tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80364930622103326222024-03-05T19:51:12.647-05:00Erin's RhewsingsErin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.comBlogger270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-57728808417794656912019-10-03T13:11:00.003-04:002019-10-03T13:21:18.337-04:00The Big Reveal -- Mini-Vagabonding!Deek and I have been teasing a little online about a big surprise coming up! Well, it's here!<br />
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So what's going on? You know that Deek and I want to become "professional" vagabonds in the future, right? Well, we have some very important reasons why we can't do that full time right now. However, it got us thinking...why can't we do a mini-vagabond? So, Deek got permission to work remotely (I already work remotely), and now we're spending a month--pets too--at the BEACH!!!!</div>
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Everyone loves the ocean!</div>
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OMG! I am so, so, so excited! We both *love* the beach, and the notion that we get to spend all this time here blows my mind. When we wrapped up work, we went for a two hour walk on the beach, hand in hand. So romantic and a perfect way to end the evening. </div>
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But the evening kept being awesome when we also got to have dinner with my dad. Because guess what?? We inspired our parents to vagabond too! So, we'll be spending extra time with both Deek's parents and my parents over the course of the month. We have some pretty cool adventures planned with them, so I'm stoked about that too!!</div>
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We are both blessed with super cool, super fun parents </div>
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who all get along swimmingly with each other!</div>
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And let me give you some Dave Ramsey-esque tips:</div>
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--Plan, plan plan: Deek and I have been planning and budgeting for this trip for a year. He requested permission to work remotely in December of 2018 in preparation. We've also been saving and allocating budget funds to this trip since then. So, everything is paid for, and we're here to have fun without financial worries!</div>
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Planning: </div>
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It gives you such peace of mind to know</div>
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you aren't racking up debt on your adventures!</div>
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--AirBnB: If you rent a place for a whole month from AirBnB, it's cheaper than renting for two week (sometimes cheaper than renting for one week!). You can get anywhere from 30-75% off your stay just for booking for a month. So, Deek and I were able to get one of those huge markdowns. We are living it up in style in a beautiful home right by the beach, and we obtained permission to bring both our cat and our dog (for no extra charge!). </div>
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I'd say they like their new digs!</div>
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--A great practice in minimalism: We don't own much that is of value because we don't place value in stuff. And since 2014, we've been working on paring our lives down and becoming minimalists. Being able to bring only what you can fit in your car, for a whole month of living, is a great minimalist test. I, for one, am thrilled because I've been wanting to test out the capsule wardrobe concept. I only brought pieces that I love and that can be mixed and matched, and I'm going to see how I do wearing only those clothes for a month. If I "pass" my own test, I'll be getting rid of what I didn't bring and start doing the minimalist wardrobe!</div>
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I am so excited to be on this adventure, to take a break from our regular life and do something different and out of the box. But more than anything, I'm SO very thankful to be doing it with my family, the people I love the most. And I am STOKED to be here with Deek--my best friend, my partner, and my true love! He makes everything in life so much fun!</div>
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I adore this man so much!</div>
<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-35124317385078664692019-09-18T22:48:00.003-04:002019-09-18T23:48:12.441-04:00Book 'EmWhen we go to comiccons and book festivals, we often talk about cosplayers, the event itself, actors we met, etc. But this time, I'd like to talk about the unsung heroes of these events--our fellow authors.<br />
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This past weekend, we were fortunate enough to attend a Book 'Em event. It started out on Friday night with a very nice author reception. I actually flat-ironed my hair for the first time in weeks. LOL! If you haven't seen my Instagram, let me catch you up--<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ypBengHWm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">Erin and the longer hair situation</a>.<br />
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Anyhoo, here is me and my sexy stud as we headed out to the reception.<br />
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At the author dinner, we met several super cool people like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FaithAndFandom/?eid=ARC3N1kcSqSMYEE2iYupj5QSriFY_iSEFu0JKI-PjbWlPGnKR_iu3gprev7Xa-WY671wvg5UbhnuZPWX&timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=719860330&fref=tag" target="_blank">Hector Miray</a>, who combines two fascinating topics in his book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Fandom-Finding-Sci-Fi-Superheroes-ebook/dp/B00HV25AX2" target="_blank">Faith and Fandom: Finding God In Sci-Fi, Superheroes, & Video Games</a></i>. </div>
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We also met the extremely lovely and kind <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/ItWasGod/posts/" target="_blank">Wendy Fields</a>, author of <i>It Was God</i> and <i>It Too Was God</i>. She looks so much like one of my aunts that I had to do a double take every time she walked by!</div>
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We had a great time at the dinner, talking to the coordinators and learning about other authors and their books.</div>
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The next day, we headed out to set up our booth and discovered our boothmates (the people you sit next to in your booth). Boothmates can make or break an event, and we've always been fortunate to have really cool ones.</div>
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This time, we had <a href="http://www.suzanneadair.net/" target="_blank">Suzanne Adair</a> to our left. She's the author of a historical fiction series about mysteries in the American Revolution. With the 250th anniversary on the horizon, she's busy doing all sorts of events related to her work! From sitting beside her, we discovered she raised two sons nearly on her own, lived in England, and loves speculative fiction.</div>
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Check out Suzanne's books: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Suzanne-Adair/e/B003WH8Q36" target="_blank">Mysteries of the American Revolution</a></div>
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To our right, we had retired military man R. Lee Linebarger and his sweet wife, Julie. Both Deek's dad and my dad served in the military, so we were excited to have a former soldier as a boothmate. He is a poet and has written poems about being a soldier. From sitting beside him, we learned about his children, met a military friend of his, and learned Lee doesn't like to smile for pictures! I actually found this endearing because my PaPa didn't smile for pictures either; he used to do his classic thumbs-up in place of a smile.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b02FOkxcCR4lewVU4FeEAudSiseNGgQ4mL584CJR5eBFUXrn6x8B7bEcbn43KZy2oPgOQK8lxZ5yD1uuNxzr5pfDpBu7hkhyPC73Lt7juyh5Jx3TonJvJ21TAWUrIcXpwYAR4-UjVCA/s1600/70268737_625210504671913_6764210154146627584_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b02FOkxcCR4lewVU4FeEAudSiseNGgQ4mL584CJR5eBFUXrn6x8B7bEcbn43KZy2oPgOQK8lxZ5yD1uuNxzr5pfDpBu7hkhyPC73Lt7juyh5Jx3TonJvJ21TAWUrIcXpwYAR4-UjVCA/s400/70268737_625210504671913_6764210154146627584_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Check out Lee's poems: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thoughts-Old-Soldier-Lee-Linebarger/dp/1719211965" target="_blank">Thoughts of an Old Soldier</a></div>
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And last but certainly not least, we also shared space with Jordon Greene. Now, we've been boothmates with Jordon before, and we just love his energy. He's always ready with a quick smile! We admired his beautiful table set up and learned that his latest cover was made by an artist he met at a comiccon! This cover is *gorgeous*!!</div>
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If you don't already follow Jordon on social media, you so should!</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordon_greene/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jordongreeneauthor/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/jordonmgreene" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.jordongreene.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMz-bTUUIZBOGK1sjaQVkS0G1GRZLY4TwMPYrlNUICOwenNbe46iavgEY5mYHEyovVmf1zzJ_cdaS85aoLGflga0Ca8hh65d7PzHj7NPAySCZ8uPAb4790C1POFebq83Z1dofZZr0Sno/s1600/70576469_625209664671997_2435872826272514048_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMz-bTUUIZBOGK1sjaQVkS0G1GRZLY4TwMPYrlNUICOwenNbe46iavgEY5mYHEyovVmf1zzJ_cdaS85aoLGflga0Ca8hh65d7PzHj7NPAySCZ8uPAb4790C1POFebq83Z1dofZZr0Sno/s400/70576469_625209664671997_2435872826272514048_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Check out Jordon's vast array of books from horror to YA: <a href="http://www.jordongreene.com/?p=books" target="_blank">Jordan Greene</a></div>
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I love meeting fans, readers, nerds, and cosplayers, but I also love meeting my fellow authors. We're in this thing together, supporting one another in a hard industry. And I'm so very thankful we got to sit with these three amazing people for this event and meet or catch up with countless others throughout the day!</div>
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And a final thought...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H-c1kJEoB4fOEZC_wIyJw_lMmuOf0ivsxxOwnN4VQwsFJZXOdcNjqI8K_RVlB31vtEw8Yr9P5yZ9R68YsTbA6kcN2JdgEf6ua0K7BtAH1LkVvu0b6z5EEuqMUOACuR_Ucg2updYEMKI/s1600/70203589_10220640394948214_799045001467133952_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H-c1kJEoB4fOEZC_wIyJw_lMmuOf0ivsxxOwnN4VQwsFJZXOdcNjqI8K_RVlB31vtEw8Yr9P5yZ9R68YsTbA6kcN2JdgEf6ua0K7BtAH1LkVvu0b6z5EEuqMUOACuR_Ucg2updYEMKI/s400/70203589_10220640394948214_799045001467133952_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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What a hottie!</div>
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I am so, so, so fortunate that I get to do this thing I love with this man I love. I watch him interact with people--and I see how much they enjoy his company (who wouldn't--he's the best)--and I'm so very proud to be his wife and his partner! I love you, Deek Rhew! #Always</div>
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<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-19270594089835176272019-09-04T17:18:00.001-04:002019-09-04T17:18:10.518-04:00Greenville ComicCon 2019So, apparently Deek and I do our main comiccon circuit during the summer and fall. LOL!<br />
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Remember how I said GalaxyCon was so crowded that it almost wasn't fun? And HereosCon wasn't what we'd hoped either? Well, we'd started to wonder if maybe we shouldn't be doing ComicCons anymore.<br />
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Enter GreenvilleCon.<br />
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This little beauty was *everything* we love about cons--personable and nerdy with good traffic but not enough that people were stepping on each other.<br />
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GreenvilleCon, you restored our faith in ComicCons! We love you!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGwFZpHn65F0F9VXZI0EQuVY3QcJWrCsH5HL72uzvjhIEzHpDMciI6tACa2pHp_w2023tpp7r4wEOAUz731TAaeMMl0BqSI-2nKIV-gqTb6nDdGyUNz5T_EvibH2SEgJadD2NpWFCbvw/s1600/greenville+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGwFZpHn65F0F9VXZI0EQuVY3QcJWrCsH5HL72uzvjhIEzHpDMciI6tACa2pHp_w2023tpp7r4wEOAUz731TAaeMMl0BqSI-2nKIV-gqTb6nDdGyUNz5T_EvibH2SEgJadD2NpWFCbvw/s400/greenville+1.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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All set up!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tferhLW8tyxGvegnV1XzqZpEF8ObVgYsybaZ1uGcM65FMnkv1RnSGeTActdAQ2GTTB1dJAD9Lf9Yw6D3Yvo48EeLMFcxIyQEZJx-USfJ_ZuKz1HSVTw7vJRsynGY09trNvO6km-kjOw/s1600/greenville+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tferhLW8tyxGvegnV1XzqZpEF8ObVgYsybaZ1uGcM65FMnkv1RnSGeTActdAQ2GTTB1dJAD9Lf9Yw6D3Yvo48EeLMFcxIyQEZJx-USfJ_ZuKz1HSVTw7vJRsynGY09trNvO6km-kjOw/s400/greenville+2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Pre-ComicCon smooches!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww-bPt24AOz0OI-UIvua30RJmG5n0_GbHwEN4m6vEViBwI6M86ql_6U7HXJilpT5M7O1ik1ZttGxPABP-LlEELmi96gssFeo3jdquhS_dE-sxzO6HKSMWUjTVCDDiVWXETBa3wDB-7xw/s1600/greenville+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww-bPt24AOz0OI-UIvua30RJmG5n0_GbHwEN4m6vEViBwI6M86ql_6U7HXJilpT5M7O1ik1ZttGxPABP-LlEELmi96gssFeo3jdquhS_dE-sxzO6HKSMWUjTVCDDiVWXETBa3wDB-7xw/s400/greenville+4.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We saw cool stuff like this headband that sits </div>
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on your eyebrows but looks like glowing eyes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJn-6VNjTY5NJkoYxJ8RdHyNQG3-gY10pBiQwFSb-nura9lJ30EiG9kNs3q5DOIj1M_ZZ_MDP-9IQuyOOUV7-OfgPP6jHLFKcV_U3oiWFGq241T6WXNjN5BVF1LcPGCOqu4xvSfanLzA/s1600/greenville+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJn-6VNjTY5NJkoYxJ8RdHyNQG3-gY10pBiQwFSb-nura9lJ30EiG9kNs3q5DOIj1M_ZZ_MDP-9IQuyOOUV7-OfgPP6jHLFKcV_U3oiWFGq241T6WXNjN5BVF1LcPGCOqu4xvSfanLzA/s400/greenville+6.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We saw AWESOME nerdom shirts!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBYA4sCnE-de4sDp_c1Ny7CD8HbGcBqW0vtYz0Bqvw4ocJqcMUVJfhA69XOeV3PxJIskPQQVFUgagoPNq6spXYqUojnUDRdmLDkg6yALhSAs2bM9P6PgULbNx4cUryHtKiQG2m3N48OA/s1600/greenville+7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBYA4sCnE-de4sDp_c1Ny7CD8HbGcBqW0vtYz0Bqvw4ocJqcMUVJfhA69XOeV3PxJIskPQQVFUgagoPNq6spXYqUojnUDRdmLDkg6yALhSAs2bM9P6PgULbNx4cUryHtKiQG2m3N48OA/s400/greenville+7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltj1yiQmWWH22VlvJDbv4vO4x9yMEX-SzDVjbaE-jr2ubxRT2rhtX7Zbz6ElVJ1g9t9tlXvt6XCkrQla697NRpUVFNzg2yaiKGlqx2Lyaahz0A13th8-eMz7HxM_W1kkTxheXUIANr4c/s1600/greenville+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltj1yiQmWWH22VlvJDbv4vO4x9yMEX-SzDVjbaE-jr2ubxRT2rhtX7Zbz6ElVJ1g9t9tlXvt6XCkrQla697NRpUVFNzg2yaiKGlqx2Lyaahz0A13th8-eMz7HxM_W1kkTxheXUIANr4c/s400/greenville+3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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And of course, the cosplayers...</div>
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Deek's favorite!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTKPV1YXdF9lqYPeLra9p-YHkWhT3u3SVuL2-yBYo7mQzKAEZ0Jty9cGzedl9ILjwwfNLSNvWltHI4WS-dZRb-El9-mDwQNaLPlMxBFLIj332qWvtKHJmfoHbMgZH7_vHYykYxZ7_NpU/s1600/greenville+8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTKPV1YXdF9lqYPeLra9p-YHkWhT3u3SVuL2-yBYo7mQzKAEZ0Jty9cGzedl9ILjwwfNLSNvWltHI4WS-dZRb-El9-mDwQNaLPlMxBFLIj332qWvtKHJmfoHbMgZH7_vHYykYxZ7_NpU/s400/greenville+8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Such a super cute dad and daughter.</div>
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We loved talking to them!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNlnLS9Tvqt4Sq1W1LcjKIB0o52oUahixGUwLYiytLZbVoRMkCA3z7JMIcgZaKqojvXCeJyBQ-1iSob6os66U3RV9w9PmWPPMzlOMawxav_A1FCgdnWfJOxFb4vf80LA3pmd2buzF8l8/s1600/greenville+9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNlnLS9Tvqt4Sq1W1LcjKIB0o52oUahixGUwLYiytLZbVoRMkCA3z7JMIcgZaKqojvXCeJyBQ-1iSob6os66U3RV9w9PmWPPMzlOMawxav_A1FCgdnWfJOxFb4vf80LA3pmd2buzF8l8/s400/greenville+9.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hunger Games, anyone?</div>
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx9xYmUwE8KYeoH55pQnmhp4VODfk2ph1gTb91_xvfpCfZNaQ6wS7PH_o2vNnD_QoooY7yMBl8TwUpjljZN2g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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And this lovely lady reads aloud to her husband every night.</div>
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She was kind enough to read a few pages from<i> The Prophecy</i> for us!</div>
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We did not head into Greenville ComicCon with a great attitude because of the disappointments from earlier in the season, but I'm so very glad we went. We met some amazing people, sold and signed a bunch of books, and had the best time.</div>
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Thank you, Greenville ComicCon! We'll see you again! </div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-69588753227039480582019-08-10T14:15:00.003-04:002019-08-10T14:15:50.868-04:00GalaxyCon -- Nerds Unite!Confession: This post has been sitting half-written for two weeks. Eep! #EditorLife<br />
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So, as you know, Deek and I just got back from our first big international trip together. And lo and behold, GalaxyCon was right after. We usually work a booth at cons when we get the chance, but we knew we just wouldn't have the energy after being gone. So, we went as guests instead! Sometimes it's nice to just take it all in and go as a spectator!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaouBTvA97RHF9AL55S8tXIP1Mbqlr7lBwPCElo5dOVbeZs36TxYx9iDIfGSyZ1bXWNSgKFoaIxhu5e0fFeKUK_cOQcM_DqLo3dpxR1UiBCE5i64hhTxCO2T33D_kzgXTc5uz2eiUmZtM/s1600/Erin+and+Deek_Shirts.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1564" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaouBTvA97RHF9AL55S8tXIP1Mbqlr7lBwPCElo5dOVbeZs36TxYx9iDIfGSyZ1bXWNSgKFoaIxhu5e0fFeKUK_cOQcM_DqLo3dpxR1UiBCE5i64hhTxCO2T33D_kzgXTc5uz2eiUmZtM/s400/Erin+and+Deek_Shirts.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here we are, ready to get our nerd on!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA2kr3kQozrM_ZvhgOtgnfEptE2NFRINTRS5p5pEyxC1eD-KHj4sZmroW_deoNwIloQChG2E_5nC8bEpdZntmb85BxhUHYrq_0c1OpMMadRvkwVvQfM-piJI3qc9QPPWxn3kLhXuSRKA/s1600/Deek+and+the+Storm+Trooper.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA2kr3kQozrM_ZvhgOtgnfEptE2NFRINTRS5p5pEyxC1eD-KHj4sZmroW_deoNwIloQChG2E_5nC8bEpdZntmb85BxhUHYrq_0c1OpMMadRvkwVvQfM-piJI3qc9QPPWxn3kLhXuSRKA/s400/Deek+and+the+Storm+Trooper.jpeg" width="305" /></a></div>
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Of course Deek found the Star Wars stuff right away </div>
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(in a Trekkie shirt, no less--LOL!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETzciRPgJ0oeEIJviieIsZHsEVoLlojLrN8l_2rEPdfd37Hgj-9ucupd3QaFWxRsa6fsX33FBKWtCz1JGEc_nPVju174tiue0CivJ_H_VNgorLo9ngZDHQo0cnBeNnejeEccGw9EjI8g/s1600/Stranger+Things.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETzciRPgJ0oeEIJviieIsZHsEVoLlojLrN8l_2rEPdfd37Hgj-9ucupd3QaFWxRsa6fsX33FBKWtCz1JGEc_nPVju174tiue0CivJ_H_VNgorLo9ngZDHQo0cnBeNnejeEccGw9EjI8g/s400/Stranger+Things.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We also enjoyed seeing Hopper from Stranger Things.</div>
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This guy rocked the cosplay on it!</div>
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Always fun to run into family at events.</div>
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Here's my cousin, who does an awesome cosplay of Green Arrow!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHzMO_NysS4SCSdRaR4j9ACPbh7jrlkO7z4wuwwuVDaBYoYQPbAAotJRKJ9mR0ncUT7XbxHOc-rlojEVUdfPSIIxhwawmaC0VEgznYjrvDaCk07_QbqDkLfJ-Ucb6ttmvJzllk-OIdts/s1600/Ghostbusters+Car.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHzMO_NysS4SCSdRaR4j9ACPbh7jrlkO7z4wuwwuVDaBYoYQPbAAotJRKJ9mR0ncUT7XbxHOc-rlojEVUdfPSIIxhwawmaC0VEgznYjrvDaCk07_QbqDkLfJ-Ucb6ttmvJzllk-OIdts/s400/Ghostbusters+Car.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Ghostbusters' Car!</div>
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Huge Lego Deadpool</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIhi1-IZC54lyif_Ahbx6S3iUhOkd0NcRwkwlln6OjiZC_Hf3SLI8Ng6iq30riUzI_-9ci8i_ChQQu2Q2XDYW6oeVq44GtApW5OuMkucABqWPqBtS4vhtmRtGurwRNK55pPaPrBNFPh8/s1600/Red+Eyes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1600" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIhi1-IZC54lyif_Ahbx6S3iUhOkd0NcRwkwlln6OjiZC_Hf3SLI8Ng6iq30riUzI_-9ci8i_ChQQu2Q2XDYW6oeVq44GtApW5OuMkucABqWPqBtS4vhtmRtGurwRNK55pPaPrBNFPh8/s400/Red+Eyes.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cool red contacts!</div>
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We saw this guy (Seth) again at another ComicCon the week after this one.</div>
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He told us he's a stunt man for a Marvel show! How cool is that!?!</div>
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Shoutout, Seth!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCRf9UYnDKPIAMUNlrlO2PaDj7aKP1CldbBnNCW9kTXzOGrfudVOSndR9OanT-MS2nkiJk9C8fLw3gCYhtXOFw4sJHlfjbhbsGRYURV51xCtWjLr-GrdXfkHBjnGaB4jCZRvZ7W_7cKA/s1600/Commander+Adama.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1351" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCRf9UYnDKPIAMUNlrlO2PaDj7aKP1CldbBnNCW9kTXzOGrfudVOSndR9OanT-MS2nkiJk9C8fLw3gCYhtXOFw4sJHlfjbhbsGRYURV51xCtWjLr-GrdXfkHBjnGaB4jCZRvZ7W_7cKA/s400/Commander+Adama.jpeg" width="332" /></a></div>
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OMG! <fangirl squee></div>
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It's COMMANDER ADAMA!!!!</div>
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<faints></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMkuKdE3OnSE4Nd0t91Cr5vG5WEzpP0tyrrLpL_IdIdnyBBu8TFlm8AXafGh9c5Y7bmOJc-gU-KeGuiq1aVxzqdblxhYVkV8mNGCevsuJEfJd_rgD7n-4Ir8E0LnPxtamxYYKo9UD9ZM/s1600/Cylon.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMkuKdE3OnSE4Nd0t91Cr5vG5WEzpP0tyrrLpL_IdIdnyBBu8TFlm8AXafGh9c5Y7bmOJc-gU-KeGuiq1aVxzqdblxhYVkV8mNGCevsuJEfJd_rgD7n-4Ir8E0LnPxtamxYYKo9UD9ZM/s400/Cylon.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And a CYLON!!</div>
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There was a lot of fun stuff to see, but it was *way* too crowded. I am a total extrovert and love to be around people, but even I thought there were just too many at this con. I can't tell you how many times I got stepped on and knocked around. Not sure if we'll go back as guests or as vendors in the future. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzz5CwmM3JjmxjJ-z8aaNCj-x_WwpEBlPPK5QTMfKmNl_lI08is4i7IqH-Y5Ms0a5U0rZI2ALLEls81gOKUvzyJoTJAJYI06fnpUUMUq1ehGtZ0Q8m7LjYnpjBdwDjrGo-DFUIgDs-iA/s1600/so+many+people.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzz5CwmM3JjmxjJ-z8aaNCj-x_WwpEBlPPK5QTMfKmNl_lI08is4i7IqH-Y5Ms0a5U0rZI2ALLEls81gOKUvzyJoTJAJYI06fnpUUMUq1ehGtZ0Q8m7LjYnpjBdwDjrGo-DFUIgDs-iA/s400/so+many+people.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So. Many. People.</div>
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But I got to spend the day with my husband/best friend, and what could be better than that??</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwIec8MXBTI6kt1604bAG1XlnJPgHa7VXYW0mAswFLXOoenTbpH6nG1C5ih64mgJoAVfHxtrQJDauwYI55z6lVVjeyIYSisQEqWTYTsHXzVsPvrnghMYS463kL2ZqgTRTnIw_QBxsDE8/s1600/Mural.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwIec8MXBTI6kt1604bAG1XlnJPgHa7VXYW0mAswFLXOoenTbpH6nG1C5ih64mgJoAVfHxtrQJDauwYI55z6lVVjeyIYSisQEqWTYTsHXzVsPvrnghMYS463kL2ZqgTRTnIw_QBxsDE8/s400/Mural.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love him so good! <3</div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-90848840204375939492019-07-21T14:18:00.000-04:002019-07-21T14:18:13.899-04:00The Rhews Go International!Y'all, Deek and I made our first international trip! SUCH a serious and total blast!<br />
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As you may or may not know, I am *terrified* of flying. I mean it's phobic level. When I was young, I was on a flight that almost crashed, and it scarred me. My parents had elected to get us an earlier flight that day, and because of that, they were sitting at the emergency exits. I remember them frantically reading the manuals as we became weightless from falling out of the sky. I remember the really old lady beside me gasping for air and clutching her chest with fear, and I worried she'd die before the rest of us hit the ground. It was awful. AWFUL!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Alexas_Fotos-686414/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2040805" style="color: #333333; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Alexas_Fotos</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2040805" style="color: #333333; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Pixabay</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></span></div>
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But Deek and I have big plans for travel, now and in the future, and I don't want my fears to hold me back. So, when work afforded us the opportunity to travel internationally, we took it.<br />
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<span 0px="" arial="" font-size:="" helvetica="" margin:="" neue="" nowrap="" sans-serif="" style="color: #333333;" white-space:="" xx-small="">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Free-Photos-242387/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1030900" style="color: #333333; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Free-Photos</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1030900" style="color: #333333; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Pixabay</a></span><span arial="" font-size:="" helvetica="" neue="" nowrap="" sans-serif="" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" white-space:="" xx-small=""> </span></div>
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I am X number of years old and have never left the US of A. So, I had to go get my very first passport, like a big girl. I was TOTALLY stoked to have a real, live passport and be officially sanction to travel the world whenever I choose.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span 0px="" arial="" helvetica="" margin:="" neue="" nowrap="" sans-serif="" style="color: #333333;" white-space:="">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Pamjpat-6320763/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2714675" style="color: #333333; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Pam Patterson</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2714675" style="color: #333333; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px !important;">Pixabay</a></span><span arial="" helvetica="" neue="" nowrap="" sans-serif="" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" white-space:=""> </span></span></div>
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The momentous day finally arrived, and it was time for me to get on a plane again. I can't even tell you how grateful I am that Deek was by my side. He was so loving and encouraging. He helped me through each flight, explained things when I had questions, and held me when I was scared. He was my rock. I adore this man more than I can say, and every day, I find reasons to adore him more!<br />
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I love this man so much!</div>
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Holy crap. I'm on an airplane.</div>
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We always ended up sitting near the flight attendants.</div>
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This worked out well for me because I figured if they looked like all was well, it probably was.</div>
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And they cheered for me when we landed. LOL!</div>
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Yeah, not thrilled.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_swdTW5xNGEJydY-cX5OSCqMi5qCHr6kFb7cfO8-gMRjRFU4VSbYXsBBnGi_5LXfSlDBwTKMZLwFxflJe6Y3Zw6b2r6s_waRbKf6pMuyF4gft7SXw02C649VqSuRO_ZfYV3fjhQ0Y3Ow/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-21+at+2.01.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="1106" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_swdTW5xNGEJydY-cX5OSCqMi5qCHr6kFb7cfO8-gMRjRFU4VSbYXsBBnGi_5LXfSlDBwTKMZLwFxflJe6Y3Zw6b2r6s_waRbKf6pMuyF4gft7SXw02C649VqSuRO_ZfYV3fjhQ0Y3Ow/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-07-21+at+2.01.30+PM.png" width="301" /></a></div>
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I peeked out the window occasionally.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D0EiRGxHtNkmJwy8rg_PvHKsI7XkoSMNI-WVgXCgSELX9RAS57P44WYfcMovsYhdaVsY6EniPOh74He5cREH8DG5fvEyYujVO-uA7RL0bP6b5xOhJVSws9RU-VpjRx8ide-SrVwkLUo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-21+at+1.57.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1299" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D0EiRGxHtNkmJwy8rg_PvHKsI7XkoSMNI-WVgXCgSELX9RAS57P44WYfcMovsYhdaVsY6EniPOh74He5cREH8DG5fvEyYujVO-uA7RL0bP6b5xOhJVSws9RU-VpjRx8ide-SrVwkLUo/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-07-21+at+1.57.26+PM.png" width="361" /></a></div>
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Deek is my rock!</div>
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He's so calm, so patient, so loving, and so very encouraging!</div>
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I don't like flying, but I do like airports.</div>
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Philly's was really cool!</div>
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Liquid courage. LOL!</div>
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And we're on the second flight. Lawd Jesus.</div>
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Peeking out again</div>
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I always feel safe when he's around.</div>
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Finally, the reward!</div>
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We landed safely, took a little nap, and then....</div>
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I got to have a special outdoor dinner with the most handsome man in the world!</div>
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Stay tuned for more about the Rhews' first international adventure!! </div>
<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-9935691458188949682019-06-22T13:02:00.000-04:002019-06-22T13:02:29.104-04:00Our HeroesCon ExperienceDeek and I love to go to ComicCons (this is how I punctuate this word because I have yet to find a consensus on it)! We dig the vibe, enjoy the cosplayers, and adore talking about our favorite nerdy stuff with likeminded individuals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXjNmZSwQN36Boz_nax2prv06Do9TGF4AI2mOeHvJ2rco1ffPWI6dr3JssGdOYid11AvEd9PXfEVRlr7Xvsb1yD8EU76RAPOCoJFB0y49cpRO2dBylGWw1EgDeCgIXbFBnozyLZtk12A/s1600/Little+Pink+Vadar.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXjNmZSwQN36Boz_nax2prv06Do9TGF4AI2mOeHvJ2rco1ffPWI6dr3JssGdOYid11AvEd9PXfEVRlr7Xvsb1yD8EU76RAPOCoJFB0y49cpRO2dBylGWw1EgDeCgIXbFBnozyLZtk12A/s400/Little+Pink+Vadar.jpeg" width="305" /></a></div>
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Little Pink Vadar from SueperCon (now GalaxyCon) 2017</div>
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So, imagine our disappointment when we got to Charlotte's HeroesCon and found very little of that. The energy at the event was super low. In fact, other vendors kept saying both the vibe and attendance were way off compared to other years. We also didn't see many cosplayers. There were some, don't get me wrong. But we're used to seeing lots of people decked out in the most awesome gear imaginable. And sadly, a lot of the attendees just didn't want to talk. They'd come with their stack of comics and list of names, and they just rushed from place to place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSP7GNGSv63SfYzPVE3wqoi4tzNU9jZm8rmtbDex7iPXe6su8zClwBU680eGQiC-H_W5X1KF06MBnseumH6q9nso3iHgupGPdwaxwGsKGB-cfvqrgXcXkxXtDt5WsDUJLZF9Pom39jAjk/s1600/IMG_3204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1600" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSP7GNGSv63SfYzPVE3wqoi4tzNU9jZm8rmtbDex7iPXe6su8zClwBU680eGQiC-H_W5X1KF06MBnseumH6q9nso3iHgupGPdwaxwGsKGB-cfvqrgXcXkxXtDt5WsDUJLZF9Pom39jAjk/s400/IMG_3204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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HeroesCon was not what we'd hoped.</div>
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I'm SO thankful I had Deek there with me because no matter the circumstances, we always manage to have fun. We talked and laughed, met our booth neighbors, and greatly enjoyed exploring Charlotte when the con ended each night.<br />
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Goofing off after "work"</div>
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Funny story: One of my cousins has a booth every year at HeroesCon. His mom got my booth number for him and his booth number for me. We spent all of Friday looking for each other, to no avail. But that night, we ran into each other outside the 7-11. What are the odds of that? LOL!<br />
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We don't know how other years at HeroesCon played out--maybe they totally rocked--but we won't be repeating this event to find out. Deek and I concluded that, from here on out, we will only attend cons that have actors, a large cosplay group, or both. If it doesn't have those elements, it's probably not the crowd for us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8c93FhFNX6dQ0OfOFPPZSkiItF9m0eLJ2VDOiFo1cWF8eak-w2oYHLTbJpZPtWV24nRgeqbv4SCfD9akDOokTa_ZORB5IX4kdoDJEZBh28RKHs2kYBLFHMC4JyfVN9Zb4cwxtCs9ORgc/s1600/Little+Pink+Storm+Trooper.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8c93FhFNX6dQ0OfOFPPZSkiItF9m0eLJ2VDOiFo1cWF8eak-w2oYHLTbJpZPtWV24nRgeqbv4SCfD9akDOokTa_ZORB5IX4kdoDJEZBh28RKHs2kYBLFHMC4JyfVN9Zb4cwxtCs9ORgc/s400/Little+Pink+Storm+Trooper.jpeg" width="313" /></a></div>
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Little Pink Storm Trooper from a different ComicCon.</div>
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But despite the bummer nature of HeroesCon, we had a blast exploring the city of Charlotte. We found a coffee shop with the coolest atmosphere we've ever been in (and we've been in *a lot* of coffee shops across the county). We also ate at a restaurant called Valhalla because...Thor and Vikings. Y'all the food was so heavenly (see what I did there?) that we ended up eating there twice!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxG1Pqj0gSKpP7uDI7Z3s0aLGpCYshnRBW-9c3o6zw-K83ViMjH2SwiYt_V7nBx7xBHDgyzT8AxaFHrZKPoWY8q4pSPZdmFgreeOhGbMuiS2uwaYWn0JCq0_8Qc9_dZz12SUhzGYHY1A/s1600/IMG_3270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1123" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxG1Pqj0gSKpP7uDI7Z3s0aLGpCYshnRBW-9c3o6zw-K83ViMjH2SwiYt_V7nBx7xBHDgyzT8AxaFHrZKPoWY8q4pSPZdmFgreeOhGbMuiS2uwaYWn0JCq0_8Qc9_dZz12SUhzGYHY1A/s400/IMG_3270.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Eating at Valhalla</div>
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All in all, we turned a blah situation into a blast. I am so very thankful to have a husband who rolls with whatever and always keeps a positive attitude. Even if things around us suck, we can carve our our own little piece of paradise. Deek Rhew is a true gem, my friends! And I'm the luckiest girl in the world!<br />
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Here's our pictorial view of Charlotte and the con:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaic0CqIjBDy5fdsfGiQ2U_-XXEo2m0lnTnYG9fLEcF4ko9SeL4_hqcP4athiq8EqCqRjMvaVmT18yq-EJbukJbFeP4Ws5Y3d1wPiwNaapfiO7BKFFSVp-6sTkWGt6yAzaxkbsc81k98/s1600/IMG_3233.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaic0CqIjBDy5fdsfGiQ2U_-XXEo2m0lnTnYG9fLEcF4ko9SeL4_hqcP4athiq8EqCqRjMvaVmT18yq-EJbukJbFeP4Ws5Y3d1wPiwNaapfiO7BKFFSVp-6sTkWGt6yAzaxkbsc81k98/s400/IMG_3233.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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We were *required* to wear these non-removable bands the whole time. </div>
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I *hated* it.</div>
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I don't wear bracelets or watches or anything because I don't like stuff on my wrists.</div>
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I was SO happy to cut that annoying thing off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpyjcroJOJF9vpLV4oV5t14NTRYCwkcTfTyp7OJZCHlwqCc1quRpoTo48XCqB1iwIh82UAPI0D9ehqSMDBXv0Jm_qYrTE5H2FzVmdErwhmsb8Cwv-quzFZynlpn3YJPOg-c619YIVTXo/s1600/IMG_9546.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpyjcroJOJF9vpLV4oV5t14NTRYCwkcTfTyp7OJZCHlwqCc1quRpoTo48XCqB1iwIh82UAPI0D9ehqSMDBXv0Jm_qYrTE5H2FzVmdErwhmsb8Cwv-quzFZynlpn3YJPOg-c619YIVTXo/s400/IMG_9546.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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Skybridge like in Portland!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJ5wCXPWvv94NBCJRdfj7XrarCJ-OOpvsCbme_DXT7JqrugqN_o02MRepeehSEPigV2EIxRORr_YIWobsSXEQC2hqEt-rT9Nm6_oT9UecYcBazjD1UgKxrm-9WSTnZX-b1l7dYESYxwU/s1600/IMG_9554.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJ5wCXPWvv94NBCJRdfj7XrarCJ-OOpvsCbme_DXT7JqrugqN_o02MRepeehSEPigV2EIxRORr_YIWobsSXEQC2hqEt-rT9Nm6_oT9UecYcBazjD1UgKxrm-9WSTnZX-b1l7dYESYxwU/s400/IMG_9554.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknslGKhPf01W-jhBqgEcEplDaDxnG4mJEgmUkTgb3rMkZh0t4uQ687YFTGrp0U5FYZR2iGw2cwLsgW13w53hZYSZJgGZP6BE0ay1rs1kO7uGtPqcaSWVyVlIrlkCPxV7mRkWItYg2hA0/s1600/IMG_9561.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknslGKhPf01W-jhBqgEcEplDaDxnG4mJEgmUkTgb3rMkZh0t4uQ687YFTGrp0U5FYZR2iGw2cwLsgW13w53hZYSZJgGZP6BE0ay1rs1kO7uGtPqcaSWVyVlIrlkCPxV7mRkWItYg2hA0/s400/IMG_9561.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Gorgeous church!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2br5On4cTOtJhpKufYcwhVDhqTTGJgRvycJ9t75jnWXIrDoXrFBjd-3ylBuf0RxOgk7KzQb9ZDhJXbWCiNRrp4fpyVObUvjE0R-ejleCIH3Mu93werYFVg7_Y7nReNwS_pRxO1PlY4bE/s1600/IMG_9562.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2br5On4cTOtJhpKufYcwhVDhqTTGJgRvycJ9t75jnWXIrDoXrFBjd-3ylBuf0RxOgk7KzQb9ZDhJXbWCiNRrp4fpyVObUvjE0R-ejleCIH3Mu93werYFVg7_Y7nReNwS_pRxO1PlY4bE/s400/IMG_9562.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Some people are riding in style!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZy841sDqauMPIw9x00hOrLz5VUYZwDyBzAts0WrRwgWLK4wx4bMbuk1tjwx9mU_u8BXATlnzY44S8JUixEHdUNaq-4Na340FlWwzGzj9puCWIGImifwycXvcd6mufjtYsgSy05O2qGCQ/s1600/IMG_3216.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZy841sDqauMPIw9x00hOrLz5VUYZwDyBzAts0WrRwgWLK4wx4bMbuk1tjwx9mU_u8BXATlnzY44S8JUixEHdUNaq-4Na340FlWwzGzj9puCWIGImifwycXvcd6mufjtYsgSy05O2qGCQ/s400/IMG_3216.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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The *coolest* coffee shop ever </div>
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(and we've been to all sorts of coffee shops across the whole country)</div>
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But hands down, Coco and the Director has the best vibe!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_j0Ro_SyN3ydmnCqs4zpy2Pj0uW2UlJbldEkpbjaJh_TArh-PIjdmAXHRI-INmasIAdj-fCnvfKvKf3tQsOREtgfwWC4aFmi5sXyRpuHVq1zaD8VndCQ1EE5hcByZCNOQWSA_j4IfoQ/s1600/IMG_3232.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_j0Ro_SyN3ydmnCqs4zpy2Pj0uW2UlJbldEkpbjaJh_TArh-PIjdmAXHRI-INmasIAdj-fCnvfKvKf3tQsOREtgfwWC4aFmi5sXyRpuHVq1zaD8VndCQ1EE5hcByZCNOQWSA_j4IfoQ/s400/IMG_3232.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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View of the skyline</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BpVx076eHho6SWGhIIktrbzW67307I8kklTbIxJqFlx0wIwbp-bcPyaufyc5D3wi3iBG0tv1OysoZHWVx1s6klyxMrDM0pSA3vzvRGPxDEFYTq_BOrGxaWVUpB-69MXwsNjpSkxzdpM/s1600/IMG_9594.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BpVx076eHho6SWGhIIktrbzW67307I8kklTbIxJqFlx0wIwbp-bcPyaufyc5D3wi3iBG0tv1OysoZHWVx1s6klyxMrDM0pSA3vzvRGPxDEFYTq_BOrGxaWVUpB-69MXwsNjpSkxzdpM/s400/IMG_9594.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfH1V3NRZBfUA0tL4bRusw8MI712fZLOdFeCwpWm-s6X2OwrYHz_XRR-M10u53L9M40AMvC5j8y0hhSG6MmxW3kiJY2zSegrxjUrz-fIagtTQJyqMom9rSCFRyGgQ0JlwywuCBmVLvNM/s1600/IMG_3242.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfH1V3NRZBfUA0tL4bRusw8MI712fZLOdFeCwpWm-s6X2OwrYHz_XRR-M10u53L9M40AMvC5j8y0hhSG6MmxW3kiJY2zSegrxjUrz-fIagtTQJyqMom9rSCFRyGgQ0JlwywuCBmVLvNM/s400/IMG_3242.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Our table setup rocked.</div>
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Just sayin'...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFZgMsUCHbog20qEtbNBfXQ6F1LqcRPuBhjPxeWKl7Q6c6QgAefIZH6DEaKtvfvNcNJFjqNf3FXSb8A67ukQLC2FivkXgjcS08NWHCI4aIARjNKWB0Rkej3CQa-_1HIsf2uzGN3JIA2k/s1600/IMG_9604.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFZgMsUCHbog20qEtbNBfXQ6F1LqcRPuBhjPxeWKl7Q6c6QgAefIZH6DEaKtvfvNcNJFjqNf3FXSb8A67ukQLC2FivkXgjcS08NWHCI4aIARjNKWB0Rkej3CQa-_1HIsf2uzGN3JIA2k/s400/IMG_9604.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sam and DEAN!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9St3b1tgmayIMFKJcdaaPlYBTtrnsaF6Jihqm01rfB22T4yruwnZ03M1WvUCcwugAfUVNsGL8kQywSvaU29_IcHFK8caPB3yr0lCB8IulfLOiYtefM6TTjvG9fEHwyjFD50OUnpkVg3k/s1600/IMG_9576.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9St3b1tgmayIMFKJcdaaPlYBTtrnsaF6Jihqm01rfB22T4yruwnZ03M1WvUCcwugAfUVNsGL8kQywSvaU29_IcHFK8caPB3yr0lCB8IulfLOiYtefM6TTjvG9fEHwyjFD50OUnpkVg3k/s400/IMG_9576.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sam and Dean's car!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIalVvkael2CzQT_Af0FDq5iHqDLg7OspRhSozppvbtkwYrICRtPYZec_V8QB1qTdLSwqxJSDN1iIwgMMGs-R3i2Fonmje0kpwqYbjdyHMB8izrkqMUjHRYQIv2lHReE0apPskRFp7xg/s1600/IMG_9572.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIalVvkael2CzQT_Af0FDq5iHqDLg7OspRhSozppvbtkwYrICRtPYZec_V8QB1qTdLSwqxJSDN1iIwgMMGs-R3i2Fonmje0kpwqYbjdyHMB8izrkqMUjHRYQIv2lHReE0apPskRFp7xg/s400/IMG_9572.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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The Mystery Machine!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXmaLW9SW-9MLApXvwvViklh2JTIZwkdarYTFijPEt7ACNh3ksNDacdegE7_D4qa7uV-tZEoDuv_w1BaZ53JcgrrhkmJNdbBnhCYG2-Q8eV-f-LZTkuPLmwVQoRzudU8DDg5j2J7fufI/s1600/IMG_9580.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXmaLW9SW-9MLApXvwvViklh2JTIZwkdarYTFijPEt7ACNh3ksNDacdegE7_D4qa7uV-tZEoDuv_w1BaZ53JcgrrhkmJNdbBnhCYG2-Q8eV-f-LZTkuPLmwVQoRzudU8DDg5j2J7fufI/s400/IMG_9580.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Deek on the Millennium Falcon!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF3t5qteB1XlemG_9oFbiE3yz2v3tF4v0MuuKeUlrbo9SwuE_zuEjFPakTJmzaUxSLqBXUQ-Pq5w7o6CQvAC21m5Caoa-uVFliRVtwJZ_tL0Xo6TDUd8RUhGXgn6nxvdZ30xBH1Rz9u0/s1600/IMG_3281.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF3t5qteB1XlemG_9oFbiE3yz2v3tF4v0MuuKeUlrbo9SwuE_zuEjFPakTJmzaUxSLqBXUQ-Pq5w7o6CQvAC21m5Caoa-uVFliRVtwJZ_tL0Xo6TDUd8RUhGXgn6nxvdZ30xBH1Rz9u0/s400/IMG_3281.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sporting our <a href="http://www.tenaciousbookspublishing.com/" target="_blank">Tenacious Books Publishing</a> shirts!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWAKVTV1t9fDBrMADmCF4cqSOOZMVVV1uzjH0qvxVScsKC1nQOAtqxotokqxU5A2pEJaEko2TWxJFEItz3t9aocxKVKr2NfHaQcIWLOuiC45IoI1phe8ELNRwqSAxLugecV21fyx9pMY/s1600/IMG_3284.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWAKVTV1t9fDBrMADmCF4cqSOOZMVVV1uzjH0qvxVScsKC1nQOAtqxotokqxU5A2pEJaEko2TWxJFEItz3t9aocxKVKr2NfHaQcIWLOuiC45IoI1phe8ELNRwqSAxLugecV21fyx9pMY/s400/IMG_3284.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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View from the behind the table (Erin)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp9CZ-YTbI2_0DJ6TiiymyYzLd3txAISbXnne81D_IwiBItm4sgmTcuUsWLMS8A5Rre80g8MDU972KLNgLyIScMZbjITlPSVieWIEen9jlN17YmXoQGza8F2vVOy6FWuNuLw-fxKzlho/s1600/IMG_3285.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqp9CZ-YTbI2_0DJ6TiiymyYzLd3txAISbXnne81D_IwiBItm4sgmTcuUsWLMS8A5Rre80g8MDU972KLNgLyIScMZbjITlPSVieWIEen9jlN17YmXoQGza8F2vVOy6FWuNuLw-fxKzlho/s400/IMG_3285.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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View from behind the table (Deek)</div>
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My favorite picture from the whole event!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2d82c5Ye20DHAoYL2xVq1Wb4XNAVerJks8aaGRb59jS9ZwekfMEmX006ulRY1gfrcHeQXlyQaTPWDZOBEK2qgvgpWi3M3AgH5bZ2NKzEMbhRNrL-_DDhu6SdhLClU14KUB5Loy4LVfrQ/s1600/IMG_9617.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2d82c5Ye20DHAoYL2xVq1Wb4XNAVerJks8aaGRb59jS9ZwekfMEmX006ulRY1gfrcHeQXlyQaTPWDZOBEK2qgvgpWi3M3AgH5bZ2NKzEMbhRNrL-_DDhu6SdhLClU14KUB5Loy4LVfrQ/s400/IMG_9617.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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We did find a few cosplayers!</div>
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I love it when whole families own it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGdzrURx99OEvoXm6JoEE_aIBSosb-HkvPagSRtziibrREv38CW8OKb78sDlCi2OlXkawgkQVn3z6auE9pFyJ1RRA_UYKSnGqCIAJaMUNDcbLkR_SDpU1N3CyYkwHyon9N5btmntiRXs/s1600/IMG_9618.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGdzrURx99OEvoXm6JoEE_aIBSosb-HkvPagSRtziibrREv38CW8OKb78sDlCi2OlXkawgkQVn3z6auE9pFyJ1RRA_UYKSnGqCIAJaMUNDcbLkR_SDpU1N3CyYkwHyon9N5btmntiRXs/s400/IMG_9618.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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A wizardly bunch</div>
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Valhalla and Odin!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIr8eH6sBGU-G-ce790cWrVsfQ-zn9MFbALklJqSIk7uO2kwu2FfTxrRmy7KjGbeBZNbkwq1U1HQUJiv7pRaxoWtnMb69xnzbgmHc_qFanu-cc1NNXL_Gx5-BalrfotN-ekijAoEJ1qiU/s1600/IMG_9645.heic.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIr8eH6sBGU-G-ce790cWrVsfQ-zn9MFbALklJqSIk7uO2kwu2FfTxrRmy7KjGbeBZNbkwq1U1HQUJiv7pRaxoWtnMb69xnzbgmHc_qFanu-cc1NNXL_Gx5-BalrfotN-ekijAoEJ1qiU/s400/IMG_9645.heic.heif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally back home and out to get more coffee--after a smooch, of course!</div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-20585470182646192512019-06-02T12:17:00.001-04:002019-06-02T12:50:54.016-04:00The Rhews Go To Washington...DC, that is.I know Deek already told you a little about our trip to DC, but here I am tagging along on his coattails. Ha!<br />
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I'm from the South, so when we say Washington, we mean DC. If we want to indicate the state, we say Washington state. But when I lived in the PNW, I found out that Washington means the state there, and DC is what they call Washington DC. Confusing, huh? But Deek and I managed to get those wires uncrossed. Now, we both say Washington state and Washington DC to be most clear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiJuYnNQHpR3gSXmM6wawGJtrKmPgJnmhSBkehCDyJ-FLLDZ-6uKu2r8CBNhrVK6uPDEp7lB5vIAc_saGpZBQQYvx11u-anJHC-SU_nqzQ2DW1XY8c_jDERXoO1jKG2GIXXpITnpjL_g/s1600/space-needle-720742_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1280" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiJuYnNQHpR3gSXmM6wawGJtrKmPgJnmhSBkehCDyJ-FLLDZ-6uKu2r8CBNhrVK6uPDEp7lB5vIAc_saGpZBQQYvx11u-anJHC-SU_nqzQ2DW1XY8c_jDERXoO1jKG2GIXXpITnpjL_g/s400/space-needle-720742_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Washington state</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZAIw3QTFRoA2nnYBDnud_ZvDU4IScedbpTrGgnvovAAe2aKz_TlyMi_kS0E5c8h4_DE0Fygf6kcP3_wK7fYudq3Rj5gvVJwBxMTotbZvGS2xpjP0jWIG6ZUKKSqtw9qnlIFg2gn9dK8/s1600/capitol-720677_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1280" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZAIw3QTFRoA2nnYBDnud_ZvDU4IScedbpTrGgnvovAAe2aKz_TlyMi_kS0E5c8h4_DE0Fygf6kcP3_wK7fYudq3Rj5gvVJwBxMTotbZvGS2xpjP0jWIG6ZUKKSqtw9qnlIFg2gn9dK8/s400/capitol-720677_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Washington DC</div>
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So, join me as we tour the nation's capital!<br />
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The first day, we went to AwesomeCon! We'd considered getting a booth there, but someone advised us to visit it first. So we did! Since it was near my birthday, Deek surprised me with an autograph session with Val Kilmer--my lifelong crush. I turned around and surprised him with an autograph session with Weird Al--one of his all-time favs. And since everyone was getting something, we bought his parents a photo session with the cast of Star Trek Next Generation since his dad is a huge Trekkie (as are we)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LQjHvzp0UU70r_uSqGWKdDij_G5LXBXK12VxVDiYNYGw-VvzUgzFozgagR7BEvboOzorCI6_oFDXlqWih8S6-EcuSWSBrwUEKPSAK9cF0F0NpRVpjampP0uNCovlsEfZjzpFvBNyI8E/s1600/IMG_9087.heic.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LQjHvzp0UU70r_uSqGWKdDij_G5LXBXK12VxVDiYNYGw-VvzUgzFozgagR7BEvboOzorCI6_oFDXlqWih8S6-EcuSWSBrwUEKPSAK9cF0F0NpRVpjampP0uNCovlsEfZjzpFvBNyI8E/s400/IMG_9087.heic.heif" width="300" /></a></div>
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I think this is some teenage dream come true for Deek! Haha!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntv2gV1sNurPs5zz1PyzTHDxee-lUJzY5a6goDjDE1p1RZJMV_4oubhbBCW0Uv7ZpxKTK_4ZNd4iKSESSwkwhZHnV_UDDIO_sL5vfQ7IoCfni-BDHBOzJxLRqIakvpkgUq-x8XklTDqQ/s1600/IMG_9079.HEIC.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntv2gV1sNurPs5zz1PyzTHDxee-lUJzY5a6goDjDE1p1RZJMV_4oubhbBCW0Uv7ZpxKTK_4ZNd4iKSESSwkwhZHnV_UDDIO_sL5vfQ7IoCfni-BDHBOzJxLRqIakvpkgUq-x8XklTDqQ/s400/IMG_9079.HEIC.heif" width="400" /></a></div>
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They let me come in and meet Weird Al too! </div>
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His staff was so kind, and he was beyond sweet!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XuSc3lr8YOKG_N6fbruZujBXOjTSk9fC3E4MMSLAo360AHHlWnKQuux050eRaaG_fQD2s1KLEFMcZ5g_rFTm7Wmb7Du81qwPKF79ZLSntekeh7wv1E0DqfAq1oBi6ugfDgK71xxp5Yg/s1600/IMG_2431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1283" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XuSc3lr8YOKG_N6fbruZujBXOjTSk9fC3E4MMSLAo360AHHlWnKQuux050eRaaG_fQD2s1KLEFMcZ5g_rFTm7Wmb7Du81qwPKF79ZLSntekeh7wv1E0DqfAq1oBi6ugfDgK71xxp5Yg/s400/IMG_2431.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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OMG! OMG! OMG!</div>
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I met Val Kilmer (sadly he didn't do selfies)!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DkRVzYZSpIcxjyrt9rcAJfOpnFGG6YItmh2aOjvTVxUNK2h-D08qqA8Q5AIrex2PkY4Xs-PXfdGhmqoPcfmnqF70wFaqZGZGOL7JdgEx0uy_cI5kCYr6zHLQcaaZDU7nZvQCHJvBL5Y/s1600/IMG_2416.heic.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DkRVzYZSpIcxjyrt9rcAJfOpnFGG6YItmh2aOjvTVxUNK2h-D08qqA8Q5AIrex2PkY4Xs-PXfdGhmqoPcfmnqF70wFaqZGZGOL7JdgEx0uy_cI5kCYr6zHLQcaaZDU7nZvQCHJvBL5Y/s400/IMG_2416.heic.heif" width="400" /></a></div>
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We stayed at an apartment complex that rented out rooms until all the units got sold. </div>
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A very cool concept, and a VERY nice place. </div>
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It had rooftop balcony with a fire pit overlooking the Capital building. </div>
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Um, yes, please!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilU2jmT_cRqFGP1VZSYSD1EoSpmpZWO3hYZnYvjpILH5TIrFxvzLUO3F6AbZzJqsZ3cz-KcCfM8a1XtB-wFdNNCEggyrajjJlzrMO4-XMo2bfz4pKP2GymHt-bCKEZaiJdel7WD2xe_IM/s1600/IMG_2421.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilU2jmT_cRqFGP1VZSYSD1EoSpmpZWO3hYZnYvjpILH5TIrFxvzLUO3F6AbZzJqsZ3cz-KcCfM8a1XtB-wFdNNCEggyrajjJlzrMO4-XMo2bfz4pKP2GymHt-bCKEZaiJdel7WD2xe_IM/s400/IMG_2421.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love this pic of them!</div>
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Did I mention I have some rockin' in-laws! <3</div>
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The second day, we focused on military sites. My father-in-law is career military, but this was his first visit to DC.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFawiAlxvFzsXKVApmEqZ-woUOsnZyFo-WjQB7yGFcq5qNYvyStASGc3cqCBmCFr_vpWBbm4tt6mNrNopaczToT-U4811h-rOigedbcLhdWAfeFwKmAeyeckRIxvLja8oHL4MGQxY-xw/s1600/IMG_2450.heic.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFawiAlxvFzsXKVApmEqZ-woUOsnZyFo-WjQB7yGFcq5qNYvyStASGc3cqCBmCFr_vpWBbm4tt6mNrNopaczToT-U4811h-rOigedbcLhdWAfeFwKmAeyeckRIxvLja8oHL4MGQxY-xw/s400/IMG_2450.heic.heif" width="400" /></a></div>
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No words for this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5WrhPTRR-hdoLlbaSej7cls6Mxux0DqUXBCIjW5U3zXuWsTz3QLi9gQ85NRsWvVYycW-obw1E-f-CxJNkgMtHw8AMjuJcQEJxOysxjO2bemYW9oDJ3u1LcZ9kxPmlD01DPF_Odqarxc/s1600/IMG_2470.heic.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5WrhPTRR-hdoLlbaSej7cls6Mxux0DqUXBCIjW5U3zXuWsTz3QLi9gQ85NRsWvVYycW-obw1E-f-CxJNkgMtHw8AMjuJcQEJxOysxjO2bemYW9oDJ3u1LcZ9kxPmlD01DPF_Odqarxc/s400/IMG_2470.heic.heif" width="300" /></a></div>
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Or this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEXjNa5hHTdKhvadVcL3k_eouUoHyZDUeVfYuopcBR2V2XG-kot0ZwGGj9Ew1qG2lMSKrqqe0jYlL_QaF4ohdWn4qHHI-CAqT6Kxc9hh4eHC34-Cr9u_uAd9RwQCcmp-JgOVAS1tfIlw/s1600/IMG_2474.HEIC.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEXjNa5hHTdKhvadVcL3k_eouUoHyZDUeVfYuopcBR2V2XG-kot0ZwGGj9Ew1qG2lMSKrqqe0jYlL_QaF4ohdWn4qHHI-CAqT6Kxc9hh4eHC34-Cr9u_uAd9RwQCcmp-JgOVAS1tfIlw/s400/IMG_2474.HEIC.heif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pentagon Memorial</div>
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The next day, we went to see monuments.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGM8dpF97fKYXS9QZ_VcUwJwmQxTzhZcE-aAckDnjJXjk-XT_iGbu6Vz6XFMiLa_Zp3_22x62ycbb8siZmJ_-GeG8tV6NzQLtKGQf7DGp1pih1EXqiWNaRYQelXs7WhZJctxWC1OabpQ/s1600/IMG_9199.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGM8dpF97fKYXS9QZ_VcUwJwmQxTzhZcE-aAckDnjJXjk-XT_iGbu6Vz6XFMiLa_Zp3_22x62ycbb8siZmJ_-GeG8tV6NzQLtKGQf7DGp1pih1EXqiWNaRYQelXs7WhZJctxWC1OabpQ/s400/IMG_9199.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Many iconic moments happened here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFiWbAbkBU5AqxX42a7WM0AtGYSMRLOCXRnul54kAXpvqpmgMnL-sqJLLlVxe8Ki0f3biAP39bnKdasb5IcMsFMNuuwhMdyYOZxL7TrMffUQVpBCaGiLvmjVT6SLvBnLrJWTWM3R3m4/s1600/IMG_3053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="822" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFiWbAbkBU5AqxX42a7WM0AtGYSMRLOCXRnul54kAXpvqpmgMnL-sqJLLlVxe8Ki0f3biAP39bnKdasb5IcMsFMNuuwhMdyYOZxL7TrMffUQVpBCaGiLvmjVT6SLvBnLrJWTWM3R3m4/s400/IMG_3053.jpg" width="338" /></a></div>
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Love him! </div>
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I'm so glad my husband modeled himself after such an amazing man! <3</div>
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Mr. Lincoln</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRoqjPFweG3jOfniWzi_ztEXKAe6G_s1UlyNE-C-jGUvQuJj0iEvYTwZdiiNSG_KTtW-JTtcEdygtyw-7lwu1RSWvavgF0cgL41oxt0gXqAUnb6roavucPgzTKQgePVxWqInkUNQxrAw/s1600/IMG_9185.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRoqjPFweG3jOfniWzi_ztEXKAe6G_s1UlyNE-C-jGUvQuJj0iEvYTwZdiiNSG_KTtW-JTtcEdygtyw-7lwu1RSWvavgF0cgL41oxt0gXqAUnb6roavucPgzTKQgePVxWqInkUNQxrAw/s400/IMG_9185.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Anyone else want to sing the Hamilton?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJx9hdr2QtqMkL8azUYFQhNqGWAYcsFBmQ_vqgCk75cghyphenhypheno2WIRxfd9DNYlbUvo02WW9cpNihywf-xKIQj79cYxO-5HRc8U0dKvdsWusQnrzo0ayMxiDgi_AT82cnifl2sCaRV7ZS-0o/s1600/IMG_2524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJx9hdr2QtqMkL8azUYFQhNqGWAYcsFBmQ_vqgCk75cghyphenhypheno2WIRxfd9DNYlbUvo02WW9cpNihywf-xKIQj79cYxO-5HRc8U0dKvdsWusQnrzo0ayMxiDgi_AT82cnifl2sCaRV7ZS-0o/s400/IMG_2524.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And then my mom texted me a pic of where she was... LOL!</div>
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The next day, we went to appointments at the three branches of government. Shoutout to our congressman's office for putting that part of the trip together for us and getting us all of our security clearances!</div>
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We started the day bright and early at the White House.</div>
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Deek was so excited to be there!</div>
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I was relieved to have made it past the eighteen levels of security without incident!</div>
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Deek's parents in the Green Room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf2LoNBWGMzda06xO6ginWSH-Ef8O3hWwkzS9rKbZ_f9lpBjP-guqRD7TrbE2FmbTaPaAli-4Zxlt5TkkxefdfpPVNc7NYGFLefp3iitjA25CAT4FEWZ-MEt27gON_4E2kienBBRkGus/s1600/IMG_2595.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf2LoNBWGMzda06xO6ginWSH-Ef8O3hWwkzS9rKbZ_f9lpBjP-guqRD7TrbE2FmbTaPaAli-4Zxlt5TkkxefdfpPVNc7NYGFLefp3iitjA25CAT4FEWZ-MEt27gON_4E2kienBBRkGus/s400/IMG_2595.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Such history in those walls!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FmfpGr7wVekzPS1mHMxGPBLXhn2Hexineegrt7SRbGrgWLrT1S0EX1tzuY2ANMKQAgoERk6XyZpCI6p749F_Iy4allgLwrhoyzxTMZz1FgIV3OYCnm39qPdnjHOwEHvAA8G-3vZze24/s1600/IMG_2607.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FmfpGr7wVekzPS1mHMxGPBLXhn2Hexineegrt7SRbGrgWLrT1S0EX1tzuY2ANMKQAgoERk6XyZpCI6p749F_Iy4allgLwrhoyzxTMZz1FgIV3OYCnm39qPdnjHOwEHvAA8G-3vZze24/s400/IMG_2607.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tzH21OV_sW37dBRUIFIzgNOlU8_lI-GSX2WXulfg6JPL0ZNFWnZu2eyztcSAhTYUHO0WqEcs4s_Uv78lkt2CaYhx4SaCzSCSFifieZPAYEdk6wmj7aFU4xdMtjMBcsv4gjDv2mYkA3E/s1600/IMG_2633.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tzH21OV_sW37dBRUIFIzgNOlU8_lI-GSX2WXulfg6JPL0ZNFWnZu2eyztcSAhTYUHO0WqEcs4s_Uv78lkt2CaYhx4SaCzSCSFifieZPAYEdk6wmj7aFU4xdMtjMBcsv4gjDv2mYkA3E/s400/IMG_2633.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Next, we had a surprisingly entertaining lecture at the Supreme Court.</div>
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I learned a lot!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLcmdrWxkxJG5k1TjsZRkLSW9zvJKEbcUTyZv7019mniR2t_O4Q51JEgUihAES6TzAoAyfh38u9N2SQCaJZdV74zYzK_Mywq4dk7833EuZA7NAELoKy5DY3ATB4fzn8II62B9YJ2bRa8/s1600/IMG_9289-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLcmdrWxkxJG5k1TjsZRkLSW9zvJKEbcUTyZv7019mniR2t_O4Q51JEgUihAES6TzAoAyfh38u9N2SQCaJZdV74zYzK_Mywq4dk7833EuZA7NAELoKy5DY3ATB4fzn8II62B9YJ2bRa8/s400/IMG_9289-EFFECTS.jpg" width="367" /></a></div>
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Kissing in front of the Capital Building before our tour.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_fGxbTiytnbE3Y5XDu_QlPjyUlQ4if-5ZitMjjGYXy11D-WOZe9nby3edwYEUq4izUIOzOR_zp4h6SyB_H84QALl1aU4v2376f5cVDQvupCwRIiwtCDIdxOSp4vAcks-s-Z6nYndlgE/s1600/IMG_9296.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_fGxbTiytnbE3Y5XDu_QlPjyUlQ4if-5ZitMjjGYXy11D-WOZe9nby3edwYEUq4izUIOzOR_zp4h6SyB_H84QALl1aU4v2376f5cVDQvupCwRIiwtCDIdxOSp4vAcks-s-Z6nYndlgE/s400/IMG_9296.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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And we found a lovely surprise!</div>
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The Shakespeare museum...be still my heart!</div>
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The next day, we took it a little easy and visited the Washington Zoo. It's free!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDa71au1nsOkrDD89szmSqyF1zYQMyT-9YTwm94TpqgX_QjRpBINisJwkMJwaS4ka1y5g8XoAo635wLbPRWXQ2N6GSjHirWtIJeRSFOK-TlDwwH65HpliUrMFvsRSOvUjk14Vtt0yvzY/s1600/IMG_2742.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDa71au1nsOkrDD89szmSqyF1zYQMyT-9YTwm94TpqgX_QjRpBINisJwkMJwaS4ka1y5g8XoAo635wLbPRWXQ2N6GSjHirWtIJeRSFOK-TlDwwH65HpliUrMFvsRSOvUjk14Vtt0yvzY/s400/IMG_2742.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Deek and iguanas is a running joke in our family, </div>
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so we had to get this picture!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ639ocRY7_5D5sTEQNzjOm-aGr-IMEFjxcbb57tSNyAFGcLhiIX3F9oA68quH2pQJRk84ASidNuyU_gKEHElemiGlpPBpI-InUJz69yRTLqxa31UjYMTGD0J4UcdveELzvJh6yjydow/s1600/IMG_2765.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ639ocRY7_5D5sTEQNzjOm-aGr-IMEFjxcbb57tSNyAFGcLhiIX3F9oA68quH2pQJRk84ASidNuyU_gKEHElemiGlpPBpI-InUJz69yRTLqxa31UjYMTGD0J4UcdveELzvJh6yjydow/s400/IMG_2765.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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The baby gorilla was *SO* cute!</div>
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The tunnel o'doom!</div>
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Then, we spent the following day at museums.</div>
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The Bat Mobile</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkT_JU157V84yojEkq2I6sw-xHkjyaHYZnO7NCPztg76ZRy9gcwHwY9hcySAr521UydQETOMgUJBFcfn1i6mdzxm01RrXtL6LqqQnbtFd-PSPZ8R7f2gEnJ5riiA5xnGz45nDvaQviA0/s1600/IMG_2778.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkT_JU157V84yojEkq2I6sw-xHkjyaHYZnO7NCPztg76ZRy9gcwHwY9hcySAr521UydQETOMgUJBFcfn1i6mdzxm01RrXtL6LqqQnbtFd-PSPZ8R7f2gEnJ5riiA5xnGz45nDvaQviA0/s400/IMG_2778.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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First Ladies Collection</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NF2tMn9eIw3Rx7ga88U6E3P4PJ0bkOMrMZpkW64Vrx8G2L13FYbr70kPaOrmRaSudezYNLbq7i7rpGWy4J4gMJNW2owZfSrFlXQ6t42Q664kGZU9DFYZFidKfOqltr0H1yc03JeCjzE/s1600/IMG_2790.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NF2tMn9eIw3Rx7ga88U6E3P4PJ0bkOMrMZpkW64Vrx8G2L13FYbr70kPaOrmRaSudezYNLbq7i7rpGWy4J4gMJNW2owZfSrFlXQ6t42Q664kGZU9DFYZFidKfOqltr0H1yc03JeCjzE/s400/IMG_2790.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Top hat worn by Lincoln on the night of his assassination</div>
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The Holocaust Museum -- there are no words</div>
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Smithsonian Castle</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfropRh6FdkR_cuNvAnYtBywYlN82iMrjKYM_mfoUkJrBBnABaLvmXcpZ6t34gK9W0sRfc1bFWJCC8EXjE4iIsCqinH2-x_TfZpDT9Sz5iK7jIAEPCuENqjIW8y-lSTw2cDl9qFvuppI/s1600/sitting+by+the+fire.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1125" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfropRh6FdkR_cuNvAnYtBywYlN82iMrjKYM_mfoUkJrBBnABaLvmXcpZ6t34gK9W0sRfc1bFWJCC8EXjE4iIsCqinH2-x_TfZpDT9Sz5iK7jIAEPCuENqjIW8y-lSTw2cDl9qFvuppI/s400/sitting+by+the+fire.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Deek and I hung out on the rooftop balcony </div>
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and chatted by firelight with a view of the city!</div>
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And of course, no trip to DC would be complete without seeing the Air and Space Museum. We learned that it's the 3rd most visited museum in the *world*!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7xr-Fd9buENiqFUZ0qRL8nT42caI_txDmOLhpiEOzRSw7D_c-BtUTuyXzH8tqXMcPOeCKQqdGQdiIU51EWREeKYK67uePKZfI5yiBrXnpICVoIAG16JOr9uUfgeuAz8gFgmGs30c3iw/s1600/IMG_2811.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7xr-Fd9buENiqFUZ0qRL8nT42caI_txDmOLhpiEOzRSw7D_c-BtUTuyXzH8tqXMcPOeCKQqdGQdiIU51EWREeKYK67uePKZfI5yiBrXnpICVoIAG16JOr9uUfgeuAz8gFgmGs30c3iw/s400/IMG_2811.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Space shuttle</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg1u2h8Dft_jf80q-fI4eTWnS4p299dzxXegOLejURGxuzgpz6JH-9bY01ZVk4qHUrDjxpfzcYLuQLmvrIQ-pnPikXdWKma-wgYQb6WeEZNRszVsEfd1_VpyzK0FeUZEGXePTNvF6suM/s1600/IMG_2813.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg1u2h8Dft_jf80q-fI4eTWnS4p299dzxXegOLejURGxuzgpz6JH-9bY01ZVk4qHUrDjxpfzcYLuQLmvrIQ-pnPikXdWKma-wgYQb6WeEZNRszVsEfd1_VpyzK0FeUZEGXePTNvF6suM/s400/IMG_2813.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Amelia Earhart Exhibit</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjsD-UIl2isSmxP-x9X3oJVR6ypSP3NBHIwJHA0oj6Ffroq8u7NeRBHLrpeoMesY13fHAxuMoZiW-1eXlh-qBzK9ajlKxgDXDiuTSECao-VXjvyJA_hvxS_tUcgQHlSf3l6kHvrAdMf8/s1600/IMG_2819.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjsD-UIl2isSmxP-x9X3oJVR6ypSP3NBHIwJHA0oj6Ffroq8u7NeRBHLrpeoMesY13fHAxuMoZiW-1eXlh-qBzK9ajlKxgDXDiuTSECao-VXjvyJA_hvxS_tUcgQHlSf3l6kHvrAdMf8/s400/IMG_2819.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Wright Brothers first plane -- the original</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLWb-Fam-Kbm2aRXq4GjEmVtjeRkHVDU3x9oL95CotILpSRBad9X6g6mVjugjZYSPbdmdZX49EBIOS3MkZvQPuY_a2jfrgUE1RWklL2AySuf7D_2ZsD3R2kpbhrRNI4z4DQvdArdjnpk/s1600/IMG_9331.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLWb-Fam-Kbm2aRXq4GjEmVtjeRkHVDU3x9oL95CotILpSRBad9X6g6mVjugjZYSPbdmdZX49EBIOS3MkZvQPuY_a2jfrgUE1RWklL2AySuf7D_2ZsD3R2kpbhrRNI4z4DQvdArdjnpk/s400/IMG_9331.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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These two Trekkies love this exhibit! </div>
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(PS. I did too--total Trekkie girl)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiLIL3_tTE5tnmJNo9NLwIIuhjrNcb58KtqEbN9mjgMB4EaDCXDpv-3XfKB-DbtCRLK-pd2Y6bPbA-GewhGLA0vJeolUbvAwZ5Q8U25UvUBP3-bmZ0-oqhAjUmzrB-z4sxVSgM59Siaw/s1600/IMG_2826.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiLIL3_tTE5tnmJNo9NLwIIuhjrNcb58KtqEbN9mjgMB4EaDCXDpv-3XfKB-DbtCRLK-pd2Y6bPbA-GewhGLA0vJeolUbvAwZ5Q8U25UvUBP3-bmZ0-oqhAjUmzrB-z4sxVSgM59Siaw/s400/IMG_2826.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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When you've walked 10+ miles for days and days,</div>
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sometimes you need a pick-me-up!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2MwPDxZd7sXVaTlD_7AizxRzlZ4TJpVTSksXgJa5vnB_joTI0b2WERzrHDfVUsBgoP5VLuwmJsbihTWXihyUwN7lEQ6LHhSlGi82nYEeQBhrwAZynV4UaaSnT9eIbiY5uMytRbkkG04/s1600/IMG_2837.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2MwPDxZd7sXVaTlD_7AizxRzlZ4TJpVTSksXgJa5vnB_joTI0b2WERzrHDfVUsBgoP5VLuwmJsbihTWXihyUwN7lEQ6LHhSlGi82nYEeQBhrwAZynV4UaaSnT9eIbiY5uMytRbkkG04/s400/IMG_2837.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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For perspective...</div>
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this is how big the inside of the Smithsonian Castle is!</div>
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Those little dots are me and Deek!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdxnKzc4UVoj6ZQHddIjiGcwoofN_nU9mu5iuNMogjOHlQCqLiwgCllAHNihXJbN5mRE_x_XAfBIjlebWJlp2URedz44DqaONRgNueBvcNun0TZYRjTPNzzX70RlXsSUUqj743oslrAU/s1600/IMG_2847-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdxnKzc4UVoj6ZQHddIjiGcwoofN_nU9mu5iuNMogjOHlQCqLiwgCllAHNihXJbN5mRE_x_XAfBIjlebWJlp2URedz44DqaONRgNueBvcNun0TZYRjTPNzzX70RlXsSUUqj743oslrAU/s400/IMG_2847-EFFECTS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We found a *really* cool restaurant to eat at!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRIEMVYVCRTJm1AHY4GxTxwWe3Up4_HEUSRJIdsvvZSvmfx4hEbHcVAR84s8JJn4TFUfqY8ZmjFAkk5-snRKeSpJdFTWeOIB75xv6pCTqiPZX6Das6EPGDb9j1rS98XFWTUsOKRkJADA/s1600/IMG_2861-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRIEMVYVCRTJm1AHY4GxTxwWe3Up4_HEUSRJIdsvvZSvmfx4hEbHcVAR84s8JJn4TFUfqY8ZmjFAkk5-snRKeSpJdFTWeOIB75xv6pCTqiPZX6Das6EPGDb9j1rS98XFWTUsOKRkJADA/s400/IMG_2861-EFFECTS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Titanic Memorial.</div>
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I had no idea they had one in DC!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOFZi7QNPvfREHMkoKuGvgO6PKge3JplRG6ZJUlDhNIRym2dERe5Vqx4-ULjL0b0JeNrvobsyGwJkzy9b_FLzANqzJYnAQdXMvdYZ-g8njtyCKu_CwG0Ko7xO12mt5__Js3rAVgtsDrs/s1600/IMG_9342.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOFZi7QNPvfREHMkoKuGvgO6PKge3JplRG6ZJUlDhNIRym2dERe5Vqx4-ULjL0b0JeNrvobsyGwJkzy9b_FLzANqzJYnAQdXMvdYZ-g8njtyCKu_CwG0Ko7xO12mt5__Js3rAVgtsDrs/s400/IMG_9342.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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Walking and smooching along the Potomac River</div>
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After that, it was time to say goodbye--to DC and to Deek's parents. We *loved* getting to spend that time with them and look forward to seeing them again very soon. Thankfully we live in a technologically advanced world, so goodbye isn't really goodbye anymore. It's more like, "See you in a few days on FaceTime, and see you again in real in a few months."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9LXXOtzqoRM61-HWOM5FCZCMnDJpypSgZ3_-t_00WdXxTHR-r79t1lR29Buz1qx-jlEVX9L7BkJhiH8glM63Y-KfQkKafMvOj91BRK4qNO_U8qkdtpqj6ihw5OdfetzkVUK9b0gRttg/s1600/IMG_2872.HEIC.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9LXXOtzqoRM61-HWOM5FCZCMnDJpypSgZ3_-t_00WdXxTHR-r79t1lR29Buz1qx-jlEVX9L7BkJhiH8glM63Y-KfQkKafMvOj91BRK4qNO_U8qkdtpqj6ihw5OdfetzkVUK9b0gRttg/s400/IMG_2872.HEIC.heif" width="300" /></a></div>
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So, when you do keto, you have a lot of bacon... LOL!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczPXU57_6QYbo_zNbht74rekxRubdUEfi3glijpe0Qv5HUSD4jf4wvzcAUvcwoex7q67ol5WRh1b8Ly8K7q_waAlYWbCIm5bR_qS3W377rYPe-WnQr3BElJH1C5ef6p34KX97U5oGZRE/s1600/IMG_2881.HEIC.heif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczPXU57_6QYbo_zNbht74rekxRubdUEfi3glijpe0Qv5HUSD4jf4wvzcAUvcwoex7q67ol5WRh1b8Ly8K7q_waAlYWbCIm5bR_qS3W377rYPe-WnQr3BElJH1C5ef6p34KX97U5oGZRE/s400/IMG_2881.HEIC.heif" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the train again.</div>
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Back to life, back to reality.</div>
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PS. Ain't my man sexy in his new Superman glasses?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiIgAaTNaD5JHk03YRoQ6Sdriu8Wqwsbiq1-PywRXCpoO9NyJ2RR-L4OTw3iMJTm7d0jtndTCcTb_KMJd_p5zE5svlDcsj3DekW1Pbvmt_d6Wdx5PgvGFaPc6McUa34EKDU2NRWTMhm4/s1600/IMG_2896.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiIgAaTNaD5JHk03YRoQ6Sdriu8Wqwsbiq1-PywRXCpoO9NyJ2RR-L4OTw3iMJTm7d0jtndTCcTb_KMJd_p5zE5svlDcsj3DekW1Pbvmt_d6Wdx5PgvGFaPc6McUa34EKDU2NRWTMhm4/s400/IMG_2896.heic" width="300" /></a></div>
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Traveling essentials...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Na3L_e4Rb2dvYq9KHMlrF2LR0OOhfq-K-QiNny7sqC9WeK9dPiN0RRkOVx2D1Ni7VNB5FKfkQCXHt8wdF9cGyTMJObNsgoPIpXRNdebMkP7qT35vzRuEKl4qNHHNf6oqIyPbBjeUTe8/s1600/IMG_2894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Na3L_e4Rb2dvYq9KHMlrF2LR0OOhfq-K-QiNny7sqC9WeK9dPiN0RRkOVx2D1Ni7VNB5FKfkQCXHt8wdF9cGyTMJObNsgoPIpXRNdebMkP7qT35vzRuEKl4qNHHNf6oqIyPbBjeUTe8/s400/IMG_2894.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Sooooo</b> super embarrassing picture, </div>
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but it highlights what keto has done for me (2015 vs 2019).</div>
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No, I don't get money from keto or sell products (those aren't legit anyway).</div>
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I'm just someone for whom it made all the difference.</div>
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If you get the chance to go to DC, I highly recommend it. There is so much to see and do there, and most of it is free.<br />
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Until next time, adventure on!<br />
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<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-36081478955395768542019-05-06T06:00:00.000-04:002019-05-06T06:00:11.671-04:00Book Deal Alert!Hello, everyone! I know it's been a while, but here I am! There's lots to tell you about, so I'll start off with this amazing book deal!<br />
<br />
Our friend, Josh David Bellin (aka: <a href="http://theyaguy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The YA Guy</a>) has his amazing trilogy on a limited promotion. In fact, today is the last day, so hurry to take advantage!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEWRPDf-9LFrnjFx8eArltV6O0YG6r_eFk3nJQd8nDx9Te54LQf77YA1aR8UpTa8KokmUAVJCzEKIAmo87lnsIkkAklE2qKD09w9IQriMghvqIBPmCmb9DU7ZpGLx6PhzlmHOAHl5BXQ/s1600/3+covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="1284" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEWRPDf-9LFrnjFx8eArltV6O0YG6r_eFk3nJQd8nDx9Te54LQf77YA1aR8UpTa8KokmUAVJCzEKIAmo87lnsIkkAklE2qKD09w9IQriMghvqIBPmCmb9DU7ZpGLx6PhzlmHOAHl5BXQ/s400/3+covers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In a far distant future, Earth's environment has mutated into the Ecosystem, a collective sentience that has pushed human beings to the brink of extinction. Only those individuals who are born with the psychic power known as the Sense can negotiate the Ecosystem's deadly maze in search of the food, water, and fuel their people need to survive. When Sarah, a seventeen-year-old Sensor with a grudge against the Ecosystem, sets out to avenge her mother's death, she learns more about the Ecosystem--and about herself--than she ever bargained for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Book One:</b><b style="font-style: italic;"> Ecosystem</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Miriam, an apprentice Sensor, is lost in the Ecosystem, and Sarah sets out to rescue her. Joining Sarah is Isaac, a boy who claims to possess knowledge of the Ecosystem that will help their people survive. The harrowing journey to find the missing apprentice takes Sarah and Isaac into the Ecosystem's deadliest places. And it takes Sarah into the unexplored territory of her own heart, where she discovers feelings that threaten to tear her--and her society--apart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Book Two: <i>The Devouring Land</i></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When Sarah’s village is overrun by monstrous creatures from the Ecosystem, she shepherds the survivors into the forest surrounding the village. Her own Sense badly damaged in an earlier attack, she must fight through a host of new threats in hopes of discovering the place where her mother was born, rumored to be home to a community of healers. But the City of the Queens is haunted by a dark secret of its own, and Sarah will have to learn the truth of her lineage in order to save the people she loves and protect the world she knows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Book Three: <i>House of Earth, House of Stone</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The City of the Queens is under attack. Sarah is forced to flee into the treacherous mountains to the far north, where she hopes to gain allies to contest the power that assails the city. But to wage this final battle, Sarah will have to overcome an ancient curse that threatens not only the survival of her people but the existence of the Ecosystem itself. And she will have to decide whether to save Isaac, the boy she loves, at the cost of losing everything else she holds dear.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ecosystem-Trilogy-3-Book-Series/dp/B07Q3YN7QB" target="_blank">Link To Purchase</a></div>
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I hope you take Josh up on this amazing deal! And if you give these books a read, be sure to leave a review (author's love that stuff)!</div>
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Stay tuned for the latest Deek and Erin adventures! Happy Reading!</div>
Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-60145886853988046112019-01-15T03:00:00.000-05:002019-01-15T03:00:06.414-05:00The Transhuman Project Is Here!Wow, after many years in the making, The Transhuman Project (called the Molly and Ryder book for forever) is available to the world. Wut?<br />
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My friends and family keep asking me if I'm excited about the release, but I think I'm honestly just in a state of shock. It felt like this day would never come, and now that it's here, I can hardly process it. </div>
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So, here's the skinny:</div>
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Back Cover Blurb:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "droid serif";">When a video of Molly Richards is taken out of context and goes viral, she’s thrust into the upper echelons of social media stardom and becomes an overnight success in a country where Life Channel ratings reign supreme. As Kadar’s fastest-rising celebrity, her life becomes a media circus, a show put on for the shallow national audience salivating for the next new thing.</span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Droid Serif";" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "droid serif";">But in a world where image is king, danger and death hide among the shadows. In the nearby country of Pacifica, the brutal Caezar turns his citizens into robotic weapons who infiltrate Kadar as sleeper transhumans. They walk among the populace, unaware they are pawns in the madman’s personal arsenal.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "droid serif";">Only Molly, her friends, and an elite group of Kadarian fighters known as the Cyber Knights fully understand the transhuman threat, and only they can break the Caezar's terrorist grip on both Pacifica and Kadar. Battling Fire Bots and humanoid agents, they seek to put a stop to the Caezar's tyranny by unraveling the secrets buried between layers of deception.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "droid serif";">And they have to do it all while smiling and waving for the cameras.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "droid serif";">As Molly and her friends peer behind the glitz and glamour, they discover something more frightening and more sinister than anything they’ve encountered yet...the truth.</span><br />
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Thank Yous:</div>
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I'd like to thank: </div>
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--Anita Carroll from <a href="https://race-point.com/" target="_blank">Race-Point</a>, who put together this amazing cover from my incoherent babble and sample photos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHLvt2RN1Jk_5g6Ft1cmBh6dW9pHGVoOfOAVW30U0pJrQ4aOpNOaeLLcrqtHTGHg_riY9F7TggsXbCoP71GD7wYkr1xAWkzYscL4g_i8h4WM8EIFxd925rY-gS44Ot5Zh3-f5rruoAHIK/s1600/Anita+Carroll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="500" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHLvt2RN1Jk_5g6Ft1cmBh6dW9pHGVoOfOAVW30U0pJrQ4aOpNOaeLLcrqtHTGHg_riY9F7TggsXbCoP71GD7wYkr1xAWkzYscL4g_i8h4WM8EIFxd925rY-gS44Ot5Zh3-f5rruoAHIK/s1600/Anita+Carroll.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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--The Dream Team because they always step in to save the day when I need them!</div>
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<a href="http://www.erinrhewbooks.com/uploads/5/7/6/2/5762130/6762080_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.erinrhewbooks.com/uploads/5/7/6/2/5762130/6762080_orig.jpg" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="297" /></a></div>
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--My new honorary Dream Team members--Jennica, Nicole, Becky, Parker, and Jess, who stepped in to read and re-read my book until we got the kinks worked out. And who weren't afraid to tell me, "This has gotta go."</div>
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--My publisher,<a href="http://www.tenaciousbookspublishing.com/" target="_blank"> Tenacious Books Publishing</a> (which is now open to submissions, BTW), and the publishing team for taking on this project and helping it grow to fruition!</div>
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--My friends and family who supported and encouraged me to keep at this dream, and who promote me more than I do.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTP7pLgWwsMcTIQk_YwiOxZ0zm3l2RpYRnShxGD6kdLzU4wvfmRU57IP6-IK8FhgRW_XUhDKa8mbt1f9mVzn3YCr2ykqnS8aobvUOdgVAt3-4VEOXJ2I5KLZpYaEW5N-WVmd6dnXuXMwM/s1600/IMG_0969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="609" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTP7pLgWwsMcTIQk_YwiOxZ0zm3l2RpYRnShxGD6kdLzU4wvfmRU57IP6-IK8FhgRW_XUhDKa8mbt1f9mVzn3YCr2ykqnS8aobvUOdgVAt3-4VEOXJ2I5KLZpYaEW5N-WVmd6dnXuXMwM/s400/IMG_0969.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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--My PaPa. Losing you has been one of the hardest things that's ever happened to me. I miss you every single day, and I still can't think about you without choking up. You always loved, encouraged, and supported me. You don't even like to read--and you surely aren't the YA reader type--but you proudly read my other books. The way you loved me and the rest of our big ole Southern family is something I'll cherish always. But now there is, and always will be, a PaPa shaped hole in my heart.<br />
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Ya know, Mac reminds me of you a little. He's always after a laugh, and he loves his family like crazy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAQskEwzUhlAV5dbLG8yZ5JKliOcA5vWrB9bqrw8wJKAVG1ItvKZDmcLDqytmoEF4-6A4n0TYHcgXon-0Wa-yqY5u2r1pG6-nscJRmmNPZTKRw7iJ1W3JvKtoGrythR-KHCJoo0xdubc/s1600/IMG_0761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="632" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAQskEwzUhlAV5dbLG8yZ5JKliOcA5vWrB9bqrw8wJKAVG1ItvKZDmcLDqytmoEF4-6A4n0TYHcgXon-0Wa-yqY5u2r1pG6-nscJRmmNPZTKRw7iJ1W3JvKtoGrythR-KHCJoo0xdubc/s400/IMG_0761.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
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--Deek, my Deek. Where do I even start? I think you're even more excited about this book release than I am. LOL! You are my rock. My companion, my partner, my best friend, my true love. When you came into my life, you filled with sunshine what was once dark. The brilliance of your soul is blinding, and I am thankful to bathe in the light of it. I could not adore you more, and yet, every day, I do. I'll always love writing because it led me to you. Thank you for supporting and encouraging me on this long and sometimes painful ride through Molly's life. I had several false starts on the offense, but you always had faith I'd get it right. Without you, there would be no book. I love you beyond beyond! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksdp78q5sEhZNAckYcHosjPOpoTLMqrX7aSV_B4jiYKexavzXiY7oIMaxPQq6an1ClN-BPOjkd7U2jAWChwjMIN433vJew8eE06mmoqFRpgc4mpwXQR9Ket6VLfdwzPAQPVcKXzjAg9U/s1600/IMG_0565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="1125" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksdp78q5sEhZNAckYcHosjPOpoTLMqrX7aSV_B4jiYKexavzXiY7oIMaxPQq6an1ClN-BPOjkd7U2jAWChwjMIN433vJew8eE06mmoqFRpgc4mpwXQR9Ket6VLfdwzPAQPVcKXzjAg9U/s400/IMG_0565.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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So, if you made it to the end of this blog post, thank you for reading. If you're so inclined to give Molly, Ryder, Jason, MacCoy, and Tasha a read, I'd be very grateful! </div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2FxwbDn" target="_blank">The Transhuman Project</a></div>
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Until next time...</div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=rhewination0f-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B07KQQR5GK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-29053276404763029732019-01-01T13:34:00.000-05:002019-01-01T13:34:57.684-05:00Happy New Year!Whoa, I have been MIA during the holiday season because...it's the holiday season. I could barely keep up with my own name, let alone blog posts. LOL!<br />
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But I'm back in 2019 and ready to kick this year off right. First up, I have a book coming out on January 15th!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0V8i-SpO9nEEuJhiPTgx9DIX65oFmMVqIu2GUWVd2wSEyYay7Rf5nouL8Tjkuk6ayiGDHUFSgaGjJAaRKNmNAz1UrP1XI8Ec3c7HY95S0Q5jG_CMyy6Zh8Dn5wEVrpTNpOaZZlysy8w/s1600/eBOOKTRANSHUMAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1057" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0V8i-SpO9nEEuJhiPTgx9DIX65oFmMVqIu2GUWVd2wSEyYay7Rf5nouL8Tjkuk6ayiGDHUFSgaGjJAaRKNmNAz1UrP1XI8Ec3c7HY95S0Q5jG_CMyy6Zh8Dn5wEVrpTNpOaZZlysy8w/s400/eBOOKTRANSHUMAN.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>About <i>The Transhuman Project</i></u></b></span></div>
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When a video of Molly Richards is taken out of context and goes viral, she’s thrust into the upper echelons of social media stardom and becomes an overnight success in a country where Life Channel ratings reign supreme. As Kadar’s fastest-rising celebrity, her life becomes a media circus, a show put on for the shallow national audience salivating for the next new thing.</div>
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But in a world where image is king, danger and death hide among the shadows. In the nearby country of Pacifica, the brutal Caezar turns his citizens into robotic weapons who infiltrate Kadar as sleeper transhumans. They walk among the populace, unaware they are pawns in the madman’s personal arsenal.</div>
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Only Molly, her friends, and an elite group of Kadarian fighters known as the Cyber Knights fully understand the transhuman threat, and only they can break the Caezar's terrorist grip on both Pacifica and Kadar. Battling Fire Bots and humanoid agents, they seek to put a stop to the Caezar's tyranny by unraveling the secrets buried between layers of deception.</div>
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And they have to do it all while smiling and waving for the cameras.</div>
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As Molly and her friends peer behind the glitz and glamour, they discover something more frightening and more sinister than anything they’ve encountered yet...the truth.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcGiyhnGyMxm2xl5Yf7yR4e7X7sOvW_PxDxY7qf9wTCfXIpDt5y2UMvEoqkYeG5eVFqUxoohn2NIymgRuiGncfE0MAo2U0M2nWlFmyglmV0TOak2Pv44gVEN8EqbxCMWcUossqSf8C1g/s1600/TheTranshumanProjectTourBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="851" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcGiyhnGyMxm2xl5Yf7yR4e7X7sOvW_PxDxY7qf9wTCfXIpDt5y2UMvEoqkYeG5eVFqUxoohn2NIymgRuiGncfE0MAo2U0M2nWlFmyglmV0TOak2Pv44gVEN8EqbxCMWcUossqSf8C1g/s400/TheTranshumanProjectTourBanner.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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It will be on blog tour through Xpresso Book Tours from February 11-15! If you want to sign up to be a host, you can click on this<a href="http://xpressobooktours.com/2018/12/07/tour-sign-up-the-transhuman-project-by-erin-rhew/" target="_blank"> link</a>.<br />
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Deek and I are thrilled to be kicking off the new year with a new book release, and to add to the fun, we'll be attending several book festivals and cons this year. We'll start with the NC Book Festival on February 23! For more info, you can check out their page <a href="https://ncbookfestival.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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Happy, Happy New Year to all of our family, friends, and fans! We wish you peace, joy, love, and happiness in this new year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhl8lYqp7vKjVHxQUMAtzlI9I-tM-A2_JW1ZolWAVtLzmwPDC0Q3Y0oEM776zPjk-FlKN2mrmkzNqY88tMzwpexQJDY57U34fdbIzTwxqGn6rwgiVpABPm9cSO_juR6shm4MY9wp6LTw/s1600/IMG_0215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="534" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhl8lYqp7vKjVHxQUMAtzlI9I-tM-A2_JW1ZolWAVtLzmwPDC0Q3Y0oEM776zPjk-FlKN2mrmkzNqY88tMzwpexQJDY57U34fdbIzTwxqGn6rwgiVpABPm9cSO_juR6shm4MY9wp6LTw/s400/IMG_0215.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas! </div>
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I woke up to Deek's smile and went to sleep in his arms! </div>
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Heavenly!</div>
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That weird moment where Christmas and New Year collide.</div>
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Roar! It's a new year, y'all! </div>
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Tackle it like a beast!</div>
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We plan to walk, talk, laugh, and hold hands throughout 2019 just like we did 2018!</div>
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Oh, did I mention we got married a third time on New Year's Eve at a popup chapel?</div>
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This time, we had Shakespearean vows! </div>
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Be still my heart!</div>
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I got 2 big dipped back New Year kisses!</div>
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The first one...</div>
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The second one...</div>
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Until me, Deek had never done the kiss at midnight on the new year thing.</div>
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I'm super happy we've been rectifying that situation for a while now! <3 <3</div>
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<b>Until next time, y'all ROCK 2019! </b></div>
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<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-50114411535856490662018-11-13T15:00:00.002-05:002018-11-13T15:00:41.010-05:00Rhew The Nation -- The Trip HomeWelcome to the final post on the Rhew The Nation trip. We went on our adventure nearly 5 months ago, but it has provided great material for blog posts all this time! I hope you enjoyed traveling with me and Deek across the country and back again! We visited some *amazing* places, and I'm so grateful we got the opportunity to do it!<br />
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When we left off, Deek and I were headed to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Now, we'd intended to go to Oklahoma all along, but all the way back in Missouri (at the start of the trip), we changed the town we'd stop in Oklahoma. Why? Well, we have fallen in love with the <a href="http://stoneycreekhotels.com/home.do" target="_blank">Stoney Creek Hotel</a> chain, and we discovered they'd opened a brand new one in Broken Arrow!<br />
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From the Stoney Creek in Missouri</div>
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We discovered Stoney Creek by accident when we were moving across the country. I always book through the Expedia app, and this place popped up as inexpensive and pet-friendly. Now we've stayed in some pretty yucky pet-friendly places, but this one smelled good and was *super* clean. They'd just opened when we stayed there last time, but even after being open for a while, it was still super clean and smelled good. So, we redirected our trip a little to end up at the brand spankin' new one in Broken Arrow. It did not disappoint!</div>
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The Stoney Creek in Broken Arrow.</div>
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Clearly, they have a theme.</div>
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Deek and I couldn't stop whispering, "Great white buffalo." LOL!</div>
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When we went to check-in, we informed the front desk that we'd stayed at the one in Missouri and rerouted our trip just to come to the one in Broken Arrow. And you know what they did? They comped us a suite to say "thank you!" A suite! And the suite was AMAZING!! </div>
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The giant bell at check-in.</div>
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Amazing statues!</div>
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The jet tub in the suite's bathroom! Wowsa!!</div>
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The shower is behind that door, and it was massive!</div>
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Deek in the giant, super cozy bed.</div>
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This is one of my most favorite pictures from the trip!</div>
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Now, I'm a born and bred Southern girl, but there are a lot of places in the South I haven't been. In fact, despite our numerous cross-country trips, I still haven't been to states like Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Now that I think about it, other than a few New England states, these are some of the only ones I've not yet been to. But on this trip, we crossed another state off our list--Arkansas.</div>
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Um... I'm afraid for what this sign implies about other bathrooms.</div>
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The *whole* time we were in the Southwest, it didn't get above 90.</div>
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Leave it to the South to show how heat is really done. LOL!</div>
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Oh, and it's humid...</div>
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On to Tennessee</div>
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As a good little Southern girl, of course I've been to Tennessee--many times, in fact. Deek and I have driven through Nashville on cross-country trips but never actually stopped to look around (Deek and I are planning on taking an official trip there soon though). So when we drove through Nashville this time, we decided to stop at one cool thing and eat a one locally recommended restaurant. </div>
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Now, I *love* Percy Jackson. Truth be told, I loathed the movies, but I love the books. And I am fascinated by all things Greek Mythology related. So...Deek took me to the Nashville Parthenon as our one cool place to go!</div>
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I love Percy Jackson so much, I brought one of his books as a read aloud on our trip!</div>
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Majestic!</div>
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Smooching in front of the Parthenon!</div>
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Look at that detail!</div>
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After Nashville, we drove through the same other states we always drive through to get back home. And then, we were home! <3 </div>
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The trip was amazing! I love traveling with Deek, and I love exploring the many facets of this country. If you haven't had a chance to drive across the country, I encourage you to do it. You'll be amazed by the stuff you see! </div>
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For instance, I had no idea so much of our country is unpopulated. I mean like completely without a soul for miles and miles and miles (particularly on the eastern side of the western states and in the southwest). I never would have known that if we hadn't made these trips. There are just some things you can't see from an airplane or train window. Sometimes you have to get out there and experience it firsthand.</div>
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No one and nothing for fifty plus miles!</div>
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Thanks so much for accompanying me and Deek on this grand adventure! Now it's time for anniversaries, birthdays, and the holidays! WOOT! </div>
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Daydreaming about more adventures with my best friend! :)</div>
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<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-76571949226629552132018-11-07T06:30:00.000-05:002018-11-07T10:37:21.952-05:00Anniversary Time -- 4 YearsToday, I'm hijacking the Rhew The Nation posts for a very special announcement...It's anniversary time!! Let me just start by saying Happy Anniversary to the most wonderful husband in all the world, Deek Rhew! <3 <3<br />
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You may remember we got married twice--once in the Pacific Northwest and once in the South. Well, today, we celebrate 4 years since we got married in the Pacific Northwest (the one that made it legal and all)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJJAQPf84FMi5MmHgd0Kjf-MlnxMi3Vb5Ao2tazs5h2EDLGExptIelZTWzGfeIczpH6iO5_e65K0v_XJurZ31BA3DZaHHWlE9z2lEl7wJbuAzh9TjoM0aZ6kb9ETZ2PVkWzh_dg_tAP4/s1600/November2014_Wedding8311copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJJAQPf84FMi5MmHgd0Kjf-MlnxMi3Vb5Ao2tazs5h2EDLGExptIelZTWzGfeIczpH6iO5_e65K0v_XJurZ31BA3DZaHHWlE9z2lEl7wJbuAzh9TjoM0aZ6kb9ETZ2PVkWzh_dg_tAP4/s400/November2014_Wedding8311copy.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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PNW wedding</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJHcEV7kNn1OIZPcEBon_b0BfU3yRVQtFCWIuPRuZm3dmlfx-9_8Glzv3ekn0GJCCXuTmkRv2VkasErv9eF45WzV7WsrnfXeXZyva2Gj0kUiYW0dqcnlh82yX2mmTjzHqTrgv95297s4/s1600/IMG_5137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJHcEV7kNn1OIZPcEBon_b0BfU3yRVQtFCWIuPRuZm3dmlfx-9_8Glzv3ekn0GJCCXuTmkRv2VkasErv9eF45WzV7WsrnfXeXZyva2Gj0kUiYW0dqcnlh82yX2mmTjzHqTrgv95297s4/s400/IMG_5137.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Southern wedding, six months later.</div>
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My Deek and blog friends, let's take a little stroll down memory lane...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPLki4aMZSCT3W9iAWf7paNC9D06OikbBisG1CirhwizwubQ3gDVRQH-lXq0VeLL1aNu1bfCd9ZXELyV6Vvt_gaoEpuF5FA8XUADXaJVEnpwyc1kB_pRRsSaDmbwf1gHu_JItxmqSmHE/s1600/November2014_Wedding1720.November2014_Wedding221707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPLki4aMZSCT3W9iAWf7paNC9D06OikbBisG1CirhwizwubQ3gDVRQH-lXq0VeLL1aNu1bfCd9ZXELyV6Vvt_gaoEpuF5FA8XUADXaJVEnpwyc1kB_pRRsSaDmbwf1gHu_JItxmqSmHE/s400/November2014_Wedding1720.November2014_Wedding221707.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Going to the chapel (or Victorian historical home),</div>
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and we're gonna get married!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_svbhLeWZLj3TviP8ezAF7Lnsw2QAKU_FXHexH1OpJ_M-GhHYpMwtcBa8e51xH0XfpEDG2EWOpCzjlQLfdIIIh8_srR68a7puPsdRvqbbYPFuMW0UAm86Hpzyx4NNWtMnepB6XRb5REQ/s1600/November2014_Wedding0482copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1278" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_svbhLeWZLj3TviP8ezAF7Lnsw2QAKU_FXHexH1OpJ_M-GhHYpMwtcBa8e51xH0XfpEDG2EWOpCzjlQLfdIIIh8_srR68a7puPsdRvqbbYPFuMW0UAm86Hpzyx4NNWtMnepB6XRb5REQ/s400/November2014_Wedding0482copy.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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We seriously laugh all the time...then and now!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8g91p6-utRpDFrwII3qbcmH4geNniSSHu4yuJmquZgY-5wUi4LgeuPrdlEIbTpoQwqG-urWVmMEY-2p9jbB_uv6lnm_W4q5UcPk6zyIY7SJSVKKfck0A11JQUAE9k4mHSvwK6egpDz8/s1600/November2014_Wedding0495copy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8g91p6-utRpDFrwII3qbcmH4geNniSSHu4yuJmquZgY-5wUi4LgeuPrdlEIbTpoQwqG-urWVmMEY-2p9jbB_uv6lnm_W4q5UcPk6zyIY7SJSVKKfck0A11JQUAE9k4mHSvwK6egpDz8/s400/November2014_Wedding0495copy+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I look at my hunk like this then and now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpnBZfgJmZZjo7VHld-2odYZ47uwofEMHk50RB8bRx0a_iP4s7UgRA-vwImJggB4wUA9mwwQZlNFY3yhrMVRYrtlWuJ4K_uOLaatGX6Xq1sYU83dPY2Nd8ukadEpvfHC3sqFB0LqXmNs/s1600/November2014_Wedding0467.November2014_Wedding223031+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpnBZfgJmZZjo7VHld-2odYZ47uwofEMHk50RB8bRx0a_iP4s7UgRA-vwImJggB4wUA9mwwQZlNFY3yhrMVRYrtlWuJ4K_uOLaatGX6Xq1sYU83dPY2Nd8ukadEpvfHC3sqFB0LqXmNs/s400/November2014_Wedding0467.November2014_Wedding223031+3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Deliriously happy...still am!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI7evAIU6RiF_2jBHm07KoJJlVBgYHPFHCDIvOqG9kcD0TZrXDGwQw7uSof_4wZ_xUXq3EPcXBWbfxL5wlsqZslBjSggbYQgVKthk_HX-jsSWnQzgEfhyc-D2SVSUaiZNxZbhYSKVhVA/s1600/November2014_Wedding8037copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI7evAIU6RiF_2jBHm07KoJJlVBgYHPFHCDIvOqG9kcD0TZrXDGwQw7uSof_4wZ_xUXq3EPcXBWbfxL5wlsqZslBjSggbYQgVKthk_HX-jsSWnQzgEfhyc-D2SVSUaiZNxZbhYSKVhVA/s400/November2014_Wedding8037copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hubba! </div>
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He's like a fine wine, better with age! </div>
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(at least that's what they say. I don't know 'cause I don't drink)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43DoBJC4CoXO_aDHjiNYaXDrNSPwoZfVZ9BFv_jv2SwxEbxYvd1Sm8DI8n53MAJWGlzScrBdOpsXsPRnTqPY0GdUEIuntr2q4FkIkASRwwsf8yuzDyOSLBYcRc_kzapywadndP_eGHbg/s1600/November2014_Wedding8076copy+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43DoBJC4CoXO_aDHjiNYaXDrNSPwoZfVZ9BFv_jv2SwxEbxYvd1Sm8DI8n53MAJWGlzScrBdOpsXsPRnTqPY0GdUEIuntr2q4FkIkASRwwsf8yuzDyOSLBYcRc_kzapywadndP_eGHbg/s400/November2014_Wedding8076copy+3.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Looking toward a bright, happy future!</div>
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Spoiler: It's brighter and happier than I could have ever dreamed!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiG6ukJAdU2JKEaJ5SJKn5-9PpSBMmClstw3vfvT0vbFrL7Rj-z4N5dbgsEfCg2Jj3BV33PxnNth396e0MjBcmzbu601mXDdw0RSRaF7iOixp-MpsAedIRvLGh0g0j5LRp-N1nyL2oZEs/s1600/November2014_Wedding8263copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1600" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiG6ukJAdU2JKEaJ5SJKn5-9PpSBMmClstw3vfvT0vbFrL7Rj-z4N5dbgsEfCg2Jj3BV33PxnNth396e0MjBcmzbu601mXDdw0RSRaF7iOixp-MpsAedIRvLGh0g0j5LRp-N1nyL2oZEs/s400/November2014_Wedding8263copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Da bride and da groom!</div>
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Four years in, and Deek still calls me his bride. </div>
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<happy sigh></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vto9cVJrcyAgZdya2OWBcbkyuZGIlad2YbDZz5d1BK0ZMF5c665k2rA1w9aZKVjwr3rXtUdPkrZKjkbC3suKbObiEs7YTxFyb3sGYsU5HAtHQwhYX_GQu2ta70JNT9pLpdMjo_PvPdA/s1600/2015-11-07_192158047_3EC26_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vto9cVJrcyAgZdya2OWBcbkyuZGIlad2YbDZz5d1BK0ZMF5c665k2rA1w9aZKVjwr3rXtUdPkrZKjkbC3suKbObiEs7YTxFyb3sGYsU5HAtHQwhYX_GQu2ta70JNT9pLpdMjo_PvPdA/s400/2015-11-07_192158047_3EC26_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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First anniversary</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46d9MSxb0Q34l8z_8DKrmqD0E8ki7lgjwY-gxKUTILIOYlvdFO_-FjYrmFbcu-T-whyzGiljgwzVoLwCMMcxSTKqNxiLMGK7Ca_pnAQYkve_O6GyvThKvUovfOyiRE_ggWVWNZqjsGxY/s1600/IMG_9577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="960" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46d9MSxb0Q34l8z_8DKrmqD0E8ki7lgjwY-gxKUTILIOYlvdFO_-FjYrmFbcu-T-whyzGiljgwzVoLwCMMcxSTKqNxiLMGK7Ca_pnAQYkve_O6GyvThKvUovfOyiRE_ggWVWNZqjsGxY/s400/IMG_9577.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Second anniversary</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_HKYFdamhckEzwo5h06VowSWboizqpbLW8H7-sUUf0UQnupU51-_HfDYrhEzbVux84uioJBJ3iPHuUPY5ApNSpghRQwroX-gARNJmBsNcFUAjA-7qMp3UNFNXMPeXQhYaoW7tZyQa0U/s1600/IMG_2649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="640" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_HKYFdamhckEzwo5h06VowSWboizqpbLW8H7-sUUf0UQnupU51-_HfDYrhEzbVux84uioJBJ3iPHuUPY5ApNSpghRQwroX-gARNJmBsNcFUAjA-7qMp3UNFNXMPeXQhYaoW7tZyQa0U/s400/IMG_2649.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Third anniversary </div>
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Yep, that's happy weight, but spoiler...keto cures all. ;)</div>
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We're back to our regular weights again, thank goodness!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfCfwKEoM2dbARaTuhvXph07bhY6C3jgN_x0l0yjWFRjSFAMdKUIpMU3WHjCOsLyBsNccU_UAkHO9C7Oim9Rp4uR01tbuMEwLF9Du5bwn9PLW4x5hl7MVvyl8tq5TQIBNE1Qfo26ueO0/s1600/IMG_2650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfCfwKEoM2dbARaTuhvXph07bhY6C3jgN_x0l0yjWFRjSFAMdKUIpMU3WHjCOsLyBsNccU_UAkHO9C7Oim9Rp4uR01tbuMEwLF9Du5bwn9PLW4x5hl7MVvyl8tq5TQIBNE1Qfo26ueO0/s400/IMG_2650.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
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We haven't done fourth anniversary pics yet, </div>
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but here's one from this weekend.</div>
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Let me tell you, these past four years have truly been the most glorious of my life. I loved Deek like crazy when we got married, but I love him even more now. We have fought battles side-by-side, gone on some serious adventures, laughed until our stomachs hurt (which is often), sung at the top of our lungs, danced under the stars, and a million other precious moments that make this bond between us even deeper.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0Q0avBHW25GDJX9PXJFBF1PAdgf7K77PHRlTtNzqCmGgPm0eIbNWOiZcY4YdLhiq5ME9Oqq1-U1C0e3-SYq4Z8tiyCLnEoevedFkQ8W9LVp9_fyD9kyaiscRICSGR0LByzWF6aZTz3Q/s1600/IMG_3054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1600" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0Q0avBHW25GDJX9PXJFBF1PAdgf7K77PHRlTtNzqCmGgPm0eIbNWOiZcY4YdLhiq5ME9Oqq1-U1C0e3-SYq4Z8tiyCLnEoevedFkQ8W9LVp9_fyD9kyaiscRICSGR0LByzWF6aZTz3Q/s400/IMG_3054.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIru6yCTz5EUWm3-0Vv-WUdikreyRXK6MFGDQCwg5bggItoodneYSFRhGZ9wuP1p_wtarw1w6yK28Phn-zNQCvAXrkJl8rJeht7NYx9JxTpd8m75p9T54ipoYqeme353bbSStmDO6gHaY/s1600/IMG_4243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIru6yCTz5EUWm3-0Vv-WUdikreyRXK6MFGDQCwg5bggItoodneYSFRhGZ9wuP1p_wtarw1w6yK28Phn-zNQCvAXrkJl8rJeht7NYx9JxTpd8m75p9T54ipoYqeme353bbSStmDO6gHaY/s400/IMG_4243.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMibsoCmaqRAJhtn5MrW0zxALwe_-BEYl-vaYAzQpmYpFj8C0RMb66ILipVLXiCz2rXXaFBWglm32FKCWNkbrb_lnhgEYz1vx41TRZ4dyWYVN-C2RvkH4kysXzxS2uzlcd5xpio3hHUQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.22.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1600" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMibsoCmaqRAJhtn5MrW0zxALwe_-BEYl-vaYAzQpmYpFj8C0RMb66ILipVLXiCz2rXXaFBWglm32FKCWNkbrb_lnhgEYz1vx41TRZ4dyWYVN-C2RvkH4kysXzxS2uzlcd5xpio3hHUQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.22.10+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSNpIhh_L5anNphGPNh8jZ1luNd8kEIj2oHqIm8GNNaVYzM5C3UeQN7FV99tbzNmEE-g_fqC5tczC1kxK5ulqHHx3O6FRPaRdBFNeebiAF8BOf8gbngMXGuc1-6Dh_LjB8xu6fQQPmN4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.23.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="1002" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSNpIhh_L5anNphGPNh8jZ1luNd8kEIj2oHqIm8GNNaVYzM5C3UeQN7FV99tbzNmEE-g_fqC5tczC1kxK5ulqHHx3O6FRPaRdBFNeebiAF8BOf8gbngMXGuc1-6Dh_LjB8xu6fQQPmN4/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.23.41+AM.png" width="296" /></a></div>
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When Deek and I first decided to consider dating, I was a romance cynic. Events in my life had led me to conclude that neither selfless, unconditional love nor soulmates existed. In fact, I told Deek not to bother falling in love with me (isn't that charming?) because I'd been through enough in my life to *know* that good men existed only in books and movies, not in reality. </div>
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Yeah, imagine trying to woo that. But Deek was up for the challenge.</div>
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He showed me that good men--wonderful men--exist here in the real world. He melted my frozen heart and turned me into a sappy pile of blubbering romantic goo. I believe, y'all. In love. In soulmates. In forever. In good men. In happy marriages. All of it. He made me a believer!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn7k1NsLRRQNURulr1HKjStv03e696jn8SfYNP7uxXWwWQx1CanLiEBvGBfQMhYf0rhqeOKVFmU2URfrlCqGzveGZIPQ7keYYc_MfXrVrTzWpBdE6jCu6SdQu9wUWuF6rfDuyrLa5UB8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.30.51+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1456" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAn7k1NsLRRQNURulr1HKjStv03e696jn8SfYNP7uxXWwWQx1CanLiEBvGBfQMhYf0rhqeOKVFmU2URfrlCqGzveGZIPQ7keYYc_MfXrVrTzWpBdE6jCu6SdQu9wUWuF6rfDuyrLa5UB8/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.30.51+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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He's my best friend, my true partner, my rock, my love, and yes...my soulmate. When we started talking about dating, we both sat down and went over our lists of things we could and could not accept in a relationship, and they matched. Perfectly. Like we were made for each other, and I truly believe we were.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASR2qbojG9VbVf3QeomwLb96JwFzooDLqWtjkWcolIpe2evWdssI8ijXaC1TvyzZN-kIQ224V0x5QuMKC-Pn964UC3QvGB_YBUmCMVgPBq_I6Ufike5HEi2uq-1NoIB989zs8hqYR5rE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.31.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="1316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASR2qbojG9VbVf3QeomwLb96JwFzooDLqWtjkWcolIpe2evWdssI8ijXaC1TvyzZN-kIQ224V0x5QuMKC-Pn964UC3QvGB_YBUmCMVgPBq_I6Ufike5HEi2uq-1NoIB989zs8hqYR5rE/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.31.41+AM.png" width="386" /></a></div>
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I am happier than I had any idea a person could be. Every day, I wake up to Deek's smile, and every night, I go to sleep in his arms. He's my everything; my dream come true. </div>
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It just keeps getting better!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp1HgkC2tAOfAS0U9uu-8GdImi5HC0ZUbgwXcGfREemAA3kBY4P7mbjdRQMIj_bP6Mu5wPuT74WRgCyGTpG-CeHa-D-iraUrT7qaBNk-yzwa2H_XIsxVQ_73O9BKGoadEQvwoUFw-d1c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.35.05+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="1058" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp1HgkC2tAOfAS0U9uu-8GdImi5HC0ZUbgwXcGfREemAA3kBY4P7mbjdRQMIj_bP6Mu5wPuT74WRgCyGTpG-CeHa-D-iraUrT7qaBNk-yzwa2H_XIsxVQ_73O9BKGoadEQvwoUFw-d1c/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-11-07+at+1.35.05+AM.png" width="348" /></a></div>
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My love, here's to four more, and four more, and four more, and four more... How about forever and always and then some?</div>
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Happy Anniversary to my amazing, loving, funny, kind, giving, over-the-top in the best possible way husband! I adore you more than words could ever say, and I'm honored to get to spend my life with you!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEj2u0nm-BptTxns_OFP14X3LC84EvPYjTlYQKFLtcji7sZmJtf5HYePdcmOLhozVZlZcb4AR2Xwbsw84flG6CqAyAl13pVNYkWzPX_It7eBH8ZoZEHz671HnINQk7DZkYO4X0_6kyBY/s1600/IMG_2655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEj2u0nm-BptTxns_OFP14X3LC84EvPYjTlYQKFLtcji7sZmJtf5HYePdcmOLhozVZlZcb4AR2Xwbsw84flG6CqAyAl13pVNYkWzPX_It7eBH8ZoZEHz671HnINQk7DZkYO4X0_6kyBY/s400/IMG_2655.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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#Always</div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-39213047604110298112018-10-25T11:39:00.000-04:002018-10-25T11:39:37.462-04:00Rhew The Nation -- The Southwest -- Roswell, NMObviously, our southwestern portion of the trip had a theme--cowboys and aliens. LOL! So, naturally after we left Tombstone, we headed to Roswell, New Mexico. We spent so much time in Tombstone that we didn't roll into Roswell until pretty late that night, so we saved our exploring for the next day.<br />
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Join us as we visit with aliens!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrIE65yOr-WJAEuI2gk_mJPnxLsR1bgzRC5ULxWbGGZThT3QA4yWqKYokKlvc9sqZU0J4_JwX4Vxrk6gsFWqxl7WhGQLZQGxS59c3NqJUfa5dQdqseOcJF5gfF0u40DCw1jOJ8aAq6eA/s1600/IMG_6458.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrIE65yOr-WJAEuI2gk_mJPnxLsR1bgzRC5ULxWbGGZThT3QA4yWqKYokKlvc9sqZU0J4_JwX4Vxrk6gsFWqxl7WhGQLZQGxS59c3NqJUfa5dQdqseOcJF5gfF0u40DCw1jOJ8aAq6eA/s400/IMG_6458.heic" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_HBqV_Vq6lkv4OB4tUbR61suN5RjY56EX-pSYwKEXF1U-M4ASxno4FQqc0j9dpAfINKNsWhAy7ARRQwT8E7-A7y1XW-IWVbGa7dyWm7LXlF767Eqrdhct8qgU-QWoA4YdFazA19G8_w/s1600/IMG_9926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_HBqV_Vq6lkv4OB4tUbR61suN5RjY56EX-pSYwKEXF1U-M4ASxno4FQqc0j9dpAfINKNsWhAy7ARRQwT8E7-A7y1XW-IWVbGa7dyWm7LXlF767Eqrdhct8qgU-QWoA4YdFazA19G8_w/s400/IMG_9926.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Yep, Gus was back in the stroller. </div>
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But he could come into the museum in it, so winning!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdGa8nPkH39nkQdTWNUvagrMKsWzggx9-5PbAEz5mJTRDLq488yohqCxCq1yPInPzp7o9CDjlGz2hWmwggZ2nQBcbr4CXXbQBb-6j9Dz2SovOEovUUasrjfbYzSH6gDJhWvMCaZaWITY/s1600/IMG_9945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdGa8nPkH39nkQdTWNUvagrMKsWzggx9-5PbAEz5mJTRDLq488yohqCxCq1yPInPzp7o9CDjlGz2hWmwggZ2nQBcbr4CXXbQBb-6j9Dz2SovOEovUUasrjfbYzSH6gDJhWvMCaZaWITY/s400/IMG_9945.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gus doesn't know what to think of his new babysitter! LOL!</div>
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Weekend at Bernie's, alien edition.</div>
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This is one of my most favorite pics. LOL!</div>
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Honestly y'all, I expected a *lot* more out of Roswell. I've heard about Roswell my whole life, and I was so stoked to go. If you're known for aliens, I feel like you should embrace that mess and go all out alien. But Roswell didn't really. There were a few museums and shops, but overall, it looked like most other towns. As we alway do, we made it fun, but we were disappointed in Roswell.</div>
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Then we headed to Texas. Wow, Texas freakin' rocks! We drove through lots of scrubby brush nothingness in New Mexico, and then all of a sudden--I'm talking as soon as we crossed the state lines--we saw green, lush farmlands in Texas. The difference was like night and day. We are absolutely planning another trip to Texas because we only grazed the tip this time. We want to see all the awesomeness Texas has to offer. Of course, we jammed out to the obligatory "God Blessed Texas" by Little Texas once we entered the state. </div>
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Lawd have mercy.</div>
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They sure did have a purty rest stop!</div>
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And soon after that, we were in Oklahoma, our destination for that evening.</div>
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Next time, I'll tell you about the awesome surprise that is Broken Arrow, Oklahoma! Until next time, adventure on!</div>
<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-57075797060586741712018-10-17T12:01:00.002-04:002018-10-17T17:48:07.188-04:00Rhew The Nation -- The Southwest -- Tombstone, AZWelcome back to Rhew The Nation! Today, I get to talk about one of my most favorite parts of the trip. I thought I'd like Vegas much more than I did, but I didn't know what to expect with the next part of the trip. Let me just say it was even better than I imagined!<br />
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Bye, Nevada! Hello, Arizona!</div>
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A little backstory: <i>Tombstone</i> is one of my most favorite movies EVER! My dad and I have seen it at least forty times. Every time it came on TV, we'd watched it. It didn't matter if it was a school night or whatever, my dad would let me stay up until the wee hours so we could enjoy the movie together again. When we see each other now, he always quotes a line from this movie to me. It's just our "thing."</div>
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Also, in high school and college, I did a lot of research and history papers specifically on Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. I'm fascinated by their friendship.</div>
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And, my whole life, I've had a huge crush on Val Kilmer. In fact, my friends joke that I am skilled at turning any conversation around to be about Val Kilmer. Though I'm not biased (yeah, right), I think his best role was Doc Holliday. I mean, he knocked it out of the park!! </div>
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So, my wonderful, sweet, thoughtful husband rearranged the whole second half of our trip so he could take me to Tombstone, Arizona!! He knows how much I love the movie and the history, and he knows how much I love the story of Doc Holliday (and Val Kilmer). </div>
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On the way to Tombstone, we stopped in Phoenix at an In and Out Burgers (my first time eating there), but they weren't very in and out. Deek went inside to order, and I stayed outside with the dog. While out there, I saw the cops chase down a guy who was trying to steal something from a local store. Needless to say, I was ready to get out of there. The bunless burgers were pretty good though.</div>
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Unamused with how *not* in and out In and Out was.</div>
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On the super cool side of things, Tombstone is pretty close to the Mexican border. So, while we were driving that evening, we watched this massive thunderstorm off to the side. And it was *in* Mexico! I thought it was so amazing to get to see a storm in another freakin' country!!</div>
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And then we arrived in the place I'd been longing to see...Tombstone, AZ! It was like they knew I was coming because the hotel put us in the Doc Holliday building! <3 <3</div>
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YAY! The Doc Holliday building!</div>
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Plus, our bathroom doors were saloon doors! YAS!</div>
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Gus is tuckered out from his long day.</div>
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The next morning, we got up bright and early to see everything there was to see in Tombstone, AZ! Let me start by saying for as pet un-friendly as Vegas was, Tombstone was the opposite. They *love* pets in Tombstone. The only thing Gus couldn't come to was the reenactment because they're afraid the gunshots will alarm animals, which is reasonable. But little Gus was treated like a king. He was allowed in the restaurants, and he even got to enjoy a little doggie ice cream!<br />
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The hotel offered free home-cooked, made-to-order breakfast! </div>
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And it was goooood!</div>
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Deek took me to an OK Corral reenactment, and we got to meet the actors after the show!</div>
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I may have fangirled over this sign!</div>
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Lunch at the Crystal Palace</div>
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He looked more Neo than Wyatt Earp. LOL!</div>
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DOC HOLLIDAY! <3</div>
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Gus enjoying his doggie ice cream.</div>
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Yes, our dog is in a stroller. LOL! Here's the story on that...When we said we were going to the Southwest, everyone said we needed to get a dog stroller for Gus because the heat in the Southwest would make the streets so hot they'd burn Guster's feet. </div>
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Well, here's the irony: 90 was the highest temp we saw throughout the *whole* Southwest. It's hotter than that where we live in the South. In fact, we didn't encounter real heat until we got to Arkansas. But anyhoo, we did our due diligence and put Gus in a stroller to protect his little paws. ;) </div>
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If you've ever seen the movie <i>Tombstone</i>, you'll recognize this from the opening!</div>
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This is in the Boothill Graveyard. </div>
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You can bring your dog, but you have to carry him/her because of scorpions. I kid you not.</div>
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My husband is completely and totally the BEST! I had an *amazing, amazing* time in Tombstone. It was definitely a highlight of the trip. I got to walk the same streets that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday once did. I got to stand in the Birdcage Theater and eat at the Crystal Palace. And Deek made all that happen for me.</div>
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I am beyond thankful to my sweetheart, and I'm so grateful I got to be a part of living history. If you ever get the change to visit Tombstone, go! It totally exceeded my expectations!</div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-34849492070979007492018-10-10T11:00:00.000-04:002018-10-11T00:50:36.209-04:00Rhew The Nation -- The Southwest -- Las VegasAfter <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/10/rhew-nation-southwest-area-51.html" target="_blank">Area 51 and the Extraterrestrial Highway</a>, we headed toward Las Vegas. I've heard about it all my life but never been there.<br />
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I'm going to be totally honest, Vegas is not my bag. Don't get me wrong. I love big cities, crowds, and chaos. New York City is one of my most favorite places in the world, and I'd live there in a heartbeat if I could. But for some reason, Vegas just did not do it for me. Even so, as we do with all things, Deek and I had a blast together!</div>
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It was high carb day, so we got our special Starbucks drinks!</div>
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I think that's the fanciest surroundings I've ever had a SB drink in. ;) </div>
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Backstreet's Back, Alright!</div>
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So, as you can probably imagine, Vegas is not very dog-friendly. But we had taken little Gus with us across the country, so he had to come to Vegas too. Most hotels are like $30 a night to reel you in (but there are other hidden fees, so beware), but the pet fees are like $200! Before we went, we called around and found out that the pet fees at Planet Hollywood were the most reasonable--basically the same as most hotels--so we stayed there. **Note--if you stay there, the hotel parking is about a mile from the hotel, so be prepared to hoof it with all your stuff or wait half the day in the pickup/drop off line. We opted to hoof it, so thank goodness we'd done all that minimalist packing for the trip!**</div>
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The bathroom was HUGE!</div>
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Our hotel was attached to the Miracle Mile Shops, so we explored there first.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I'd seen videos on Facebook about Pinup Pizza, the biggest slice on the strip. So, we saved our high carb day for Vegas specifically to eat a slice of that pizza. It was *huge*!!</span></div>
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Look at the size of the sausages on Deek's slice!!</div>
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Then we headed out onto the strip.</div>
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I love New York... ;) </div>
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Greek mythology--be still my heart!</div>
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Percy's Daddy...</div>
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Once we left Vegas, we saw the famous Lake Mead and went on the Hoover Dam!</div>
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The water is a gorgeous color!</div>
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I was a little bummed that the time in that part of Nevada and Arizona was the same. It would have been fun to have clocks with two different times. Alas...</div>
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Stay tuned for my next post because I talk about the special trip Deek planned just for me. It was a DREAM come true! <3 <3 <3 </div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-69895994667377626552018-10-03T13:22:00.001-04:002018-10-03T13:23:24.849-04:00Rhew The Nation -- The Southwest -- Area 51Y'all, sorry there's been such a gap between postings. It seems like this time of year just gets away from you. Starting in September, it's a mad rush to get to the New Year, and then you're stuck in the frozen, gray, boringness of January and February. ;)<br />
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If you need to catch up:<br />
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<a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-keto-trip-planning.html" target="_blank">Keto Trip Planning </a>(we *lost* weight on vacation!)<br />
<a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-organizing-cross-country.html" target="_blank">Organizing The Car for a Cross-Country Trip</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-days-1-and-2.html" target="_blank">Days 1 & 2</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/08/rhew-nation-days-3-4-and-5.html" target="_blank">Days 3, 4, & 5</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/08/rhew-nation-pacific-northwest.html" target="_blank">The Pacific Northwest Part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/08/rhew-nation-pacific-northwest-part-2.html" target="_blank">The Pacific Northwest Part 2</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/09/rhew-nation-pacific-northwest-part-3.html" target="_blank">The Pacific Northwest Part 3</a><br />
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We said goodbye to our friends and family in the Pacific Northwest and headed back across the country. This time, for the first time, we took the Southwest route. We were excited because we'd never been that way before and because Deek had planned an extra special stop in Arizona just for me!<br />
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If you've never been to the Pacific Northwest, do yourself a favor and go.</div>
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It's beyond gorgeous!</div>
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Riding off into the sunset to Nevada!</div>
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Both Deek and I really wanted to travel along the Extraterrestrial Highway and go to Area 51. We did a lot of research beforehand, and there are some specific rules about it. </div>
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First, you definitely want to stop in the town of Tonopah before you turn onto the Extraterrestrial Highway. If you don't, you might just run out of gas in the middle of nowhere between Tonopah and Vegas. </div>
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There is a whole lot of this...</div>
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Rachel, Nevada--home of Area 51.</div>
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Did I mention it's windy there?</div>
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PS. There are no gas stations in this town, hence Tonopah...</div>
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There is a small restaurant with a bathroom though!</div>
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Deek is thrilled to be headed down the long road to Area 51.</div>
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When you get the Rachel, NV, stop and ask the locals about the process for getting to Area 51</div>
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and the procedures once you're there. There are rules, and you'll want to follow them.</div>
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It *is* an active military installation after all.</div>
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We made it!</div>
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Venturing a little closer. </div>
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We've seen these signs in pictures all of our lives (lifetime of sci-fi geekdom), </div>
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so it was a little surreal to see them live!</div>
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Next, we headed down to the Alien Research Center in Hiko, NV.</div>
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Sometimes it's open, and sometimes it's not.</div>
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We got lucky!</div>
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We survived!</div>
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Don't mind Deek...he's just hanging out with aliens.</div>
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Alien photo shoot.</div>
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After getting our fill of sci-fi nerdom, we headed on to Las Vegas, NV. And that's a whole other blog post, so stay tuned! ;) </div>
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Thankfully, it was high carb day, </div>
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so we got fancy Starbucks in Vegas. ;) </div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-16816975297150503832018-09-16T13:09:00.000-04:002018-09-16T13:17:35.610-04:00Rhew The Nation -- The Pacific Northwest -- Part 3I am a Southern girl, and right now, the South is and has been battered by Hurricane Florence. If you can find ways to donate money, time, or supplies to the people of North and South Carolina, Deek and I would greatly appreciate it!<br />
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Jensen Ackles and his wife Danneel are planning a trip to the Carolinas to help. You can get more information on Danneel's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnyujXqhHj1/?hl=en&taken-by=danneelackles512" target="_blank">instagram</a>.<br />
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With all this destruction and devastation happening in my part of the country, it's nice to travel back to the Pacific Northwest, Deek's part of the country, and remember the fun we had there. If you'll recall, we travelled by car across the nation, nearly coast to coast. We had great adventures along the way and then stopped in the PNW for a week to spend time with family and friends.<br />
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Deek's wonderful parents wanted to take us on a cruise tour around the Columbia Gorge. They originally wanted to do a dinner cruise, but since I'm lactose intolerant and Deek and I are on keto, they switched to a brunch cruise because we could eat more!<br />
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The boat -- The Sternwheeler</div>
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Someone cut Bigfoot's head out of the picture. LOL!</div>
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Ready to ride!</div>
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Amazing scenery!</div>
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I adore Deek's dad. They are so much alike--funny, thoughtful, and so loving!</div>
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That evening, we had dinner with Deek's best friends from childhood. He has known these men most of his life, and I love how their friendship has survived and thrived despite the miles and all life can throw at people.</div>
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We caught up with them and their lovely wives, laughed, and reminisced. I am truly amazed that Deek and his friends survived childhood with all the stunts they pulled. LOL!</div>
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The three amigos!</div>
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The next day, our last full day in the Pacific Northwest, Deek took me on a date to our favorite Chinese restaurant again to get the amazing beef schezwan we cannot find anywhere else.</div>
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So yummy!</div>
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And yes, I'm wearing a huge sweater in July because it's cold in the PNW...</div>
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That evening, his parents threw us a big going away party. We had tons of friends and family show up! It was lovely to see everyone and get to hang out with people who have come to mean so much to us. And y'all, let me brag on Deek's parents. They really put out an amazing spread and kindly opened their home to a bunch of people they didn't know. All for us. We are so incredibly grateful! <3</div>
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Christine--the officiant at our wedding!</div>
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Deek has known these two amazing women for a very long time!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyOuRFlt3S8EsTiH3MT2rOEt2I_Ty-3N8erAVO4LIp0Fn6PkHFmqeW2d0REZDfBAGSYtgCzPlu7wljCYSDRgzTtOGQfZkJoSinVqTAsgU1KJ9BeJHYbiAN5aETBmD3KExy15C74QfQwY/s1600/IMG_6285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="1600" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyOuRFlt3S8EsTiH3MT2rOEt2I_Ty-3N8erAVO4LIp0Fn6PkHFmqeW2d0REZDfBAGSYtgCzPlu7wljCYSDRgzTtOGQfZkJoSinVqTAsgU1KJ9BeJHYbiAN5aETBmD3KExy15C74QfQwY/s400/IMG_6285.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My favorite part of this picture (besides Angie's lovely face) is Deek's mom grinning in the background! I loved how much fun she and Deek's dad had with our friends!! <3</div>
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Paula Brotherton, folks. She makes me laugh until my sides hurt.</div>
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And she's an amazing <a href="https://www.remax.com/realestateagentoffice/oregoncity-or-97045-paulabrotherton-id28571866.html" target="_blank">real estate agent</a> in the Portland area!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPBwV0BpsdqEie3MfM8q9VTJCwLgXpZNEdLG2jJDAXbLB9JBQTt8tGE66Nj-6u4axgt6WitutljPp3pOaWyMAUS6hKWFI2VNjUuy0oz1nlV_rAG3pjmuaWVarkd995XSlH4_BwKPZfD0/s1600/IMG_9486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPBwV0BpsdqEie3MfM8q9VTJCwLgXpZNEdLG2jJDAXbLB9JBQTt8tGE66Nj-6u4axgt6WitutljPp3pOaWyMAUS6hKWFI2VNjUuy0oz1nlV_rAG3pjmuaWVarkd995XSlH4_BwKPZfD0/s400/IMG_9486.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We love these folks. </div>
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We've vacationed with them and always have such a fun time together!</div>
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And in the blink of an eye, our time in the Pacific Northwest came to a close. After a tearful goodbye to our friends and family, we headed on back toward the East Coast. But since we'd done the northern route many times, we decided to try our hand at the southern route--Vegas, Tombstone, Area 51, Roswell. Yeah, it ROCKED! Stay tuned for more on the southern portion of our trip across America!</div>
<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-57802329133901056662018-08-27T12:39:00.001-04:002018-08-27T18:27:40.545-04:00Rhew The Nation -- The Pacific Northwest -- Part 2So, quick recap, Deek and I traveled clear across the country, nearly from sea to shining sea. We stopped for a week in the gorgeous PNW to visit with family and friends. Deek's thoughtful parents decided to take us to several touristy places we missed while we lived in the PNW.<br />
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We made it to Mt. St. Helen when we lived there,</div>
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but Deek had never gone until he took me!</div>
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It's funny. When you live somewhere, you think you have all this time to do and see all your local stuff. But then you move, and you realize there's *so* much you didn't do. It's interesting for me to return back to my home in the South and realize there's tons of things I haven't done here. Deek and I are slowly working down that list so we don't get to the vagabond stage of our lives and realize we missed a bunch of stuff right in this general area. ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBj_fts_ZuWuJyVvoA-xEmC_JKNmR8at6AE5uLKAnD_S18Gb-J0wD8vju1KT6s5p1sng_im6gBTAe1iZkmgaYliQGL5XkhxvUpQ1DOsYzH3WuEeMLrlSaz0lWq2u2JWQSGVbRTvB3K9uo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-26+at+2.46.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="936" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBj_fts_ZuWuJyVvoA-xEmC_JKNmR8at6AE5uLKAnD_S18Gb-J0wD8vju1KT6s5p1sng_im6gBTAe1iZkmgaYliQGL5XkhxvUpQ1DOsYzH3WuEeMLrlSaz0lWq2u2JWQSGVbRTvB3K9uo/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-08-26+at+2.46.55+PM.png" width="297" /></a></div>
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And we've been to DC, which is a short train ride up the East Coast.</div>
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We want to take Deek's parents here though </div>
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because they've never been (and his dad is retired military!)</div>
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So, even though Deek's parents were on a quest to take us to visit the new and unseen, we did spend a day in touring our old haunts in Portland. You can't go to the PNW without visiting Portland. <3<br />
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First, they took us the Pittock Mansion, which I had never been to.<br />
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Um, wow.</div>
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Although, I do prefer our small townhome...just sayin'. </div>
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Dude! This view!! <3</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvQKirSehT0VhzK4mrISnuan_NaZv4VR_KoE7QtpVe-p8bb5JJj2Zqq2ElrLxGcQZ6wAdi6wEur7JEQ9oMf-y2NxlaQqGJfOwGxf7pm4b8Abj8kluaWQS5EfxbELopBuQtgBIP6IAbds/s1600/IMG_9339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvQKirSehT0VhzK4mrISnuan_NaZv4VR_KoE7QtpVe-p8bb5JJj2Zqq2ElrLxGcQZ6wAdi6wEur7JEQ9oMf-y2NxlaQqGJfOwGxf7pm4b8Abj8kluaWQS5EfxbELopBuQtgBIP6IAbds/s400/IMG_9339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The ceiling...as regular folk have ceilings... ;) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fDktGxMuPLc883Ztz1ZZoDq48RB0vcPX-b5x2KghNvq_8V9-XFATQNDZ5XlOgOtpRyAYDgICTKv61TfNbF-epFf7tXLjeoxH2jAfZgBjviaQQ6qyu_Bc3Q2vo5S3JAstn-Z7Z1Sbgnc/s1600/IMG_6167+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fDktGxMuPLc883Ztz1ZZoDq48RB0vcPX-b5x2KghNvq_8V9-XFATQNDZ5XlOgOtpRyAYDgICTKv61TfNbF-epFf7tXLjeoxH2jAfZgBjviaQQ6qyu_Bc3Q2vo5S3JAstn-Z7Z1Sbgnc/s400/IMG_6167+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The view from the kitchen! Whoa!</div>
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Then, we drove down the mountain into the heart of the city.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqsVJgbJsYt4jaRS0aP5mR9M86qExzaiHyq4LnFwQSyU95Y0DgeXfc7KXVQ_luccmECXlCXSI3rUjp5Bizd80_JEU9skd7DcOP_iSD2E4T9SZU1Zq-FiIWbhKZUlLzegwZXbHlXSIWRw/s1600/IMG_6170.HEIC+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1600" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqsVJgbJsYt4jaRS0aP5mR9M86qExzaiHyq4LnFwQSyU95Y0DgeXfc7KXVQ_luccmECXlCXSI3rUjp5Bizd80_JEU9skd7DcOP_iSD2E4T9SZU1Zq-FiIWbhKZUlLzegwZXbHlXSIWRw/s400/IMG_6170.HEIC+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A must-see in Portland, always.</div>
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Especially for two authors!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKPI0ayPoyEEtb-kdxXOEQQaze2Qp4q2K9UpiGOSHAnmURDYFZeSOdQOuaT01sWmNy5aBYld54Nd4YuqQZi4doDS6Wo92cdwDUkKTI8xI50FenotJmhukvpwZfMgzXE0RlbocteGjmVw/s1600/IMG_6186+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKPI0ayPoyEEtb-kdxXOEQQaze2Qp4q2K9UpiGOSHAnmURDYFZeSOdQOuaT01sWmNy5aBYld54Nd4YuqQZi4doDS6Wo92cdwDUkKTI8xI50FenotJmhukvpwZfMgzXE0RlbocteGjmVw/s400/IMG_6186+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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No trip is complete without Voodoo Donuts!</div>
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Coffin of donuts, anyone?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9tClAD8gQaPOh1n6EKqr4tSjhVpD87R_wxUO-cNbfkfgXSwK1sU1-uf_fhfGKiKq5sgJzXsojz2qCS3AiuV8IX4Qm50IPJ_R6bnHQ15p4cpViNGN2G0KAsOGY2cEas6AC6XsDxM_wI4/s1600/IMG_6181+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9tClAD8gQaPOh1n6EKqr4tSjhVpD87R_wxUO-cNbfkfgXSwK1sU1-uf_fhfGKiKq5sgJzXsojz2qCS3AiuV8IX4Qm50IPJ_R6bnHQ15p4cpViNGN2G0KAsOGY2cEas6AC6XsDxM_wI4/s400/IMG_6181+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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And we took in the sights at Pioneer Place.</div>
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This shirt is everything.</div>
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LOL!</div>
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I loved it when Deek did it, but I SO loved when his mom did!</div>
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Such fun! <3</div>
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Sellwood Bridge</div>
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Deek and I went to the grand opening of the new one several years ago.</div>
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And, as with most new bridge openings, someone drove into the bike lane...</div>
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<a href="https://bikeportland.org/2016/03/01/new-sellwood-bridge-opens-with-a-dang-176542">https://bikeportland.org/2016/03/01/new-sellwood-bridge-opens-with-a-dang-176542</a></div>
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Me and Deek watching the Willamette. </div>
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That's Will-am-it, not Willa-met-tee, for those who "ain't from around here."</div>
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The next day, his parents took us to the Japanese Gardens, a place I've never been to and where Deek hasn't been since the remodel. Parking is a nightmare up there, and some jerk weasel tried to park in a non-space behind us. In his haste, he bumped into our car. I leapt out and gave him the what-for because my *family* was in there!! He stupidly said, "Did I hit your car?" DUH! If you can't tell that, you shouldn't be operating a vehicle. Anyhoo, no damage to our car, but he got back in his and stayed there until we'd walked far, far away. Don't mess with Southern girls and their people. We are very family-centric and fiercely protective of our own! ;) </div>
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And, did I mention he parked in a pedestrian crosswalk (a HUGE no-no in pedestrian loving Portland) and got towed off? Yeah and yeah. Boom-shaka-laka. </div>
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After a stressful start, we throughly needed and </div>
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enjoyed the zen-like nature of the Japanese Gardens.</div>
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With more gorgeous views!</div>
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Up next, join Deek, his parents, and me as we take a ride down the Columbia on a riverboat brunch cruise!<br />
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<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-68572826640646094612018-08-14T15:14:00.000-04:002018-08-14T15:14:24.849-04:00Rhew The Nation -- The Pacific Northwest -- Part 1So, Deek and I traveled across the country, almost literally from sea to shining sea. But we stopped our travels to hang out for a week in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest and visit with family and friends. We used to live there, and while we love our life in the South, we do miss so very many things about the PNW.<br />
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Like family! <3</div>
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Deek has the most amazing parents, and I'm so blessed to be part of their family!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLDSHwAq76vyjzwMO7-hbd8yGieGCl3NeuZyi-UTWK1IdlBAbGQ5_UTbLNy29ZkhGekCZRlVtVdWxMVkuQ1kw0VVL3hJIk-7tpRueoPKWcWfDvAgn3AgmlngFUzn8gmRmv_3bk-_Lezw/s1600/IMG_9480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLDSHwAq76vyjzwMO7-hbd8yGieGCl3NeuZyi-UTWK1IdlBAbGQ5_UTbLNy29ZkhGekCZRlVtVdWxMVkuQ1kw0VVL3hJIk-7tpRueoPKWcWfDvAgn3AgmlngFUzn8gmRmv_3bk-_Lezw/s400/IMG_9480.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Like friends!</div>
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I adore Christine's whole vibe--just a super cool person all around! <3</div>
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Like Portland.</div>
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I *really* love Portland.</div>
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We arrived at night and immediately went to eat at Deek's favorite restaurant. We'd saved our keto high carb day especially for that place!</div>
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He may be a little excited! LOL!</div>
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The next day, we decided to explore our little town to see what had changed since we lived there. In the two years since we lived there, several different places have come and gone--some for the betterment of the town and some not. And while we were out, we *had* to eat at our favorite Chinese joint. We've tried and tried to find Schezuan beef as good as this in the South, but we have not been able to. :( </div>
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After two years of waiting...</div>
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Of course we got Dutch Bros! </div>
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Come to the East Coast, please!!</div>
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And we took a little boat ride.</div>
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The PNW has lots of water! ;) </div>
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The next day was the 4th of July! It's the second year in a row we've spent the 4th with Deek's parents, despite living 3,000 miles apart!! How cool is that?!?</div>
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Deek and his dad. Love these two awesome guys!</div>
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Waiting for the parade!</div>
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Holy crow! Our little town has grown a lot!</div>
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We could hardly walk through the festival because the streets were *so* crowded!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdGSfICy9HTj9USYNZLF-rwOSpH0zUL9gc9-XTtixR01UPPUbiwvc6k8XFMETPFqNkfZEX5nJ3e4Oj0ajORvkE8oNIW-5X91u_m2K6Utmb5nsea6zjTcPObwVyC6VLpZvN7sV2vKlKhM/s1600/IMG_6119+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdGSfICy9HTj9USYNZLF-rwOSpH0zUL9gc9-XTtixR01UPPUbiwvc6k8XFMETPFqNkfZEX5nJ3e4Oj0ajORvkE8oNIW-5X91u_m2K6Utmb5nsea6zjTcPObwVyC6VLpZvN7sV2vKlKhM/s400/IMG_6119+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is how I always look at this man--with complete adoration!</div>
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I am the luckiest woman in the world! <3</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2EhbxqFvjXOtHVs6kKFDy_TSwrdecnviBdZ6uZ_HRkG1Y-jhaIpe4v_Lj7Ue4bKxeDAUkHydvMW_aOuCIRRTSDPeEcQ3E4WADoJ-zyTVRXZ-LV7zM94M013nBVJ22fl2a1y-YBRVM3I/s1600/IMG_6124+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2EhbxqFvjXOtHVs6kKFDy_TSwrdecnviBdZ6uZ_HRkG1Y-jhaIpe4v_Lj7Ue4bKxeDAUkHydvMW_aOuCIRRTSDPeEcQ3E4WADoJ-zyTVRXZ-LV7zM94M013nBVJ22fl2a1y-YBRVM3I/s400/IMG_6124+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And...there's a theme.</div>
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I so love Dutch Bros!</div>
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Fireworks!!</div>
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The next day, Deek's parents took us on the OMSI jet boat ride in downtown Portland. They wanted to take us to the touristy places we never got around to going to when we lived in the PNW. OMG, we had such a good time!!</div>
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Ready to ride!</div>
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Got a little wet.</div>
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I'm glad I brought a sweater because even though it was mid-summer, it was cold on the water!</div>
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I'll be honest, it's something I've never been able to get used to about the PNW. I'm a Southern girl, and it's always hot in the summer. I mean, you might as well walk around on the face of the sun. If you take a boat ride, even the wind it generates is hot. So, this coolness at the beaches and on the water in the PNW throws my mind for a loop. I can't quite wrap my brain around it or get used to it. Who brings a coat to the beach in the summer? Even in a swimsuit, you're likely to burn the blazes up on a Southern beach in the summer. ;) </div>
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Someone's engine caught on fire, so our jet boat became a rescue ship! </div>
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Our captain paused the tour/adventure to tow the man and his family back to shore. </div>
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We were glad to be of assistance!</div>
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Now we're getting soaked!</div>
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My favorite part of this picture is Deek's mom's smile. Makes my heart so happy! <3</div>
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Why did I bother to fix my hair?? Haha!</div>
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Speaking of hair, after the jet boat ride, we headed on over to get my hair dyed. We had a blast chatting it up with "Hair Chick," as we call her, and I walked away with awesome purpliness!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8gaKfS3-DlU5YerN3G6ZukR99KZtr3oVQ7GsRVAWfsFO5cTmYqNcHlAxicSbEuLkRWfmFA09FBaEwhj47uKJYsvXvxbbaahW0XEtZF6RRmj7RkeX6Zu-TbzXKYhDjj2d5Lc0zTfcIYg/s1600/IMG_9316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8gaKfS3-DlU5YerN3G6ZukR99KZtr3oVQ7GsRVAWfsFO5cTmYqNcHlAxicSbEuLkRWfmFA09FBaEwhj47uKJYsvXvxbbaahW0XEtZF6RRmj7RkeX6Zu-TbzXKYhDjj2d5Lc0zTfcIYg/s400/IMG_9316.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sporting the purple look again!</div>
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Stay tuned! We had plenty more adventures in the PNW before we headed back to the East Coast via the southern route!</div>
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<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-26102795074568012202018-08-07T10:28:00.001-04:002018-08-07T10:28:19.654-04:00Rhew The Nation -- Days 3, 4, and 5Welcome back to our Rhew The Nation road trip! I'm photo blogging our trip across the country, complete with Shakespeare! Here's what I've discussed so far: <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-keto-trip-planning.html" target="_blank">how to keto on the road</a>, <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-organizing-cross-country.html" target="_blank">how to organize your car for a cross-country trip</a>, and <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-days-1-and-2.html" target="_blank">Days 1 & 2 of the trip</a>.<br />
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Sit back, grab some tea or coffee, and enjoy this next part of the adventure with us!<br />
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<b><u>Day 3 (Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota)</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhu87IDXBnMJvcEPXlZuRRF2SAkSIDDqXwgHQQSmP453WlP_J0V94MW0lpUkNESOunRVNPH1GY4rnEKFLWpmWb2nXQC4X0QzM5DhUP-wcu2llUYDM7NaiBaJZfHtm3s_ktFfRquk0oXs/s1600/IMG_8906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhu87IDXBnMJvcEPXlZuRRF2SAkSIDDqXwgHQQSmP453WlP_J0V94MW0lpUkNESOunRVNPH1GY4rnEKFLWpmWb2nXQC4X0QzM5DhUP-wcu2llUYDM7NaiBaJZfHtm3s_ktFfRquk0oXs/s400/IMG_8906.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Coolest decor at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Independence, MO!</div>
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Gus is ready for another adventure!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTCZJ_eBAUSfJd2ho4oc-EXzEorHpveQo-abFyqpua9O_Rf33GbhpUw1sUT6tgygqiG3h70ZPsoTCV_Mm8LHJjMTCn7JQzjoAkqNk8vdhMgMX4pbwewD6jdf_IQVx-N1xkU8iw662tRM/s1600/IMG_8945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTCZJ_eBAUSfJd2ho4oc-EXzEorHpveQo-abFyqpua9O_Rf33GbhpUw1sUT6tgygqiG3h70ZPsoTCV_Mm8LHJjMTCn7JQzjoAkqNk8vdhMgMX4pbwewD6jdf_IQVx-N1xkU8iw662tRM/s400/IMG_8945.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Since Missouri and Iowa did not give ample warning for us to catch the Welcome To Iowa sign, we had to improvise...</div>
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This sexy man is walking toward me, to get in my car and adventure with me!</div>
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Whew, I'm a lucky lady! <3</div>
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South Dakota!</div>
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Let me just say, South Dakota is awesome! A lot of times, you learn about a place in school or see it on a map, and you wonder what's there. Well, I didn't think much besides Mt. Rushmore resided in South Dakota, but there is SO much to see and do there. TOTALLY cool place! Deek and I have decided to take a trip back and spend a week just in SD! Check it out if you get the chance!</div>
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This gorgeous Dignity statue is at a rest stop!</div>
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I love when towns own what they are! Yas to this themed gas station!</div>
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For about 500 miles, we saw signs for Wall Drug in Wall, SD. The signs were campy and adorable, so we knew we had to stop there. It did *not* disappoint.</div>
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Wyatt Earp!</div>
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I'll see him again later in the trip when we go to Tombstone, AZ!</div>
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They have dinosaurs in Wall, SD!</div>
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Wall Drug has so many things to see and do (and eat), and it's a totally sweet success story too! </div>
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Definitely put it on your "must see" list!</div>
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We made it to Mt. Rushmore!</div>
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Obviously, summer is the busiest time of year for Mt. Rushmore, but Deek and I discovered a little secret. If you go at night, when it's raining, you practically get the place to yourself. Since, we lived in the PNW, a little rain doesn't bother us, but it keeps a lot of other people away. The more Rushmore for us then! We went all over the place, giggling and having a great time. It's a little creepy-cool to be two of only a handful of people in a huge national monument at night!</div>
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I SO love adventuring with my best friend! He makes every moment fun!</div>
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Y'all, I was excited to be there! I've read about Mt. Rushmore my whole life, but for a long, long time, I never really believed I'd actually get to see it. </div>
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It was awe-inspiring! <3</div>
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Gawd! My husband is dreamy!</div>
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<b><u>Day 4 (South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana)</u></b></div>
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One of our critique partners, <a href="http://meradethhouston.com/" target="_blank">Meradeth Houston</a>, lives in Montana, and we were planning to stay in her town for the evening. But since I knew we'd be in really late and she works a regular job, I didn't think we'd get to see her. BUT when I contacted her, she said she would totally love to see us no matter the hour, and we planned to meet up for a late dinner. We've worked with Meradeth for years, so it was SUPER amazing to finally meet her in person! She's awesome online and in person, in case you're wondering!</div>
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The Presidents in the daytime.</div>
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Deek tried this coffee and said it *is* good!</div>
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We went to the Crazy Horse memorial. It's not finished yet.</div>
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What it will look like completed. Wow!</div>
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Crazy Woman Creek. Haha!</div>
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Can't read it very well, but this is the Montana sign!</div>
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Holy crap! Erin might just stay in the car!</div>
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Late night dinner and laughs with the lovely Meradeth Houston!!</div>
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<b><u>Day 4 (Montana, Idaho, PNW)</u></b></div>
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Montana has the most adorable little squirrels. They're much fatter and furrier than the ones here on the East Coast. They'll walk right up to you and eat food from your hand.</div>
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But I found out why they need all that fur! In the beginning of July, at noon, it was only 58 degrees! This Southern girl froze her buns off!</div>
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Washington was the only state to have the welcome sign on the left side of the road!</div>
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Bridges and wind farms...you know you're in the west now!</div>
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We made it to our destination, and Deek got to eat dinner at his favorite restaurant!!</div>
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Thanks for joining us on the first leg of this cross-country trip! Stay tuned for the next post about our adventures in the Pacific Northwest!</div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-64740530455307298092018-07-30T03:30:00.000-04:002018-07-30T03:30:09.467-04:00Rhew The Nation -- Days 1 and 2Deek and I had been planning and saving for another cross-country trip for a while. We planned and replanned our route, plotted our hotels (dog-friendly, of course, since Guster would be with us), and organized our car and keto eating for the big trip. Finally, the time came to head out.<br />
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First leg of the trip was from the South to the Pacific Northwest via the northern route. Now, we've been the northern route *several* times already, by train and car. So, we wanted to see something we hadn't gotten to see before. In the past, we've missed Mount Rushmore due to snow (in May and June--what?), so we were excited to be going in July sans snow!<br />
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Also, on year for my birthday, Deek got me a Shakespeare bobblehead for my dash, which I adore. We call him Shakey because he bops up and down to car movements. Since we love him so much, we decided to do Shakey across America!<br />
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<u>First Day (North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia)</u></div>
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Virginia is for lovers. Perfect that I went there with Deek then! <3</div>
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West Virginia has some of the coolest bridges!</div>
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But also some of the *slowest* "fast food establishments we've ever encountered.</div>
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This is our second or third time in WV, and we always get super slow service.</div>
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Keto eating: 2 Jr. Bacon cheeseburgers with no bun or condiments</div>
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I got you, babe!</div>
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There's no one I'd rather adventure with than Deek! <3</div>
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Apparently some hotels have a hotel bird.</div>
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<u>Second Day (Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri)</u></div>
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Shakey, looking impressed as always. LOL!</div>
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Gus, looking car terrified as always.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf10xmVUDdWDsOqnuPcVK5JAOz3wvoBn0UqocuDuxpu_CphdN16i13pwjU4qsSJcsL96uaIy-xGdx66DuO0eVmjj8RPg7-JAzlOA9Ll_eQcLtK80coJgML8AH_7d1_iW0fug2tFOkoKz8/s1600/IMG_8862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="1209" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf10xmVUDdWDsOqnuPcVK5JAOz3wvoBn0UqocuDuxpu_CphdN16i13pwjU4qsSJcsL96uaIy-xGdx66DuO0eVmjj8RPg7-JAzlOA9Ll_eQcLtK80coJgML8AH_7d1_iW0fug2tFOkoKz8/s400/IMG_8862.jpg" width="387" /></a></div>
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Long hours in the car call for read alouds and fun things like a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=rhewination0f-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0975580167&asins=0975580167&linkId=dcdc614b77834cb7c74d95438ed035e7&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">chat pack</a>.</div>
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Y'all know I had to bring Percy Jackson because...Percy!! <3</div>
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St. Louis Arch--been there (on another trip), done that, got pictures. ;)</div>
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We altered our travel plans a little, specifically so we could stay at the <a href="http://stoneycreekhotels.com/home.do" target="_blank">Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center</a> in Independence, MO. On one of our cross-country northern route trips, we stumbled upon this place, just weeks after it had opened. It was one of the nicest places we'd ever stayed, and the rates were really reasonable. We assumed the low rates had to do with it's recent opening, so we didn't expect to be able to stay there again. </div>
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But...good news! The rates are slightly higher now but still completely reasonable considering what you get here. The place is SO, SO nice. I can't even stress it. And it's pet-friendly, but you'd never know pets stay there. It's that quiet and clean! If you're ever in Independence, MO, definitely check it out!</div>
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We got in to the hotel in time for dinner, so we researched some keto-friendly places and discovered <a href="https://www.saltyiguana.com/" target="_blank">The Salty Iguana</a>. Through some inside joke, Deek and iguanas have become forever associated in our family, so when we saw the restaurant was iguana themed, we *had* to go.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdHHKq6RbBIQiGxm5v0c0Fc3ZgW7FtRLOmxtJ2NP4JbMMexpbuvXzvB5UO1ylyOB9YhNqbDSgJNKHieHQvspjVkNXXHG3ud9r5e_mEg89Zp-P3N5aBDcWvb538TcwJeGcWcHAJg_wn0s/s1600/IMG_8893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdHHKq6RbBIQiGxm5v0c0Fc3ZgW7FtRLOmxtJ2NP4JbMMexpbuvXzvB5UO1ylyOB9YhNqbDSgJNKHieHQvspjVkNXXHG3ud9r5e_mEg89Zp-P3N5aBDcWvb538TcwJeGcWcHAJg_wn0s/s400/IMG_8893.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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YAS!! They took the iguana theme and ran with it!</div>
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Awesome, keto-friendly food! YAY!</div>
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Y'all, we had this thing called a <a href="https://www.saltyiguana.com/Menu/#MexicanSpecialties" target="_blank">Hot Pot</a> (sans the shrimp because we don't like seafood and sans rice because keto), and it was simply amazing! I mean, I would drive back to Independence, MO just to stay at Stoney Creek and eat that Hot Pot meal again. Holy crow!</div>
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Stay tuned! On my next post, I'll tell you about the surprise amazingness that is South Dakota and how we finally met a member of our critique partner group, <a href="http://meradethhouston.com/" target="_blank">Meradeth Houston</a>, *in person* after years of working with her! </div>
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If you missed it: Here's my blog on <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-keto-trip-planning.html" target="_blank">ketoing across the nation</a> and about <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2018/07/rhew-nation-organizing-cross-country.html" target="_blank">how to organize your car for a long road trip</a>! </div>
Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-59861983280418398192018-07-23T13:49:00.000-04:002018-07-23T13:49:19.002-04:00Rhew The Nation -- Organizing Cross-Country TravelDeek and I have been across the country many times now, in many different ways--car, train, and plane. On our car trips, I've noticed Deek has to do a lot of work to arrange and rearrange all the stuff in the back of the car when we stop at hotels. So, I decided I'd do what I do best--research--and find ways to make this trip easier for him.<br />
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I found this website that talked about breaking your clothes up into daily bags so you don't have to haul in a whole suitcase. Brilliant! Upon researching, I found these bags, which hold a lot and have handles.<br />
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It worked perfectly! In addition to these, we had a "go" bag--which we filled with items we might need (ie: tennis shoes, an extra set of workout clothes), basically anything we *could* need but didn't want to pack in the every day bags--and a toiletries bag. Three small bags. That's it. SO MUCH EASIER!</div>
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If you're not looking to spend money on Ziploc bags, grocery bags work just fine. We had more days on the road than bags, so we used grocery bags for two days. Those did great too. </div>
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To hold these little magical no-suitcase-required bags, I found this item.</div>
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It has two compartments, one for used clothing bags and one for unused. Plus, it has a ton of little pockets.<br />
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Deek and I packed all of our non-road clothes (since we were spending a week with his family) in a suitcase. The suitcase got put in the very back of the truck and never moved from that spot. We placed this little beauty in the very front of the trunk for easiest access. We'd pull a clothes bag out at night, and put it in the used clothes compartment the next day. Easy peasy.</div>
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I also used this awesome diagram from Stuffed Suitcase to lay out the car. It helped me put things in logical places, which made the trip that much easier. <a href="https://stuffedsuitcase.com/pack-car-road-trip/">https://stuffedsuitcase.com/pack-car-road-trip/</a> For example, when I opened an <a href="https://amzn.to/2A0tMjC" target="_blank">FBomb </a>(keto fat bomb) and it splashed on my light blue shirt, I grabbed some baby wipes from the armrest compartment and wiped it right up. There was never any evidence it was even there! </div>
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Our little man, Gus Rhew, came with us across the country. He is not a huge fan of the car, so we got him a little bucket seat to make him feel more comfortable. Despite the terrified look on his face, this is Gus *more* calm than he normally is in the car. LOL!</div>
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We also got him collapsible bowls which we could easily carry around. Since we spent half the trip in the southwest, we wanted him to have access to water constantly. Thankfully many of the places we went were very dog friendly, especially Tombstone.</div>
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Gus likes to sleep in a crate. They trained him that way at the shelter, and he's a small dog. The world is very big to him, so he likes to feel like he's safe and secure when he sleeps. The only problem is...his at home crate takes up a lot of space. So, we decided to get him a travel crate. I cannot rave about this thing enough. It folds up *really* small and is easy to put together. Gus loved it!</div>
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While he wasn't a fan of the car, Gus really enjoyed the trip. He liked visiting with family in the PNW, and he liked exploring all the new places and hotel rooms. And we liked having him with us. He's truly the sweetest, calmest, most gentle pup, and he's an integral part of our family. </div>
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Gus in Roswell, ready to see some aliens!!</div>
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For those of you who are considering car travel for long or short distances, I hope this blog will help you organize your trip! I was so glad I put the time in on the research because it made things so easy. We were in and out of hotels in a jiffy, which is what you want if you're exploring or spending a long day traveling.</div>
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Stay tuned for my next blog where I talk about the first leg of our trip--the South to the PNW via the northern route!</div>
Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-46018449699192624682018-07-19T17:28:00.000-04:002018-07-19T18:50:44.110-04:00Rhew The Nation -- Keto Trip PlanningY'all, Deek and I just got back from the most amazing cross-country trip ever!! Be prepared for posts on cool things to do and things to skip if you're planning a trip across the nation! Oh, and pictures...lots and lots of pictures! ;)<br />
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South Dakota -- a surprising "must see" place</div>
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Despite some financial randomness that has sprung up over the past year, Deek and I were able to squirrel away money specifically for this trip. It's very important to us that all vacations be paid for upfront and never be put on credit (we adhere to <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey's Financial Freedom</a> method). After spending years (before me) with a credit card addicted person who nearly drove him into the financial ground, Deek can only enjoy vacations knowing they're not being put on credit. And I'm an uber budgeter, so it's another way we're a perfect match!</div>
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We keep getting the question, how did you stay keto and LOSE weight on vacation? So, I thought I'd start this blog series by answering that burning question. First, it required a lot of food planning. Second, we packed exercise clothes and made reservations at hotels with fitness centers. Though no one enjoys exercising on vacation, we made a point to do it on days when we weren't walking/hiking to explore things. But I'll go into more detail on the food part since that's the element most people have asked us about.<br />
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Before we went on the trip, we did a ton of planning. As I mentioned before, Deek and I are doing keto, and we're having *major* success. I just did a side-by-side comparison of myself before starting and now, and WHOA! I can't even post it because the before is just too embarrassing. Anyhoo, we knew we didn't want to get off this keto train, not even for an epic vacation. So, we planned and planned.</div>
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Our daily snack packs</div>
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Here are some of our helpful "staying on keto" tips for traveling cross-country:</div>
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1) Get a cargo rack for your food storage. I'm short, so we needed something on the back of the car instead of on the top. We got one like this (used the "trip prep" part of our budget for it)...</div>
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2) Get a great storage bin to put on the storage rack. I got this fabulous one at Walmart for only $12, and this sucker kept our food in good condition despite dust and rain storms.</div>
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3) Think about where you will be going. For the first leg of the trip, we took a northern route, so we decided to pack cold items in a cooler. On the way back, we took the southern route. We'd been warned of temperatures potentially in the 110-115 range (though it actually never got above 90), so we elected to do shelf stable food only for that leg of the trip.</div>
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4) Pre-pack as much food as you can. It saves you money, and you have snacks right at your fingertips. I broke everything up by day. We had breakfast, lunch, and snack bags for each day (we budgeted to eat dinners out). In the morning, we'd pull out that day's worth of food. We'd put the cold stuff in the inside cooler and the shelf stable stuff in the door for easy access.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanK-AVT7roQ4v9Wugh7LyJ9N7kABAs5hNacnn4PLax1hVn_JixdaEXOoXD4UnnV65ovpQo1Bi6t-TdHXFHBqzy7pGnZhGgYseV51P62MqhpTxzwE1rd6rZS7lNvAS-JNo35y6HIUbtl8/s1600/IMG_8919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanK-AVT7roQ4v9Wugh7LyJ9N7kABAs5hNacnn4PLax1hVn_JixdaEXOoXD4UnnV65ovpQo1Bi6t-TdHXFHBqzy7pGnZhGgYseV51P62MqhpTxzwE1rd6rZS7lNvAS-JNo35y6HIUbtl8/s400/IMG_8919.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">If you can tear your eyes from the incredibly sexy man in the picture, note his shelf stable collection of food in the door.</span></div>
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5) Measure, measure, measure. We packed a lot of macadamia nuts and pecans since they're high in fat and low in carbs. But we measured out each portion. That made tracking our macros (in My Fitness Pal) super easy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MtB2JTEz8afy10TEvM2WhhBINlFXjsgQzFrM9toGlqT-g1h02s3-HUigKNMfsJ2ZykykM689YX6F01GdFMZ4tYv1b-aozOZ5__6E30k1_C4TlxlMhaIQl0QBT6yhyphenhyphenSyECbHYCfZDuMA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-19+at+3.25.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="520" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MtB2JTEz8afy10TEvM2WhhBINlFXjsgQzFrM9toGlqT-g1h02s3-HUigKNMfsJ2ZykykM689YX6F01GdFMZ4tYv1b-aozOZ5__6E30k1_C4TlxlMhaIQl0QBT6yhyphenhyphenSyECbHYCfZDuMA/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-19+at+3.25.10+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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6) Stay hydrated! We personally love electrolyte water (Whole Food's 365 and Life Water are our favorites) and Bai drinks.</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=rhewination0f-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01B1A6GH8&asins=B01B1A6GH8&linkId=2767f476ee92f00e3aefff44507db61d&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
</div>
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Strawberry Lemonade is my favorite, but Deek likes the blueberry.</div>
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7) Research shelf stable foods because they're so much easier than dealing with a cooler. You might not think there are a lot of options for keto, but there are! Here are some we found:</div>
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--F Bombs (love the name, and the flavor is exceptional!)</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=rhewination0f-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B079RLF145&asins=B079RLF145&linkId=40d1ec8b755cb3aea58dbe161d0fabe4&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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--Duke's Smokies. We found these at <a href="https://www.newseasonsmarket.com/" target="_blank">New Seasons</a> in the PNW, but we were pleased to find out you can order them online too!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=rhewination0f-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B073XS4ZGR&asins=B073XS4ZGR&linkId=837a2a37f9ce9a699a17569feb7eb262&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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--Heart Healthy Nuts by Planters</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=rhewination0f-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00HU1AJU8&asins=B00HU1AJU8&linkId=f56e9593d1fb197a03c38975224ad170&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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--Pistachios by Wonderful (my favorite is the salt and pepper) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2IC_IwLegpZcIsA_9rRB-OiVYMv00Atu_trL5WK_-YveDDNJs9vtzymVBfPL224iTv99iLnsf5_UO_-6_nEZSn02NEcXsQbfYirSblQv192cfzwvUsUPhuJ-RavQnd-24O2pY9KykZE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-19+at+3.40.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="590" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2IC_IwLegpZcIsA_9rRB-OiVYMv00Atu_trL5WK_-YveDDNJs9vtzymVBfPL224iTv99iLnsf5_UO_-6_nEZSn02NEcXsQbfYirSblQv192cfzwvUsUPhuJ-RavQnd-24O2pY9KykZE/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-19+at+3.40.21+PM.png" width="211" /></a></div>
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--<a href="http://www.hormel.com/Brands/Pepperoni/Snacs-To-Go/HORMEL-Pepperoni-Stix" target="_blank">Pepperoni Stix by Hormel</a></div>
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--Epic -- There aren't a lot of Epic products I like, but I *did* like this one!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqwdcdUjlbd32vajNRNxjkny_KMulS1Hy7V7wXgQILrfvQNzphnFMdFy_ZerHAe3nvooflp1u9eeSrdAGgTAA0NHA7ah0TWL7T1PhTLJG66Qlip2aoUpN1k0qqCK6dF_LyrIstUXWGlY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-19+at+4.14.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="628" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqwdcdUjlbd32vajNRNxjkny_KMulS1Hy7V7wXgQILrfvQNzphnFMdFy_ZerHAe3nvooflp1u9eeSrdAGgTAA0NHA7ah0TWL7T1PhTLJG66Qlip2aoUpN1k0qqCK6dF_LyrIstUXWGlY/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-07-19+at+4.14.11+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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-- Premier Protein Shakes -- I'm allergic to the proteins in milk, but Deek loves these!</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=rhewination0f-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01LNQ2STK&asins=B01LNQ2STK&linkId=b26768f9665d0731d52ea9996c745c22&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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7) Know what you can eat if you decide to eat out. Deek and I had pre-planned places we could eat and what we could eat at those place. But we did leave room for spontaneity. For example, in Independence, MO, we ate at a charming little place called <a href="https://www.saltyiguana.com/" target="_blank">The Salty Iguana</a>. Deek is semi-obsessed with iguanas, so we know it was the perfect place to eat! For the record, Iggy's Hot Pot is all that and then some. Mmmmm!! I would consider a trip back to Independence just to stay at the awesome <a href="http://stoneycreekhotels.com/home.do" target="_blank">Stoney Creek Hotel</a> and eat at The Salty Iguana again! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7IJXgSrDkUM_joxKCyx_Ahc-Jl39G3S39VkD8PkmdEBQ77UENpUhcaxd6qTB_-1yFPaJTIfO__fAq5YHwNNXHqhSZ_hsjgTByKTKCJUPScFTXK2EJRIf0QnwoJdPmICEraycqZDE_xA/s1600/IMG_8896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7IJXgSrDkUM_joxKCyx_Ahc-Jl39G3S39VkD8PkmdEBQ77UENpUhcaxd6qTB_-1yFPaJTIfO__fAq5YHwNNXHqhSZ_hsjgTByKTKCJUPScFTXK2EJRIf0QnwoJdPmICEraycqZDE_xA/s400/IMG_8896.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Examples of food you can pre-plan to eat out:</div>
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--Wendy's -- 2 Jr. Bacon cheeseburgers without the bun and condiments</div>
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--Subway-- Italian Hero (meat and cheese only), Italian BMT (meat and cheese only), Subway Philly cheesesteak (meat and cheese only)</div>
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--Mexican -- Fajitas without the wrap</div>
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8) Have fun. Now, please know, I'm not saying you can't have fun on vacation too! Like I said, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at The Salty Iguana, and it stayed within our keto guidelines. But as I mentioned in another post, I am hypothyroid. Because of that, I have to be careful with keto and have a high carb day once a week to keep my T4s and T3s doing what they're supposed to be doing. Our vacation allotted us two high carb days, so we strategically planned them for the PNW (at Deek's favorite restaurant) and Vegas. We ended up eating at <a href="https://www.caesars.com/planet-hollywood/restaurants/pin-up-pizza#.VGUGEnV7jUY?utm_campaign=GMB&utm_source=google&utm_medium=local&utm_term=Pin-UpPizza&utm_content=Restaurant" target="_blank">Pinup Pizza </a>in Vegas and getting the largest slices on the strip!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uOyStfF7iWTUz8I-YXE_4wg946yfW1aJgsCF6hPyOsrSKMVivMduprMci2Lg41ZFppe5QAqLaVToTBkiEQdBdXX9zTA3t8ivlbLCnV9fx8bGwHwLvhXWEu50dgZm2FQJSKWzpuEQf-c/s1600/IMG_9219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uOyStfF7iWTUz8I-YXE_4wg946yfW1aJgsCF6hPyOsrSKMVivMduprMci2Lg41ZFppe5QAqLaVToTBkiEQdBdXX9zTA3t8ivlbLCnV9fx8bGwHwLvhXWEu50dgZm2FQJSKWzpuEQf-c/s400/IMG_9219.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Deek's back home and eating with his family at his favorite place!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm34d4yniMseaGEpd2rBM1Hezz6uZgyWnCX-r3sWDebHsv1cQmrHc7PqCKese0JQZzYm5wtBsj68AcwXWOrd-g_MOnqL63xHIfgVkf6B_wp0bnOlKpZFwz60yzxhj6p8LT-kHhGydS40E/s1600/IMG_9701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm34d4yniMseaGEpd2rBM1Hezz6uZgyWnCX-r3sWDebHsv1cQmrHc7PqCKese0JQZzYm5wtBsj68AcwXWOrd-g_MOnqL63xHIfgVkf6B_wp0bnOlKpZFwz60yzxhj6p8LT-kHhGydS40E/s400/IMG_9701.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Pinup Pizza--biggest slices on the strip!</div>
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If you're thinking of traveling while on a specific eating plan, it CAN be done. Deek and I both LOST weight on this trip, and we came home feeling great. Keto gives us tons of energy, so we were able to fully enjoy this vacation. We didn't come back with that vacation bloat and fatigue that so often happens from too much indulgence. </div>
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Even on a long, cross-country trip, you can stay keto, make room for some special treats, and return home with a great sense of accomplishment!<br />
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Stay tuned for more about our epic trip!</div>
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<br />Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-13061749400036298712018-06-22T13:40:00.003-04:002018-06-22T20:13:41.127-04:00Unexpected Life ChangesSo, I recently wrote about our new eating plan, and I'd intended to do post on the oil cleanse method, which has revolutionized my skin. But life had other plans. Unexpected plans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwx2_pm-OgCWSNJ088awgLzYVr3M_10CPAGwNQ9zBqvgoHbaDvQdJCItnosQFfc_Bfe-5tekx9YiqvSqX_yDf93FiPDtWi8wBbbw1O-b3tpVIMaOFf1ibyeU8JAFYm9QhTne2Ng20XLUs/s1600/IMG_8679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="771" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwx2_pm-OgCWSNJ088awgLzYVr3M_10CPAGwNQ9zBqvgoHbaDvQdJCItnosQFfc_Bfe-5tekx9YiqvSqX_yDf93FiPDtWi8wBbbw1O-b3tpVIMaOFf1ibyeU8JAFYm9QhTne2Ng20XLUs/s400/IMG_8679.JPG" width="321" /></a></div>
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My great uncle J.H. passed away. In April, he'd been diagnosed with kidney cancer, and by June, he was gone. While it wasn't quite as unexpected and out-of-the-blue as my PaPa's death, it was still so fast. Too fast. When PaPa died, I wondered if it would have been easier to have known and have had some warning. But now I know. You're never ready. We're <b>never </b>ready to let go of the people we love.<br />
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J.H. was my Mema's (grandma) brother. So, he's technically my great uncle, though I've only ever called him Uncle J.H. Uncle J.H. and Aunt Bobbie. Their names have always flowed together as one, like Mema and PaPa. I *still* say Mema and PaPa, and it's been almost a year. I can't think of one without the other, and the same goes for Uncle J.H. and Aunt Bobbie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjVqOUTPwxYl7dX8EnZ3s3o3Ta_MnGCw-1UgzBDFpZpcnNWyNtGFBa4F-HDgjm0Gaekw7kFSdLcUW0EomfurPJ6uOcgSJTsWWZWDB2AchoXO9jtCb_TDbIp7KncUR_mnhHWlEr8IYcIA/s1600/12719179_10208942644471915_3845577832640395271_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="523" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjVqOUTPwxYl7dX8EnZ3s3o3Ta_MnGCw-1UgzBDFpZpcnNWyNtGFBa4F-HDgjm0Gaekw7kFSdLcUW0EomfurPJ6uOcgSJTsWWZWDB2AchoXO9jtCb_TDbIp7KncUR_mnhHWlEr8IYcIA/s400/12719179_10208942644471915_3845577832640395271_o.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
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Y'all, I've always admired Uncle J.H. He carried himself in such a stately manner, like if you looked in the dictionary under "Southern gentleman," you'd find his picture. But he was also down-to-earth, always asking about other people and being genuinely interested in their answers. He was one of a kind, and the world--our family--has truly lost another bright light.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfedPjSEOfeDoADSj_72SBUWNw14lKvxv8qErkmERllSmNREtCpswaIVXyGVl_y5M4mJ4G3aEsoNk3mFqG595z0PGq7ktS8OiGEIG6LVbLqASum8rZMe-_djXQ60xfoeBa1JI2mTZrH4/s1600/35887088_1839986489636641_3367351696907829248_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfedPjSEOfeDoADSj_72SBUWNw14lKvxv8qErkmERllSmNREtCpswaIVXyGVl_y5M4mJ4G3aEsoNk3mFqG595z0PGq7ktS8OiGEIG6LVbLqASum8rZMe-_djXQ60xfoeBa1JI2mTZrH4/s400/35887088_1839986489636641_3367351696907829248_o.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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Deek often comes up with these great analogies for things, but at first, you don't see the connection. So, he always starts with "Hang with me for a minute." I'm going to say that now. Hang with me for a minute, and you'll see where this is going...<br />
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This morning, I envisioned our family like a Light Bright picture (see...hang with me here). Does anyone remember those? I think they actually still sell them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBbgHNWFCtkN4PUBVE-cOsj_8BudfhRwVnBmJvNIxW8OfTPT00mXtU0idrg3cBL4YeLGN33udBynaJUfTTZflcvdMTfXpAj2ooDs_Z_UqvciyIE4b-ei671qEdoap2gLNeeTJg3SWU6Y/s1600/Light+Bright.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="502" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBbgHNWFCtkN4PUBVE-cOsj_8BudfhRwVnBmJvNIxW8OfTPT00mXtU0idrg3cBL4YeLGN33udBynaJUfTTZflcvdMTfXpAj2ooDs_Z_UqvciyIE4b-ei671qEdoap2gLNeeTJg3SWU6Y/s400/Light+Bright.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Each member is a light that makes up the amazing picture that is my family. And slowly, over time, some of those lights go out. MaMa (my great-grandmother), PaPa's brothers and sister, cousins, PaPa, and now Uncle J.H. Sometimes lights come into the picture, when babies are born or when people get married, but never in the same place as the lights that went out. Those are not replaceable.</div>
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This Light Bright picture of our family is ever changing. One image is not more beautiful than the next, just different. But when you're like me and remember the original picture--the one with everyone who's gone--you miss it. You yearn to see it, and them, just one more time. </div>
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But the truth is...that's not the original image, is it? That's the new picture that changed when the people before us--PaPa, his brothers and sisters, Uncle J.H.--lost their own loved ones. The image I feel is the "original" came only when other lights faded. I bet PaPa and Uncle J.H. missed their "original" Light Bright family pictures too. I bet they stood where the rest of my family is standing today...mired in grief and sadness. Missing. Longing. Wishing.</div>
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Yet PaPa and Uncle J.H. kept shining. And we should too. Instead of thinking their light has gone out, we should imagine it has been transferred--to the rest of us. It's up to us now to shine as brightly as we can. This family Light Bright picture may not be the one we remember, but it's beautiful too. It's infused with the lights of so many generations. </div>
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It's a legacy. A proud, deep legacy.</div>
Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8036493062210332622.post-7885659515763711852018-06-01T09:03:00.002-04:002018-06-01T09:03:13.819-04:00Life ChangesHey y'all! It's about to be summa, summa, summa up in here! WOOT!! I am so freakin' excited! Give me a hot day over a cold one any day of the year! ;)<br />
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Throwback to our honeymoon after the 2nd/Southern wedding!</div>
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Speaking of throwback and the 2nd/Southern wedding, Deek and I just celebrated another anniversary! Let me tell you, life with this man just keeps getting better and better. Every day I think I can't love him any more than I did the day before, and yet, I do! He is my dream come true, and I adore him epically!</div>
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And now... </div>
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More in love than ever and having a blast!</div>
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And if you needed more proof that my hubby rocks, may I present his latest "just because" gift to me...</div>
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OMG! YES!</div>
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House Stark forever!!</div>
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Okie dokie, now let's talk about some changes that have been in the works.</div>
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<b>Eating</b>: For the past five years or so, I've struggled with my thyroid and adrenal failure. Before Deek, I lived a *super* stressful life, and living that way for so long has lasting effects (see my posts about that <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2016/10/domestic-violence-awareness-month.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://blog.erinrhewbooks.com/2017/01/thoughts-for-new-year.html" target="_blank">here</a>). If you know anything about thyroid problems and adrenal failure, you know it's almost impossible to lose weight.</div>
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I'd had success with South Beach and paleo in the past, so Deek and I gave those a shot. We worked out and we ate right and...nothing. I might bounce down a pound or two, but it would always come back. Many times, I'd look at my husband and say, "Screw it. I might as well eat pizza and Coke every day for all the good this diet is doing me!"<br />
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I still think pizza may be the most perfect food ever invented...</div>
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Also, I had been having pain in my stomach every time I ate. Back in January 2017, I had a stomach virus, and my tummy has not been happy since. A doctor said when your stomach goes through a trauma like a bad virus or something like that, it can take up to two years to fully heal. Think of it like this...if you break your arm, you put it in a cast, and it heals. But your stomach is never "off duty."<br />
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Enter keto. I'd been reading about it a lot and considering it for a long time, but everyone said, "Don't do it if you have a thyroid problem. It will shut your thyroid down!" So, I stayed away, but it kept creeping up the back of my mind. One day, I told Deek I was going to devote some time to really studying this eating plan and see if it would mess my thyroid up even more.<br />
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Confession, I freakishly love to research. I mean, I *really* love it. I need some kind of job where I just research stuff for people. Anyhoo, I found a way to make keto work with the thyroid. After Deek and I discussed it, we decided to give it a try.</div>
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Y'all, I am losing weight! It's slower than most keto people because of my thyroid and adrenals, but it's happening!!! I had this pair of shorts that did not fit me in April. I'm talking about I looked like a sausage being stuff into casing--that bad. But I wore those shorts yesterday, and they were super loose. What the heck??<br />
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But more than that, I *feel* good. My stomach does not hurt at all anymore, and I have energy like crazy. Now, I'm not a doctor (check with professionals if you're considering a diet change), so y'all take this anecdotal story with a grain of salt. But man, it's changed my life!<br />
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In addition to eating keto, I do HIIT workouts, tabatas, and interval running.<br />
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I spoke to my mom yesterday, and she decided to do keto also. She said she's losing weight and feeling great. She said "Keto even works for old people." LOL! She's not old BTW. ;)<br />
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Ain't she purty? And definitely *not* old.</div>
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Since this blog post is already super long, I'll save my next change for my next post. In that, I'll be talking about my new facial regime (it's not for any sales company). I make it at home, and it's revolutionized my face. </div>
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I'll leave you with this recent photo of me and Deek doing what we do--having fun together. Until next time... </div>
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It's you. It's always been you, and it'll always be you!</div>
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Erin Rhew Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00946613846403734589noreply@blogger.com2