Hey there Monday

Good morning friends. Hope you had a fun summery weekend. Here's how ours looked...

It looked full. It looked like a lot of miles on the car. It looked like bluegrass and bourbon. It looked like young love and old friends. It looked joyful. It looked like taking the long way home. 

It looked like summer. 

We were up bright and early Wednesday morning to make our way west and then north to Cincinnati via Kentucky. Friends we've known for more than two decades had a daughter getting married and we were headed there to celebrate her big day on Friday evening. 

Daughter2 and the bride have been friends since second grade and we parents have been friends that long too. Daughter2 was in the wedding so she and her hubs were there too which was fun.

But first! Kentucky. Friends we met while living in the UK who now live in Texas have a lake house about an hour from Cincy, so that was our first stop. We arrived mid-afternoon and hung out on their porch, had a wonderful dinner together, played cards, and caught up on all the things. 

We discovered we were all doing The Bible Recap this year so we listened together on Thursday morning which was special. Then we made our way in the general direction of Cincy in two cars so they could head home after our excursion and we could go on to the hotel. 

We had lunch in the General Store in a little town called Glencoe. There's not a lot in this area, but they served the owner's grandmother's chicken salad recipe and the guys had pizza which they said was really good too. From there we went just a few miles down the road to  Sparta for a tour of a small family owned distillery (The Neeley Family Distillery)

When in bourbon country...

The tour was interesting. We've been on the Bourbon Trail a couple of times before and have done a lot of the big distilleries, but this one was definitely different. You start with a video giving you the story behind the family and it's a little bit like the Hatfields and McCoys. They started as moonshiners but are making bourbon the legal way now. 

After the tour we said our goodbyes and hubs and I went on to Ohio to check in to the hotel. The groom's family hosted a welcome party at a fun brewery and everyone was invited to attend. They had a taco bar and the groom's parents made a sweet and funny speech in honor of the soon-to-be marrieds. A fun night for all. 

Coincidentally the wedding reception was in a venue just a few blocks from where Daughter1 and her hubs lived the year they were in Cincy, so we had to do a drive by of their old house. We sent a picture and she was happy to see the rope swing was still swinging. 

We went to breakfast at a place called Wild Eggs before driving in to the city to a section known as Over- the-Rhine. We walked through Findley Market, browsing the stalls, then headed back to our side of town so I could get my hair done. I always book an appointment to have my hair washed and dried when we travel to out of town weddings. 

It was a hot day and I needed the professionals to help battle the humidity and smooth it all out. 

The newlyweds were married in the bride's church and I love a church wedding. We rode a shuttle with the rest of the guests out to the church and the ceremony was lovely. If you were a June bride you were given a white rose as you entered the church and I thought that was a really sweet gesture. 

When we came out of the church they had a coffee bar set up for guests to enjoy while waiting on photos and the shuttle ride back to the reception venue. 

You could have regular coffee, cold brew, or an iced honey latte which is what I opted for. Yummy! 

The hydrangeas were beautiful here...

The reception was in a park (Ault Park for any locals reading) and it was a beautiful spacious venue. Everything was lovely. 

There were stations, seafood-beef-and mac and cheese, then assorted desserts rather than a wedding cake. Hubs and I wanted to plant ourselves beside the crab claws but we resisted. I didn't try the mac and cheese, but the seafood and beef were both really good. 

My favorite thing about a wedding reception is the father-daughter dance, and this one did not disappoint. I feel like the months and days leading up to the wedding are more about the mom, but the day of is where the dad's emotions really hit hard. 

My forever wedding date...

We were up and on the road with a cup of coffee to-go from the hotel lobby, because we knew the ride home was going to be a long one. There were big storms across the south on Wednesday night and sadly there was a rock slide on I-40 right around the Tennessee-NC border, aka our route home. It was already still a mess from Helene, but they've been working hard to get all lanes up, open,  and repaired, and now another setback. The road is closed again for another two weeks, which meant we had to take the long(er) way around to get home. 

We didn't run into any other snafus, just a much longer drive mile wise. We stopped for Mexican food close to home, then pulled in to the driveway to be greeted by Little Miss and her momma who were dropping off the little brown dog. They'd kept him at their house while we were away and while he was a good boy, nothing makes him happier than seeing his favorite person, the hubs. 

Sunday we declared a day of rest. Hubs back has been a problem for a couple of days and my ankle continues to be a problem (seeing the ortho on Thursday to hopefully figure it out) plus we were absolutely pooped. June has been chock-a-block full of all kinds of everything and we needed a day. Maybe more than a day, but we're starting with a day. 

We sat on the lower patio, I blogged, read, and relaxed, and hubs periodically asked how I was enjoying my vacation lol. We don't have any road trips on tap for July, although one may pop up, but mostly we plan to stick close to home, take the boat out, swim, and refill our tanks so to speak. 

And that was the weekend. How was yours? What did you get up to? 

 

I'm linking today with Holly and Sarah for their regular Hello Monday blog hop. Drop over and add your own weekend recap and see what others are saying too. Hope your summer is off to a great start! Or winter if you're reading from Down Under...I know there are a few here : )

Tuesday Monday Blogging

If you're here looking for this week's Hodgepodge questions you'll find them one post back. 

When Monday is Tuesday it throws us all off, right? Linking with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday today because at least we're all on the same page with these shorter weeks. 

We're wrapping up a seven day visit to Cincy where we've been in charge of one set of grands since first thing Friday morning. They've been in charge of us? Whatever. It's been fun and the littles have been so good. 

We aim for a some sort of outing in the morning hours because Little Miss takes a solid afternoon nap and ain't nobody missing that. The boys have some quiet time in the playroom then, where they listen to a story on their Yoto player while working on their various lego projects and hubs 'rests' on the couch while I do a quick pick up, get dinner organized, and sometimes blog. 

The mancub is a lego master and is happy to help little brother if he gets stuck or forgets a step. Thank goodness, because the world of legos is mostly new to me. I raised daughters and can get a shoe on a Barbie foot in record time, but don't have a lot of experience with legos. I see the appeal though. There is something so satisfying about putting together a model from literal square one. 

There are wonderful parks and playgrounds in this town, and we've hit up several that are close to my daughter's home here. The kids don't really watch television and we try to stick with that household policy. We do put a movie on to watch together most afternoons because we're not the parents lol. 

Also, we're not thirty something an.y.more. 

Note to young parents everywhere...keep doing those squats and planks because one day you'll be twice your grown children's ages and will find yourself awkwardly climbing in and out of a mini van's third seat, getting up from a 'criss cross applesauce' kind of seat on the floor, squeezing yourself into a tunnel slide made for five year olds, and lifting wriggly toddlers in and out of a bathtub-crib-carseat. You’re gonna need those abs. 

Our first day here with the kids we took them to a neighborhood park. Little Miss spied a balloon stuck in a tree and this has been the topic of her very animated conversations several times a day every day since. 

There'a another park nearby, close to a small airfield, and we spent some time there one day too. The boys love the playground at this park, but honestly we chose it mostly because on our drive into town hubs spied a B-29 parked there and wanted to see it up close. Turns out you could go inside so he took the boys and they had a ball. 

It was sunny-ha! Little miss and I sat on the sidewalk (the squats! the planks!) and watched the world go by from the shade of a big tree. 

Today is Memorial Day, and while there was no parade or backyard bbq we did spend the morning visiting a farm that's part of the park system which felt patriotic in it's own way. How fortunate we are to have time with family, to see the flag fly against a bright blue sky as we enjoy the outdoors, to laugh and share and make memories with the people we love. Thank you to the soldiers who have made it so. 

We had the farm practically to ourselves, if you don't count the pigs, sheep, cows, goats, horses and chickens. Oh, and the geese. Can't forget the geese. Baby geese, momma geese, and a whole lot of goose poop, which continues to be a hot topic for discussion amongst the boys. 

We walked around a pond filled with turtles and algae, and hubs, who knows a lot about a lot, provided our science lesson for the day. 

Because the park was so empty a girl working with the horses brought one out for us to pet. Meet Hammer-

Of course we made a stop at the playground here too, built in the shape of a barn. The boys had a ball running and chasing and sliding and climbing. 

Little Miss always trying to keep up with the big brothers. 

She is too cute for words. 

Pretty sure her favorite thing about having us here is we bring the dog. He has been the absolute best distraction for her, and the first word out of her mouth every morning, and at the end of every nap time, and probably twenty or thirty times a day is 'Hunley!' 

The next word out of her mouth is always Pawpaw, but after five grandchildren I'm used to that-ha! 

Pawpaw is the man of a million faces, sound effects, tricks, and hijinks that keep everyone laughing and happy and forgetting for a moment mom and dad are not in the house. He steals that nap on the couch when he can, but when he's on he's on and all the grands adore him. 

What else have we done since we arrived? Well, we've showered every day, and that feels like a bit of an accomplishment. I mean three kids under six means you have to plan when that will happen so go us! 

Everyone has eaten and slept and played so well together and I'm grateful for the routines mom and dad have in place that make stepping in for out of town parents pretty seamless. I've made easy dinners most nights, but last night we ordered out Thai food. Two years spent living in South Korea has left an impression on their palates so we ordered what they will tell you is their favorite foods-

Sushi for the mancub and pork gyozo for Max. 

Tomorrow we have a little outing planned, will order pizza for dinner 'cuz we're tired, and will greet the parents when they pull in the drive. 

We've had such a sweet time with this high energy, tender hearted, funny, smart, busy bunch this week. I always leave with a newfound appreciation for my girl and how she manages everyone's needs with grace and patience. How she keeps her eye on the ball and what matters for eternity. 

We'll head out the next day and I know it will feel good to be home.

And also that we'll hate to leave.

In the words of my four-year old grandson...'It's bittersweet.' 

About Last Night Month

I had a title in mind, but before I got back here the calendar turned. Bother. So much to catch up on and so little time. Let's talk Thanksgiving because while it feels like eons ago in reality it's only been about ten days.

Which I realize is an eon in the blog world, but still I'm gonna talk Thanksgiving.

The bride-to be...you remember Daughter2 and her groom, right?

Well her future in-laws invited us to spend the Thanksgiving holiday in their home so hubs and I road tripped to the Buckeye State. We left later in the day Tuesday because hubs had a guitar lesson (I know!!!). We had the soon-to-be marrieds dog with us because we had the bigger vehicle and it's important the dog is comfortable.

Yes of course we took a picture.

In America Wednesday is designated 'prep for the meal day' so that's what we did. And while we prepped we talked all things wedding because we love to talk all things wedding. Just ask the hubs. Hi hubs! In our defense the grooms mama wants to hear details and I feel like grooms are not always good about sharing every single little detail.

Thursday was spent in the way Thanksgiving Thursdays are always spent-parade watching, eating, napping, football watching and more eating. Probably a lot like yours which is something I love about Thanksgiving.

Friday we went into the nearby city to see the tree and the view from our hosts downtown office. Also to enjoy a fabulous Italian meal in one of their favorite restaurants because we are all about the eating at the end of November. Hubs and I got on the road fairly early Saturday as we needed to start organizing Christmas at home. It felt a little early but blank calendar days are nearly non-existent round here in the month of December so we had to dive in.

As we were cruising homeward down the Interstate hubs noticed a sign for 'The Ark', and since we were in the neighborhood we decided to take a quick peek. Which is nearly impossible to do but we tried. If you're not familiar with 'The Ark' it's a reconstruction of Noah's ark sitting just off the highway in Williamstown Kentucky.

We were curious, but after reading about it online opted not to go inside. The tickets are pricey and most reviews said you needed several hours to really take it all in and ain't nobody got time for that Thanksgiving weekend. We were passing by just as it was opening for the day so we did drive into the parking lot to gawk. The Ark gets mixed reviews online, and I know a couple of folks who've been who also give it mixed reviews, but I have to say it was kind of cool to see it from afar.

We stopped for lunch in the little town of Berea because we're suckers for those little brown signs on the side of the highway that indicate some sort of historical and/or interesting something. In this case it was Boone Tavern which is a restaurant and hotel affiliated with Berea College, and we had a wonderful lunch (Kentucky Hot Brown anyone?) in their elegant dining room. We thought maybe the tavern had something to do with Daniel Boone, and it is named for the native son, but that's as far as the connection goes.

The Tavern was built in the early 1900's to house guests of the college. Apparently the President's wife decided they needed to build a guest house after she realized she'd welcomed over 300 guests of the university to her home one summer. I can kind of relate-ha!

We made it home in time to catch up with the neighbors whose grown children were in town, and now we're on to the next thing. Thanksgiving drew the short straw, but it's still my favorite holiday of the year.

Thanksgiving

I know everyone is now in full on Christmas mode, but I'm still stuck on Thanksgiving. We did buy a tree for the apartment today, but haven't done any decorating. I've ordered cards but they're not in yet, and I've done very little shopping so Thanksgiving it is. 

I'm not one of those people who can skip the holidays just because we're living an in-between sort of season right now. I want twinkle lights and cinnamon candles and I don't want turkey dinner in a restaurant. I'm not knocking that if it's your tradition, and if I need to have dinner in a restaurant to accomodate someone's travel or family situation, then sure I will do it, happily I might add. But that's not our tradition and holidays are a time my heart longs for the memory of childhood and the little things that mark the holidays as our own. 

As you get older, or more specifically as your children get older, you have to adjust the picture you have in your head of how a holiday will actually look in real life. I get that, and I do keep my mind and heart focused on what's most important. That doesn't mean I won't try to have at least a smidgen of the traditions our families have enjoyed year after year as part of any new celebrations we embrace. It's going to require some creativity this Christmas, but I'm working on it. 

Today though it's November, and November is a month set aside for counting our blessings and giving thanks so let's talk turkey. 

Daughter2 and her boyfriend have been dating for some time now, but we've never met his family in person. We've never been in the same state at the same time (it's us remember), so this was the year we decided to be intentional in changing that. His parents invited us to spend Thanksgiving with their family in the Buckeye State, and we were happy to accept. 

We drove up on Wednesday and enjoyed a casual dinner in their lovely home, followed by a whole weekend of lovely moments spent chatting, eating, and refreshing our ping pong skills. I used to have ping pong skills, but haven't played in such a long time and I'd forgotten how much I loved it. 

I always think of my brother when I play ping pong. He used to play me a game most nights after dinner and he always beat me, even when he very sweetly played right handed (he's a lefty). Those games have a page in the scrapbook I keep in my head. 

Also, I will go ahead and say what everyone is thinking. Yes my youngest looks like me. Exactly. If you saw a picture of me at her age you would swear it was her. Except I wasn't as fair haired back then. ahem. 

Our Thanksgiving meal was delicious and very similar to what I would have prepared if we'd been at home. This made me happy because I don't like anyone to mess too much with the Thanksgiving menu. There was lots of football watching and a little Foosball playing and the weather was phenomenal so there was even a picture perfect evening spent beside an outdoor fire. I didn't take a lot of pictures because this was our first time in their home, and I try not to be obnoxious with my camera until you know me better. 

Friday morning hubs and I met for coffee with friends from our Maryland days. These friends moved to Ohio right before we moved to England, but we've stayed in touch and Daughter2 and their Daughter1 are still great pals. We saw the mom and daughter in January at Daughter1's wedding, but there's not a lot of time for lengthy conversation at a wedding, so a coffee catch up was nice. Her hubs came too and we hadn't seen him in years, so that felt extra special. 

Daughter2 and her boyfriend picked us up from our coffee date and drove us downtown to meet his family for lunch. We dined in a restaurant overlooking the river with a really pretty view of the city. After lunch we spent a few hours wandering through the Newport Aquarium on the Ky side of the river. 

In case you can't tell Daughter2 loves the Aquarium. 

She's something of a shark aficionado, not sure where that came from, but from the time she was very small she's had a keen interest in sharks. She's full of all kinds of knowledge and shark trivia which honestly is not a bad thing for a third grade teacher to have on tap.  

In the Newport Aquarium you can touch a shark if you dare. You can also walk across the shark infested waters via a net bridge, which of course we did. 

I'm pretty sure that's not as dangerous as I made it sound.
She was in her happy place here.

Before we went back to the house for dinner we made an ice cream stop at Graeters. I hear if you're in the Cincinnati area you must try Graeters and y'all know I'm a rule follower. People from Cincy always go on and on about the ice cream here, and I must say it lived up to its reputation. I had peppermint stick which was completely scrumptious and felt really festive too.

Friday evening we hung out at the house, had pizza, watched more football, and just generally made ourselves at home. We had such wonderful hosts and we thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in their home.

We drove back to SC on Saturday with a brief planned stop in TN to say hello to hubs parents. Daughter2 rode back with us since her boyfriend had a couple more days in Ohio, and it felt a little bit like the old days roadtripping with one of our girls curled up in the backseat. We don't have kids in the backseat too often anymore. Sniff.

Of course there was one more must-try dish before we left town-the iconic Skyline chili. It's hard to describe if you've never tasted it, but basically its a chili-ish dish served over spaghetti or atop a small hotdog called a coney, topped with lots of cheese and onions if you want, or just a whole lotta cheese.

Skyline doesn't taste exactly like traditional chili nor does it taste exactly like traditional spaghetti sauce. It's somewhere in between and it's good!

We had an uneventful drive home and I feel ready now to welcome the season of Advent. While it seems like so many people have had Christmas up and running in their homes for several weeks now, we're just getting started. That's how I like my holidays-one at a time.

I hope your Thanksgiving was full of blessings too!