Back in May, Michael and I took a trip to the Highlands, NC. Our little adventure was a quick 2 night getaway, but we certainly made the most of it! Staying at an Old Edwards Property is unlike anything else we have ever experienced. The customer service, the food, the views, how comfortable the rooms are- it’s all perfected down to the last detail! We are usually more of budget travelers, looking for an inexpensive AirBnb, bringing our own food etc. But every so often , having someone else take care of YOU and your needs can be so incredibly refreshing.

DAY 1:

We dropped the kids with Michael’s parents and drove the few hours to Highlands, NC - stopping at Secret Falls for quick hike and lunch. The hike is very easy with mild incline and the falls are totally worth it at the end! Took us about 30 mins each way.

Still a bit grubby from our hike, we checked into Half Mile Farm (HMF) and enjoyed our welcome glass of champagne before getting a tour of the property and settling in. We have stayed at Old Edwards in Downtown Highlands and I think we both enjoyed HMF better. It was even MORE peaceful if you can imagine it, more tucked away and private feeling and the staff was so caring and kind.

We took a short trip in a canoe around their little pond before getting ready for the night. One thing we loved about HMF was the cocktail hour! We ordered some yummy craft cocktails from the bar and enjoyed meeting a few of the other guests, like a true bed and breakfast experience. We hopped on their complimentary shuttle to downtown Highlands for drinks at Primary before dinner at and incredible family owned Italian restaurant, Paoletti. I had the best gnocchi I have ever tasted and their wine list was… WOW. When we got back to HMF they have the firepit going so we threw on our PJ’s and went out to enjoy that a bit. We ended up chatting with a newlywed couple (as in, they got married 2 days earlier and were on a mini honeymoon.) We shared that we were coming up on our 11th anniversary and they asked if we had any marriage advice. We chuckled because at first thought, we didn’t feel like we did. Half the time we feel like we are flying by the seat of our pants, just trying to make sure they don’t catch on fire along the way 😅

But then we thought about it a moment and this is what we came up with:

🤍 Choose each other every day. Marriage starts with love and love is a lot of fun but the tough times will come. You never know how tough they will be or how long they will last but dang if you have to CHOOSE each other every day. This choice may take effort some days and might feel as easy as breathing on others. But man it feels good to know you are being chosen by your spouse no matter what you are going through, every. single. day.

🤍 There is no such thing as OVER communicating in marriage. Do it often. Do it without ceasing. And do it HUMBLY.

🤍 Lastly, but most importantly, marriage is not meant to make you happy, it’s meant to make you holy. This is God’s perfect and precious design for this holy union. Once you can truly understand this, your marriage will take on a whole new role in your life: sanctification. Going through the gritty with your spouse so God can crack open and mold the deeper parts of your souls, together. And in turn, God delights in partnering in a truly joy filled marriage because he is the center of it. What an honor. What a blessing.

After chatting a bit longer and sharing some laughs with perfect strangers we headed to bed – and boy were those beds comfy! (I realize some people wouldn’t enjoy “making friends” on a romantic getaway, but Michael and I just LOVE people and getting to know them better, even if just for a random evening knowing we will never see them again! That said, there is still plenty of room for privacy on the property if that is what you desire)

DAY 2:

We slept in a bit and walked the 30 feet to the dining room with a panorama view of the surrounding woods to have breakfast- a set chef’s menu. Today it was a sweet berry souffle appetizer with cheese and onion quiche over arugula with Canadian bacon and potatoes. Delicious! It was raining, so we went back to our room, opened the door to our private balcony, turned on the fire and read in bed for almost 2 hours! As soon as the sun came out, we ran to the pool- which we had to ourselves for hours! We texted the front desk to order lunch- such a lovely convenience we had all weekend to communicate with them for whatever we may have needed. Pimento cheese and BLT’s by the pool! We met a few more friends and heard the most incredible pregnancy/adoption story from another couple there. We cleaned up, hopped back on our trusty shuttle and headed to Madison’s for our “fancy” dinner. It was tasty as always, but we were so full we had to cancel our dessert order! We called it an early night because we had a big day planned for tomorrow.

DAY 3:

Another lovely breakfast in the trees before packing up and checking out early. We were headed to Camp Toccoa. If you have seen Band of Brothers, you are likely familiar with Camp Toccoa and the Currahee mountain run- “3 Miles up, 3 miles down.” The camp was a training camp during World War II for a new type of soldier at the time: paratroopers. The paratroopers from the Easy Company (506th Parachute Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division) trained here before finishing their jump training at Fort Benning and eventually being deployed on D-Day to drop into Normandy, France to fight in the region until the wars end. (If you haven’t read the book or seen the show- HIGHLY recommend. Bring tissues) We got to meet a volunteer for a private tour of the camp (what is left of it) and hear a bit more about the history of the camp and the soldiers that trained there. While we were stationed in Germany, Michael had the opportunity to fly in the 75th anniversary of D-Day and be part of the annual commemoration in Normandy, France. David, Emily and I traveled to Normandy to be a part of the celebrations as well and see Michael and his squadron fly in various events. We learned so much about this part of World War II history, so seeing this camp felt really meaningful to us.

Afterwards Michael and I had the opportunity to walk (me) and run (Michael) up Currahee Mountain- the same trail the soldiers used in their training 80+ years ago. The view at the top was more than worth it and I am honestly surprised I was able to complete the whole thing. The place is steeped in history and sacrifice we may never fully understand. It was a very moving experience to be there and absorb as much of it as we could.

We were starving by the time we finished so of course we grabbed the Lord’s lunch, Chick fil a, milkshakes included, for our drive home. This time spent away together was so good for our souls. Being on our own schedule, pouring into one another, was truly a gift. We were hyperaware of the fact that we did not have one child-free getaway while living in Germany after David was born and we may not have another one for a good long while during our time in Texas so we really tried to soak this one up. Thanks for the memories Michael- until next time!