love them even more).  They opened for T. Swift on her tour last year and now they are doing their own tour for they 4th album The Reckoning.)  So anyway, because of our friends (we are just moochers), we got the royal treatment at the concert and got to sit in an opera box on the right side directly above the stage.  It was such an awesome perspective because you could see what the band sees when they look out at the crowd...and the crowd was definitely in to it!  Not only did we get amazing seats, we got to go back stage after the show and party like rockstars...well, it was pretty tame so it was more like partying WITH a rockstar ;).  The guys were great we had so much fun getting to know them and because they live in Charleston, SC there is a good chance we will see them again this summer!

Ironically they played a show in Charlotte 4 days after, and they graciously set us up with amazing tickets.  We couldn't see them again after the show because we had to hurry home and finishing pack for the cruise, but the concert was amazing and it felt like a totally different show because this time we were out in the crowd.

So much fun in Sonoma!

JJ and I just got back from an incredible trip to wine country! We had beautiful weather and such fun experiences all over the valley. Instead of a detailed itinerary, I will just give the highlights of the trip:

Hotel: We stayed at the MacArthur Place Inn and really enjoyed ourselves, especially because of the free upgrade to the Spa Suite complete with an outdoor tub and shower (this was our room)! We used the fireplace every night and loved the gardens all throughout the property. It was within walking distance of all the restaurants and wineries surrounding the downtown square.

Wineries: Of course this was the focus of the trip. We went to Napa two years ago and knew we would have to come back and see all the Sonoma wineries. I read a bunch of reviews before we went and had a pretty good idea of where we might want to go, but in all honesty, some of our favorites were places that were recommended to us along the way.

Kunde...We liked it so much we joined the wine club! The estate is beautiful and they offer a mountain top tasting where you are driven up into the mountains overlooking their property (and the entire valley). We had great weather and could see for miles. This is also the winery used in the movie "Bottle Shock" that our good friends had made us watch before our trip. Good movie and beautiful scenery.

Mountain Top Tasting

View from the top

Cuvaison...The tasting room in Carneros is my favorite (we went to the one in Calistoga two years ago). Incredible views and the S Block Chardonnay is the best I have ever tasted. I had to stock up while we were there!

Gorgeous day, gorgeous patio for tasting

Chimney Rock...This winery is actually in Napa (we drove over for an afternoon) and came very highly recommended by several different wineries and they did not disappoint! Their cabs were AMAZING and the manager was kind enough to give us a private tour of the facilities. Very cool.

Jacuzzi Family...Great Italian wines, free tasting, and a really fun atmosphere! It was fun to try wines we had never heard of and they also had olive oil tastings in the same building courtesy of The Olive Press.

Other wineries we enjoyed...Cline, Viansa, St. Francis, Silver Oak, Reynolds Family, Acacia, Gundlach Bundschu, Kenwood, and Valley of the Moon.

Restaurants: Our favorites included the Fremont Diner in Carneros (seemingly in the middle of nowhere, great upscale diner food with a twist...should be on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives someday!), Dl Dorado Kitchen (a farm to table theme), Hopmonk (brewery and pub food), Sunflower Caffe (gourmet soups, salads, and sandwiches) and Estate (fabulous farm to table Italian food in a gorgeous Victorian estate).

Other: On a particularly beautiful morning we hiked the Overlook Trail and enjoyed beautiful views of the valley and downtown Sonoma. We were able to walk to the trailhead from our hotel and enjoyed all 6.5 miles!

View from Overlook Trail

We also rented bikes from our hotel on our last day and enjoyed a scenic 10 mile ride. Wish we would have done this sooner in the week so we could have gone multiple times. The Sonoma Bike Path was a great place to start and the we continued on and biked to Bartholomew Park and winery (where they have additional walking paths) and Buena Vista Winery. We didn't do tastings at either, but they were gorgeous and worth the trip to enjoy the views.

We ended the week with a fun drive through Sausalito while killing time waiting for our delayed flight, but got to experience great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown SF!

Overlooking the Bay

2 YEARS!?!

How has it possibly been two years since we got married? Sometimes it seems like it was a month ago, sometimes it seems like it was 10 years ago (in a good way :) ). JJ and I are so blessed with wonderful role models of what a godly marriage should be, and hopefully we can help set that example for others.

To celebrate our 2nd anniversary JJ's parents were generous enough to treat us to a staycation at the Royal Palms. I have always wanted to stay here and the resort did not disappoint. The room was beautiful with a great soaking tub, the property was lush and green (even in the summer, yay!) and the cocktails by the pool were just what we needed to feel like we were on another honeymoon (JJ gives me a hard time because I refer to every vacation that we take, just the two of us, as another honeymoon). Whatevs, just keeping the romance alive, haha!

The Royal Palms

We spent most of the time in the pool, but on Saturday night we had dinner at the Wrigley Mansion, another Phoenix classic. We had a table by the windows to watch the sunset, a great bottle of wine, gorgeous view and a champagne toast to end the evening. The food was so disappointing, but we were really there for the view!

View from Wrigley Mansion

A little dark, but I think you can tell that it's us!

If you ever get a chance the Royal Palms is a great destination for a romantic weekend or just a romantic dinner. The lounge and the restaurant, T. Cook's, are fabulous...try the sangria!

Charlotte -> Nashville -> Charlotte

After being gone for 6 months, we finally made it back to Charlotte in early June. JJ had some "unofficial, player-run, organized team activities" (thank you NFL lockout) and I jumped at the excuse to join him and go back. JJ was there for 3 weeks, and I was there for 2, with a long weekend trip to Nashville (Long story short, the Camry was being stored at a family member's house while we were in Phoenix, but when JJ went to pick it up and drive it back to Charlotte the transmission went out and he had to leave it there to get fixed. It just so happened that the weekend the car was going to be ready was the weekend of CMA Fest).

In addition to their practices, a few of the players were invited to take batting practice at the Charlotte Knights game (triple-A team for the White Sox). JJ is still a baseball player at heart, so he jumped at the chance. He struggled in the beginning, but the Knights' coaches had some good comments and he ended up hitting one over their monster wall in left center. I have never seen him smile that big! (Side note: if you are looking for a fun inexpensive activity, try a minor league game! We have so much fun, and it doesn't cost nearly what the big league games cost.)

He's still got it!

In the middle of of Charlotte trip we spent a long weekend in Nashville for the Country Music Festival. It was 4 days of incredible concerts, with all the big names in country music. They actually turned it into a television special that airs August 7 on ABC. I will be watching to relive all the fun. I love live music, but I have never experienced anything like this. We are going to try and make this a tradition to go every year, so mark your calendars for next year and join us!

All of the performances were amazing, but my favorites were: Zac Brown Band, Josh Turner featuring Scotty McCreery, Dierks Bently, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Mirando Lambert and Taylor Swift. LOVE.

At CMA Fest in Nashville

After we got back to Charlotte, we realized how much we missed it and really felt like God was telling us it was time to go back. We hadn't planned on looking for a house to rent, but we talked with our realtor and she warned us there wasn't much available so we got started right away. Luckily for us, a beautiful house in the neighborhood we wanted had just gone on the market. It is a perfect fit for us and the goldens (and any guests who might come for a visit!) We are within walking distance of our favorite restaurants, wine bars, boutiques, sports bars, coffee shops, fro-yo, running trails, park and the YMCA. And even better we are 1/4 mile from one of our favorite friends and her bulldog Annie. Yay for puppy playdates!

COME VISIT!

The trip to Charlotte was a success, and I can't wait to be back there full time.

Jury Duty

It seems I am more unbiased than I thought...I was selected as lucky Juror #7 for a trial in early May. I can say, however, the selection process could use a little work...juror #9 had to be dismissed right before we went to deliberations because someone finally realized he didn't speak English. Hmmm...wish they could have figured that one out during voir dire (thank you B-LAW).

Because I found the whole process incredibly interesting, I will share a few details. The case was a road rage/drive by shooting incident involving a former marine and a mother and her 13 year old son. As the story goes (and I emphasize the word story because they are all telling their version of the events in a way to make themselves look good) the marine was trying to merge onto the 101 in Chandler and the mom wouldn't let him in her lane and he ended up in the emergency lane which really ticked him off. After he got onto the freeway, he sped up to get even with her car and threw a cup of hot chocolate out his window, which landed on her windshield causing her to not be able to see out of it (I actually think his wife, who was also in the car, did it and he was covering for her). (Count 1: endangerment) After her vision was impaired, she began driving recklessly, braking repeatedly and swerving, and somehow ended up in front of the marine. He interpreted this as her trying to cause him to get in an accident, and he "feared for his life". At this point he took his giant 45 semi-automatic handgun out of the center console, stuck his hand out the driver side window and fired one shot that went through her license plate and landed in a speaker box in the trunk (Counts 2-5: drive by shooting, discharging a firearm at an occupied structure, aggravated assault, aggravated assault) After getting shot at, this woman decided to follow this guy (with her 13 year old son in the car) to get his plate number. After he saw her following him, he called a lawyer and then the police to "alert them of her terrible driving and explain that he fired his gun in response".

I had never seen a live case (except the one I saw for 30 minutes to get extra credit in college) and it was incredibly fascinating to see it from start to finish. I had a hard time convicting a former service member, and really wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there was just no way to justify his behavior in the end. I had always assumed I would automatically condemn anyone who was on trial, but I ended up feeling sorry for him (and his pregnant wife who was sitting in the courtroom crying most of the time). I guess you never know how you feel until you are actually in the situation.

The trial lasted about 5 days and I didn't sleep well any of those nights. There is so much pressure holding someone else's future in your hands. It is terribly humbling. How can we, as fellow sinners, justly judge another person? It gave me so much to think about and made me thankful that God is the ultimate judge, the only perfect one who can fairly and accurately judge.

I hope everyone gets the opportunity to serve on a jury at some point in their lives, but be prepared for the magnitude of the experience.

In the end, this guy was convicted on all 5 counts and 2-5 were bumped up to "Dangerous Offense" which adds severity to the charge because it was with a deadly weapon. For the sake of my curiosity, I found this guy on the prison website and he was sentenced to 8.5 years for an incident that took no more than 4 minutes. Makes you think about daily decisions a little more doesn't it?

OK, off my soap box...for now...

May Flowers

May flew by like you wouldn't believe...well I'm sure yours did too so you believe it. The best part of May is that is is my birthday month. And yes, I celebrate for the whole month. It usually works out well for everyone else's schedule anyway to do things throughout the month instead of cramming everything into one weekend.

My sister cooked a fantastic meal at my parent's house for a family celebration and on top of that, treated me to a day at the Biltmore. We started off with a tennis lesson, taught by Lon, who also happens to have his own brand of marinades, Sake To Me. We learned a lot about his marinades...and tennis, haha. We had brunch at the Adobe Restaurant, and then spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool. Love me some sister time.

JJ took me out for a wonderful dinner at T. Cook's at the Royal Palms and then we met up with our friends, who live in South Bend, at the Jade Bar at Sanctuary to enjoy the view from Camelback Mountain. Wish they lived closer!!

We went out with my in-laws for a combination Mother's Day/birthday celebration at Cowboy Ciao and I had the best salad ever (along with other things, all their apps are great).

Speaking of mother's day...Carolyn and I took Mom to The Boulders in Cave Creek for a mother/daughter sleepover. We had such an amazing time! One of the best things about being in Phoenix in the summer (besides the cool weather...not) is taking advantage of the off-season rates at all the resorts Four- and five-star resorts at three-star prices, can't beat it. We sipped drinks by the pool, hiked up and around the boulders, drank wine in the hot tub while looking at the stars, and went to dinner at Cafe Bink. None of us had spent much time up in Cave Creek or Carefree so it was all an adventure and an amazing staycation.

For my mother-in-law's present, JJ and I bought a custom wine making experience at Casavino Winery in Fountain Hills. The five of us (Carla's sister was in town too!) did a private wine tasting of all their varietals and the were able to pick one and make a batch! We picked the Dolce Rojo (ironically, it isn't sweet like the name suggests...its a full-bodied blend of Spanish grapes) and got to make it from start to finish. It is currently sitting at the winery fermenting and waiting for us to bo back for bottling, But first we have to create a custom label. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the goldens will be front and center on the label and we are still trying to come up with a good name. My current favorites are "Golden Red" or "Barney and Bella's Blend".