Wait, are you in Missouri?

One of the highlights of our summer this year was our first annual trip with our dear friends Kane and Melissa...

We have always talked about our families spending regular summer vacations together...You know what I'm talking about: kids in tow---cooking every night...spending the day on the beach, or on the boat, or skiing...something awesome.

But, here we are, no kids in tow, and K&M just freshly married.

So this year, using K&M's timeshare that was gifted to them, we escaped to.....

Branson, Missouri!!!!

YES!

It was awesome. We enjoyed our days on TableRock Lake and our evenings cooking, riding riverboats while watching shows, breaking into hot-tubs, and talking into the night...it was sweet.

Here is a picture of Red and I on the road-trip down--

We tried to spend as much time as possible outside on the water---and it was beautiful. We were so blessed to have Kane's family's boat...here are some pictures of the lake and our time out there.

This reminds me of Interlaken, Switzerland.
But don't be confused, this, indeed, is TableRock Lake.

We were so blown away by how this looked, we all clamored for pictures to be taken---here is one of Red and I on the boat.

Branson is also known for their entertainment...well, really, their cheesy shows. It's very stuck in time...but I greatly appreciate it having grown up going to Gatlinburg, TN which is the sister city to Branson.

We went on the Branson Belle ( a show boat) ate dinner, enjoyed the water, and saw an awesome show featuring a woman who did acrobatics while singing and playing the violin.

No, I did not make that up.

Here are some pictures from that evening:

Melissa and I at the dinner table

Kane and Melissa at the front of the Branson Belle

The sunset was incredible!

We spent the following day at Silverdollar city--riding roller-coasters 2 and 3 times, eating awesome theme park food and thoroughly exhausting ourselves in preparation for filling ourselves to the brim with Red's and my home-made pizza (our speciality).

"Hey, let's act like we're sick from the ride in this picture."
Great thought Melissa--
I think you're the only one who followed through.
Hahaha

Here's the last pizza from the night-- Kane did an awesome combination of all the toppings from the night:

Mhmmm---sausage, caramelized onions, pepperoni,
fresh tomatos, basil, and fresh mozzarella.
Yum.

The next day was spent on the water and then we came home and cooked up a delicious meal: steak, asparagus, roasted eggplant and zucchini, and a potato for me (I'm a carb kind of gal).

We had decided after being filled to our hearts' content, that we wanted to go to the hot-tub. Turns out, things like the pool close early. No worries, we were undeterred.

After jumping a few fences, we enjoyed our time in the hot-tub...relaxing and talking about life.

It was the perfect ending for the trip.

Red and I were so glad that we got to follow through with these massive plans of annual family trips. I think it's a great sign of the future that we actually got together...hmmm 2 weeks...after K&M's wedding. That, my friends, is determination to make something happen.

I think we all know how sweet it is to have good friends and how important it is to put effort into keeping those relationships (Especially as we all grow up and enter into the real world)...

As you can tell, Branson was a great experience. If you are looking for a fun time not too far away...it really is worth the trip. I love that it blends the entertainment side (shows, SilverDollar City) with the outdoors (TableRock Lake). Check it out.

Have a good one!

July Thus Far

So as you may have noticed, I haven't posted anything....since June.

Which is insane.

So here I am...and I am opening up my return to this here blog--with an update on all that I have been up to...including a few places that need to be added to your hit list for the Mid-west and St. Louis.

I've plundered. I've traveled. I've cooked. I've explored...

So this week will be dedicated to a few of these experiences, places, and persons.

I hope you enjoy.

Event #1:

I plundered an Estate Sale in Webster Grove---this awesome neighborhood/community loaded with historic homes, great restaurants, and some good shops.

The 2 things that spoke to my heart...

Exhibit A: A wonderfully old picture of a stranger

I sort of have a thing for old postcards or portraits. I love to imagine the stories behind these individuals-----who they are, where they are from, their struggles, their dreams, their flaws, their gifts...I can literally sit there and get lost in the life I give them.

This girl is smart. You can tell by her grin and how she naturally touches the book. She loves to disappear in her father's library and read for hours. She enjoys learning in any capacity whether it's through formal education or working with the cook in the kitchen. She is comfortable with her status but doesn't hold it over other people or use it as manipulation to get what she wants. She's great at playing spades and is unsure of dancing. She enjoys being outside...she also loves to sing. She hates bread pudding. She hopes to one day drive a car...

See, you can look at a picture and take it anywhere.

Exhibit B: A wonderfully stained and used Delta Gamma Cookbook

St. Louis has a good amount of DG representatives---and is also the site for one of Delta Gamma's school for the Blind. I was stoked when I stumbled upon this cook book from the 1960's. It has obviously been well loved--and as a fellow DG, it was heartwarming to make this connection---even if it's just with the cookbook not the actual cook. I have to believe that it was another DG who loved this book first...

I adore Estate sales because they connect you with the past...and if anything invite you to consider people who came before you...

I promise to provide many more updates this week---trust me you will be surprised to see all that has been happening.

Have a good one!