Weekend Wrap-Up // Version 09.05.17 // Labor Day Vacation

It’s been a while since I posted a “Weekend Wrap-Up” post – so here we go!

Last week, we took off a few extra days to make our 3-day Labor Day weekend a little more extended. We did the same thing last year & it felt like simply the perfect time to take off. (sidenote: if you want to get lost down memory lane, I did a “Weekend Wrap-Up” for last year’s Labor Day & oh my goodness, my baby was such a baby a year ago!)

As gorgeous and warm and sunny as last year at this time was – this year was the exact opposite in every single way. Every day was cold and rainy and cloudy and overall utterly nasty. In last year’s pictures: we’re on the boat, the sun is shining, we’re wearing shorts & tank tops. In this year’s pictures: we’re outside (dodging raindrops), the skies are overcast, and we’re all bundled up in hoodies & jeans.

What a difference a year makes.

We made the best of our time away though. As much as we were hoping for lazy summer days relaxing by the water – we were happy to have lazy “late fall” days watching movies and playing hours upon hours of card games. We truly can’t complain. Time off and away is time off and away & whether it’s 80º & sunny or 46º & drizzling, it was wonderful to be away from my computer and all together with my family!

The following images were all taken with my iPhone 7 – it goes without saying that these are not the typical quality I deliver through my business. These is simply my “journal” of imperfect images to remember our time away.

No vacation is officially kicked off without s’mores around the fire!

My family is very innovative (that’s what happens when you come from 3 generations of entrepreneurs) – but my little brother & sister in particular. They created this whole area in the woods behind the lake house to hang their hammocks. They raked it all out, cleaned it up, and it’s perfectly darling (and downright relaxing).

Umm, can we just pause for a moment & stand amazed at what a hunk my brother is becoming? (how & when did this happen?!) Okay, proceed.

Braelynn didn’t care how cold it was – her number one request was to “go throw stones in the lake.”

Back in the hammocks!

We only got out on the boat once – and we were literally skipping between raindrops. You can see the dark clouds in the following photos.

Boat hair – don’t care.

They’re going to kill me for posting this, but I don’t care. We all squished together in one vehicle to make the trek to Castiglia’s in West Virginia and it was worth every moment of squishing!

If you are ever ever ever within an hour’s radius of Keyser, West Virginia – do yourself the favor of stopping here! It is literally the most amazing Italian food you will ever eat (and the portions will blow your socks off). I got lasagna, because it’s the best thing on their menu (I barely made it thru 1/3 of this).

Okay, here – this is the perfect comparison! Derrick ordered the lunch size Chicken Parmesan. This is his plate when it came out:

And this is his plate after he literally stuffed himself with it:
(did I mention that this was only $9.99?!)

My brother set up his slack-line the one afternoon & it provided hours of entertainment (for us up on the porch) as Steve showed off his skills & practiced grace at walking the line and Derrick tried over and over and over again to simply make it across.

The night we went to get ice cream, the temperature clocked in at 46º.

Ellen & Jonathan & D’Artagnan arrived Friday night!

OMIGOODNESS – he’s just the cutest thing ever!

Of course, yesterday was the nicest day.
The sun came out, we hit right around 70º, and then, it was time to go home.

I have to include one more photo: this is Braelynn this morning. Waking up the morning after vacation is rough, so why not make a bed of pillows & snuggle up with a blanket? (I’m serious, she did this all on her own!)