My Heaven On Earth

It's been exactly 4 years since our father/daughter meet in Asheville trip. I had two kids, Andrea had none. Now she's getting ready to have boy #2 and we wanted to get away before it's newborn season again.  So we hopped in the car and headed down to meet dad for four sweet days away.

Getting six hours of uninterrupted conversation time with this girl on the way down AND way back is sister GOLD. The rolling hills of Kentucky to the mountains of North Carolina, iced coffee, a cooler filled with La Croix, Andrea's killer playlist, laughing, and non-stop talking. Perfection.

 We ate delicious slow food at every meal (that someone else made!), wandered aisles and aisles of antiques, poured over magazines, drank coffee for hours, and explored the streets of Asheville.

 And! AND! We went to my new favorite place on earth---The Biltmore. Magical. Literally heavenly. As in, I went back to our room at the end of that day and re-read Revelations 21 and felt like I had seen a tiiiiiiiiiny glimpse into the beauty that is to come. (Also John 14:1-4)

I mean, seriously.

I don't know when I'll go back but, oh, I'll go back.

This is the souvenir I brought back--a silky vintage grey slip with lovely pleated lace details. When I'm not wearing it, I'm pretty sure it will be hanging on our bedroom wall. It's art.

I think the trip changed me a bit. It inspired me to be more intentional about raising our boys to be cultured gentlemen with a love for art, music, literature, history, travel, food, and adventure. It reminded me that I serve a very extravagant God. Every castle, every designer gown, every ornate silver serving dish set, every epic feast I've ever had the pleasure of pinning on Pinterest ; ) is quite plain compared to the stuff God comes up with.  Read God's detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle---it was faaabulous. He knows what He likes. I spent a lot of time thinking and talking about God as a designer. I mean, Genesis 1:1---this whole thing starts as an epic story about a (the) Artist. And He's very VERY good.

Arian : )