Hello Monday ~ Sun Studio

 I am going back 2 weeks ago today on the holiday when I visited Sun Studio in Memphis.  Are you familiar with this musical landmark?  If not, here is some information about this iconic place of music history:

"Sun Studio is known worldwide as “The Birthplace of Rock’n’roll”. It is the discovery location of musical legends and genres of the 50’s from B.B. King and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis; from Blues and Gospel to Country and Rock’n'roll. Today our goal is to spread the story of Memphis’ history and culture through the music that put Memphis on the map. 

Stand in the very same spot that Elvis first recorded. Your tour guide will tell you the inside stories of B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf and Ike Turner before Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, & Roy Orbison who were all drawn to the new Sun Sound.

See the priceless memorabilia from the musical legends that blended blues and country music to explode in the "big bang" of Rock'n'roll.

Hear the voices of musicians that still haunt this studio, as you listen to outtakes from recording sessions and feel the energy of the music created here. "

​I love listening to music and have always been an Elvis fan.  I've mentioned it here before, but Elvis was my first concert.  This tour certainly talks about Elvis since this is where he made his first recording, but there is so much more in this tour.

Below is the original door that was used for the studio. This door is no longer in operation, as you enter in a door next door to this space.

Behind the original entry door....

This is the office with the original furnishings..

With the exception of this guitar presented to the studio last year after the release of the Elvis movie.

Inside the recording studio...

Looking from the front to the back of the studio

This is the same microphone Elvis used when he recorded in the studio!  The owner wanted to make sure when this opened for tours, guests would have the experience to be able to touch the same microphone.

In addition to Elvis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and many others have recorded at Sun Studio. U2 recorded "Angel of Harlem", "Love Rescue Me" and "When Love Comes to Town" at Sun Studio for their famous Rattle and Hum album.  Below is the drumset of U2 when they recorded and they donated it to the studio.

This was a great tour not far from home.  If you are ever in the Memphis area and a music fan, I recommend it!

Speaking of Memphis, we have been all over the news this past weekend and not in a good light.  It is so sad and praying for peace and safety for the city.  

Blogging Anniversary

Last Thursday was the 6 year anniversary of my first blog post.  I remember writing that post and was so inspired to do so.  I love that this blog started with meaning that I still feel today.  I am thankful for a place to journal some thoughts, share random things about my life, show pictures to help remember events with my family and a place to reflect.  

Thank you for reading along, whether it has been one post, a few here and there, or all of them.  I am a blogger, not a professional one, but I enjoy doing this and hope my kids will enjoy looking back at all this one day.  I will try to keep this somewhat interesting and short and sweet most days, and as I share my life, I want others to see me living life with hope because of Jesus in my life.

As a throwback, here is the link to my very fist post.

Christmas Home Tour 2017

We are so excited to celebrate Christmas in our new home this year!  We returned to the USA last November & were staying with family & friends last holiday season & also the Christmas before we left the USA (we were missionaries in South America for 3 years), so this is our first Christmas in our own home as a family in the USA since December 2012.  We moved into our current home the beginning of this year, so it is our first Christmas in this home.  It was fun to bring out old Christmas items and buy new ones that we didn't have (like a wreath and Christmas tree stand!) and to figure out "where we will put things" in our new home.  I decorated the weekend before Thanksgiving and have no regrets.  Quick warning....lots of pictures below :). 

 Welcome to our home tour!

Entry way table

(I am putting our Christmas cards in the gold basket).

We have a ledge upstairs and I purchased this tree at a yard sale in our neighborhood this fall. 

On this table, I have garland with lights & ornaments on it and my nativity sets. 

This is a little one made in Colombia. I love having touches of Colombia in our holiday decorations! 

Mantle and tree 

This came from Colombia.

This was a small stocking I made when I was a child for my grandfather, one of my heroes in life.  I like to display it every year in his memory. 

Sofa pillow and blanket

Coffee table books 

Basket of old kids books and Christmas DVD's   

Below are some ornament highlights: 

Colombia and USA ornaments 

This picture features our Home for the Holidays ornament I bought last December, a wooden cross Avery bought me for my birthday and the matchbox ornament (with the small stockings on it) we bought the year we got married. 

Sea World ornament (we loved the dolphins and dolphin show when we went). 

Harrods bear (from London) and ornament from Colombia 

Red ornament from Peru, crosstitch ornament made by my mother, snowman painted by Brook, and Mickey Mouse 

Wooden bear ornament I've had since childhood and Elvis :)

Ornament from our friends who live in Bangkok, Thailand

Our kitchen

Holiday dish towels :)

Christmas kitchen candle

Breakfast area

Dining room table

Guest Bath touches of holiday soaps and hand towel 

Our back porch table 

These small decorations sit on a table upstairs. 

These are decorations in the girls' rooms. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit & looking forward to seeing all the home tours!

Halloween 2017

On Halloween, I make chili & cornbread, but the rest of the night looks a little from year to year.  When the girls were little, we enjoyed trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.  Things looked different for us in Bogota.  Now that we were back in the USA for the first time in 3 years, we tried to figure out what our plan would be.  We designated Avery to stay home and give out candy in our new neighborhood, and the girls and I went to a friend's neighborhood. 

Brook was a celebrity and her friend was the paparazzi :).

Hillbilly meets Hollywood!

Unicorn & a Celebrity

He was designated to give out candy and watch the world series!

I was going for the scarecrow look!

Isabella and Pearce getting ready to trick-or-treat.

This was our crew.

Houses are so decked out now with Halloween fun. 

Me & Ashley

This is a fun throwback to Halloween 1999 when Avery & went to a Sunday School costume party!

And if you want to see the cutest kids ever, I didn't get to see them in person in these, but these pictures were adorable of my greats.  I present to you the cutest Snoopy & Charlie Brown.

This could be my all time favorite picture of her.  

And his sweet personality shines in each picture!

Now what do we do with all this candy???!!!