Campfire Girls

Rain or shine, it's all good with wine!






That should have been our motto for the fabulous weekend I had with some fabulous ladies. Four young women embarked on a camping adventure to Hermann, Mo. a couple of weekends ago and we made it alive, much to the amazement of our significant others.

Every year, people flock to Hermann Octoberfest and this year I finally got to see what all the fuss was about. We decided to do a little girls/wine weekend. We researched accommodations, but all we came up with were quaint little bed and breakfasts and not-so-quaint-looking motels. So we did what every red-blooded American girl would do: we decided to go camping. Now, I will admit that we did not do tents and air mattresses. Nor did we go without electricity or running water. But pulling a camper, setting it up and making a fire were no easy tasks either.

Thanks to my friend Brooke and her generous family for letting us borrow their camper. She pulled that thing like she had done it for years. I actually think that was the easy part. As long as we didn't see the camper getting further and further behind the vehicle, we knew we were golden.

Our first stop was the Bobber Cafe in Booneville. I used to always go through Booneville on my to and from college in Columbia, but I've never stopped. That is one interesting town. We did enjoy our waitress Debbie and some delicious "unprocessed" food. At least that's what Debbie told us. I did have some pretty good chicken tenders that were breaded like no other chicken tenders I had ever tasted. And she asked what kind of taters we wanted. She really said taters. Classic. It was basically your quintessential truck stop. If I'm ever hungry flying down east on I-70, I may have to stop in and see Debbie again.

Bobber Cafe

The next stop was Montgomery City where we set up camp at the Lazy Day Campground. It was packed with giant RVs and we rolled up in the Honda Pilot with the camper trailing behind us. The owner of the campground guided us to what would be our home for the next day and a half. We parked and got out the instructions for setting up the camper. These were very detailed instructions and with them, we managed to get the camper set up with few hiccups along the way. Once that was done, it was time to relax by the fire and have a few drinks. It was great not being tied to a computer, cell phone or television. It was just good old fashion quality time laughing and talking.
Brooke in front of the successfully erected camper.

When the fire began to die down, we headed into the camper for a night of playing the classic game Sorry! and few card games before calling it a night. The camper itself was comfy, but I hardly got any sleep because the stormed all night. By morning, we were all a little worried that the rain and thunder would ruin our day in Hermann. But by nine o'clock, the clouds started to break and the sun began to shine and all was well.

Playing Sorry!

I don't have to tell you we had a great time. We spent the day in Hermann checking out wineries, bars and the locals. It was a great weekend to just hang out with the girls and get caught up on everyone's busy lives. Below are some pics to document the occasion.

First taste of the weekend.

Looks like CD cover art.

On the hill at Hermannof.

Happy Engagement Day

Two years ago, a very nervous Derrick and a very cute nephew of mine changed my life. On October 18, 2008, two years to the day after we met, Derrick asked me to marry him. I remember being in a horrible mood that day because Derrick was out late with his friends the night before and I was stuck at home cleaning and preparing for his sister to be in town. I don't recall Derrick acting weird or anything. I was probably too irritated to notice. As it turned out, he was out late with friends making the final arrangements for the proposal. And he was a nervous wreck the day of. Needless to say, I felt kind of bad for my attitude afterward.

When Derrick's sister and brother-in-law finally pulled up, Derrick said he would go down and meet them. This was not unusual since the apartment we were in had secure entries and guests had to be buzzed in. When he came back up, he knocked on the door. That wasn't unusual either. The door always stayed locked and he may have not taken his key. I've locked myself out of that apartment a few times back in the day.

I opened the door and my nephew was standing there with a piece of paper. He handed me the paper and as I tried to make out what it was, Derrick got down on his knee. The paper turned out to be the sign-in sheet I used when I first interviewed at the job we ended up working at together. That interview was how we first met. There was my name and the date of October 18. When I finally looked up from the paper, I saw Derrick holding out a ring. In a shaky voice, he asked me to marry him. So what did I do? What any girl would do when her boyfriend asked her to be his forever. I ran to the bedroom and cried.

I'm sure Derrick was confused. But I was just so excited and shocked and surprised that I just ran. A few minutes later I came back out and said "yes." Later, we all went out to dinner to celebrate and I begin planning what would turn out to be one of the best days of my life. It's crazy to think that we've been married for almost six months. This time last year, I kept telling myself we'd be married in almost six months. Those six months felt like forever, but these six months have flown by.

I'm excited for the next six months and the years to come. Happy Engagement Day, hun!

Photo by Rebecca Peters of Rebecca Peters Photography

Falling Behind

OMG! Please tell me my last post was not in July. Okay, it was and I'm ashamed. It was summer then and now it's fall. I can't believe this year is almost over. The air is crisper, the leaves are falling and Christmas items are on the shelves. I do love this time of year, but it's a horrible time for fashion. I always find myself lacking summer/fall transition pieces. It's not quite time for a coat, but a light jacket in the morning would be nice. I'll work on that. And is it okay to still wear sandals or are we at full-fledged closed-toe shoes and boots? See, I just never know during this time of year. I'll also work on blogging more. I know, I know, I say that every time I take an unintentional blogging hiatus. But it's been a busy end of summer and fall. How do you other bloggers keep up? Perhaps I need some sort of no-blogging intervention.

I don't even know where to start with the updates. If you are friends with me on Facebook (which you probably are since that's basically the only way anyone will see this blog), then you're pretty caught up. At the beginning of August, we went to the lake with some friends. It was kind of like an end-of-summer hurrah. At the end of August, I literally ran my first 5k. Normally, I just walk those things, but this year, I actually trained and had a pretty good time. I did have to walk twice. The hills almost killed me, but it was a major accomplishment. I hope to do it again and get a better time, but that would mean I would need to start running again and I haven't ran since the race.

Labor Day weekend, Derrick and I split up. No, not that kind of split up. He went to Manhattan, Kan. to see K-State beat UCLA for their first football game of the season. I stayed in town to celebrate my friend Morgan's 30th birthday. The rest of the month of September was sprinkled with football games, visits from family and friends and home renovations. I finally got my gray family room. Actually, it's more of a bluish gray, but it's still what I ... er, we wanted. We also bought new furniture and painted the fireplace. Now we just need to do the finishing touches like adding the quarter rounds to the base boards, installing crown molding and adding some decor.

The first part of October has been just as busy. The first weekend, we had friends in town for a wedding reception. Just last weekend, Derrick and I split up again. This time he headed back to his hometown of Lincoln, Kan. for his 10-year high school reunion. I went down to Fayetteville and Little Rock, Ark. to celebrate my cousin's 30th birthday. She had a fabulous party and we all wore purple for the occasion.

I think you're all caught up. I'll be sure to post pictures soon ... and I promise it won't be three months from now. Sheesh.

Blessings All Around

What a busy, but fun weekend. I got to be with my beautiful grandmother as she celebrated her 89th birthday and I received some big news from Derrick.

I just got back from Arkansas yesterday afternoon and I couldn't believe how exhausted I was. That eight-hour drive really took it out of me, and I only drove three hours! I thought I was going to get a run in, but I could hardly move. So it's definitely back to the workout grind this evening as I start week two of training. But on to more important stuff.

Friday evening, I met my cousin Shani in Fayetteville so we could head down to Marvell. The drive didn't seem long at all. We had so much fun talking and laughing. I always have a great time with her. By the time we got there, there wasn't much to do but get ready for bed. Saturday, my aunts threw my grandmother a party in honor of her 89th birthday. I couldn't believe how many people showed up. Some even traveled from as far as California just to be with her. Guests told stories about how she's touched their lives and the lives of others. Through the power of Facebook, Shani was able to read expressions of love and gratitude from some of the cousins who couldn't be there. It was wonderful hearing all the kind words about my grandmother. There are a lot of us as my grandmother is the proud mother of 15 children. Grandmother looked stunning in her pink suit and hat, and she even had her nails done. I am so proud to have such a beautiful and strong grandmother. I know my grandfather is looking down and beaming with joy for his wife. She's an extraordinary woman.

Some of the grandchildren and great grandchildren.

My grandmother and her daughters.

The blessings continued as I learned my darling husband got a promotion on Friday. He's worked so hard and often wondered if it would pay off. Well, it finally did and we couldn't be happier. What's even better is there is still more opportunity for growth with his company. I wish I could have been around to celebrate with him, but we'll certainly do some celebrating in the near future. I'm so glad things are working out for him, and I know there are many great things to come.

There are time when life gets a little busy and I fail to truly take stock in all the wonderful things me and my family have been blessed with. I am so grateful. What are you grateful for?

Where Did My Summer Go?

Um, whoa! Where did July go? It seems the weeks have just flown by. This summer has been a busy one and it’s time to get caught up on some much needed blogging. Let’s start with July 4 weekend.

We spent a fun couple of days with Derrick’s family in Topeka. Remember that quest to make the biggest slip-n-slide? Well, that didn’t happen. The weather was pretty crappy that Saturday and the in-laws were having company over that evening for a cookout. So the slip-n-slide plans were scratched. The rain did let enough to let us see some fireworks. Now, I am not a fan of explosives, but I have to admit, there is something about watching fireworks sparkle against the night sky. There is something about watching children watch fireworks. They were amazed.

My sister-in-law and nephews playing with sparklers.

That weekend was also the first time I attempted to bake apple pie and it was quite a success. Derrick’s parents made homemade vanilla ice cream and it didn’t take long for my pie to disappear. I made one for my parents, too.

Just call me Betty Crocker.

The following weekend, I headed to Rogers, AR and Fayetteville, AR with my mom and her sisters. I also saw my cousin Shani. We had a wonderful time just hanging out and we ate a ton. I’m definitely feeling the post-wedding weight gain, but more on that in a minute.

Last week, we added a new furbaby into our home. Derrick and I had been discussing getting another pet, but we weren’t sure if wanted a cat or dog. We decided since Beasley is such a handful, we’d try a cat. Last Tuesday, we brought home the cutest female kitten. A family’s cat had gotten loose and knocked up so they were trying to find good homes for her litter. Her name was Hope when we got her. Then we initially named her Yoshi, then she was Frankie and now she’s Stella, which is the name I wanted all along. Poor kitty. I hope she doesn’t have an identity crisis since she’s had so many names in less than a week. She certainly has changed. When we brought her home, she was shy and a little evil towards Beasley. Now she thinks she’s running things. She’s everywhere and she’s a sneaky little thing, too. But she’s so much fun and Beasley is starting to get used to her.

Stella playing with her new toy.

Stella and Beasley.

Back to that post-wedding weight gain I mentioned. I’ve noticed my clothes are fitting little more snug than usual. I tried on one of my outfits from my honeymoon and it was not a pretty picture. So I am now determined to get in shape. My first goal is to run the Rivalry Run, which is a 5k and at the end of August. Now that may not seem like a big goal to some, but it is for me. I used to run in junior high and high school. Since then, I’d run on occasion but never enough to get my endurance back to the way it was. Derrick and I did a 5k a few years ago, but we walked/ran it. My goal this time is to run the whole thing. I eventually want to get up to a marathon, but baby steps first. I started training last night. I nearly died, but it felt good to actually do something instead of lying on the couch and pigging out. Tonight was a rest night. Tomorrow it's back to work.

The next three weeks are going to just as busy. I'm heading back to Arkansas to celebrate my grandmother's 89th birthday, the following weekend we are going to visit Derrick's family and the weekend after that is the lake. If I'm not too careful, I might blink and summer will be over. Has your summer flown by?