“Can’t Buy Me Love”

We crossed the border into Tennessee in the afternoon on Friday. After a quick stop at a Welcome Center (super cool inside – nice job, TN!) we set out to find some wifi so we could update the blog!

Then we headed to the home of our second BW (Boondockers Welcome) hosts. They live in Nashville, just a few miles from the Grand Ole Opry! We were quite a sight, pulling into their driveway that is surrounded by trees. Eleanor was higher than some of the small, lower hanging branches…sooooo… now we know what that sounds like… Steve, the homeowner, said he wanted to trim some of them back anyway. I think we may have taken care of that for him! 😦

Steve and Debbie (and their two dogs, Amos and Andy) greeted us in the driveway with a warm welcome, and a big plate of brownies!! I’m telling you, we thought the blog was going to be the big project on this trip – but I almost wish we were doing a documentary on these all these dear people! Not only have they gone above and beyond, but they have some great stories too!

We got settled in and hooked up and then Steve offered to take us on a driving tour of downtown Nashville. It was such a generous offer and an awesome experience! Joe and I have each been there, at different times, but this was so special. We NEVER would have seen as much on foot…and I’m not sure we would have taken the boys there – at all – that late at night. But this was a great way to experience it! Seeing all the famous landmarks, neon lights, and hearing music coming from place after place was definitely a treat! And personally, we cracked up watching the musicians hustling and lugging their equipment through the busy streets. Been there!!!

We got home very late, but it was so worth it! The next morning was nice and relaxing. The dogs were out early, so Aiden and Joe went out to see them and ended up sitting with Steve and Debbie, enjoying coffee and conversation. Brady and I were a little slower to rise that morning. 😉 We were shocked when Steve offered to let us borrow his car to go over to Opry Mills and look around. So generous!! And super fun for Joe! 😉

Steve told us we definitely had to stop in the famous Opry Land hotel. I don’t know what I was imagining from his description…but it FAR exceeded my expectations! Even the boys were floored!

We could have stayed hours more, but we needed to head back to the RV for lunch and showers. At 4:00, we were headed to a very special reunion.

After we finished everything, we had a nice goodbye with Steve, Debbie, and the dogs. We were so inspired by how open-handedly they live. Of course we LOVE Maryland, but by comparison…it can be a little tightly-wound. Maybe it’s a southern thing, maybe it’s the slower pace…either way, we are loving it! It reminds me of reading a commentary about how Jesus loved people “as He went along.” He encountered all sorts of things in all sorts of scenarios while traveling. So often the disciples would try to shew people away…but Jesus made time for them. And He acknowledged their needs and gave them value by doing so. We felt like Steve and Debbie really made time for us…and stopped at nothing to help us enjoy our stay!

The rest of Tennessee deserves it’s own post. I’ll warn you: the last 48 hours have been quite intense! Hope to post again later tonight!

| Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9 |