Weekend Chatter

Hello Monday. Can you believe next week it's March and then summer and then Christmas? A slight exaggeration maybe, but only very slight. 

We had a nice quiet low key weekend here. It felt good to be home sleeping in my own bed and catching up on things here. Friday the sun shone and it was glorious. 

Hubs and I opted for a hike in a nearby state park and the weather was perfection. 

Thermometers don't lie-

The little brown dog was along for the ride, or maybe I should say run, because we moved at a clip the first two thirds of our walk.  

I think he smelled water and was itching to get to it. There wasn't a great swimming spot so that didn't happen, but it wasn't for his lack of trying. 

If we were following the strict rules of 52 dates in 52 weeks we'd be at number 20 this week. We're at 15 and we'll take it. We had company one week, hubs was away one week, I was away one week, there were holidays in the mix, so it's all good. We make the rules, right? 

We were home for lunch and then spent the afternoon chilling aka napping and reading. We made Greek chicken bowls for dinner and they were super delish. 

I used this recipe (more or less) and the marinated chicken grilled was really good, as was the dressing drizzled on top. 

Saturday we watched Olympics, jimmy rigged an electric shade we have that's ridiculous in design, and did a lot of lounging-reading-blogging. The shade is up high and has a battery that needs recharging, not often but often enough to be annoying. Hubs has to get out the extra tall ginormous ladder to reach it, on a staircase to boot, so he came up with a solution to make it easier next time. No pictures because I was responsible for holding the ladder. He survived. 

Saturday night we had dinner plans with friends. We went to a new-to-us Italian restaurant and enjoyed every bite. They started as a pizza place but are more than that now. I could have made a meal of appetizers.  Turns out we knew the wine manager and he brought us a plate of their arancini to start which were scrumptious. Hubs and I both had their lasagne (it's somebody's grandma's recipe) and it was served in small iron skillets which made for a great presentation. Also the portions were enormous and we took half home for lunches. 

Sunday we watched as much of the hockey game as we could before church and were excited to hear the final score when we came out of the service. I saw a lot of the Olympics this time around and loved all that viewing. There were some exciting moments, some beautiful moments, some patriotic moments, and overall thought they were exceptional. 

I spent a lot of Sunday afternoon organizing a few things I'm in charge of organizing and it felt good to get that done. We tried a new recipe for dinner and it received mixed reviews. Bun-less burgers which meant a lettuce wrap in place of the bread. I used this recipe, and I liked the lettuce wrap which was less filling. Hubs wanted a bun. 

I'm joining Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) today for their Hello Monday blog hop. I have a busy week. Honestly the next several are full to the brim with a combination of fun, family, tasks to complete, appointments to keep, relationships to manage, and people to love. 

One of my very favorite verses was part of my last week's lenten reading in the Psalms, and it's one that helps me stay grounded when life is moving fast-

"I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:1-2

Have a great Monday everyone. 

Weekend Ramblings

Good Monday morning. It's time for the weekly weekend recap, hosted every Monday by Holly (Pink Lady) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books). 

Does anyone else need their phone to remember what they did two days ago? 

We had a nice, low-key weekend here. On Friday hubs spent some time helping the boys with a little outdoor project. We may not have a fairy garden but we do have our own version of a GI Joe Navy Seal Training Facility lol. 

There was even a hammock for Joe to get some r & r...

Friday night friends invited us to meet them at a local Italian place for dinner, and that's always fun. The 'kids' had gone to the college baseball game followed by pizza out, so all dinners were accounted for. 

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day. Beautiful!! Blue skies, springtime temps, a gentle breeze. We loaded up in two cars since we were bringing the pup, and headed to the woods. 

We had a hike planned to a local waterfall which hubs and I both love, and it's one we thought the littles could manage without too much trouble. The hike in is all downhill, but there’s truth in the saying...what goes down must come up. 

Something like that? 

To get to the falls you turn off the main road for a slow mile long trek down a gravel/dirt road before parking. Then you hike about a mile and a half through the woods to reach the falls and the pretty sandy beach beside them. 

My daughter had little miss on her back in the carrier and the boys walked~scrambled~noticed things. The little brown dog ran ahead, but kept circling back to be sure hubs  his person was still right there. 

The falls here are only 12-feet high, but! they're 100 feet wide and so so pretty. They were rushing too as we've had rain recently. 

I read there was once a gristmill on the site, but now it's strictly a beautiful piece of nature with the falls dropping into a natural pool beside the beach, and then the river continuing on its way through the forest. 

We had the beach mostly to ourselves. A couple of people hiked in and looked around, but for the most part it was just us. We got there on the early side and passed more people coming in as we were leaving. We'd packed a picnic lunch and the kids had a ball wading in the icy waters...

...getting their clothes only a teensy bit damp, skipping stones, and hunting for shiny rocks and arrowheads. Hubs is still on a mission to find one, but that didn't happen Saturday. 

This guy who turns ten years old this week was living his best life romping through the woods, chasing sticks thrown into the river, and swimming to his heart's content. 

We were home mid-afternoon and my daughter and her family changed clothes then loaded back up in the car for a ride over to their other grandparent's home for dinner. My son-in-law's dad was celebrating his birthday so a full fun day for them.  After they left I put together a little snack to take to the neighbor's house later in the evening-

A sweet and salty drizzled popcorn (you pour melted white chocolate over popped corn), which is so easy and so yummy. 

Our neighbors invited us over to play cards with another couple, but first we all went out for Mexican food. We went to a nearby spot that started as a food truck, but has morphed into an 'almost' full fledged dining establishment. 

After dinner we went back to the neighbors house and stayed up too late playing our favorite card game- Swoop. We weren't thinking about the time change. We do agree we all have spring fever here and are so ready for float parties, dock sitting, and watching the sunset from the back of the boat. 

Sunday I turned the fireplace on for a while because it was gray and chilly. Not northern USA chilly, but SC chilly. Hubs and I slept in and then met the kids for brunch. They were up early of course (parents of young children rarely sleep in) so they made it to church first. I spent the afternoon finishing a book, hubs grilled steaks for everyone for dinner, and that was the weekend. 

So what were you up to this weekend? 

The Weekend Roundup

Good Monday morning friends. I hope you had a nice weekend. Ours was bursting at the seams, in a good way of course. Linking this post with Holly and Sarah for their Hello Monday recap party. 

Thursday. Yes it's the weekend. Especially when your daughter and her hubs pull out of the driveway at 7 AM and you're left in charge of their three littles for four nights and five days. One of my friends says anyone can do an overnight or two with their grands, but more than two nights feels like a month lol. She's not wrong.

My daughter was a bridesmaid in a college friends' Annapolis wedding this past weekend so she and her hubs got on the road Thursday morning in order to be in town for the festivities. Our day here Thursday started with breakfast out at one of our favorite spots. The boys ate every bite, and I'm nervous about their grocery bill in a few years. 

Next stop was Pet Smart because what better place is there to while away an hour than a store with fish, birds, reptiles and kittens? The kids asked if they could adopt one, but I thought I should check with mom first. I mean we grandparents love to indulge but a live animal felt like maybe a bridge too far. 

We moved on to our next venue which was Lowes, an exciting stop for everyone as we all joined in the hunt for a particular lightbulb. 

Side bar here...lightbulbs in 2025 are one of my pet peeves. Carry on. 

We found one that is not quite right but will work, and then it was back in the car for yet another stop-Publix. In case you've lost count  that's four times getting three kids into and out of car seats in a three hour span of time, and it was only day one. 

Grandparenting is not for sissies. 

Hubs took the kids to the bakery for a cookie while I grabbed a few things, and then it was home for playtime, lunchtime, and a nap for Little Miss. The boys watched a movie and Nana made tacos for dinner because that sounded easy and easy is good. 

My daughter left a little gift for the kids for each day she was away and they looked forward every morning to seeing what was in their bags. I bought a few things for Valentine's Day as well, and having new things to play with when your parents are away helps. 

I bought Little miss a pair of sunglasses that came with a unicorn case with sparkly handles, and she carried her 'purse' everywhere we went all weekend long, including the middle of the forest. 

The weather was lovely on Friday, a little cool but we bundled up for a hike to a nearby waterfall. 

It warmed up as we walked and I had packed a picnic lunch, which we ate beside the rushing water. Such a fun day. 

I carried a backpack loaded with water bottles, snacks, diaper, wipes, dry clothes to counter the inevitable mud, and a jacket or two. Hubs wore daughter1's carrier with Little Miss in it most of the day. Let me just say there is no need for a weighted vest when you hike with toddlers. 

The trail was muddy thanks to all the rain the day before, but we embraced it and everyone loved the sunshine...

the fresh air...

the natural beauty...

And digging in the sand...

The little brown dog came too, because what's one more? While navigating small children and a dog on a narrow trail won't be everyone's cup of tea, it is ours. 

We came home in time for Little Miss to have a nap then went back out that evening for a Valentines' Day dinner. Pizza followed by a stop at the ice cream shop right next door for dessert. 

So glad we got out on Friday because Saturday it rained literal buckets. Hubs was manning an open house for work most of the day so it was me and the three kiddos at home, in the house, all the ding dong day. I made sausage biscuits for breakfast, we worked a 300 piece puzzle in record time, watched a movie, played games, played with toys, colored, Little miss napped, we read books, read more books, and we watched the rain pour down around us. 

When hubs got home we took everyone to grandson #2's favorite restaurant -Firehouse Subs. I hadn't been in one of these in a while, but their sandwiches were so good and the guy making them took extra care with our order. Everyone in the place was so nice and it wasn't busy so we took our time. The boys ate their sandwiches, then I ordered them each a second and they ate those too. Let's hope the price of groceries goes down before they enter their teen years. 

Sunday Nana made french toast and bacon because apparently Nana cooks breakfast every morning now-ha. Afterwards we went to the nearby Botanical Gardens to visit the geology museum there.

It's free and full of bones and fossils and rocks. There's even a little room you go in where you turn off the lights and all the phosphorescent rocks glow, which thrills everyone. 

We bought souvenirs because we're the grandparents. 

After leaving the museum we took our little crew to Longhorn Steakhouse for lunch.  I didn't have it in me to make lunch and dinner both, so lunch out was a win. 

Little Miss went right down for a nap once we were home, but the boys played outside, rode their bikes, ran around and got muddy as little boys are wont to do and then I was back in the kitchen making dinner. You forget how much you cook with little ones in the house. 

The parents will be back home today and we're all excited lol. I'm so glad my girl was able to have a fun weekend away with her Valentine. It's important to recharge, to reconnect as husband and wife instead of mom and dad, and it feels good to wear fancy clothes and sleep in a hotel bed. 

I remember lots of trips I was able to take with hubs when our kids were young and needing so much of me. My parents and in-laws both, were always willing to come and stay and cook and entertain and do the endless tasks that need doing, and I am probably even more grateful for that gift now than I was then. 

Oh I definitely appreciated it at the time but now that I'm getting a refresher course in the particular kind of exhaustion that comes with the daily parenting of small humans I'm feeling very tender towards my own mom and dad and hubs parents too. 

Forty four February 14ths with this guy by my side. We still make a good team. 

Monday Monday

Linking up today with Holly and Sarah for a Monday morning weekend recap so let's get to it. 

Thursday more rock was delivered. Yay I guess. I mean we need more rock, but what a mess we've got going here at the moment. And not just the backyard where the actual project is happening, but the front yard too. All that rock has to be dumped in the front, then brought around back one bucket load at a time. 

Serenity now. 

Trying not to think about the irrigation system and the driveway dings and the plant roots that are suffering in the meantime. Everything is fixable is my current mantra. 

I recommend a sunset boat ride when it's all a little too much. 

Thursday's was a beauty. 

Friday morning I drove into the nearby small big city for my facial. It is perhaps the most relaxing hour of the day-week-year and I love it. As I'm getting out of the car to go inside hubs calls. He's out for a walk but tells me a neighbor just phoned asking if our excavator was supposed to be doing what it was doing and he's headed back to the house to see. 

Serenity now. 

Last week one of our 'rocks' got away from the machine and rolled through the silt fence into the lake. These rocks are more like ROCKS!! so not small and also not inexpensive. We buy boulders. That's how this project happens. Anyhoo, where the rock went into the water wasn't too far from the shoreline so the excavator operator was pretty sure he could snag it, and he did. He also got himself stuck for a short time on the riprap that lines the shore and was this close to going into the lake, machine and all. 

Not the sort of thing you want to hear when you're heading in for an hour of relaxation. 

Thankfully the guys who operate equipment like this have skills, and we got our rock back. All's well that ends well, right? 

After my facial wrapped up I popped into Costco. Question-can you 'pop in' to Costco? Is that possible? Apparently so, because a quick $200 later I was back in the car heading for home. 

We had plans with friends for an early dinner at the local Cabana so we headed to their house around 4:30. We went to dinner by boat which is my favorite way to go to dinner and said cheers to the weekend with an orange crush. I've got my hat pulled as low as it will go because I suddenly remembered my facial. 

After dinner we motored back to their house and floated while the sun dropped into the water. 

Saturday morning there was a huge Trump boat parade on the lake. There are literally hundreds of boats that take part and it's a crazy kind of fun. Back in 2020 there was another huge boat parade and we participated briefly in that one before deciding the traffic was a little too crazy for us. So many boats which created a tremendous amount of wake and we ducked out of that one early.

This time around we got close enough to watch, but not close enough to have our boat swamped. It was fun! DT was on the boat beside us lol. 

Hubs and I got home and decided to go into town to see if we could get a repair piece we need for our pantry door and also to look at some outdoor furniture we're considering for the patio. Fun times. By the time we finished with our errands it was after 2 PM so we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant, then spent the rest of the day on the back deck reading, listening to music, and playing a board game we like called Shut the Box. 

Did I mention my freezer? No. Well my ice maker quit working (again!!) and the part had to be ordered, except when the repairman came on Wednesday and got the whole thing out he discovered it was actually a different part, so now I'd need to empty the frig and turn that off too, until it could be fixed. Ugh. I'm so glad I have another frig and freezer downstairs, but all that up and down and back and forth doesn't inspire me to cook. Lunch/dinner out was a win. 

Our repairman Matt (he's been here enough times now we're on a first name basis) is supposed to be coming back Monday (or Tuesday, sigh) to make the repair. He's great and it's not his fault appliances that used to have six hoses now have something like 180.  I'm pretty sure my mom had the same frig/freezer my entire childhood, and well into my adult years too. 

We had a slow Sunday morning and ended up going for a hike to some nearby waterfalls. Outdoor worship is good for the soul. 

As we made our way down the gravel road into the parking area hubs spotted a snake in the road. If you want to spot wildlife in the wild he's your guy. 

It's a timber rattlesnake. Yikes. 

Naturally he had to get out of the car to see it up close and personal and let me just say the snake didn't like it much and he hissed and rattled and I yelled helpful things like "don't get too close!!" Hubs knows a lot about snakes and is interested in all kinds so this made his day. 

The little brown dog was with us too, and he could smell the water a mile away. He just wanted to get on with it. 

And if he could talk would tell you it was a pretty great weekend. 

What fun things have you been up to lately?