Cabin Shenanigans + 4th of July in Photos

I spent the whole weekend outside as much as possible, and I was in my element. We slept in, made homemade meals, did a lot of cheersing with adult beverages, and held the annual family olympics tradition (go Team Orange!) - which included a triple challenge in bocce ball, soccer, and kayak races.

 A little sunshine and exercise was exactly what I needed, and we had such a great time that I almost didn't come home.  Thankfully I am rounding up some girlfriends for a ladies cabin weekend in a few weeks, otherwise cabin fever might set in (Pun intended? Unintended? I clearly have decision making issues...).

So anyway, here's a sneak peek at all the fun and adventures.

The typical cabin get-up. My favorite hiking sandals, comfy shorts, sunscreen, and sunnies. Had to be ready for some leisurely kayaking, a pick-up soccer game, or to grab a super soaker (and run!) at the drop of a hat.

Of course we ventured into Arlington for a stop at the famous Carolyn's Essenhaus for made-from-scratch home cooking, and of course a slice of one of Carolyn's to-die-for pies.

Slightly blurry, but I couldn't resist posting this one of my sister-in-law, Meredith, with my fur nephew, Ollie, our favorite Russian babushka wearing pup. For the rest of the day we attempted to speak to Oliver in a Russian accent, and as it was pointed out to me... I apparently have no idea how to do that. :)

Everyday we helped plan and cook delicious meals, and nothing beats cooking and good company with friends/family.I absolutely loved the night where Meredith and Kyle made pizza dough and we all made our own pizza pies for the grill. 

Just a little sprinkle of cornmeal on the bottom of the plate and it slid right onto the grill with ease. My toppings of choice - pesto, mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, a sprinkle of parm and a little sausage... oh baby!

I also checked off "learn how to cook with rhubarb off of my summer bucket list. How on earth did I wait this long to experience this deliciousness? No one can go wrong with a little strawberry rhubarb pie action!

Unbeknownst to us, the Beast is a total water sports fanatic. Although I think she could've grabbed a paddle and helped out a bit. What a freeloader! ;)







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Cabin weekend highlights...

+ catching up with my in-laws during the roadtrip
+ the weather was unreal
+ playing "Heads Up" and laughing so hard I almost peed my pants
+ taking my first ever tequila shot (ole!)
+ extended family party complete with fireworks and great company
+ sour cream raisin pie from the gods
+ spending time with my boo
+ late night conversations in our jammers
+ seeing 5 shooting stars while stargazing on the deck


How was your Freedom weekend?
//  What's your favorite place for a quiet getaway?  //

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Roadtrip Weekend

Well friends, at lunchtime I'm grabbing my man and my pup and hitting the open road.
It's the first time in a long time that my sweet hubby and I have been in the same city  for an extensive amount of time and I'm loving it.

Missed him.

So, we're taking advantage of the beautiful weekend and heading south. We're going to one of our favorite spots, the family cabin (yes, the one where Adam proposed! It's our favorite spot.).

{via}

The game plan is to sit out on the deck, sleep too late, watch the turtles swim leisurely across the pond, maybe do a little kayaking, play fetch with Beast, practice using my camera better, cook some great meals, eat at Carolyn's, play cards, and just enjoy time outside together.

I'm literally giddy thinking about it!

Also, if you think about it and want to say a little prayer for my precious grandpa, he's not doing so great. We are planning to stop to spend a lot of time with him on our way to the cabin and again on our way home. Love that sweet man so much - thanks in advance for any phone calls to the Big Man upstairs on his behalf. :) 

God is good.

Life is wonderful.

Time to adventure.

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In case you missed it this week...

+ week long link-up

+ my current obsessions

Have a fantastic weekend - catch you for Mingle Monday!

Vacationing

Greetings from the beautiful family cabin.

Our little piece of heaven.

The rustic little cabin is tucked away in southeastern Kansas, and has been in Adam's family for decades. We love eating breakfast out on the patio, playing cards and reading on the screened in porch, and sitting on the dock with our feet dipped into cool pond water.

Can't get enough of it.

So, Adam and I packed up the Jeep, grabbed the pup, and hit the road this morning for a much needed weekend away. As we drove I could feel the stress rolling off my shoulders and good times waiting for us.

{via}

I'm craving rejuvenation, peace and quiet this weekend.

Can't wait to enjoy a few of my faves...

watching the stars + s'mores + sitting by the campfire + sleeping in late

lazy mornings + sipping coffee in my PJs + going on long hikes

pie at Carolyn's Essenhaus + my favorite kitchen store

movie date + spending time with Adam + cooking

crochet projects + fresh air + me time

Happy adventuring to you too, sweet ones!

Cabin Getaway At A Glance

I've been meaning to share some photos from our extended 4th of July vacay down at the family cabin!

Good thing it's July 18th...

Haha! It's okay, I figured photos are fun to see anytime, right?
So enjoy one of our favorite spots in the whole world. We absolutely can't get enough...

Nothing beats a Kansas sunset driving through the flint hills.

Lots of snoozin'.

Beast has no concept of personal space - ha!

Where I sipped on coffee in the morning and did some lazy afternoon reading.

Tank tops and sunglasses were the dress code requirements... obvi.

Bella Beast was supervising the boys' kayak races. A wee bit chilly out there, so the sun felt good!

We sure know how to make it festive for the holiday.

Went to see Despicable Me 2 and wished I would've worn my sister's Halloween costume :)

Margs happened. And then I fould these little surprise photos waiting for me on my camera...

Cheers to blackmail! ;)

My MIL... the marg master!

And then after a stellar 4 days, we loaded up and said bye to our little piece of Kansas heaven.

(and yes, I realized I got zero photos of me or hubs... blogger fail.)

Yup, counting the days 'til we go back!

PS - Don't forget to link-up and gain new readers ALL WEEK at my Mingle Monday Link-Up!


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Hello Americana!

Who's ready for fireworks, cut off shorts, and not working?!

Yeah... ME too!

I am beyond excited for 5 o'clock to roll around, so that we can grab our posse and get the heck out of this city! We're cabin bound and ready for a stellar long weekend celebrating freedom with friends and fam.

The cabin has been in Adam's family for decades and has many special memories... Adam proposed there at this time last year!

{via}

I am still in the process of trying to snag a last minute Americana inspired top by the time we leave, so I may need to swing by old navy to check out this striped tank, this star tee, or this fun top. I mean, I can't leave town without my USA gear, right?

Did you find any cute patriotic outfits?
Help a sister out.

Anyway, the next 4 days will be filled with sleeping in, lawn games, kayaking, morning walks, peaceful sunsets over the lake, watching the boys blow things up, adult beverages, yummy food, and of course... our annual Cabin Olympics.

Guaranteed fantastic (aka: ridiculous) photos coming your way next week!

What are your plans for the long holiday weekend?
Wishing you all a very safe and wonderful 4th of July!


Land of the free because of the brave!





PS - Don't forget to link-up and gain new readers ALL WEEK at my Mingle Monday Blog Hop link-up!


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Getaway Weekend In Photos

Well it's been almost a week since my little getaway weekend... it's about time I get my act together and share our little adventure with you!

For those who missed last week's post, Adam and I went on a little roadtrip down to the cabin his family owns and met up with some of our favorite in-town friends! Unfortunately... after looking at the photos, I realized I didn't get any of Matt and Ashley (sorry friends!), so we look a little self-absorbed...

Oh. And I also forgot to take a photo of the actual cabin (it's gorgeous!), but don't you worry your pretty little head... we're headed back down with Adam's family and our friends for the 4th. I will get photos then! Deal?

{ The Trip }

So we left pretty late after work on Friday night and it takes quite some time to get there. Needless to say we got in super late and crashed. BUT here are some before photos...

Doesn't Bella Beast look excited for cabin weekend?

Naturally, I woke up freakishly early (for a weekend) because I was so excited to venture into town! We decided on visiting Carolyn's Essenhaus for breakfast in Arlington. Arlington is a small town that has a decently sized Amish Mennonite population, and they make everything from scratch!

I enjoyed a tasty plate of biscuits and gravy, and then we ordered one of Carolyn's famous homemade pies to go. Why, oh why, did I not get a picture?! 4th of July weekend... there will be more pie!

Anywho... we drove about 15 minutes into Hutchison where we stopped by two of my favorite stores. We never make a cabin trip without stopping at Apron Strings (adorable kitchen store) and Smith's Market (known for quirky toys, tons of candy, fresh produce, and tasty trail mixes).

Now remember when I mentioned the candy section?

Well this picture doesn't do it justice! They have every flavor of licorice, type of candy from your childhood, and yummy homemade candies too! YUM!

...I found these and thought they were hilarious. I mean there is a pig shaped gummy?!

I probably laughed for 10 minutes, while Adam quickly walked to another section and pretended he didn't know the crazy lady cackling over the farm animal gummies.

After these few pit stops, the four of us went to a tasty local Mexican restaurant that had incredible enchiladas... my love language. El Patrillo must have really loved me, because I demolished my entire plate. Such a fun double date!

Lunch wrapped up, so we grabbed some groceries to cook dinner first, and then drove back to the cabin. It was the perfect day to sit on the dock, dangle your feet in the pond, get some quality vitamin D, and sip adult bevvies.

Since it was well into the 90s, we didn't last terribly long. Don't worry, the fun continued by way of naps and board games. Such great company!! Later that night, we enjoyed a tasty dinner and the Disney movie Cars. :) Yup, you read that right.

That next morning, we thought it would be super fun to cook up a late brunch and sit on the screened in patio before heading back to KC. What a nice little date just sipping coffee and just being us. Doesn't the spread look delish?

Yup, so there you have it! It was a great weekend with my favorite buddy! We had a blast spending time with our dear friends and loved being outside at the cabin!

Countdown 'til 4th of July weekend... t-minus 2 weeks!

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PS - Want to gain new followers?! Need some blog exposure?

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