Branson Vacation

Last Friday I headed down to Branson to see my parents. Jesse was originally supposed to go with me, but things just got too busy. And rather than miss the trip altogether, I decided to make the trip on my own. I'd never driven that far by myself (about 6 to 6.5 hours), but now I can say I did it :) And I know if I ever need to do it again, it will be a breeze.

 

One of my favorite things about visiting my parents is the view! They have the most gorgeous view from their back deck! I took multiple shots of the view at different times of day. No matter the time, the view is always amazing!

On Saturday, we braved the heat (about 96 degrees F) to go to a car show in Arkansas. My family loves vintage cars and I remember going to car shows with my parents my whole life. It's always fun to find a new location and see new cars.

After the hot day of walking around, we enjoyed an afternoon boating and floating out on the lake. I only took my cell phone with me, so no photos from the water!

The above photos are an iconic Branson attraction called Ride the Ducks. I remember riding on these several times during my childhood vacations to Branson. These are amphibious vehicles that take you on a tour of Branson and then out on the lake! It's always fun watching them splash into the water!

While the drive wasn't all that fun, it was sure a relaxing trip once I got there. Coffee on the deck every morning and floating in the lake in the afternoons...I could get used to that :)

Wordless Wednesday - New Toy

 

 #It'sSoTiny

A Day on the River

Saturday started out looking kind of cloudy with a chance of rain. But by mid-afternoon, the clouds cleared and the temperatures soared! A perfect day to be on the river!

We met Jesse's younger brother, his girlfriend and Jesse's aunt and uncle for a day of sun and fun.

I even engraved coozies for everyone so they have a coozie to match their boat :) Jesse loves this little mascot for the cam we have in our boat. And since our new boat doesn't have a name yet, I used this for our coozies. Everyone else got their boat's name engraved on one side with "I'd rather be air boating" on the other side along with an air boat graphic.

 

 I'm definitely glad we got out Saturday, because we tried to boat again on Sunday, but the river was much higher just over night! Apparently they got the rain up north that we thought we were going to get early Saturday. Good reason to enjoy life as you can :)

Adventure Is Out There

In thinking about all the plans we have for this summer and all the adventures we'll soon be going on, I decided to put together this adventurous treasury.

Adventure is out there, Nursery Art Print, Wall Decor, Feathers, Children's Decor, Gallery Wall Art, Home Decor, Mountains CheekySheepDesign $15.00	Balloon Ride Travel Watercolor Illustration - Print from Original Watercolor Cityscape Romance - Lana's Art - Wanderlust Illustration LanasArt $30.00	folk art bag, SALE, large cotton tote bag, textile bag, shopper, made in Uzbekistan, ikat bag, book bag, bright, yoga bag, affordable cheap MulberryWhisper $30.00	Adventure - modern cross stitch pattern - typography inspired - PDF format - instantly downloadable TinyBoxesDesigns $5.00
Pink Oven Mitt - Gift for Mom - Gift for Retiree - Camping Pot Holder- Gift Under 20 pasqueflower $18.00	The Great Outdoors - Canvas Tote Bag AshAndEmberCo $15.00	Adventure Awaits, Vintage Globe Art wendygold $450.00	Disney Up inspired quote bracelet - Adventure is out there ToInfinityOhio $14.50
Angel Fish and Seafoam Green Czech Glass and Crystal Niobium Earrings BeadedTail $20.00	Vintage Map Hot Air Balloon Print 'Adventure Awaits' 5x7, 8X10, 11x14 Inspirational Quote Nursery Baby Print Wall Art, Home Decor Wall Art Picturality $10.00	First Date- 8"x10" Print ThePaintedMenagerie $12.00	The Great Outdoors Makeup Bag ThePetiteStegosaurus $12.00
Dinosaur Adventure Mini Photo Book, 2x3 wallets - orange, green brown MisterPenQuin $15.00	Button Dangle Earrings - Bright Colorful Multicolored Rainbow by randomcreative on Etsy randomcreative $10.00	Laundry Bag. Lingerie Bag Paris Eiffeltower Aqua Red print French Chic pink polka dots europeanstreetteam PeriDotbyDuni $28.00	Kayak Adventure EasyBreezyPaintings $55.00

Very soon, Jesse and I are headed to see my parents for a long weekend. And in August, we'll be headed to Nebraska for a huge air boat get together. We'll also be headed to the Iowa State Fair to camp and go to a concert. And in September we'll head to Chicago! We're going to take in the sites over the weekend before heading to the AC/DC concert that week!! I can't wait for the next few months full of adventure!

Flowers & Weeds

 

Back in April I shared some photos of my some-day lilac bushes. And I promised to share more photos when they finally bloomed. Well...they didn't bloom this year. I planted them as sticks last year, so I'm hoping they will finally bloom next year. But they are growing and getting bigger, so my fingers are crossed!

While out taking a photo of the lilacs, I decided to get pictures of my other "flowers" around the yard. I'm very grateful for my roses as they come back every year and require very little effort otherwise. If you're a regular reader, you know I'm not so great at taking care of plants. This one above is a knock-out.

And these are miniature roses.

I also enjoy seeing color around the yard, even when others may see these as weeds.

 

 These thistles are so pretty when they bloom. And I even caught a bumble bee having a snack :)

These are out in the pasture, but truth be told, we did have to mow them off so they don't spread any worse. While I like their color, they are a noxious weed. Glad I got some photos before they disappeared :)

Almost Wordless Wednesday - A Horse, Of Course

 

 I wonder if this is what a horse selfie would look like :)

Such a pretty girl!

Life Lately

This past week/weekend was another busy one. My parents got into town on Wednesday and I spent time with them as well as enjoyed some holiday festivities.

We started off the weekend with an annual trip to the Goodguys car show at the Iowa State Fair Grounds. I'm having my old station wagon repainted this fall and I'm still trying to find the perfect color. I have a good contender, but the car above shows what I would ultimately like it to look like. (I know, pink. You're surprised right...lol)

 

And I found this fun plate on a Rambler :)

The next day was my family reunion. There were close to 100 people in attendance, all related to my great-grandparents on my dad's side.

 

After lunch and mingling with the family, we got out on the river...finally! With all the rain we've had, this is the first time we've been on the river since April. It was so nice to get out and enjoy the sun!

On our way back, we got dive-bombed by this ultralight! Everyone was out having fun :)

Now I'm playing catch up as usual. Luckily I have nothing planned all week, so I can relax a little while I get orders filled :)