Good morning, good afternoon, good evening!! Thank you for stopping by for June’s edition of Where Bloggers Live. This month finds us daydreaming about our vacation plans. To be honest, I didn’t dream (day or night) that we would be able to have a vacation this year with all of PC’s health ups and downs. But I was happily WRONG!! Not only are we going on a real vacay but we are also traveling to see family on either side of that trip to the beach. As you probably have gathered, I love love love being home but it will be enjoyable to escape the arid west Texas heat.
You remember these gals, right?
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Sally at Within a World of My Own
Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
As soon as we wind things up here, I hope you will join me in stopping by to check out their summer plans.
Where Bloggers Live
The ideas for this colorful series originated with our adventurous leader, Bettye, at Fashion Schlub. She describes this series as being kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…with bloggers! Every month, Bettye provides the six WBL bloggers with a prompt that invites us to share our lives, thoughts and memories. Our over-achieving Bettye has put together the list of prompts for WBL that would see us through 2025!! You can find last month’s Where Bloggers Live post, here. Hoping LIFE will allow me to join up again more regularly.
Just a reminder: Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After occasionally uses affiliate links which are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link provided I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Please find the places and posts where I link-up on this page.
Where Bloggers Live 06.2024
When Bettye suggested vacation plans for this month’s prompt, I was a little worried. Was certain we would be staying pretty close to home and probably just staycationing in our own backyard. The economy is not exactly conducive to unnecessary expenditures (Bidenomics). And PC health has been precarious for over a year now. Since his diagnosis of prostate cancer and surgery 6 months later.
But incredibly, it has been a year (WHAT??) since his prostatectomy. And although we had a big health scare back in December related to that surgery, he has been feeling increasingly better, stronger, more ‘normal’ in the last month. So bring on all the summer plans!! We are jumping into this season and summer travel with both feet.
And while NONE of this has happened yet…as I am typing this…we do leave tomorrow (06.13.2024) for the first trip of the summer…
Summer of ’24, Trip #1, June
On Saturday, 06.15.2024, my brother Kevin will marry his long-time girlfriend Lee Ann at 5:30 pm on The Glenlary Estate in Paris, Kentucky.
It will be a small ceremony. Just family and a few close friends. My brother’s children, Shelby and Jacob and Shel’s husband, Alex. Lee Ann’s sons Matt and Mark and Mark’s wife Catherine. Lee Ann’s parents, my sister Valerie and her husband Roby, PC and me. The immediate family will be staying on the estate with Kevin and Lee Ann.
[source]
[source]
Mom and Dad
Because our parents are gone and can’t be with Kevin on this important day, my sister and I decided to put together a special photo of Mom and Dad on their wedding day to display at the ceremony. Their original wedding picture is in sepia tones but I wanted to have the photograph reprinted to give it a metallic or silvery effect. The good folks at Digital Silver Imaging in Massachusetts, came to my rescue. The photo is beautiful and I hope it will help Kevin and Lee Ann feel my parents presence.
Our BnB
Valerie made reservations for the 4 of us to stay at the renovated Hutchison train station which was part of the L&N railroad system between 1890-1950 [source]. The train station is located on a working thoroughbred horse farm and sounds delightful with its original hardwood floors and crown molding.
[source]
I bought 2 potential dresses for the wedding before I learned the wedding colors were blues and other pastels (my first dress was orange and my second dress was green!! – YIKES). Went dress shopping with PC and found this pretty ‘water lilies’ midi dress at Versona. The colors are right and it has a garden party/wedding feel to it. So, now I have 3 new summer dresses!! Could maybe do a costume change mid-wedding celebration?
The dress has silver threads throughout so I bought some silver sandals to go with it. Have a pair of heeled sandals I was going to wear but really want to be comfy. I think these Rackroom thongs will be just that. PC is wearing a blue button down and grey trousers. With the exception of the ceremony, Kevin and Lee Ann said we would be in shorts or bathing suits. Looking forward to some downtime after watching the grandbabies this week. Hope we have good weather and a great fun celebrating with the bride and groom.
Summer of ’24, Trip #2, July
Part 1, South Padre Island
Once we return from Kentucky, we will have about 5 weeks before our next adventure begins. On 07.29.2024, we are meeting Brennyn and her family and Lauren and her family at South Padre Island for 5 days on the beach. We are flying into San Antonio then driving down to South Padre. We’ve rented 2 condos right beside each other in the Suntide III condominium complex. We will be staying with Lauren and her family so that Declan and Cadence can have their own rooms in Brennyn’s apartment. Four bedroom condos are hard to come by down there.
Guess what we are doing the day after we arrive? Before the sunburn sets in and we take any chances with potential jellyfish or stingray encounters. We are going to have family portraits done. ON THE BEACH!! We have booked a real professional photographer. And are going to coordinate our outfits and everything. Isn’t that amazing?
Oh, how I have longed for family photos. The photographer recommended we meet at a less populated public access beach at sunset. I cannot wait. He will take between 75-100 photos, some of all of us together, and some of each family separately and some of Campa/PaPaul and I with the grandbabies. Hope to get one of my daughters and me, too. And he edits every photo!! We are bound to get at least a couple that are decent of all of us, surely!!
We will be celebrating all of the summer birthdays while we are at the beach. Mustafa on 06.11, Cady on 07.28, Brennyn on 07.30, Lauren on 07.31 and Francisco on 08.15. We want to visit Big Sea Shell Beach and Little Sea Shell Beach, enjoy some of the local eateries like Long Board Bar & Grill.
PC and I are hoping to go deep sea fishing (and throwing back) one morning just so we can have a little time alone and give the girls a chance to be together without having me in the middle of things.
Part 2, San Antonio
We leave South Padre on 08.03 and will drive back to San Antonio to fly home. But before we do we are staying at the Tobin Hill Maid’s Quarters loft for 2 nights.
Isn’t it quaint? PC finds the best accommodations. We hope to wander about the Riverwalk and eat at some of the popular restaurants like The Pearl which is within walking distance of our Air BnB.
That should be a delightful end to the family vacation.
Summer of ’24, Trip #3, August
Sometime in late August, we are making a trip back ‘home.’ Which is Ohio for Paul and Tennessee for me. However, not the part of Tennessee where I grew up. We are probably flying into Chattanooga and stopping in to see my niece, her husband, their 2 dogs and brand new house. Then driving northwest to my sister’s house in Crossville where we will spend a few days. They live in and are restoring an adorable Homestead house that was built in 1933 by the WPA.
From there we will drive up to see the newlyweds, then on up to Ohio to visit Paul’s mom and son, and both brothers. The fellas are hoping we can catch a Cincinnati Reds game while we are in Reds territory. Then we will reverse the trip, flying home from Chattanooga a week later.
I haven’t seen PC’s family in several years so it will be good to catch up with everyone again. Paul’s mom has struggled with a number of health issues this year. We need to try to get back that way a little more regularly.
And that’s the summer!! In between getaways, I plan to spend time watching Paul play baseball, floating and splashing in my pool, doing some drop-in kitty visits, crafting and scrapbooking, reading and writing and playing with Lucia and Cami.
A Vacation on the Distant Horizon
You may remember that PC is retiring on 07.31.2024. We had hoped to take an Alaskan cruise to celebrate his retirement but ran out of summer!! Instead, we have booked a trip for the end of April next year with Holland America on the Westerdam for their 7-day Alaska Explorer cruise. We even splurged and reserved a veranda room with a balcony!! I am looking forward to planning our excursions and daydreaming about this trip. From the Holland America website:
The Westerdam has won multiple Best Cruise Ship awards and features superb bar, entertainment and dining venues. During the day, rejuvenate with a spa treatment at the heavenly Greenhouse Spa & Salon®. Head to the upper decks for a friendly game of Pickleball at Sea with top-deck views. Catch a performance at the World Stage or spend your evening on the dance floor at Rolling Stone Lounge.
A convenient roundtrip from Seattle to Alaska’s incredible ports. Scenic cruise Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier. Stop into Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria.
Won’t that be spectacular? I’ve never been on a cruise and couldn’t be more thrilled.
So for a gal who felt pretty certain we weren’t going to be having a vacation at all this year, I am going to be quite the globe-trotter!!
Your Turn
How are your summer plans shaping up? With inflation and prices where they are right now, I almost worry about spending money on anything extra. And we are still calculating and recalculating our expenses once Paul retires. But as my daughter Lauren likes to remind me – YOLO, MOM. You only live once. I am looking forward to our summer. And hope to share our adventures here with you.
Thank you for stopping by. Hope you will join me in visiting the blogs of my Where Blogger’s Live to see how they plan on spending the summer of ’24.
Hugs and kisses,
So many fun vacation plans! That all sounds wonderful.
Thank you so much. First vacation for my brother’s wedding was delightful. Gearing up for the beach trip in three weeks. Yay!!
How wonderful that your brother is getting married and that PCs health is returning! Your vacation plans all sound fun .
Wow talk about a busy summer.
I hope you wear all of those dresses all summer long.
You’re going to have such a great time!!
Xoox
Jodie
I am so happy to hear that you have all this wonderful unexpected travel and happy days coming up this summer! The water lily dress is stunning on you; you will be well set for many a lovely summer event with your 3 dresses. Staying in a renovated train station is so interesting! I have never been on a cruise either but an Alaska cruise is definitely on my list.
WOW, you really have a lot planned. Sounds great. And, I LOVE the dress you found for the wedding.
Iris
Thank you so much. I felt pretty for the wedding. Not sure when I will wear my dress again = maybe church?
Leslie! It sounds like you have a wonderful and memorable summer lined up! I’m so happy for you! Our family has a lot of summer birthdays like yours does: my daughter in June, my son-in-law and daughter-in-law and mother-in-law in July, and my son in August. We have plans to fly to Vegas and meet my sister, her daughter, and brother there to see the Cirque de Soleil Beatles Love Show this month before it ends. Then in July, we’ll be taking a road trip to Alabama, Tennessee, Illinois, and maybe Wisconsin. In August, we’ll head to Lithuania to be with our daughter-in-law and grandson, so we can care for him while she goes back to her teaching career. I hope you and your family make many wonderful memories this summer!
Oh, I am thrilled that you are going to Lithuania this summer. Can’t wait for pictures of that adorable baby boy. I guess your Vegas trip has come and gone already. Hope you had the best time. We saw a Beatles cover band in Vegas probably 10 years ago and they were fabulous. Such a good time. Wishing you safe travels on your road trip.
Whoa!!!! You are going to have the best summer! The wedding venue and train station look fabulous! Then, onto the beach for family photos? Woohoo! We had ours done in April, but I haven’t heard anything from the photographer. I am giving her grace as it’s graduation/wedding season. But, soon, I hope! I love San Antonio, but we never made it out to The Pearl. We usually stay at hotels though I’d prefer an AirBnB or VRBO because you can spread out and feel at home! And, then a cruise? Girl!!! You aren’t going to recognize yourself! I’m so happy for you!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Thank you so much!! First trip down, and the second trip coming right up. Did you get your family photos? Please share them!!
(ugh, I just got about halfway through a long comment and accidentally breathed on my trackpad and the page refreshed and it’s gone)
How wonderful to have so much travel this year, especially after the past year being so rough.
I’m sure your brother will appreciate your parents watching over you all at his wedding. That was a very thoughtful gift.
I was only in Kentucky once, for a quick weekend. back in my early 20s. I went with my riding team for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Nationals. I don’t remember much except for the show itself (I placed at Nationals, whee!) and the plane ride (I brought my ferret with me – she was a hit). But being so “horsey,” I’ve always wanted to really visit.
I really like San Antonio. I’ve probably told this story before but…back when Katie was about two, we almost moved there. Had put a binder down on a house and everything. Ex was Fed Up with the working in the city (ex NYPD so he saw the worst), and all my family was planning to move from Los Angeles to San Antonio. One cousin family had already gone and loved it, so everyone was following. I spent a couple weeks there and really liked everything about it (except the heat). The River, the architecture, the parks, THE LOW HOUSING PRICES…and we found a really great house at a really great pruce and were gonna go. Then we got back home to NY and were like WHAT ARE WE DOING? We didn’t have jobs there, we had a young child, WTH? And we chickened out. At the time it was a relief, because in the end, everyone else stayed where they were, too, and there was no mass family exodus to Texas. Interestingly, covid year put it back in everyone’s head and now mostly everyone HAS moved to San Antonio, all these many years later, like 30 years later.
See how I can make anyone else’s story about me?? It’s my special gift.
Anyway, hope you have all kinds of fun and adventures on your travels this year and next…and that more vacations are waiting for you in the future.
Bettye xoxo
Thank you for taking the time to rewrite your comment after losing it. So very frustrating. And it can happen so quickly.
I am looking so forward to beach time with the family and also to time with PC alone. Have you wondered the ‘what ifs’ had you moved to San Antonio? Very different from NY and Los Angeles, too. Housing in Texas is affordable even with inflation right now. And in general, I think, our utilities are reasonable, too. Still time for you to grab Katie and move to San Antonio, once your time in Korea is through.
You made me laugh because I feel like I make everything about ME!! But you know what, you just relate things from your own life to things in mine. That is being a good friend and good conversationalist…on paper!!
Thank you, Bettye, for being so dear. Hope this week has been painfree and an enjoyable one for you with your new classmates.
How fun! I am so excited for you to be enjoying such a wonderful summer, particularly after such a stressful year.
Thank you for sharing the photo of your brother…what a happy, beautiful picture. The venue looks lovely and I know you will make such happy memories with your siblings and PC. Your dress is gorgeous by the way…an excellent find…(not to mention how lucky it is to be paired with your baby blues). Looking forward to more photos!
I love how you have great getaways with your kiddos…priceless times for you and PC with your daughters, SsIL and GKs (not to mention some great alone time for both of you!)! Again, the photos are such a wonderful idea…would love to do this with our fam sometime. They will be beautiful.
It will be so nice for you to see fam in August…a great way to wrap up the summer!
An Alaskan cruise sounds little a perfect way to celebrate retirement. You will both have a fun time enjoying all the planning and excitement leading up to next April…not to mention the trip itself!
Truly so happy for you!!
You have been such a support and cheerleader for me and I am so grateful for you, for that. Thank you for the kind words. The wedding weekend was a celebration of love and full of memory making. Kentucky is such a beautiful state. I was happy to be back among GREEN things, trees, grass, flowers and the horses. It was just a perfect getaway.
Now we are enjoying the POOL!! I never thought the day would come that I would say that. But we are swimming, floating and playing in the water almost everyday. Looking forward to a big 4th BBQ and pool day.
You need to grab all of your family and your parents, too, and make arrangements for a family photograph. I wish I had made it happen while my parents were still with us. You could even have a photographer come to your beautiful home and take pictures there and in your yard. That might be easiest with your parents. But, please, consider doing it soon.
Thank you, always, for the love and support. You are very special to me.
I love everything about today’s post! I love that Paul’s health is better and that will allow y’all to travel! I love to hear about your family time and the planning of the fun events!!
Thank you so so so much for the kind words. We are thrilled and blessed that Paul’s health is improved. And looking forward to his retirement and our new chapter of life together. This is a summer to celebrate so much.
Wow that is quite a change from ‘backyard’ to so many destinations! And the places you’re staying are so cute! There’s nothing like being with family after a long separation. That’s our vacation this year, we’re all gathering at Disneyland for a couple days, then spending the rest of the week relaxing and hanging out by the pool. We leave in two weeks and I’m so excited! Have a wonderful time on this first trip!
Oh, Cindy, Disneyland!! Beth and all the grands are going to love it. I can’t wait for the pictures. Enjoy every precious moment.
Sounds like the perfect summer, I hope you have the best time! so much to celebrate with weddings and health improvements. enjoy every minute!
Thank you so much. Thank you for your support along the way. Have enjoyed the photos of your getaways and today’s vineyard visit.
You have got quite the summer planned.
Hi! Almost too busy for my taste, but glad to have down time in between trips.
Wow! You have quite a lot of summer fun planned and a lot of vacations to look forward to! We did beach photos when the kids were a lot younger and ohhh, I cherish those photos… I’ve been wanting to do photos on the beach since then, but it has never happened… so, do it when you can! I do hope we get a nice photo of us on the cruise for the formal night dinner! I just need to get the teens to wear matching stuff… LOL. Wish me luck!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com