Five Years

Saturday, December 31, 2016

When hurricanes and cyclones rage,
When wind turned dirt to dust.
When floods they came or tides they raised,
Ever closer became us
I believe,
And I believe 'cause I can see
Our future days -- days of you and me
[Pearl Jam, Future Days]


Today, Mike and I celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary! The past five years have woven a diverse tapestry of trips, states, homes, jobs, and, of course, our sweet little girl. It has not been an easy five years, but facing an ever-changing world of fastballs and curveballs is so much easier with him on my team. Here's to the next five year, love!
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Christmas with Mimi

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Mimi was in town a weekend before Christmas and right after the New Year, and, naturally, we celebrated the holiday both times! We had so much fun at the Leiper's Fork Christmas Parade just outside of Franklin, TN, and Blair was thrilled to exchange gifts with Mimi to wrap up our month-long Christmas extravaganza.  

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Christmas

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Blair was so ready for Christmas this time around. She started to understand the concepts of giving and receiving gifts, the magic of Santa Claus (or "Father Christmas," as she adorably picked up from Peppa Pig), the amusement of traditional television specials (Frosty the Snowman and Charlie Brown's Christmas topped the list this year). All she wanted from Santa was a yo-yo, and the big-guy pulled through for her!
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Christmas with Poppie & Karagh

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

As has become tradition, Dad, Karagh and Lady packed up the Jeep and drove down to Tennessee before Christmas to celebrate and spend quality time with us. We had so much fun - Blair loved showing them around the Loveless Cafe and we took in the Christmas lights of Williamson County on the Franklin Transit Holly Trolley. 
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Gingerbread Houses with Mimi

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

My mom is in the process of moving from Pennsylvania to Nashville, so she's been in town a lot more often for fun weekend activities like decorating gingerbread houses! Blair kept calling them "gingerbread baby houses" because the kit was a few tiny huts instead of one large house. She was thrilled to have control over all the icing, sprinkles, and candy - I'm not sure if more if it got on the houses or in her mouth. 
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Ballet Class Observation Night

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Our sweet little ballerina has completed two semesters of dance now and I can't believe how much she's grown from her first (tear-stained) class! To end the fall semester, parents got to sit in on the class and watch the girls go through their exercises, twirls, scarf dances, and balance beam! I love watching her run, dance, and play with her little tutu brigade of gal pals. 
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Festival of Lights

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Thanksgiving weekend we took the kids to the Cincinnati Zoo's Festival of Lights to see Elsa & Anna from Frozen, lots of twinkling Christmas lights, and to visit with the big guy himself - Santa Claus. The girls were giddy with excitement about meeting their favorite Disney ladies, so excited, in fact, that we got photos with the Frozen characters at the beginning and end of the trip haha. 
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Thanksgiving

Monday, November 28, 2016

Thanksgiving this year was full of very active kiddos and a lot of time outside in the cool weather! As has become tradition, we headed up to Kentucky, where we feasted on smoked turkey and fixings and then watched Mike orchestrate an abstract performance recounting the First Thanksgiving. Every day is an adventure with this man, folks. 
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Bicentennial Mall, Nashville

Monday, November 7, 2016

My dad was in town for a quick visit, so we headed into downtown to take advantage of a gorgeous fall day. We wandered through the Nashville Farmer's Market for a bit and explored the Bicentennial Mall Park near the Capitol Building. I love these photos of Blair with the Capitol and James K. Polk buildings in the background - Mike and I both work in the Polk building now!
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Halloween

Monday, October 31, 2016

Well, I wasn't sure how we were going to follow up the roaring success that was Blair's George Washington costume last year, but Colonel Sanders certainly made for a hilarious addition to her growing repertoire of Halloween costumes! Blair lovingly dubbed herself "The Chicken Man" and was so excited about the costume - and now every time we see a KFC commercial, she goes absolutely nuts. 
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The Toddler Paints a Pumpkin

Sunday, October 30, 2016

We couldn't find a pumpkin large enough to carve this year (thanks, Obama 85* October), so we figured we'd just let Blair paint a little pumpkin we picked up at Gentry's Farm. I got out a pack of washable kiddie paints I had been saving for a brave rainy day and set her up on the porch with a few paper towels and a couple paintbrushes. Forty-five minutes later we emerged covered in paint with a little artist beaming with pride at her gloriously gray pumpkin. 
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Two & Three-Quarters

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

This little free spirit is officially closer to three years old than two. Where all this time went, I have no idea, but two-and-three-quarters has brought some interesting developments - her inquisitive mind examines the world around her with a fervor for new information, while her strong, independent will seeks to use new knowledge in ways that surprise us everyday. (If there is a nicer way to say "sometimes she's an asshole, but we laugh about it later," someone let me know! haha!)

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Gatlinburg

Monday, October 24, 2016

Megan and Scott spent a week in East Tennessee hiking through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so we packed up the car and headed out to spend the weekend with them! They had an amazing two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite at the Wyndham Smoky Mountains resort, with a full kitchen and plenty of room for us to play "hide-ah-seek" with Blair. 
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Festive Fun At Gentry's Farm

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

It is our third year coming out to Gentry's Farm for some festive fall fun, and Blair was SO into the activities this year. Her first trip she was only nine months old, and last year was pretty chilly, but this year - she just had a blast. She went down every slide on the farm and played in the log cabin playhouse for over an hour until I had to drag her out of it as she screamed "nooooo! My playhouse!" 
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Kid's Got Moves

Friday, October 7, 2016

While I was visiting my sister Karagh to shop for her wedding dress (squeeee!), Mike took Blair to Kentucky. They met up with Cousin C & M for a visit to the Kentucky Wool Festival, where the girls showed off their dance moves to a little bluegrass music. Don't ask me where she got those moves, I'm not sure it's covered in her ballet class curriculum. Our little Tennessee girl just can't help but get her groove on when she hears some down home music!
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The McClanahans Hit the Beach

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

We ended September with our feet in the beautiful white sands of the Florida panhandle - all the McClanahans converged on Miramar Beach for our first family vacation in the new camper! Jeff & Tonya graciously hosted all the kids and cousins for a long weekend of salty waves, seashells, warm breezes, and sun-kissed shoulders. 

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Engaged: Karagh & Brendin

Monday, September 19, 2016

My baby sister is getting married! Karagh and Brendin are a laid-back, nature-loving duo of Wyomingites that are always on some kind of backwoods, hiking adventure. It's not out of the ordinary for them to disappear into the wilderness with their two dogs, Lady and Bain, for a weekend of fishing and camping in the mountains - Brendin even proposed to Karagh on a hike just outside of their hometown of Laramie. 

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Mimi's Birthday

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Blair was so excited to celebrate my mom's birthday while she and Grammie were in town. The weather was absolutely gorgeous (although a little warm) and Blair had so much fun playing with Gigi and Mimi. We did a Four Generations photo shoot and even took a trip to Arrington Vineyards for a little wine tasting, but I think the highlight of the weekend was tracing chalk outlines of the whole family in the driveway. 
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Arrington Vineyards & Nashville


While Mom and Grammie were in town, we decided to give the Arrington Vineyards winery another try. Mike and I were there a few years ago, and I take back everything I said about the wines! Arrington has expanded their portfolio, site, and everything since then - I really enjoyed several of the wines that we tried! 

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Four Generations

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

 My mom and Grammie were in town for the weekend so we decided to do a quick Four Generations mini shoot, since all four of us were finally in the same place again, two years later! Black and white was a great coordination choice by Grammie, so we all got dolled up and headed out to the front yard armed with my tripod and remote shutter. 
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Labor Day Weekend

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

We packed up the Jeep and headed north to Kentucky for the long weekend, made longer by a teacher in-service day at Blair's school. We took the day off on Friday (since one of us would have to stay home with her anyway), and drove up in the morning so we'd arrive in time for lunch. We had a great time relaxing, going to the zoo, taking in a Reds game, and watching the annual WEBN Fireworks show over the Ohio River (on television of course, ain't nobody brave enough to take three toddlers into all of that!)
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Whirlwind Weekend in Pennsylvania

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Inspired by a gift card and a flash sale on airfare, Blair and I flew up to Philadelphia for the weekend to spend some time with my family and celebrate my cousin's baby shower! It was a whirlwind weekend, but so worth it seeing everyone again and watching Blair with her great-grandparents and grandparents. 
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Park City, Utah: Part Two

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Our Sunday excursion was a three-hour train ride through Provo Canyon on the Heber Valley Historic Railroad. It was a beautiful day and Blair was thrilled to ride the "choo-choo." We boarded in Heber City and the train took us through farmland, around the Deer Creek Reservoir, along the Provo River to a little park, where the kids could get out and play on a playground for a few minutes while they turned the engine around. We had views of Mt. Timpanogos (Mount Topanga, as we called it) and the train was even boarded by a duo of "robbers." It was a fun, relaxing way to take in some scenery... and Blair even took a big nap on Aunt Karagh on the return trip to Heber City! 
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Park City, Utah: Part One

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The Murphlanrouxs (soon to be some iteration of the Murbroulahans - another Murphy wedding is being planned!!) descended on Park City, Utah for a week of coffee consumption, nature appreciation, stuffing our faces, and craft beer. We've done Colorado and Wyoming locations, but this was our first time in Utah and it was beautiful!  
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Nashville War Memorial

Saturday, August 20, 2016

I found myself in a bit of a funk with my photography lately, stuck in a toddler-only-photos rut, so I took a few minutes one cloudy afternoon and wandered through the Nashville War Memorial. Located right across the Legislative Plaza from my office building near the Capitol, it's a beautiful 1925 Greek Doric-style monument honoring Tennesseans that served in World War 1. It is now an music venue, of course, and concerts are regularly played in its auditorium.
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Tiny Composer

Friday, August 19, 2016

The house we rented in Utah for family vacation (blog post coming soon) had a beautiful piano that Blair just fell in love with. She often dragged over her baby dolls and assorted toys to hear her give an impromptu concert, or asked Megan to play a song that she could dance to. It inspired her to make up such ditties as "The Poppie & Megan Song" and "The Karagh & Lady Song," or to just bang away on it and sing songs she already knows. This video also shows off her knowledge(ish) of the Months of the Year. *wink*
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Two and a Half

Monday, July 25, 2016

It's already July (whaat?!) and that means our little lady is two and a half years old! Her personality continues to blossom and she is just the sweetest, silliest thing. Blair is thoughtful and kind, strong-willed, loving, and an absolute joy to be around. We all have rough days, but honestly, she is wonderful and agreeable nine times out of ten. That tenth day though? Watch out. She probably gets that from her mama!
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Mike's 29th Birthday

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

This old goat finally caught up to me and we're now in our last year of our twenties. Holycrap.
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Fourth of July

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

The long Fourth of July weekend was filled with fireworks, good food, and old friends.
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Father's Day

Monday, June 27, 2016

Blair and I celebrated Mike on Father's Day Weekend with some of his most favorite things - bowling, breakfast at the Loveless Cafe, and the city splash pad! Blair made Mike an adorable little craft at school and she showered him with lots of kisses and hugs all weekend long.
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First Ballet Class

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Our tiny dancer was so excited for her first ballet class - we talked about ballet, tried on the shoes, watched Peppa Pig's Ballet Class a million times and she was ready... 
Until we got there. 
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First Day of Summer

Monday, June 20, 2016

We ushered in the first day of summer with a stop at the splash pad after school/work and Blair was thrilled to run through the fountains and soak up the sun. We'll be here a lot this summer trying to beat the Tennessee heat and burn off some toddler steam!

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Bonnaroo

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

I'm not entirely sure how Mike coerced me to attend an outdoor music festival in the middle of a Tennessee summer, but I remember the excitement in his eyes when they announced that Pearl Jam would be the Saturday night Bonnaroo headliner and knew somehow we'd be there. Luckily, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp sponsors a one-day pass for the four-day event, and we were able to see not just Pearl Jam, but Chris Stapleton, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Jason Mraz and stay out until 4am like we were 21 again! 
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Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The morning of Memorial Day, we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel before watching the Bellevue-Dayton Memorial Day Parade. Blair has developed quite the affinity for pancakes and was none-too-pleased that they wouldn't just magically appear on the table when she arrived at the restaurant. She passed the time by playing the classic little golf-tee game and gobbled up her pancakes and bacon when it was ready. We also showed her how to play checkers and we had to drag her (literally kicking and screaming) away from the little Cracker Barrel rocking chairs on the porch. Sorry, kiddo!

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McClanahan Bistro Night

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Another holiday weekend in the books and it's officially the beginning of summer! We trekked on up to Kentucky for a long weekend of relaxation, festive fun, and non-stop entertainment from the littles. We heralded the arrival of summer with a pre-Memorial Day evening get-together, and Mike really got into the patriotic spirit decking out the patio for another McClanahan Bistro Night. 
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Mother's Day

Monday, May 9, 2016

Mother's Day weekend was so relaxing - we browsed some yard sales on Saturday morning and then came home to make our wagers and watch the Kentucky Derby. Sunday morning I got to sleep in and woke up to breakfast in bed, along with big snuggles from my little peanut. The sweet little girl that made me a mama. This young soul has challenged and inspired me in ways I could never have imagined and my world is infinitely better for having her in my life.
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Two and A Quarter

Monday, April 25, 2016

Well here we are, three months into Blair's third year on this earth and I'm writing her first Quarterly Update. Much like the Monthly Updates I so studiously kept up with //sarcasm font//, these updates will help me remember the major milestones in her life and remind myself how cute she was when she inevitably turns into a teenager that's embarrassed by my mere existence.

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Meet me in St. Louis

Monday, April 18, 2016

We met up with some friends in St. Louis for a Reds v. Cardinals game on Saturday. It was Blair's first baseball game since our trip to Atlanta in 2014 and the first game that she could actually interact with. She absolutely loved it and was such a good little fan. 

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Opening Day Baseball, Baby!

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

We drove back up to Kentucky the weekend after Easter for the real spring holiday - Opening Day of baseball! Mike's parents got tickets for us, Danielle and Alex, so we left all the kiddos with the grandparents and headed over the bridge to watch the Cincinnati Reds take on my hometown Philadelphia Phillies (even though I wore my Cincy gear and cheered for my favorite Red - Jay Bruce)
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Azaleas in Bloom

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Our azaleas are back in bloom! Blair loves picking the "pink fwagahs" off the bush and sniffs them on her way in the house every night. The bush bloomed during our manic six weeks of road trips, so I didn't get a chance to take good photos with my real camera, but I did snag a few so I could compare them to last year!
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Easter

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

We packed up the car this weekend and headed up to Kentucky for a fun-filled Easter! We had a low-key, mini-Easter celebration on Saturday for the little cousins - we took them to the park to see the duckies and burn off some energy at the playground. The girls tore into their Easter baskets, squealing over all the Frozen-themed goodies. Blair was thrilled by the coloring books, Elsa outfit, and of course, a box of Cheez-Its!

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Toddlers of Anarchy

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Grandma and Grandpa McClanahan got Blair and Cousin C some princess ATVs for Christmas 2014 and they're finally old enough to figure out how to ride them! These two were hilarious zipping around the turn-about at the grandparents' house and trying not to run into each other. The matching Minnie helmets just crack me up. They are really getting to know each other now and Blair asks about her and Baby M by name all the time!
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Town Easter Egg Hunt

Sunday, March 20, 2016

We attended the Town Easter Egg Hunt on a blustery and cold Saturday morning. Seriously, it was freezing. Thank goodness my car is a complete disaster organized and I had a spare jacket in the trunk for Blair! 

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St. Patrick's Day

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Happy St. Patrick's Day from our little Irish Rose!
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Early Easter Egg Hunt

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

My mom came in for a weekend visit halfway between my birthday and Easter! We recruited her to visit that weekend so Mike and I could attend the Kingston Springs Fire Department banquet and since it was close enough to Easter, "Mimi" (as Blair now calls her), put together an early egg hunt. Mike was all about it too, since he was "training" Blair to take on cousin C in the annual McClanahan Family Egg Hunt. Spoiler Alert: The eggs were mostly stuffed with Anna and Elsa underwear, since we're about to start potty-training. Cue panic. 
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Bubbles with Poppie

Friday, March 4, 2016


My dad came to visit for my birthday weekend and Blair was thrilled to see him. Her vocabulary has grown exponentially the past few weeks and she finally says "Poppie!" when she sees him on FaceTime and in person. They are just so sweet together!

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Winter Wonderland

Friday, January 29, 2016

We woke up on Friday to a winter wonderland - while the East Coast braced for historic accumulations of more than three feet, Tennesseans lost their minds over the 8 inches that fell between Friday and Saturday. Everyone phoned in snow days and we all settled into our blankets and watched the world turn white. It was so so pretty - we didn't have any ice at all, it went straight from rain to snow, and it was the perfect packable powder! 
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TWO

Monday, January 25, 2016


"On the night you were born,
The moon smiled with such wonder
That the stars peeked in to see you -
And the night wind whispered,
“Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you… ever in the world."
On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman


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Christmas

Monday, January 4, 2016


Christmas at the McClanahan house was absolutely crazy this year - December was a complete blur. In between Blair getting sick with multiple ear infections and pneumonia, we had every member of my family come to visit in a span of a few weeks!

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