Turkey Run State Park - Oct 2009 Camping Trip

This past weekend, Oct 16-18, Brian and I joined 4 other couples for a fun (and chilly) weekend camping at Turkey Run State Park.

The state park is located west of Indianapolis in the town of Marshall, Indiana.  The Tanner Family used to go to Turkey Run State Park on several group camping trips in year’s past.  One of my favorite parts of the park is their hiking trails. Unlike many of the state parks in Indiana, Turkey Run had ravines, ladders and LOTS of stairs to climb.  You actually have to think while you hike.  :)  We were thankful that our friends were able to join us for the trip:  Jamie & Chuck, Torrey & Chris, Amy & Steve, and Lindsay & Todd.  There was a constant fire burning to keep us all warm as the temperatures dipped down to the upper 20’s and lower 30’s at night.  One of the main reasons to camp this time of year was to see the amazing fall colors.

But as you can see from the picture above, the leaves were definately not in peak color.  But that means we have more beautiful colors to look forward to this fall.  This past weekend was also the last weekend of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival.  We ventured out a little to see a couple of bridges, but it was cold out and we wanted to get back to that campfire!

Hopefully the fall colors will improve as we make our next road trip to Gatlinburg, TN in November!  Till then….

Let the TRUE countdown begin…

Well, it is Tuesday (June 23) and we are 1 1/2 weeks away from the wedding. Can you believe that!!?? Boy, time had sure flown. Brian and I are truly excited to see everyone two Saturdays from today. We are also excited to say that most of the details are done. Now we can just hope for beautiful weather.

Many people have asked us “What should we wear?” Our answer “Be comfortable.” It will be a warm July morning. Between the wedding ceremony and the Dixie boat ride, you will likely be outside for about 1 1/2 hours. The reception is indoors, but keep in mind the exposure to the sunshine. Feel free to wear a hat on the boat. Sunscreen is recommended as well.

For those of you who are around the Friday night before the wedding (July 3), you are welcome to come to our house for a bonfire and fireworks around 9 pm. We ask that if you do come, please bring your own drinks and your own chairs (if possible). We have a few chairs, but unfortunately not enough for everyone.
If you have any additional questions, just drop us a note!

The Dixie Boat

North Webster is a unique little town with a rich history and a beautiful lake.  For these reasons, Brian and I decided to have our wedding in the small town that we will both call home after July 4, 2009.  There is a culture here that we wish to share with both our family and friends.   It is our hope that you catch a small glimpse of the town called North Webster and why it is “home.”  One of the areas we our highlighting on our “big day” is the Dixie Boat.  All of our guests will be able to ride on this boat between our wedding and reception for a fun cruise around Webster Lake.  This particular Dixie Boat has been running on the waters of Lake Webster since 1929!  For a wonderful history of the Dixie Boat, please click here.

Currently the Dixie Boat is under construction.  She stays in the water all winter long and during this time, she undergoes some much love and tender care from her long running summer.  You can see from the picture below that she is boarded up, the benches and the railings are gone (even though I noticed that a few railings were slowing being added when I took this picture).

Now the real questions is…will she be ready for July4???  The leadership of the Dixie ensures me (within reason) that the Dixie will be up and ready just in time for Memorial Day!  So, if you are anticipating this boat ride and just can’t stand it anymore…you can come up for a visit and we can take it for a whirl. 

Dixie Boat is now on Facebook!

Home Improvement Report #1

As many of you already know, both Brian and I enjoy doing home improvements of all sorts.  In 2009, we are really excited about working on the outside/landscaping of the house in addition to the projects we are working on “inside the walls.”  So, to catch everyone up to speed, I am going to show our first “outdoor project.”  It actually was completed in 2008 shortly after Brian took possession of the house.  As you can see from the picture below, the original owners had a U-shaped gravel driveway in the front yard of the house.

The house is laid out in a unique way because of the lake.  There is a regular driveway off of the regular garage on the side (east) of the house.  But since the front of the house faces the lake, so does the walk-out basement.   With the walk-out comes a unique single car garage with gravel driveway attached the the U-driveway.  My guess is that the original owners felt this was a good turn-around point or that they wanted to provide extra parking for guests.    Brian had decided early on that a front yard would be much more attractive.  Thus, the first outdoor project was born!   The contractor helped scoop up all the gravel and laid some dirt.  Brian and I had some fun laying all the seed and then we added straw to the top for protection.  A few things to say about straw:  1)  It helps keep the ground moist which is awesome but 2) it encourages weed growth like you wouldn’t believe!  We had to remind ourselves that the first goal was to get growth and then in the Spring/Summer 2009 we could working on getting all the weeds out.

It is only April and so far it looks pretty good!  Our neighbors have a GREAT looking lawn and we are taking in all the advice we can get!  Looking forward to report on our next project. 

Busy week of extra curriculars….

It is Thursday evening and it is nice to be home after work and not have a major agenda (except to clean).  Brian and I have had a busy week.  I had a meeting in Warsaw on Monday after work to discuss some new personal training options locally with Lou at Positive Fitness and while I was doing that, Brian was changing the oil in his truck.

Tuesday, we had our second round of Swing Dancing lessons with Ray and Barb Gsell.  The first week was a little rough for me personally because I have never taken dance lessons before.  I just usually take a little more time to mentally process things prior to trying them and the pace of the lessons was not very conducive to my dysfunctional learning style.  But, the second week went MUCH MUCH better as I had a whole week to process.  It is very enjoyable, but I can also see how it would be easy to forget if you don’t practice.

Wednesday we had our second meeting with George, the minister and family friend of Brian’s, that will be marrying us on July 4th.  George came through North Webster and it was good to share and dinner with him and visit.  He has given us some great ideas about the ceremony.  I am personally very thankful because I think I have my hands full in the other areas.  Thanks George!

Tonight, Brian gets to change the oil in my truck (Have I mentioned how wonderful of a guy he is?)  Then it is all about clean clean clean.  Our great friends. Torrey and Chris Ray are coming up for a visit tomorrow after work and we are all going to head up to Bittersweet Ski Resort to go skiing this weekend (providing that the snow didn’t all melt).  We always have a great time with them, so I can definitely say we are looking forward to the weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Have you ever tried a restaurant just to be adventurous?

Tonight Brian and I tried a local restaurant, call Jimmy’s. We drive by it ALL the time. They have nightly specials such as Mexican night and Steak night. Well, it is Friday night and we didn’t want to cook. Rather, we didn’t have groceries. So, we said “Why go to someplace we always go to…let’s try something new….let’s try Jimmy’s.”

I should have noted that something about the experience would not be the greatest when we thought we saw a restaurant patron (a significantly older man)…relieving himself in the parking lot. Hum…interesting I say.

Still on the quest for adventure, Brian had the Rib Eye special and I had the Mostacolli. To make a long story short….we are going to stick with our local favorites from now on. We didn’t die or have tummy aches, but we were also glad to not have invited out of town guests to join us. We LOVE Huntington Street Bar and Grill in Syracuse, IN and Danny’s Sports Bar by the Barbee Chain Lakes. Nothing wrong with sticking with what you love! And…those places come highly recommended by KT and Brian. Tell them we sent you…maybe we will get a free pizza or hamburger!

Any stories out there of bad restaurants you have tried on a whim?

Why “KT?”

Many of you know that KT is actually my (Karen) nickname.  In fact, so is “Tanner.”  Whether I tell people that KT is a nickname or not, somehow that is what I end up being called.  Some of my girlfriends (Erin Wise and Torrey Ray) will not even know who you are referring to if you don’t use the name “Tanner.”

So, as you can imagine, Brian has caught onto this and very often calls me “KT.”  Futhermore, we continue to use the name “KT” because we don’t want to confuse the family tree.  You see…Brian’s mom has the name Karen Elaine Byrd.  What many of you don’t know is that my middle name is also Elaine.  Karen Elaine Tanner.  So upon our wedding on July 4, 2009, I would legally also have the name Karen Elaine Byrd.  Hum…can you see where this might get a little complicated?

So, I have decided to add the name Tanner as one of my middle names.  Karen Elaine Tanner Byrd or Karen E. Tanner Byrd.  As a result, I can still keep my wonderous nicknames of “KT” and “Tanner.”  Who knows…after the wedding I may adopt a new nickname:  “T-Byrd!”  Ha ha!