A lovely get away..........

Last weekend Dave and I went to our favorite place to spend time alone. The 1874 Stonehouse B and B. We were sad because this would be our last time to visit this gorgeous hidden treasure.

We started our trip on Friday afternoon. We arrived at the Stonehouse and checked in then walked down to the Koi pond. Here is a picture I took of Dave when he wasn't expecting it.



Our friend Billie really has made this place such a little piece of heaven. We sat at the pond for a while then decided to go take a nap.

Here is the room we stayed in.





After we woke from our nap, the sun was going down. We walked down to the pond so I could snap a few shots of the landscape. This shot is of a meadow near the pond.



After all that walking we were famished. We decided to go eat at the Emma Chase Cafe. It was Fried Catfish night. I had the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, buttermilk biscuit with homemade applebutter and greenbeans............It was heavenly!

Here is a picture of us in the gift shop.



After supper we walked up and down main street and went to the Friday night jam session at the municipal building. After about 20 minutes we decided to go get a bottle of wine and head back to the Stonehouse. We decided to play cards, which Dave won 2 hands to my one. Billie snapped this picture of us........my favorite of the entire weekend.



The next morning we woke up really early and decided we needed to walk off our supper from the previous evening not to mention all the wine!
The moon was still out and there was a fog........simply GORGEOUS!



Billie fixed the most delicious breakfast. Since we had stayed up so late but got up so early...........Yep, we took another nap! When we got up we decided we would head to Council Grove for supper but as soon as we were ready to go a wicked storm had kicked up so we had to wait it out. While we waited, we struck up a conversation with another couple who was staying at the B and B and we just CLICKED! In the end we went to the Grand Hotel and had supper with the Pattens. This couple was US in about 20 years!! We just loved them!



The next morning we had another delicious breakfast and hugged our dear friend Billie and then drove home. We were a little sad knowing this was our last time at such a special place. BUT we are excited to now find another special place for us to get away.

Another year older

My birthday was yesterday. What a memorable weekend. Any day I can spend with my family is my idea of PERFECT.

It started on Friday night with Dave coming home and us staying up late. It was so nice and cool out and we threw open all the windows in the house. When we woke up Saturday morning it was 50 degrees out...............LOVE IT!! We had decided since we basically had NO food in the house we would go out for breakfast then head to the store. $400 later, we came home and sat around watching K-State play while enjoying a few beers. Later that evening, we geared up and went for a ride on Dave's bike.......it was GORGEOUS out. Not hot out so we probably rode over 100 miles before we came home and watched "Legion".......really cool movie.

Sunday morning, we woke up EARLY (5 am) so we decided to gear up and head to our FAVORITE restaurant "Daisy Mae Cafe" (They open at 6 am) where we ate an artery clogging BUT DELICIOUS meal. I actually snapped a picture of the sun coming up as we rode into town. Ark City is about 25 miles from our house. There is something magical about rolling into town on the back of Dave's bike as the sun is coming up!





After we left the Cafe........we went home and went RIGHT BACK TO BED!! My sister and her family arrived around 5 and we had nachos with all the fixens for supper. Afterwards Satchel helped Erika with the goats............and she snapped this awesome picture.



My sister picked up CAKE for all of us..........my birthday was on Tuesday and they had to leave Monday night but we enjoyed that cake regardless of the date!! Satchel was so excited about them singing to me........I love that kid. He cracks me up.



Last but not least..........we just laid around and watched TV, ate food, drank tons of Adult BEVERAGES and just goofed off the ENTIRE weekend!!.........Sheer Bliss!

I love that my sister's family and how her kids get along so well with mine, but the thing that touches my heart the most is how our hubby's really have so much in common. I saw them outside enjoying a GUY moment and I had to capture it.


So, in closing...........my weekend was awesome but my actual birthday was HOLY CRAP>>>>>>>>>>>>AWESOME!!

I woke up to the 3 youngest girls serving me breakfast in bed, then the phone ringing off the hook with tons of well wishes. The mail box was full of cards from family and friends, my email was full of e-cards, and then the UPS truck arrived with a box FULL of scrappy goodness from some of my SWEET friends who know how to spoil me. With all the scrappy items my hubby gave me, that box and then a $50 gift card from my Dad that he insists I use on myself, I will be able to scrap up some GORGEOUS layouts!

Dave was WONDERFUL in every way...........it couldn't have been a more perfect birthday.

Awesome Weekend!!

First off.........Dave took off Thursday and Friday so we could celebrate 24 years together! We went to a really nice restaurant and had the most FAB food. We then went to see The Expendables..........KICK A$$ movie!! Sadly......I left my camera at home or I would have some pics of us out on the town!!

Saturday was Jessica's birthday and I promised her we would go to the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Intrust Arena in Wichita. We first went to Olive Garden. Jessica's best friends Kristin and Ben met up with us.

After Olive Garden we went to Mort's Martini bar to get cigars and drinks. This is Jessica with my cousin Jeannine's hubby Dan.


Here is Jeannine with me and Jessica at the arena waiting for Dave and the guys to get the concert started. We had the best time. After the concert we were walking to our pick up point where my hubby was to pick us up and low and behold we were RIGHT by the tour buses as the band came out to get on them........I was a good girl and didn't rush them! We just waved to them and they waved back!

Want A Piece of Cake?? Check out Melissa's Blogaversary!!

Melissa is one the most-gifted card makers and she is celebrating her blog's anniversary with an AWESOME Giveaway!

Be sure you go check it out and get your name tossed into the hat for the Cricut Cake Machine she is giving away! Creating From the Heart Blog Giveaway

Webster's Pages........

I confess right now I am on a Webster's Pages kick. Here are a couple of the layouts I did this last week. Both are with pictures from Robert's graduation.

Happy Being Yours
Made with the "Sweet As Cherry Pie" line.


Family
Made with the "Sweet As Cherry Pie" line.

4th of July.............Do-Over

So, on the 4th we were rained out. I don't want to even THINK about all the fireworks that we bought but weren't able to pop. So we told our friends we would have a "Do-over" this weekend................but it RAINED this weekend. So, we had an impromptu "Do-Over" tonight. Dave stayed home from work to work on the plumbing so we called some friends and grilled burgers, had s'mores and popped off fireworks!! After the last one was lit............yep, it started to pour down rain!


All the girls in the kitchen waiting on the burgers!


Here is our son Robert cooking burgers while my hubby Dave(Gray shirt in the middle) and our friend Steve supervise.


Here are the kids popping some day works.


What's a 4th cookout without the S'mores?


Last but not least.........the nightworks..........We had so much fun! The kids were so happy to pop off the fireworks!

Our son Robert, The Graduate

Yesterday we held Robert's graduation ceremony. He hand-picked the people who were to be invited. It rained all day..........which in my opinion, was better than the temp being over 100 degrees. We held the ceremony in our dining room. Here is how it looked. (I love entertaining in our house...........I know it will get cleaned from top to bottom!.....I love a clean house!)






Around 30 people arrived to help us celebrate with Robert. Dave gave the commencement speech. Me and my sister tried not to cry...........it's hard for us to believe he is so grown up. Here are some pics of the ceremony.





Here are some pictures of our family with Robert............we are so very proud of him. He will be attending college this fall where he will major in History.

Using up stash

This past week Scrapadilly had it's monthly crop. I was able to complete a few of those challenges. Here are a few of them that I really like how they came out.


For one of the challenges we were to scraplift a layout..........here is mine. This is Satchel at our piano. He is such a grand stander!! LOVE that kid!




Another challenge was to scrap a layout of friends. These are 3 youngest daughters. They are truly the best of friends. RARELY do they argue. I am hoping they grow up and stay that way.




Another challenge was to scrap pictures that you deem not that scrap worthy. Here is my take on that challenge. Our son Nik took these pics of himself, they have shadows, and lots of background clutter.

Been scrapping

I've dug out the sewing machine and been stitching on my layouts again. I go through spurts. This paper is Webster's Pages and is one of my favorite lines. Here is our daughter Lilia when she was 2 1/2 yrs old............so sweet and bashful. I miss the good ole days!



Here is a layout of our baby Anna when she WAS a baby. She was 7 weeks old here. Now she's 11!! This was made with Prima paper.




While I was busy using that sewing machine..........I was also busy using OLD pictures. Here is a layout of Erika when she was 4 months old. The dress she is wearing is one I made for her. When I saw the little Kewpie Doll card I knew I wanted to use it with these pictures.




This is our daughter Jessica at her college graduation in '07. I used her medal as part of the embellishment. This is Prima paper also.

Congratulations Jacquelyn!!!

Last week our niece Jacquelyn graduated from high school. We are so proud of her. Our oldest two daughters drove with my brother Erik to attend her ceremony in Tennessee. Pictured here is Jacquelyn with my brother and nephew Kyler.

Congrats Jacquelyn!!

Spring Fling

It must be something in the air. I have had the sudden urge to SCRAP! I think knowing that Friday over at Scrapadilly we will be having our monthly crop has got me excited also! Come by on Friday, May 21 and check out the challenges and AWESOME Prizes!!

Here are a couple of layout I have done over the last few weeks. I think my trip to Oklahoma City really gave me some serious MOJO.

"The Bob" is 19!!

Happy Birthday Robert!!


I will confess, I am a tiny bit melancholy today. This is our 3rd child and you would think I could get over them growing up but him being this grown up is killing me. Sigh. When I think of my children, I always think of that quote from The Lord of the Rings: "What grace is given me, let it pass to him." I feel that way about all of them. I would take a bullet for them.......They know it.

If I have said it once, I have said it a dozen times. Robert.........he's the one to watch. Great things are going to happen to him. His siblings IDOLIZE him, and the funny thing is.....he doesn't even realize it.

So............Today I will hide in my heart the memory of him on my lap while I read to him Winnie the Pooh. I pray one day I will be able to do the same with one of his children.

Here is a layout I did years ago. He was the SWEETEST baby!!