I've got a post up over on Weddingbee this week- the first of a series called After the Wedding. This one deals with how we're living up to our vows. Check it out- and check out the posts from the other Bees!
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
What We Did on Our Summer Vacation
Ok first of all, I totally stole the title of this post from Shayla over at Northern Exposure and her awesome series of posts about their Canadian adventures. Go read that one, and then come back here and try not to be too disappointed in our slightly-less-adventurous adventures.
Chief had a pretty exciting first summer ever. She went on a world tour (well, a tour of the American south) and met friends and relatives that I would need to draw a family tree to accurately define. Here's just a brief look at how she spent her summer.
Memorial Day
My parents (Mammaw and Papaw) came to visit. It was a pretty low-key weekend. We went to Casanel Vineyards for a picnic and a bottle of wine, and on Memorial Day itself we went to a town festival in Fairfax where Chief rode her first "roller coaster", ferris wheel, and carousel.
Fourth of July
Chief's first road trip was a short one- a few hours down I-81 to Roanoke to visit once again with Mammaw and Papaw and lots of our old friends from my childhood. We shot off fireworks in the back yard and on Sunday went to Mass at a parish where a friend had been serving this summer to wish him well on his journey towards the priesthood and his studies in Rome.
Fancy Farm Picnic
For the past 134 years, St Jerome Catholic Church in Fancy Farm, KY has hosted a church picnic fundraiser the first weekend of August. All of the parishioners chip in to help in some way- smoking pork and mutton barbecue, running the Bingo games, running carnival games, selling refreshments (that's my family's job), organizing the set up and clean up, putting on a 5K and Fun Run, selling raffle tickets for a car. This little town in the middle of nowhere has only 500 residents, and it's where my Mammaw and her siblings grew up.
For some reason, a politician running for state government decided to drop in on the picnic one year as a part of his campaign trail. Not to be outdone, other Kentucky politicians decided to join in. In the 90s, Bill Clinton and Al Gore stopped by. And with politicians come large crowds of supporters- 10,000 or more people flock to this tiny little town every year for the one-day barbecue extravaganza. It's become such a big deal that even the Washington Post mentioned it this year. If you hope to get elected in the state of Kentucky, you'd best show up at the Fancy Farm Picnic.
But we don't go for the politics. We go because, for my family, it's like an annual family reunion. My cousins and my dad's cousins and my aunts and uncles and my dad's aunts and uncles either live in Mayfield or come to Picnic to visit with those that do, and we sell Sun Drop in the drink stand (unless of course you've brought your infant, like we did, in which case we get to ditch volunteer duties and keep her cool and hydrated) and eat more barbecue than we can stand and maybe even play a round of Bingo. Not only was this Chief's first Picnic, it was Mr. Geek's first Picnic, too- and he fit right in with my large and boisterous family.
Labor Day
For Labor Day, we made the long journey to Little Rock to visit with Mr. Geek's family- the last trip for 2014. We stayed with his mom (Nana), visited with Chief's cousins and Mr. Geek's childhood friends, went to the pool with Mr. Geek's dad (Grandpa), and even had a date night to finally see Guardians of the Galaxy. We hit up Carter's Labor Day sales and basically bought one of everything (I wish I were exaggerating). Chief endured the first of many disappointments as a Razorbacks fan- I keep insisting it would be better for her mental health if we raise her to only cheer for Alabama, but Mr. Geek is having none of that. This was probably our most relaxing trip of the summer, even if Chief didn't quite comprehend the concept of sleeping in on vacation.
What did you do with your summer vacation?
Much love,
The Geeks
Chief had a pretty exciting first summer ever. She went on a world tour (well, a tour of the American south) and met friends and relatives that I would need to draw a family tree to accurately define. Here's just a brief look at how she spent her summer.
Memorial Day
 |
| Here you go, Papaw |
Fourth of July
 |
| Papaw was trying to convince her to crawl by tempting her with her toys and pacifier |
Fancy Farm Picnic
 |
| Taking a nap after a long day of Picnic |
For some reason, a politician running for state government decided to drop in on the picnic one year as a part of his campaign trail. Not to be outdone, other Kentucky politicians decided to join in. In the 90s, Bill Clinton and Al Gore stopped by. And with politicians come large crowds of supporters- 10,000 or more people flock to this tiny little town every year for the one-day barbecue extravaganza. It's become such a big deal that even the Washington Post mentioned it this year. If you hope to get elected in the state of Kentucky, you'd best show up at the Fancy Farm Picnic.
But we don't go for the politics. We go because, for my family, it's like an annual family reunion. My cousins and my dad's cousins and my aunts and uncles and my dad's aunts and uncles either live in Mayfield or come to Picnic to visit with those that do, and we sell Sun Drop in the drink stand (unless of course you've brought your infant, like we did, in which case we get to ditch volunteer duties and keep her cool and hydrated) and eat more barbecue than we can stand and maybe even play a round of Bingo. Not only was this Chief's first Picnic, it was Mr. Geek's first Picnic, too- and he fit right in with my large and boisterous family.
Labor Day
 |
| I think she wants a swing at her house, too |
What did you do with your summer vacation?
Much love,
The Geeks
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