Happy Thanksgiving! Have a Great Thanksgiving 2024!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend. I may have mentioned this before, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I love the food, a little too much, and I love spending time with family and friends.

A friend shared the classic Charlie Brown quote earlier this week: "What if today, we were just grateful for everything?" It's so fitting for Thanksgiving, and I thought it would be a great way to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

I know I'll be enjoying turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and, of course, pie. What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? Or do you have a different family tradition?

However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and get to spend time with loved ones.

Capitol City Charm: A Des Moines Weekend

Trip to Des Moines, Iowa

We left for Des Moines, Iowa on Friday morning. We dropped Oliver off where he would stay through Sunday and we were on the road by 7:30. We drove to Des Moines with Erin and Greg and then met up with Laura and Jason where we had lunch and stayed at a Airbnb. We had a great time! We toured the capitol, went to antique place, did a lot of walking, and then we ate and drank a few different places. So much fun! Carrie and I were so tired when we got back home that we both took long naps Sunday afternoon into the evening and likely going to bed early this evening.

State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa

We met Laura and Jason at El Bait Shop and then we headed to the capitol to look around. Carrie and I had been there before (back in 2016), but we wanted to show the others the beautiful capitol in Iowa. The clear blue skies made the capitol stand out against the dark blue background. It was fun going through and seeing the different areas of the capitol. We toured all the floors we could access which was cool. We decided doing a guided tour and looked around on our own which is what Carrie and I did back in 2016 when we toured their capitol.

Drinks at Speak Easy

Oysters on the Half Shell

Group Selfie

We finished the weekend Saturday night at a speak easy. A few of us had a wild night on Friday, so it was low key on Saturday night. The drinks were good and we had a good time hanging out together. We are already looking forward to our next trip back to Des Moines, Iowa and talked about going earlier in the season. We lucked out with the weather for our trip as it was sunny while we were there. A random rain shower moved through on Saturday late afternoon, but that was about it.

Great time and Des Moines was good to us once again. I look forward to going back in the future.

Meatballs, Enchiladas, and Football: A Missouri Camping Trip

Tents at HipCamp Site

We went on our third camping trip of the year with this one in Missouri at a HipCamp called Hickory Forest TV Camp Site and we had a great time. We left on Thursday, September 26 and stayed through Sunday, September 29. We went with Erin and Greg. No dogs on this trip although dogs are allowed, but we planned to attend the Washburn game on Saturday, so we left our dogs at home.

We arrived late afternoon to our camp site. Unpacked our cars and got our tents set up. Then it was time to get the stovetop going so we could eat dinner. We would be cooking two meals while camping which would be Thursday and Friday nights. We planned to eat out Saturday night after the football game.

Meatball Sandwiches on Stovetop

Our plan for Thursday night meal was simple with meatball sandwiches. Carrie warmed the meatballs in the crockpot and then finished everything put together in the stovetop. Our site had power which is something new for us when camping, but it was nice to be able to warm the meat in the crockpot before assembling and putting cheese on the sandwiches. They were perfect and just what we needed for the first night.

Fire pit, Chairs, and Perfection

Following dinner, we spent the evening around the fire pit listening to baseball and music. Prior to our trip, Carrie had everyone provide 5 - 10 songs that were five minutes or longer and she created a playlist. Part of the listening of the playlist was to guess who of the four of us submitted the song. Usually when we camp, we do some type of game around songs and playlists so we have something new for us to listen to while we camp. 

View from Lookout Tower at Weston State Park

Saturday morning we all slept a little late before getting up and going for the day. I think we were all up and going by 9 am. We started the day with cereal and then relaxing around the camp site. A few of us read, relaxed in the hammock, or just sat and chilled. Eventually, we decided to venture out to check out some new sites in the area. We made it over to Weston State Park to check out camp sites although we were not impressed with what was available. We did have a picnic while we were there which was nice. We stopped by a store on the side of the road and picked up some cider, snacks, and other knick-knacks. 

Dutch Oven for Cooking

Friday night was layered enchiladas using the Dutch Oven. It took about thirty minutes to cook with goals on the bottom and top of the Dutch Oven. Worked great! The bottom the enchiladas got a little crunchy, but it was very good. As is usually the case, Carrie finds things to adjust the next time we do these when camping, but overall, everyone ate them up and we all had full bellies. 

Food is Ready

I realized that I did not get a picture of the food plated, but the picture to the right is the food ready to start dishing out. It looks a little soupy in the picture, but it was really good. Nice job, Carrie!

Saturday morning we started the day with Carrie making us pancakes on the stovetop. We were not sure if Erin and Greg would like them as they are made with yogurt, but everyone enjoyed the pancakes and we at all of the double recipe. Again, I did not get any pictures, but Carrie has used this recipe twice that we got from the cookbook of a couple we follow on YouTube that have been camping for a long time. The cookbook is titled Gourmet in the Forest by Kellie Oden. We have used a few of the recipes from the cookbook. The pancakes are one of my favorites.

Missouri Western State University

Part of the reason we picked the Hickory Forest TV Camp Site where we camped was because of the location to where Washburn was playing on Saturday, September 28. We were set to play Missouri Western State University at 2 pm. It was our first time at this stadium. We won the game 24 - 16. 

Selfie at Football Game in Missouri

We started the game on the visitors side, but it was so hot and no wind, we moved over the home side where there was shade and a nice breeze. The fourth quarter took a long time, but we won the game. Following the football game, we had already decided we would eat in St. Joseph at Boudreaux's Louisiana Seafood and Steaks. Carrie and I had been there years before Brenda and her family, but first time for Erin and Greg. Other than it taking a very long time to get our food, it was a good meal. 

Sunset at Camp Site

We enjoyed our time camping in Missouri. The Hickory Forest TV Camp Site was beautiful and well cared for by the owner that we spoke to a few different times during our stay. We would go back to stay there again. Good location and layout of the camp site. We were in heavy wooded areas and I got a lot of bug bites. We are not sure what was getting me, but bug spray did not help. I had bites all over my arms, legs, back, and even the palms of my hands as well as fingertips. Very odd!

I was hoping to get a few more times in camping this year, but it did not work out where we could do more than the three we did this year. We got started early in February with a trip to Texas for camping and then two other new spots for us to close out the camping season. We enjoy the slow lifestyle of camping where we read, enjoy nature, and maybe go on a hike. 

Until next time, have a great week and I will talk to you later.

Celebrating Love and Football: Our Anniversary Tailgate

Family Day at Washburn University

Saturday, September 21 was Family Day at Washburn University. This day also happened to be the 22 wedding anniversary for Carrie and me. We talked about staying in Lawrence, or Kansas City, for our anniversary, but made the decision we would attend the tailgate and game instead.

It was a hot day, but we had a good time. The game was exciting and it is always good to see friends at the tailgate. We had our spot set up with some new items which included a box fan to give some air movement in our tent, a new rug that we received as a gift for our anniversary, and then many pictures of us throughout the years that Erin did for us. We had a fun time and our corner spot was full with friends and family throughout the afternoon. It was perfect!

Box Fan for Cooling

The box fan for cooling our tent worked well. I am not sure we could have stayed throughout the afternoon if not for the box fan. Erin had seen pictures from people using this method for tent camping and we thought we would try it for tailgating. Game changer! It worked great with our chairs below and kept the air circulating through the tent. Carrie and I bought a larger tent which barely fit in our spot by the flagpole, but it worked out well. 

Beverage Station

We had a beverage station going that started our day. We got out to our spot about 9 am and while we did not have breakfast prepared, we did have the beverage station along with donuts. Carrie said at the next home game she will make us breakfast, so that is always a good way to start the day.

We lost 39 - 31 to Pittsburg State. Once again we were in this game throughout and had a chance to win, but a few stumbles and we lose again. It was a fun game with a lot of scoring, but could have used the win. We are now 0 - 3 on the season and playing at Missouri Western State University next weekend. 

Pictures of us to celebrate Anniversary

Selfie on 22 Wedding Anniversary

Brenda Joined our Tailgate

We had a fun time even with us losing. Joan and Eddie came out to join us for the tailgate and game. After returning home, unpacking the Pilot and putting things away, I took a nice long nap. I then went to bed early as it was a long day but so well worth it.

Happy anniversary, Carrie. I love you so much! Thank you for wanting to tailgate and watch football on our wedding anniversary. 

Summer Fun at the Ballpark

Royals Game Friday Night

Friday night found me at the Royals game. Erin and Greg were planning to go into the game and asked if I wanted to go when Carrie had to work that night. I took them up on it and go my ticket. They were in another section with another friend and no seats available around them, but I was able to get a seat a section away and it worked out perfectly. About the third inning I was able to move over to where they were sitting and sit right in front of them for the remainder of the game. 

Selfie at the Game

We watched a fun game with the Royals winning 7 - 4 over the Phillies. A beautiful night for a game with a cool breeze blowing most of the night. We picked a good night to go into a game with the temperatures rising on Saturday through Thursday. Not to mention on Saturday the Royals lost 11 - 2 which I watched from home in my lounge chair. We had a great time at the game and it was good to be able to sit with Stacy, Erin, and Greg and topped off with a Royals win.

Friday Night Fireworks

Friday also happened to be fireworks night. We watched as we walked back to our car where we hung out watching fireworks, chatting, and snacking. They put on a good show after the game although I did not get any photos they were fun to watch.

While we were at the game, Carrie was working. She checked in with us through the night and it even sounded as though she was following the game. We got back to Topeka late. She confirmed when I got home that the event went well.  This was my fourth Royals game to attend on the year and I think Carrie has attended two. I am hoping to get in 2 - 5 more Royals games before the post season. 

It was good to be able to go to the Royals game after a long week. Our AC is working again as of last Tuesday. Classes started and that is always a busy time. It was a good first week of classes though although still hard to believe that the fall semester has started again. 

Until next time, have a great week! 

Celebrating 55 Wedding Anniversary with Driver and Fun at Lidia's in Kansas City

Family Photo at Lidia's

Joan and Eddie celebrated 55 years of marriage on Thursday. Eddie planned a trip to Lidia's on Saturday with the whole family. He got a driver to drive everyone into the restaurant and we had a wonderful time. This was our second time to Lidia's with the last time being a few years ago to celebrate Eddie's birthday at the time.

We left Topeka at 6:30 with reservations at 8, so it worked out perfectly. Saturday happened to be prom weekend in Topeka, so Eddie got us an SUV to ride in style. Worked out well and we had a good time riding into Kansas City for our celebration dinner.

Anniversary Dessert

I realized after we got home, I did not take a lot of pictures while we were on the trip. I intended to do so, but did not get many. The pictures we did get were taken from our driver at the entrance to Lidia's. He did a good job with taking a lot of pictures to capture the moment. The only picture I snapped was of the dessert that was served to Joan and Eddie to celebrate their anniversary. 

Selfie of Our Driver and Shirron Family

When we finished eating, there was rain and wind for us on the drive home. Glad we had SUV and driver that did a great job getting us to and from Kansas City. A memorable night to celebrate the 55 anniversary. I will remember this night and celebration as it was a wonderful evening.

Coming up this week is the celebration of Carrie as she has a birthday this week. She has not said where she wants to eat her birthday dinner, but I believe it will be a place in Lawrence. I think she is still deciding where she would like to go to celebrate.

Until next time, have a great week and watch for next weeks post about celebration for Carrie.

Merry Christmas 2023! Have a Happy and Safe Christmas!

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A post shared by Carrie H. (@carrieloulou)

Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas! I am using a post Carrie made on her Instagram page of our Christmas tree as I thought it was perfect for a Merry Christmas greeting. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. It is hard to believe that 2023 is coming to an end as it seems like the year just started, but here we are at the end of the year. 

Enjoy the day and be sure to reach out to your family and friends this holiday season.

Celebration for 90th Birthday for Our Mom... Happy 90th Birthday Nancy Haverty!

Mom Celebrating 90 Birthday

Our family got together to celebrate my Mom's 90th birthday. She turned 90 on December 6. A few months ago, we started discussing and figuring out what we would do to celebrate her birthday. Mom did not want a huge party, so we knew we had to keep it small to our immediate family. However, Betsy had the idea of doing a card party for Mom. So, the announcement was sent out and people started sending in cards to Mom. I know Carrie and I sent nine cards and others also sent multiple cards. She loves it and getting cards daily for the past two weeks has been great. We read through some of them when we celebrated which was fun to do.

Group Family Photo

Betsy organized us into a group picture. We were missing a few family members that were not able to make the trip. This was the first time in a few years that this many of us were able to get together. We missed Spencer, Jack and Katie, Katy, and Donna.

I ended up taking the pictures with my phone as we had some technical issues with Betsy's Android phone to get it to do a timer countdown. I think we got some good pictures of the whole family.

See all the pictures from the celebration on Flickr.

Beautiful Sunset

Beautiful weather for the birthday celebration. Carrie snapped the picture to the right of the sunset. Amazing weather for December 9. Carrie and I took our fire pit and had it going most of the afternoon into the evening. It was nice to have a little heat to stand around while we were talking and enjoying one another's company. The forecast for earlier in the week was rain and snow, but that never happened and it was a great celebration.

A small group of us remained and kept Mom up late into the evening (midnight) talking and telling stories. Mom was sharing stories from when she was little which was interesting.  Tim started the question asking and then Carrie and I chimed in and started asking questions too. Questions such as how Dad proposed or favorite meals from her childhood. It was really interesting and some stories I had not heard before.

Oliver Went to Quiet Room

Oliver went off by himself at one point in the evening as he had enough of family time. He did well overall, but did not like having a one and half year old try to pet him. So, we had to keep Oliver separated from Hayes. It was so good to meet the little Haverty's that attended the gathering. 

So happy with how the celebration turned out. Mom had a great time and we kept it only to immediate family. I hope we are all able to get together again soon just to be together.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week...

Thanksgiving Cooking, Family, and Fun Plus Basketball and a Snow Storm to Finish Out the Weekend

Oliver and His Friends

Thanksgiving morning and Oliver was at the fence with the neighbor dogs. He hung out with his friends while I was cooking turkeys on the Big Green Egg. Beautiful morning to be outside and Oliver was taking advantage of the weather being with his friends. 

Would you believe that I did not take any pictures of the prep or completed turkey that I made on Thanksgiving? Well, it happened again but the turkey turned out great. Had good color and tasted good. Did two turkey breasts that took about three hours and thirty minutes to cook. Carrie and I realized at the end of the day that we had not taken any pictures throughout the day. We hosted this year having a total of eight adults and two children in our home. It was a great day!

Mom and Family

Friday late afternoon, we went to Lawrence to spend the evening with Mom and family. We had a great time hanging out, talking, enjoying wine, and seeing one another. We stayed rather late Friday night and I recall Mom saying that it was the latest she had stayed up in a long time. We had a fun time! 

Oliver has the best time at my Mom's house. He thinks he owns the place, so when another little dog was there, there were a few times when Oliver was growling and they got into a little battle at one point. All was good and no blood was lost.

Carrie and I After Game in Snow

Carrie and I got home about 12:30 or 1 Friday night, so we slept in a little on Saturday morning. We did make it to our first home Washburn game of the year Saturday afternoon. The snow had started falling and was barely covering the ground when we went to the game at about 2 pm and when we came out, the ground was covered. It would go on to snow into the late hours of the night.

Birthday Dinner

We went out to North Star Steak House Saturday night to celebrate Eddie's birthday. With the snow storm, we were the only ones in the place for most of the evening. The food was really good and we have leftovers for us to enjoy this week while working. I got a Kansas City Strip and then there was a really good dessert we all split. It was a fun night!

Sunday we have lounged around and preparing for the Chiefs game. I think we are going to bring up some holiday decorations to get ready for Christmas.

A lot packed into the past few days. It has been a fun few days off of work, being with family, and then of course eating really well throughout the last few days. 

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a fantastic week!

Quick update on our trip to Texas last week with fun in Houston to celebrate friends graduation...

We flew down to Dallas, TX last Thursday which is the reason there was not an update on Sunday per usual. We went down to celebrate a graduation for our friend Corrie's son. We flew down to Dallas and then drove with Javier to Houston, TX where the party would take part. We had a great time! The weather was good with some rain, but it did not deter from the fun we had while in Houston. We even got some pool time in before the celebration on Saturday night. 

You will not be surprised that I did not get many pictures from the graduation party but we came away with some good memories and enjoyed spending time with our friends.

The last time we were in Houston was back in December for New Years and at that time we had our dog, Oliver, who joined us. The picture to the right is Cooper and Carrie with Cooper getting a belly rub. I am pretty sure that Cooper was happy Oliver was no where around his house.

A quick trip flying down Thursday and then heading back on Sunday. Our flight Thursday morning left at 7:30 am and then the return flight was scheduled for 8:20 but ended up being later which got us home to Topeka around 11:30 Sunday night. 

Short trip but a large time was had in Texas. It was good to fly down this time instead of driving which we have done the last few visits to Texas, but I also like taking my dog with me when we travel, so he was missed.

I did not get this posted on Sunday, or Monday, as I was exhausted after our trip and went to bed early Monday night. Finally feeling back to normal after traveling and a lot of fun.

Until next time, have a great week!

Merry Christmas 2022! Have a Happy and Safe Christmas!

Christmas seemed to really sneak up on me this year. Like the year flying by, the holiday got here quick and we are celebrating Christmas 2022. Wow! Looking forward to being with family during the holiday weekend. We had a wintery mix with cold temperatures as we headed into the holiday weekend.  

Back in April 2022 I won some auction items at a Washburn Athletics fund raiser and we were able to take advantage of one by staying the Cyrus Hotel in downtown Topeka. We were able to take Oliver, so he was able to enjoy the time in the hotel. Since we were downtown, we wanted to have dinner at White Linen and we were able to go with Greg and Erin who had not been there until this visit. We went to the hotel Thursday afternoon and had dinner that evening. We had a wonderful time and it was so good to eat dinner and then head back to our hotel room to relax. Oliver loves hotels, so he had a great time even though it was bitterly cold outside, he did his business quickly so we could get back to the room.

Christmas Eve we are in Lawrence to see my Mom and some family who will be able to make it in that day. On Christmas Day, we will be at Greg and Erin’s for the day. We were closed at work on Thursday do to the wintery mix that moved through. I find I am all mixed up on my days. It felt like Friday on Thursday and I am not sure what Friday felt like, but it certainly was not Friday. 

Have a happy and safe Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a Great Thanksgiving 2022!

Thanksgiving is Time for Pie!

Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving! For the first time since 2020, my family will be getting together on Thanksgiving Day. We are meeting at my Mom's and enjoying company and food. I cannot wait! It will be the first time in a few years that we will all be together. It will be good to see everyone. Later in the day, Carrie and I will head back to Topeka to celebrate Thanksgiving with Shirrons' which is always delicious food and good company.

Please be safe and take care of your family and friends. Reach out to them and let them know how much they mean to you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

50 Birthday Celebration in Fredericksburg Was a Success! Great Time in Wine Country!

We started planning my 50th birthday celebration back in December or January. Narrowed down the locations from remote beaches, sea side in the United States, to wine country locations. I made the decision I liked wine and we would revisit Fredericksburg (Fred), Texas. We had visited Fred back in 2020 prior to COVID occurring and had a great time, so it seemed like a good place to visit and have some fun. We decided on a VRBO house after going through a few dozen or so locations that we all reviewed, gave feedback, etc., but finally decided on one that could hold six of us and it had a pool.

Our trip was scheduled for when my birthday would occur, so we planned for July 20 through July 26. During our trip we took a lot of pictures. I picked out some for this update, but others can be seen on my Flickr site. Yes, we took over 280 pictures although some are duplicates, there are a lot of photos of our fun and wineries we visited. Below, I will attempt to outline what we did each day and some of the wineries or restaurants we visited.

Wednesday, July 20

This was our travel day. Erin, Greg, Carrie, and I left Topeka bright and early this morning. We loaded up the car and we were on the road a little after 5 am. Oliver being watched by my mom. We thought about taking him, but it would have been too much for him, so I am glad we left him behind.

Uneventful trip which was good. Greg and I split up the drive, so it was not bad at all. It is around an 11 hour drive to our house. Really, the trip was not bad at all and when making the trip with others that can help with the drive, it makes it go by quickly. 

We arrived late afternoon and checked out our house for the week. I was so happy with the house we selected. After reviewing many different houses in different locations, I am so happy we decided on Sunny Oaks TX. So, we arrived, checked out the house and then went to get something to eat. Javier and Corrie meeting us on Thursday, so we were on our own for finding a place to eat. We went to Hondo’s On Main which Carrie and I had been to back in 2020. We had a spot near the bar and really good food and drinks. Had a good time for our first night in Fred before heading back to the house later that night. Of course we had to get in the pool when we got back to the house where we hung out until it was time for bed.

Thursday, July 21

I woke up earlier and rode the Peloton for a while. Javier and Corrie were arriving to town today, so we were a little excited. Originally, we were going to meet them at the Hill Country Distillers, but plans changed and we would meet Corrie and Javier at the house. Greg and I were like little kids watching for our friends to arrive. I think I checked the front door a dozen times and then as the time approached they were supposed to arrive, we were both looking out the front door for their arrival. After their arrival, taking in their things, saying hello, and showing around the house, we left to go grab lunch.

We stopped by a place none of had been for lunch which was really good. High’s Cafe and Store with really good sandwiches and soups. It was a good way to lay a base before we started having some gin and whiskey at the distillers.

After lunch, we headed to Hill Country Distillers that Corrie, Javier, Carrie, and I had been to previously, but first time for Greg and Erin. I realized we only took one picture while we were at Hill Country Distillers which I think was due to our enjoyment of the variation of drinks. Good spot that I highly recommend checking out if you are near Comfort, Texas.

For dinner Thursday night, Corrie and Javier selected the spot and paid for our dinner. Thank you! It was a secret until the day they arrived and it was excellent! Crossroads Steakhouse & Saloon was the selection. It was wonderful! Everything from the drinks down to the dinner was excellent. I had the bone-in pork chop with Brussels sprouts. Oh my! Prior to dinner I had a classic martini and then Corrie and Javier got the table two bottles of wine. Fantastic spot for dinner and to start off our weekend of fun.

Following dinner, we went back to the house to get in the pool and enjoy some drinks around the pool in the Texas evening. It was wonderful!

Friday, July 22

This was our first day of visiting wineries, so we had to get a good base before we started. We went to what has become a tradition of visiting Mr. Gatti’s Pizza which is pizza buffet and salad. We went there back in 2020 and decided it would be good to go before we started the wineries. Following pizza, we had three wineries on the itinerary.

Augusta Vin is one of our favorites. Corrie, Javier, Carrie, and I had been there back in 2020 where Carrie and I have been club members since that first visit. We changed up our delivery to have a mixed wine box delivered four times a year. Previously, we had only reds delivered, but changed up the delivery to be a mix. All of their wines have been delicious and I have enjoyed their white wines when we visit, so decided to switch it up. We sat out on the VIP balcony and enjoyed a tasting followed by a glass of wine we shared. Enjoyable first day of visiting wineries. 

Heath Sparkling Wine at Grape Creet Vinyards was our next stop. We had tried to stop here back in 2020 not knowing they had just opened and it was by reservation only. This was sparkling wines paired with food. We all agreed we would go there to eat if the chef would do full meals. 

 The pairings were perfect and we learned the process of sparkling wines while we sampled. We did have a brief time where we were not sure if we were going to get in as there was some confusion with our reservation, but they grouped us together with two other ladies and everything worked out just fine. 

Following sparkling wines, we went back to red and white wines at Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa which was a cool spot. Wine was good and had a huge outdoor area for events, cornhole, or just hanging out enjoy a glass of wine. There was also a brewery on the grounds which had some good beer which I enjoyed after an afternoon of wine. 

Saturday, July 23

The schedule was set with four wineries and a driver to take us around. It was so fun! Nick was great! He was a college student that drove people around on the weekends for wineries. He took good care of us checking us into the various locations and getting us to and fro safely.

Excited for the day and to get it started, we had a breakfast casserole that Corrie had made. Again, it provided a good base for us for the day of visiting wineries. I think I also had a Bloody Mary, or more, to start the day before enjoy wines. So exciting to have a driver picking us up and not having to worry about getting from one place to the next. We were ready to head out…

Our first stop was Slate Theory which as an amazing location and winery. The wine was delicious and their cellar was so impressive. Below ground and a nice cool temperature for wine, we sampled wines and looked around their production area. The concept for Slate Theory was cool as their label was about mental health and attempting to remove the stigma regarding mental health from their label to the various names of their wines (i.e. Insomniac and Schizophrenic to name a few). We all enjoyed our time at Slate Theory.

Second on the agenda was Hye Meadow Winery where we also had lunch. They sat us outside which was very warm. Not bad while we did the wine tasting, but once our food arrived, we were all ready to go inside. I enjoyed the wines at Hye Meadow Winery, but we did not buy any wines or sign up for any clubs at this one. 

William Chris Vineyards was our third stop of the day. A nice little stop where at first we thought we were going to be outside, but they moved us inside to a counter where it was cool. It was a little loud from “woo girls” in the tasting room and our host was a soft speaker, but we had a good time.

Hilmy Cellars was a fun last stop. Again, they wanted to put us outside, but Carrie got them to keep us inside at the counter. I really enjoyed the wines at Hilmy Cellars and we were able to enjoy a glass after the tasting while we waited for Nick to come pick us up. We also had some good flavored popcorn, which was much needed after various wineries, to tide us over until dinner time. 

What a great time of having a driver to take us around town, enjoy great venues, and wines, and to have fun in Fred. Nick picked us up from Hilmy Cellars and took us back to the house. We spent the evening around the pool, eating burgers, and continuing the fun.

Sunday, July 24

Our last day to do wineries, so we had Grape Creek Vineyards which is located at the same location/area as Heath Sparkling Wine that we had visited earlier in the week. Although, we had reservations at JenBlossom Cellars. JenBlossom Cellars turned out to be a private tasting which was amazing and some of the best wine I have ever had. No, we did not buy a membership here, but we wanted to do so. Instead, we bought one bottle which is the most expensive bottle of wine we have ever purchased. Saving it for a special occasion, we cannot wait to have it one evening.

A great way to start the day with JenBlossom Cellars, we left and headed to Barons Creek Vineyards. Our fun continued at Barons Creek Vineyards where we had a good person serving us wine and some snacks to tide us over for the day.  Carrie and I took home a couple of bottles from Barons Creek Vineyards and then also ended up for a membership. Carrie said later she did not want to but I was happy on wine and decided to join another club. “That’s how they get you!”. 😀

Our final stop for wine was Safari Winery. A fun location with a good host, but none of us bought any bottles from this location.

Finally to finish out the day we needed food, so we decided on Panda Chinese Restaurant which was some of the best Chinese I have had in a while. Put down a good base so we could head back to the house to play games and enjoy the night.

Monday, July 25

 The plan today was to stick around the house. Greg and I stayed around the house. The ladies went shopping and then to Augusta Vin to take advantage of our VIP status.  

While it was hot, it was not bad at all outside. I was outside for the morning and majority of the afternoon. Even though I applied sunscreen multiple times, I got burned on my shoulders and back. All good though and well worth it as I had an amazing day celebrating my birthday.

After the ladies returned, we all spent time in the pool and then Greg did steaks on the grill. They were so good! We had some difficulty figuring out the Traeger Grill the night we did burgers, but no issues this evening. The steaks came off perfectly cooked and paired nicely with sides and a nice glass of wine. Perfect pairing after spending the day drinking beer around the pool. 

A great way to finish off the long weekend with good food, drink, and fun in the pool. I am the first in our group to turn 50, so I cannot wait to see what the others all plan for their 50 celebrations. I recall some discussion happening between Corrie and Carrie that we might be in California for their 50 celebration. I cannot wait!

Ending our Trip

It was sad to pack up and leave on Tuesday morning. Corrie and Javier had to leave early to get Javier to the airport. We ended up having to take all the wine with us and meeting Javier at the airport as he could not ship his wine from UPS and of course could not check all of it at the airport. Worked out well though as we were able to meet his friend who pick up his wine from us as we passed through Forth Worth, Texas. 

I invite you to view all pictures from our trip by accessing my Flickr site. I would like to thank Corrie, Javier, Greg, Erin, and Carrie for making my 50th birthday celebration a memorial event. I think I will be talking about this celebration for years to come although I look forward to seeing how the others out do my 50 celebration. Thank you everyone!

Thanks to everyone who called, texted, or spoke to me directly to wish me a happy birthday. It was so fun!