Rest, Relaxation, and Total Seclusion

Dale and I just returned from a weekend of rest, relaxation, and total seclusion!

Since we both had the weekend off, we decided to use it to our advantage. We wanted a vacation where we could stay close to home, yet get as far away as possible! We found the perfect place to stay on Beaver Lake near Eureka Springs. The individual cottages were nestled in the Ozark Mountains and had an amazing view of the lake. When we got there on Friday, we soon realized that we were in total seclusion. No cell phone service, no one around, and no town within 15miles.

While we were there, we spent a good portion of our time sleeping and sitting outside enjoying the weather and nature. We also spent a day on the water, on a jet ski. Dale is NOT a reliable driver, but for some reason it was more fun sitting on the back. We also got to experience some new places to eat. Some better than others, but ALL with an amazing view!

 Here are just a few of the photos from our vacation! 

Our Cottage

Our view from the deck.

 

 

 

 

On our way to dinner.

Our hiking trail! It was steep!

The end point of the hike.

This is a map of Eureka Springs.  When the streets look like this, then you know it's going to be a dizzy ride! The streets were uneven, curbless, and constantly winding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is what happens when the roads are so winding!

"Caution: Road Slide"

We went out to eat for dinner on our last night. While we waited for our table, the restaurant offered drinks and games. We were thoroughly entertained!

This was our view from dinner. No complaints!

We're home! Fully rested, and ready to return to normal life. 

We can't wait to go back!

Tornado Sirens

Today was a stressful day.

When I woke up this morning, I did not anticipate the days events going the way they did.

Work this morning went as usual, and then it took a very quick turn for the worst! When I arrived back to the gym for our meeting at 11AM, the rain started.

As the rain got heavier, none of us really seemed to notice. Until the sirens went off. Natalie made a good point today about tornado sirens...If you grew up in Kansas, you are probably de-sensitized to the threat of a tornado siren. They go off, and we usually don't think much of it. We usually disregard it. Today was much different. Once the five of us at the gym realized we were actually in the path of one of many storms, we decided it was time to go to our "safe place". That is, until we realized we didn't have one! Our next idea was to drive to my house. It was north, and we have a basement. This seemed perfectly practical! Once the decision was made that we needed to LEAVE the studio in an attempt to find a safer spot, we frantically piled into my car and were off!  Let me add that I was obviously driving and there were 3 (possibly 4) very scared WOMEN in the car. This not only freaked me out, it also severely impaired my driving abilities.

We headed north. This was a good idea...until Mr. Busby announced that the storm was heading straight in the direction of my house. Yikes! So--our only option was to flip around in the middle of 95th street, and drive WEST! So to visualize what was going on, imagine 5 freaked out girls in a car driving in what seemed like a monsoon. Angie had the idea that we should stop at the library. So we did. When we got there, they informed us that they didn't have a basement, but they did have a tv and a stairwell we could sit in. Luckily, at that point, we were far enough west of the storm that we were out of danger. So we sat and waited it out...Waited and continue to worry about our families.

 Mom- be proud!

No place safer than a library to be during a storm.

Once the sun came out and the sky finally cleared, we decided it was time to go home. I drove everyone back to the studio and we went our separate ways. We decided that we it was a very productive meeting. The five of us went back home and finally got a chance to talk to our loved ones, thankfully. I had not had the chance to really talk to Dale. When I did, he let me know that he was STILL in his office on the 34th floor of the high rise. Yep, the storm was moving right in his direction. Apparently they didn't seem to care, as they all sat and looked panoramic window, staring right into the storm's face. Yes, they did eventually go to the first floor, but I think that it was just for lunch, not safety! Luckily, no storm ended up hitting (this area), and everyone is safe and sound.

 An amazing and threatening shot of downtown KC around Noon today.

Dale's building is the center silver highrise on the right. They had a great show!

Last but certainly not least, Marrin definitely knew something was going on. I came home to give her a big hug and here's what I came home to. Who needs a guard dog when you have this to ward off the storm?

Unfortunately, other cities and towns were not as fortunate. We are thankful that we are safe, but we keep those that are the victims of the recent tornadoes in our thoughts and prayers.

Family, Graduation, and Baseball

We had one of the busiest and best weekends we have had in a long time! Family, graduation, and baseball just to sum it up.

On Saturday morning we woke up, got around, and headed out of town to our familiar old stomping grounds. Sometimes when we drive to Lawrence, we actually feel like we're driving home from a very long vacation. It always feels good to come back and step onto campus. Dale's oldest sister, Julia, was graduating from KU with her Bachelors in Music. Dale and I were excited to watch her cross the stage and receive all of her awards.

After everything was said and done, Julia was a KU graduate we headed back to KC to enjoy a yummy barbeque lunch at Jack Stack on the plaza. After eating, the men went to the golf store, Mom and Lizzie went to the hotel, and Julia and I came back home. Not long after...we found the couch. We relaxed lazily and ended up napping for a few hours under a snuggly blanket. I think I see this as a form of sister-in-law bonding! Later on, the family re-joined us at our house. We (I mean they) were ready for a game of badminton in the back yard. The Snell's are a very competitive family, so it's always fun to get a game going between parents and siblings. Sometimes I will join in, but I usually just sit back and enjoy the show. (The truth is, I just don't want to show Dale up.) The game went on for an hour or so, and then it was time to fire up the grill. We ended the night with hamburgers from on the patio. Couldn't have asked for a better evening!

 Congrats to Julia!

As the Snell's went to the hotel for the night, the Sawyer's rolled in. Katie and Derek called Friday night to see if they could stay over for the night, and invite us to the Royals game on Saturday. Since Dale had already planned to golf with his dad, I was very excited to get to spend some time with my big sis and Derek.

After waking on Sunday, Dale was off to golf, and the three of us got ready for the Royals game. Since we had some time to kill, Katie convinced me to go running with her. Well, let me get this completely straight. "I'll run slow for you" were her actual words. Derek confirmed that this was not an uplifting and encouraging way to convince me, but somehow she did it. We ran in what felt like 120% humidity and continued to sweat for the rest of the day.

A little note about Katie and me. We ALWAYS seem to get ourselves into some sort of trouble. We were on our way to the Royals game, so I used my phone navigation to get us there. (Derek decided to go early to watch batting practice.) Instead of going on the interstate all the way to the stadium, the navigation had us stay on "local" roads the entire way. I'm still not sure why, but let's just say, we're glad it was daytime! We ended up driving straight through the city. Just to be clear, there are parts of KC that you may choose to not visit. Well, Katie and I managed to visit what seemed like ALL of these places en route to the ballpark. Don't worry, after driving around the entire NW portion of MO, we eventually found gas, coffee, a diet coke, an ATM, and eventually Kauffman Stadium. I think Derek was relieved that we got there in one piece and with time to spare!

The game was great. A little warm, but great! I have a nice left sided sun burn, but it was nice to sit in the sunshine and enjoy the game. Although the Royals didn't end up winning, it was a great day. I came home later, and Dale and I relaxed all evening.

What a great weekend! We are both so fortunate to have such amazing families.

Perfect Purse for a Perfect Mom!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Yesterday was Mother's Day. To many, Mother's Day is a day to tell Mom just how important and special she is. Although I believe this is true, I also believe that there shouldn't be just one day to celebrate Mom and everything she has done. Let's be honest, for all of the work that any one Mother has done, we should dedicate much more than ONE day to them!

My Mom has never asked for anything special for this holiday. Simple and easy has always been her mantra.  This year, I called to ask what their plans were and she blankly said, "Nothing, I don't want to do anything! No cooking, cleaning, or working for me!". And that's how it was. Dale and I weren't able to come home, so we had to send our love via cards and phone calls. The only thing that is different about this year is that I realized that I want my Mother to know is that I appreciate and love her for everything she does EVERY day, not just on this holiday. Mother's Day is a good reminder, but Mom is way too important to just be told one time a year!
 
This year, I decided to make my Mom something special. Since the sewing gene has been passed down to me (maybe Katie too, we aren't sure yet)...I thought it would be appropriate to make her something she could use with the sewing machine she gave me. (See "Sewing Like Mom" tab to the right!)

To be completely honest, I tried to use a pattern for this project. Everything else I've made without a pattern. Actually, I have been using newspaper as my cut-outs for the size and shape of the purses/bags. SO, this time I thought I should use a real store-bought pattern so I could do it right. Well, turns out, I don't really do well with patterns. Maybe it's the direction following that I'm not good at. Or, maybe it's the fact that last time Mom and I tried to use a pattern she said, "Oh, let's just do it this way instead". I guess that mentality rubbed off, because that's exactly what happened. I managed to use it for the size and shape, and that's about it. I ended up throwing the pattern out the window once I decided I was going to do it "my way". And that's how it was! I still think it turned out great. It is by no means perfect, and please don't look at the stitching on the inside of the bag. But hey, the first project on a new sewing machine will always be remembered. Hopefully Mom will enjoy it as much as I did making it.

Here's a picture of the bag...Unfortunately I'm not a speedy sewer, so it got put in the mail a little late. Oops.  The important thing is that it is on it's way to Katie's for her to fill it with goodies and eventually deliver to Mom! Sorry for the tardiness, Katie- it will be there tomorrow!

The bag is floral on the outside with a cute pocket, and green polka-dots on the inside. It was sewn to stand up on it's own once it's filled. And it's finished with scrunched handles and a cute yellow ruffle on the top. I'm hoping mom can send me some pictures of her with the new bag!!


Here's to wishing Mom's everywhere enjoyed their day. Whether it was a Quiznos lunch on the patio, or a large family outing, I hope everyone had the opportunity to tell their Mom just how much they mean to them.

Tell your Mom you love her EVERY day, she deserves it!!