friends!

our friends matt and katie came into town for the weekend before thanksgiving and it was SO much fun! cory and i haven't really had a chance to make friends since we left provo in may, so it was such a treat so spend time with some of our best friends, who we are so comfortable with!

on friday after they flew in, we went to martin's (a barbecue restaurant featured on diner's dives and drive-ins) in nolensville, tn. it was kind of out in the country and there was a buck in the road as we drove into town! i think it's my favorite barbecue place we've been to, thus far. WARNING: apparently southern cornbread is a different thing from the rest of the world's cornbread. it is like a corn pancake and it is not good. we went home and played games and i stayed up later than i have in months!

saturday: we had a yummy breakfast (i'm slowly loving breakfast foods, thanks to the ease in which it takes to make a german pancake). afterwards, katie graciously took family pictures of us at the stones river battlefield. we then went up to nashville, which is not much of a city. chicago sure has spoiled me and now i have these terrible expectations! we walked around the capitol, the library, the ryman musical hall and then to broadway street! it was pretty cool as there was live music pouring out of every bar and on the streets. cowboy boot stores everywhere! we went to the cutest candy shop where a train carried fresh-made taffy around and sampled pralines and admired fancy rice krispie treats. continuing on our barbecue exploration, we ate at the peg-leg porker! i've come to realize that barbecue is SO different everywhere you go, even within the same city. personally, this place wasn't my favorite, as they had a limited selection but i think the boys really liked it! after, we went to a local board game store and got "sheriffs of nottingham" and proceeded to play that!

sunday: we went to stake conference and then relaxed the rest of the rainy day! we ate chili and played games and talked and watched "pitch perfect". this late in pregnancy, i am all about relaxing, so this was so great, especially with close friends.

monday: matt and katie flew out to DC for thanksgiving and it was a sad day!

i am excited for all the visitors that will come in 2015 to see the baby. it really is such a delight to be with those you love and i'm glad the gresses reminded us of that :)