While we were in Gatlinburg, we tried to incorporate a few Halloween activities. We decorated cupcakes, carved pumpkins, and helped the kids put together these little cuties…
My mom found these Mr. Potato Head pumpkin sets. Basically, they’re just themed pieces that come without the potato body. You cut little holes into a small pumpkin and use that as the body.
The witch was Carley’s
After New Orleans, Brandon and I drove north to meet a large chunk of my extended family in Gatlinburg, TN. We rented a 12 bedroom cabin in the mountains, and everyone hung out for a few days, mostly eating, drinking, and staring at the views.
This was the view from our bedroom’s veranda.
To celebrate our first anniversary, we went to New Orleans. We wanted a trip that was new, young, and a touch on the decadent side. Brandon had never been to NOLA before; I had been once, when I was 16, so the experience was a bit different. We stayed in a boutique hotel in the French Quarter. We spent two days basically walking around, seeing everything, eating, and drinking. It was fantastic.
Before we got started in the French Quarter, we drove a few miles west to see an old Southern plantation called Oak Alley. I had researched Oak Alley for a writing project that I worked on this summer, so it was surreal to see it in person.
The main house was built in the early 19th century, but the plantation was used even before that to grow sugar cane. Certain parts of the estate have been beautifully maintained, but with their age allowed to show through.
Sorry for the hiatus… it’s been a busy time for the Huffmans. Hopefully we will have more to share on that in the future.
Our first wedding anniversary is coming up on Monday. We’re heading to New Orleans to celebrate with lots of food, booze, & jazz. I think it might be my calling.
Last weekend, Brandon surprised me with a dinner out to my favorite restaurant, California Grill at Disney World. My perfect night is watching fireworks from the California Grill balcony, then having a late dinner of Champagne and sushi. Their sushi is phenomenal.
The real reason for the outing was this…
This picture was taken the night we got engaged. Brandon proposed to me on this balcony in May 2010 (preceded by fireworks, followed by Champagne and sushi). We didn’t have a camera with us, but our really sweet waitress took this picture on her phone and sent it to us. I have loved and treasured it even though it’s dark and grainy. I think even through the low quality, the joy on our faces is clear.
So Brandon decided that in celebration of our anniversary, we should go retake the picture. I was crazy excited. He knows me so well. We had a fantastic night– Champagne and sushi for me, whiskey and steak for him, fireworks, watching the show kitchen, dessert and coffee. And we came home with a great souvenir
Beautiful. Some things get better with time.
Chez Huffman 