Trip to The South - Tn and AL

We really miss our families. Being so close to home last year was a real treat, and we certainly got spoiled. We've been living north of the Mason-Dixon line for about three months now, and we really needed a visit back in the South by the time Abram's fall break rolled around. We got a good deal on plane tickets, so we were off!
We arrived in Nashville Friday, and Billy and Caleb met us at the airport. Caleb and his family were in for his fall break, so that was lucky timing. Billy started his first batch of beer from grains that day. First all the men had to watch a training video while Billy took notes.

Then he toasted a some of the grains in the oven.

They extracted the malt (mashed it, actually) in a specially rigged cooler. The lautering cooler kept the hot water that they poured over the grains at the right temperature. After mashing, they lautered it - drained the extracted malt water into. The grains themselves acted as the sieve. Billy's planning to make a batch from all his own stuff - water from his farm, grains he has grown, and hops he grew and collected from the hops vines we gave them this summer. Maybe by then, I'll be able to try some.
While the men were doing the manly art of making beer, Tayla and Owen and I picked the last of the garden offerings - Tabasco peppers, sweet peppers, basil, and tomatoes. I made 3 small jars of hot pepper vinegar, a tomato-mozzarella-basil salad for Saturday, and had some tomatoes and peppers to give away.

We got to meet baby Carter that afternoon. He looks just like a little Steve! He looks huge in the picture, but he seemed so small (compared to my 30 pound chunky monkey). It's hard to remember Owen ever being that size, although he must have been.

Saturday we all went to Will and Alison's house for dinner and games. There were lots of folks there: Will, Alison, Roman, and Keiko (of course), Ma, Billy, Sharon, us, Lauren, Steve, Electra, and Carter, Caleb, Kirsten, and Tayla, Jesse, Rossitsa, Kristiyana, Kalina, and Beverly.
We all had a good time visiting and playing games, oohing over baby Carter, and the babies due in the spring. Kirsten and Rossitsa are both expecting little ones!

Unfortunately, the camera broke at this point, so there are no more pictures of our trip :-(.

Sunday, Sharon lent us her car, and we drove down to visit Anne, Granddaddy, and Micah. Owen started a chorus of, "Micah, Micah, Micah," as soon as we turned into the driveway. We had a fire that evening and had hot dogs roasted on it for dinner. Owen also enjoyed riding in the wagon.
Monday we got a tour of their new office space which seemed quite large, and had a picnic lunch at the hospital. Owen wanted another fire; he's a true pyro! Tuesday we headed back to Hillsboro.
Abram and Billy got to go on a short fishing excursion while Sharon, Owen, and I went to visit Lauren and Carter.
We went to bed early and got up even earlier. Owen wasn't feeling well, so we got up at 2:30 instead of 4 am. He did well on the flight home, but has been a little under the weather. He is feeling better now, thank goodness.
We were really glad to be able to visit with everyone even if it was a short trip. We are already counting the days until Christmas when we can see you all again.