In January of 2005, I met a pretty darn nice guy on a blind date in Chattanooga. His name was Jeremy Bower.
The small southern city has changed over time…each chance we get to visit, Chattanooga seems different. The same but different. Like it has matured…or become more savvy or cultural…the bones are still there but the city has morphed. The restaraunt where we first locked eyes is no longer there. The little hole in the wall where we had our first kiss is gone. But there are things that are the same. things we know will never change…can never change…like the river and the bridges and regardless of what we do, there is this underlying feeling that the city fits us. I think if we were ever to move from our dream house, it would be to Chattanooga.
All that to say, this was our summer adventure…small, quiet, not too far from home but our adventure nevertheless.
I love churches. Old ones that have crazy arches and huge windows and bell towers. If I was ever an architect I would design churches…
The first day were in Chatty, we spent the day with Jeremy’s mom. She wanted to take Will to her office…which is about as close to take-your-baby-to-work-day as Will is gonna get since both Jeremy & I are at the house all day.
I think he loved it. Halls to explore, pictures to see, each door had a person behind it…
And of course, he got to see GrandB’s desk and photos…of himself 🙂
We met most of Mom’s co-workers too and decided from there that we wanted to go visit Coolidge Park.
If you have never been – it’s awesome. A big grassy area right next to the river and there is an indoor carousel that only costs $1. And babies are free. So that means Will & one adult only cost a buck.
Of course, he did much better this time around. Haha. Get it? Around?!
Anyhoo…the time in SeaWorld was a little more, um, challenging….so when he got on this white horse with GrandB by his side, he knew what to do…as in, smile and wave at the camera 🙂
Nearby is this ice cream shop named Clumpies. It’s awesome.
Not as good as my favorite – Brusters….with their double chocolate chunk that could seriously put me in the hospital…but definitely still awesome.
I had a scoop of the coconut almond chunk with a scoop of the chocolate chocolate chip…it tasted like an almond joy bar. I love me some almond joy. Ice cream heaven I tell ya.
Will loved his frozen yogurt. He is in trouble. With two parents that love ice cream as much as we do? Um yeah…total trouble.
Also – I just had to show you the little stools. I felt like I was riding a tractor…which surprisingly made my ice-cream eating a little more enjoyable….I have no idea why.
And did you see the ice cream artwork? How cute is that. I could gain like ten pounds just looking at that thing.
After our sugar-high, we explored a little more of the park. Here’s the riverboat…which Jeremy later told me that he had never been on. Add that to our bucket list people.
Oh and did I mention the bridges?
There are several bridges in Chattanooga and I could take pictures of them all day long. This one is probably going to get blown up in black & white for Jeremy’s office.
Oh and of course, Jeremy dipped Will into the holy water bestowing his birthright upon him.
Not really. We just can’t keep the kid outta water….puddles, downspouts, wishing ponds, you name it…he’s into it. So we figured out that if we can help control the chaos…it works out best for all of us.
After the park, we headed home for a little sprinkler playtime. Nothing in Will’s world is better than the hose. They were once frenemies…the hose had turned on Will…but there were some peace offerings made and now they are best buds.
I think part of the reason is that Will loves drinking hose-water. It’s gross and dirty to me and my BFF Brita Filter…but I figure if he gets some sort of weird bug – that is what stomach pumps are for.
Also – this might be kinda weird but I love his watershoes. They are the only shoes he doesn’t know how to take off…yet. Which in turn gives me extra hours of the day not worrying about finding that missing shoe.
I also think his little man-capri-swim-shorts are hilarious.
I hope that it means that next year we won’t have to buy swim trunks….
Yup – to answer your question, there are hundreds of these sprinkler photos.
Here’s one with GG…Will’s great grandma…and most lovely Miss Ann. If we ever have a girl, we are using Ann as a name…just putting it out there so don’t steal it 🙂
And most importantly, do you see them?
Crazy huh?
It only took about 15 months for Will to finally have a bit of a sideburn. Time for celebration. Bring on the parade. Break out the bubbly!
Unfortunately this is also the end of this joke. From now on I guess I’ll have to stick with the mullet hair jabs….because yes, our kid is about to be rockin a pretty fierce one.
Isn’t it sad when all of those sentimental places disappear? Joe proposed to me in our first apartment (which we’re moving out of this weekend) so we won’t get to see it again. It’s a bit sad but we still have all our other places down in Delaware (where we met).
PS – In the first couple of pictures I noticed a little hint of sideburns. How exciting!
Love Will’s manpris. That’s what we call them at our house. My stepson loves the sprinkler too and his new favorite thing to do is right his bike down the sidewalk while the neighbors have their sprinklers turned on. Its the perfect way to cool down from a hot day.
I love love love Chattanooga. I almost went to UTC just so I could be there. I live in Franklin, TN now, so we still make days trips occasionally. It’s a beautiful place.
This makes me miss Chattanooga! I was living in New Orleans when Katina hit and my family evacuated to Chattanooga to stay with my Aunt and Uncle in Hixon. We got stuck there (obviously) for a few months, so I finished out my school semester at UTC, where my uncle is an Econ professor.
Every single person I met in Chattanooga was beyond sweet. I really want to go back and visit sometime and do all the things we never go a chance to do.
I love Chatt! I went to nursing school there & did lots of clinicals in that area! I live in Summerville, which is about half way between where you guys live & Chatt- A happy medium..[Just incase you guys ever though of moving half way!] 😉 The riverboat is great, you can take a nice ride & have dinner..very peaceful & not too far from home! Looks like you guys had a great time. 🙂 Will is getting to be such a big boy & so handsome!
P.S.- I’m pretty sure I spotted a little sideburn growth action in that last pic!! 😉
Yay, Chattanooga! You have quite a little fan base in our fun city. Next time you come we’ll have to have a Bower Power partay in the park so we can all meet and be friends!
Your bridge pictures are awesome. My husband is a bridge engineer so he is obsessed with looking at bridges and is always having me snap pictures to hang up. Your first picture is awesome! He would totally geek out over it!
I had Almond Joy creamer in my coffee this morning. Yummy. Gonna forward this to a couple of my friends who are from Chattanooga.
TGIF, KB. xo
Ummmm….Will’s swim trunks are ri-donk! I love them! He’s the cutest little nugget ever. I wish he didn’t have a girlfriend cuz my little Katie would totally be crushing on him.
Love these! 🙂 Will is soooo adorable! Hope you’re doing well!
That first bridge picture you posted is just gorgeous!! I love it!! And the sprinkler photos of Will are adorable…from one sprinkler lover to another.
Another Chattanooga reader here. Great pictures of the city! Enjoy your blog!
Deal!
xo – kb
You should get Will come pediped shoes! I work for them and they are the best shoes and the only shoes that my son will not take off. My son is 18 months old and use to take his shoes off every time we got in the car. But now he doesn’t even notice they are on because they are comfortable. Kids take off shoes that are not comfortable. pedipeds are so soft inside and you don’t need socks and they don’t make your feet sweat. Check out the website http://www.pediped.com. Let me know if you have any questions.
I sound like a sales person but I am not. I read your blog all the time and just saw what you said about shoes and you said like a lot of first time customers.
Katie – I hear ya on the shoes – when my girls were little (they’re only 3 and 7 but this seems ages ago now) I was CONSTANTLY looking for one or both shoes. Littlest one lost a shoe in the store and it was gone forever – a really cute shoe too 🙁 Oh well. It’s funny the little things you forget until someone mentions them again. Thanks for the walk down memory lane 🙂
I needed this bit of Chattanooga nostalgia today, thank you! I went to UTC and spent too much time on the Walnut Street Bridges and at Coolidge Park (especially Clumpies, which IS the best, but maybe you needed the fresh waffle cone to prove it!). I’ve been missing it a lot lately, since I live in Nashville and haven’t been back in a year (this weekend actually). Thanks for sharing, especially your amazing bridge pictures!
PS. Did you know you can rent a room and spend the night on the Delta Queen? I think it’s pretty affordable for a hotel evening.
Your love for Chattanooga is like the hubs and I’s love for Memphis. Neither of us are from there, but during our year of long distance (Texas-Indiana) we would both drive the seven to Memphis (from opposite directions) and spend the weekend. The blues, the BBQ, the river… maybe I need to plan a trip.
PS. I love drinking hose-water. It tastes so yummy. 🙂
I love this post cause I’m in Chattanooga too! I would love to do a Chatt Bower Power partay! Haha! I love seeing these pictures too. So many of my husband and I’s dates ended up with us walking around Coolidge park or at the Walnut Street Bridge.Our city has changed so much!
The boat you took a picture of -Delta Queen- is so cool inside. That boat doesn’t actually move anymore, but they have a hotel inside. We had our company Christmas party there last year and it is beautiful. Next time your in Chattanooga you should go inside. They have a lot of artifacts in the halls.
The Southern Belle is the one that has dinner cruises. It’s a neat experience. You should try to go next time. The food is pretty good! Will would probably love it.
I have been a fan of your blog for a while and am so happy to see you write a whole about Chattanooga! My boyfriend and I also met there five years ago while we were both at UTC. It is such a “little-big” town and has come so far. We are both in Memphis now but I would love to get back there when we are ready to have kids. It is such a kid friendly city and a great place to raise a family.
We spent so much time at Coolidge while we were there! They used to have movies in the park all summer and those were our favorites. You made me crave Clumpies! Did you guys make it to the Children’s museum? It’s near Coolidge and pretty neat from what I have heard!…. Now I just want to pack my bags and head to Chattanooga for the weekend!
I just realized the other day that I had a boy baby name on my list that I was feeling like I couldn’t use because three bloggers have babies that name…and then I realized that it prolly didn’t matter if the bloggers have the same baby name, since I didn’t actually KNOW them. But in my little fantasy blogland we are all BFFs and so it would be wierd to have the same baby name! So I will totally make sure Ann is off a girl list if we ever have a girl 🙂
Love Chattanooga – or as my family lovingly refers to it as Chatt-town. My parents live there, actually on Lookout Mountain, and we’re going up this weekend. So fun. I must say though, playing in the stair fountains next to the aquarium with the shallow pool at the bottom – a MUST in the summer.
We had our prom on the Riverboat and it was fun! Of course, this was 10 years ago 🙂
Love the bridge picture! We live in St Louis and have a gorge pic of the Eads bridge in our dining room. I bought a large piece of watercolor paper at hobby lobby on sale and had my local print shop print on that. The rough texture of the paper just Makes the black and white picture. We have so SO many complements… I hardly have the heart to tell people my “art” cost $3.50 for the paper, $6.00 for the print and a frame I already had!
Katie – If you are interested I have an “adult beverage” Almond Joy receipe. It is absolutely delicious and has become a ‘must have’ at our family reunions.
Side burns or not…I think it’s time for the first hair cut!!! What a handsome little man!
Don’t rush me Heather 🙂 I’m still adjusting to the fact that the haircut day will come…one day.
xo – kb
Love Chattanooga. I miss little weekend trips down there, driving through the mountains from Nashville. It was the first trip we took after my first son (who is 5) was born when he was about 2 months old! I have pics of me holding him as well as my husband holding him at Coolidge Park with the river behind us. Miss that awesome aquarium too. The one up here is very small and not so great. I always wanted to stay in one of the Bed and Breakfasts in the Bluff View Art District. When Will is older you have to take him on one of the Duck tours (if they still have them). You can buy him a little annoying duck sound whistle!
Chattanooga sounds like a fun town! I’m from the MD/PA/VA area but consider myself a southern girl at heart…always so jealous of you guys who get to visit all of the places I only read about in Southern Living, haha. 🙂
Awwww – I thought my kids were the first ever to call their great grandparents, GG! Cute photos!
Your love of church architecture sparked many memories for me. My father and his father were architects, and they designed churches, among other things. My grandfather designed many, his crowning achievement being Sacred Heart Cathedral in the east end of Pittsburgh. His favorite part of designing it was creating the huge Rosetta window in the nave. And working with the crazy Italian stonecutters who came from Europe and carved every single arch by hand. It is astonishing and gratifying to see dozens of gorgeous buildings that they designed, still standing as a legacy to them both, who are no longer with us. And to know that these creations of theirs will be there long after we have moved on. Thank you for bringing their love for ecclesiastic architecture to the forefront of my mind today. Your blog is such a joy to read and I look forward to each and every post.
I would just like to say that I think Will is the MOST adorable toddler on the planet. Hands down. I’ve never seen a child that can be adorable while throwing things across the room at people…but Will accomplishes that every single time! Love your blog!!
-Katie
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How can I find you on pinterest? I tried searching bower power with no luck.
I so wish I could have met you in person! I live in Chattanooga, and it’s also where my hubby and I met & fell in love too. Maybe it should be renamed the City of Love – forget Paris! 🙂 So glad you had fun here. I took my family to the Aquarium, Mellow Mushroom (for lunch), and then topped our day off with a visit to the Chattanooga Zoo today – so it was fun to see your post and be motivated to go enjoy some of the things the city has to offer. Thanks for having such a great all-around blog. Your photos of Will are amazing! I would love to learn how to edit my photos to look that good! 🙂 You’re incredibly talented. I also love seeing how you edit your new home – and that it doesn’t have to always be perfect – especially since you have a young one. I’m so impressed with your talent to make your home beautiful – maybe you could come decorate mine someday! 🙂 I’d love to learn how to shop the thrift stores to make my home beautiful with pennies on the dollar. Thanks for all you’ve shared!
I think I am under KatieBower…I think. I’ll double check.
xo – kb
Our family loves Chattanooga too! I’ve visited there all my life – and have enjoyed taking my kids there. They both love it! Ruby Falls, Rock City, Lookout Mountain, Aquarium, baseball, museums and the riverand walking bridge, and all the fun places to eat. And the Chattanooga Ch00Choo Station/Hotel. There is sooo much to do there. Love your pics – the sprinkler shots are precious – takes me back to when mine were mere babes!
Still cannot find you! I might need to get off the iPad and try the computer… I tried every combo and just come up with tons of links to your blog!
So how did you keep Will out of the fountain at Coolidge? Children love playing there.
Last time I was in Chattanooga I met Bud Ellis. He and his students have carved and/or restored many of the horses on that carousel. He also maintains that carousel and after it closes for the day he and other volunteers spend time checking the machinery. My husband and I were invited to ride all evening long on any and all of the horses, while he did his work. He also runs the Horsin Around Carving School in Soddy Daisy (outside of town), where he teaches students to carve carousel horses.
Ha! I found you and who knew I was following you all along! Bower Power is your name on pinterest! they need to make their searching a bit easier 🙂
Chattanooga is a great town! My husband grew up in Chattanooga his parents still live there, so we visit several times a year. We even got married there instead of my hometown just because I think it’s such a great place! Clumpies is delicious, but there is a newer ice cream/frozen yogurt place on the other side of the Walnut St. bridge that is worth a try too. Forgot the name of it, but y’all should check it out next time you’re in the area. If you really want to get off the beaten path for a tasty treat though, try Armando’s on East Brainerd Rd. It’s a little hole in the wall place, but they have great burgers and patty melts.
My baby girl has a GG too! GG is grandma (not great grandma)… it’s short for Glam Gram 🙂
So fun to see pictures of Chattanooga!! I went to a small college there on top of Lookout Mountain. I loved it. It is always fun to get back and visit. Did you go to Lupi’s while you were there? Best Calzones EVER!!
NO WAY! i live in chatta-boogie!!
And the server you have a picture of at clumpies is my best friend Alex!!!!
TOO FUNNY!
Have you seen the Chattanooga commercials that play all the time in the Atlanta market these days? They make me totally want to visit… and now, your photos have convinced me all the more! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Haha! Well she was great – my ice cream scoopage was perfect 😉
xo – kb