Fueled by coffee and Diet Coke we drove 345 miles to Lou-A-Vul (say Louisville like you’re drinking Bourbon) with a magnet Venmo QR code (that didn’t get any donations) listening to Dolly Parton (because its 9-2-5 day!) and arrived just in time to check in to room 524 and walk over to the CABOOZE bar just outside of the university of Louisville football stadium.

We ended the night relaxing at the hotel bar and headed to bed early, which was a good choice because Saturday was over 8.2 miles of walking fueled by free breakfast at the hotel.

I got to swing a game used Mark Grace bat, learned that the sawdust from the ash, maple and birch is donated to turkey farms for bedding 🦃 saw Ryne Sandberg’s signature on the machine and the guide took out the bat from the vault for me!

Next we enjoyed the public art along the Ohio River and Whiskey Row.

We took a half hour detour to the corner of Moonseed & Peppermint Ave and got my first permanent jewelry at Gem’s little tiny store in the cutest part of the town square and enjoyed a perfect croissant.

We headed to Logan Street Market and got some fun souvenirs and supported local artists and enjoyed lunch surrounded by the most pinball machines I’ve ever seen!

We started headed back towards the music festival and stopped 🐎 at the Churchill Downs museum and gift shop, and got a ride back to our car in a golf cart.

Finally headed over to Bourbon and Beyond to hear some music 🎶

Fretliners (excellent) 

Cameron Whitfield (ok) 

Adam Ant (meh) 

Infamous Stringdusters (excellent banjo)  

Yachtly Crew (fan favorite)

Explored the Kentucky Kingdom (identical to great America) and had more bakery treats (chocolate covered waffle).

Under a full moon 🌕 we sat like pretzels on the asphalt and enjoyed 2 more bands 

Red Clay Strays (amazing)

Chris Stapleton (great) 

Sunday – practically the first ones there, which was nice cause we had VIP free food and drink all day, we walked around, got a bagel and PSL and some more Permanent jewelry and a dozen stickers for Rob’s birthday.

Sit on cozy couches in the sun.

Hunter Hawkins (nothing special) 

Uncle Lucious (average) 

Ryman (ok) 

Sons of Legion (ok) + chocolate 🍰 from Bae Bakery

Fitz and the Tantrums (loved) 

Amos Lee (meh) 

Max McNown (so cute and sounded really good— my new favorite) 

Portugal the man (ok) 

Jesse Welles (meh) 

Counting crows (terrible)

Hootie & the Blowfish (fantastic) 

Dave Matthews (amazing!!)

So grateful for perfect weather, safe travels, no work, memories with a great friend and enough interruption to normal daily life to reset expectations.

❤️ ☀️ 🎶

from my first concert in 1992 to my last (at least as of today) you never cease to amaze me Garth!

I felt your appreciation, emotion and love.

I’m grateful to have shared a night with you. I love your music, I stood for 2 full hours and knew every word.

I soaked up every poster board request song you sang alone with just your guitar. 🎸

This was one of my brilliant last minute decisions!

Thanks for the most special dance to MOM at my son’s wedding in 2025 and then again at Calvin & Hailey’s wedding in 2026 sharing it with my other son. I’ve gotten to dance with them both to this song now!! ❤️

I will always love you, until THE RIVER runs dry.

Thanks for the memories!

26 years & 26 letters in the alphabet … hidden letters in our marriage: little moments that together spell a beautiful life 💕

A is for Adventure because you’ve never needed an exotic destination to have fun. A bike ride, a beer garden, a Cubs game, a lazy river… if we’re together, it’s an adventure.

B is for Basement Olympics, Beer, and the Backyard because somehow you’ve turned ordinary weekends into traditions everyone wants to be invited to.

C is for Calm the thing you’ve always brought to my chaos.

D is for Dad my most favorite version of you.

E is for Encouragement because you’ve never once made me feel small for chasing a crazy idea.

F is for Friendship because after twenty-six years, you’re still the first person I want to tell everything.

G is for Goofy your superpower.

H is for Home not the house you’ve repaired a thousand times, but the feeling you’ve created inside it.

I is for Inside Jokes third kidneys, ovaries, Top Gun pets, and a lifetime of things only we understand.

J is for Joy the kind that’s found in ordinary Tuesdays, not just anniversaries.

K is for Keegan de Mayo proof we’ll invent any excuse to celebrate life.

L is for Love the kind that’s quieter but infinitely deeper.

M is for Michael and Finnegan our favorite collaboration.

N is for Never Boring because life with you never is.

O is for Ordinary because you’ve taught me ordinary days become extraordinary when they’re shared with the right person.

P is for Partner my favorite title you’ve ever had.

Q is for Quiet Moments coffee/chai tea, campfires, front porches, and comfortable silence.

R is for Ryan the best decision I’ve ever made without realizing how much it would shape my future.

S is for Steady when life gets loud, you’ve always been my constant.

T is for Teacher not just in your classroom, but in how you’ve taught our boys kindness, respect, humility and integrity.

U is for Us still choosing each other.

V is for Victory not because life has always been easy, but because we’ve always been on the same team.

W is for Wonder because after twenty-six years, I still catch myself thinking, I can’t believe I get to do life with you.

X is for the X’s at the end of every note and every kiss that still says “I’m here.”

Y is for You the person who still makes me feel lucky.

Z is for The Next Chapter because the alphabet ends here, but our story doesn’t

Happy 26th Anniversary!

A celebration in every way! This live stream was everything!!

Showing us HOPE is a choice. 🎶

May I channel President Obama’s stubborn optimism to continue the steady work of change.

May we all continue to live with unshakeable moral fiber and use all these servant leaders as our guide.

Congratulations to the Obama family and the City of Chicago. I can’t wait to visit!!

sure the starting gun, the cheering fans, the supportive teammates are all amazing sounds at track meets, but the bell lap is my favorite.

the last lap

the one that makes all the previous work worth it.

the one that brings you to the finish line.

kinda how I feel my life is like right now … the bell lap … 🔔 🏃 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️ 🔔

Welcome to Long Grove:where the bridge tests both truck heights and reading comprehension.

The bridge isn’t low. Your truck is just ambitious.

At this point the bridge should get loyalty points from tow truck companies.

Long Grove Covered Bridge: Illinois’ most successful truck magnet.

If you hit the bridge, congratulations; you’re officially shorter than your attention span.

74+ crashes later and the bridge still believes in second chances.

Maybe add a batting average scoreboard: ‘Bridge 74, Trucks 0.’

The bridge has survived floods, storms, and apparently truck drivers with selective literacy.

At this point the bridge should have its own defensive coordinator. 🐻 🏈 

Long Grove’s hottest attraction: live-action geometry failures.

The clearance marker isn’t for the truck,

it’s for the driver’s ego.

Some people collect souvenirs. This bridge collects box truck roofs.

The bridge doesn’t hate trucks. It just prefers convertibles.

Every week another driver says, ‘I think we’ll fit,’ moments before becoming local folklore.

Long Grove Covered Bridge: where optimism meets physics.

Maybe the next sign should just say: ‘Seriously. We’re tired too.’

Quiet actions get your message across  

Time one in your bedroom make everyone seem more easily to get along with 

An afternoon spent laying in the sun or looking out the window is time well spent

Be ready for surprises life gives you 

every photo I take is a way of saying “this mattered” & every word I write is me figuring out why 📖

Photography 📸 captures the moment my heart ❤️ pauses; writing is what happens after it starts beating again. ✍️

Making a photo is like breathing 🧘‍♀️ in the world, 🌎 writing is the slow necessary exhale.

Photography is my eye 👁️.Writing is the glasses so I can see better! 🤓

I love being a photojournalist celebrating an ordinary+ life! 📸 📚

Commute Friendly 🚘 

• Heron Creek 
• Buffalo Creek 

Lake Views 🌊 

• Spring Bluff
• Fort Sheridan 

Close By 🥾 

• Ray Lake 
• Fort Hill 
• Lakewood 
• Daniel Wright 
• Independence Grove
• Old School 
• Cuba Marsh 
• Adler / Des Plaines River 
• Ryerson Woods 
• Singing Hills 

Worth the Drive Weekend Hike 🚙 

• McDonalds Woods
• Hastings Lake 
• Nippersink 
• Sedgemeadow 
• Grant Woods 
• Rollins Savanna 
• Grassy Lake 
• Half Day 
• Oriole Grove 
• Lyons Woods 
• Raven Glen 
• Middlefork Savanna