Sweet Summertime

I L-O-V-E summer. It’s hands down my favorite season. I love the heat, the camping, the traveling, the swimming, the long days, the campfires, the crickets and cicadas singing their songs outside my window at night, the smell of grass and cornfields, the tan lines, the parties, the fireworks – I LOVE IT ALL.

Our summer has been a whirlwind so far! In June, my husband and I journeyed across the globe to the U.K. and France; spending some time in London, Oxford, and Bristol, and then in Paris. It was a non-stop adventure from the time our wheels lifted off of US ground. The time we spent together and the experiences we got to share were invaluable to us. For a couple of weeks, we got to take off our “mom” and “dad” nametags that we’d worn (very proudly) for the last 8 months, and simply be “husband” and “wife” again. It was a trip we will never forget.

Shortly after we got back, I left for my annual trip to good ‘ol Owensboro, Kentucky for the ROMP Music Festival (which I wrote about here last year). It was another fantastic weekend of music, dancing, and camping with my family. I always say, there’s nothing like listening to live music under an open sky, especially in the company of those you love most.

With a little time in between travels, I’ve been enjoying every second of the sweet summer heat with my little Emery girl. She’s at such a fun age where all the new sites and sounds of summer leave her squealing with joy. She loves summer just as much as her momma and has become quite the water baby. Our weeks are filled with lots of outside playtime, walks at the park, baby reading time at the library, and staying cool in the pool (:

In a few short weeks, we’ll leave for our annual trip to Missouri to go camping in the Ozarks with my family and friends (also posted about that here last year). Swimming, tubing, canoeing, horseback riding, dancing – it’s a blast! It’s a trip we look forward to all year long, and we can’t wait to see what baby girl thinks of it!

Well, I just thought I’d post a quick update about what’s been going on in my little world. I’ve been so swept up in sweet summertime, and it’s been a blast. I hope your summer is treating you well too!

Where the blacktop ends

I’m back! I was able to unplug and spend a super relaxing week away in Eminence, Missouri last week. You’ve probably never heard of this little one-horse town with a population of 600, but let me tell you, this place has a piece of my heart ❤.

This was my 27th annual trip to Eminence. Every year during the first week of August, my family packs our horse trailer full of all the camping essentials, loads the horses up, and heads west to the Cross Country Trail Ride in Eminence, MO.

#camplife

The trip from Indiana to Missouri is unremarkable – not a whole lot of intriguing landscape to look at while you travel. But, once your tires hit that red Missouri dirt, you know you’re in for a treat. Nestled in the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Eminence swallows you up in its cool natural spring waters, clear, winding riverways and rocky Ozark hills.

ROMP

Right On My People. River Of Music People. ROMP ROMP ROMP!

Whatever it stands for, ROMP is my favorite outdoor music fest of the year. ROMP is all about free spirited, grassroots lovin’, wholesome folks celebrating the roots and branches of bluegrass music at Yellow Creek Park in Owensboro, Kentucky. Once you come, you’re hooked; This past weekend was my sixth year as a ROMPer, and my first year as a ROMP volunteer.

This year’s line up included the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Punch Brothers, Rhiannon Giddens, The Steel Drivers, Pokey LaFarge, Billy Strings and Scythian. Baby girl loved the tunes! She tumbled and danced in my tummy all weekend. That girl’s got great taste in music already!

It rained. We danced. It rained some more. We stayed up all night. We soaked it all in. A good time was had by all.

I decided to volunteer this year to cut the cost of my ticket. My volunteer shifts really weren’t that bad. I was kind of dreading it, but I ended up meeting a lot of great people that way and actually had a lot of fun getting a more behind-the-scenes look at the fest.