The Excitement of Upcoming Travel

Hi friends!

Well we’re firmly into the second quarter of 2013 here, and it’s time for me to start getting excited about some of the trips we have planned for the rest of the year.

So let’s see. For starters, my in-laws will be making their way to the U.S. the week after next, and Chris and I will be heading to London with them to watch Chris run the London Marathon:

^^A little flashback to when Steph and I first visited London back in 2010

Then, Chris and I booked a trip out to Arizona to visit an old friend of mine for the weekend of July 4th. Neither one of us has been before, so we’re super excited. We’re going to go camping and hiking, and visit Lake Powell and Havasu Falls:

September will be a big month for us, too. We’ll be heading to Australia to celebrate our wedding with Chris’s side of the family, and then taking a couple-day honeymoon to The Great Barrier Reef:

^^A little memory from our last trip to Australia (written about here and here). That’s Shawn the Koala, the subject of my soon-to-written children’s book series. Seriously. It’s coming.

There will be another trip in September two weekends before Australia, but that’s super secret for now, as it’s a surprise trip in honor of Chris’s 30th birthday. Let’s just say—I’m super excited about it!

And that’s about it (for now)! Bis bald, friends! I’ll catch up with you again super soon …

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A Camp Weekend at Rockywold, New Hampshire

Hi friends,

Okay, so this past weekend I headed upstate (it took us about 7 hours to get there, with traffic, on Friday!) to New Hampshire and Rockywold-Deephaven Campgrounds for my cousin Courtney’s wedding. The cabins and grounds here mostly surround the fabulous Squam Lake, which makes for an awesome time of fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming.

Which is exactly what we did:

Our 3-bedroom cabin came with a huge living room (where I slept!), a fireplace, a bathroom with shower and separate toilet room, and a kitchen and porches. Fabulous.

Our parents cabin was on the lake

A doc in the backyard? Yes, please!

Squam Lake

Canoeing

So Friday night, after arriving a little after 7 in a car full of strangers (who, by the way, all turned out to be totally rockin’!), we all quickly changed and headed over to the area where the barbecue was being held. And although it would have been awesome, the only thing that we weren’t able to do because of the weather for the entire weekend was a bonfire on Friday. I don’t think anyone missed it.

The happy couple addressing their adoring friends and family

Then Saturday, after a morning of canoeing and swimming and sunbathing and hiking, we all started getting ready for the 3:30 p.m. ceremony.

Now, getting married outside can be tricky business, right? But let me tell you something, this weather was specially tailored for Courtney and Charlie last weekend. The ceremony, held right on the lake, was breezy and beautiful, sunny and fabulous. Then, just about everyone got to take photos outside before it started pouring down rain. And even then, when the rain came, it stopped again right before we all had to head out to the place where the reception was.

Personal touches—like wooden direction signs made by Courtney and this chalkboard with all the ceremony info on it—really made the day belong to the couple.

Where the magic happened

Guests without seats stood on the porch for the ceremony, and everyone enjoyed a beer during the service

The bride looked beautiful, in a short, fitted strapless dress and hot pink sandal

So overall, I have to say that this campground is a fabulous place to get married, to bring your significant other, and even to bring the family. The kids in our family who joined in on the weekend festivities couldn’t have been happier.

Bis bald, friends! And get out there and go camping this summer!

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We’re Back From Camp!

Who doesn't love a great lake?

As you may or may not remember, I headed a bit up North this past weekend (six hours up North, to be exact) to New Hampshire and Rockywold-Deephaven Camp on Squam Lake for my cousin’s wedding. Well I’m back—and it was awesome! I haven’t had a chance to download photos yet (and unfortunately my camera batteries were acting up, so I don’t have that many photos at all), but I’ll tell you this much—there was hiking, and fishing, and lake swimming, and canoeing.

All in all, a pretty fun time.

More details to follow soon, friends!

Bis bald.

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A Camp Wedding Tomorrow!

I'm off—to a camp wedding

Alright friends, I’m off tomorrow morning to Rockywold-Deephaven Camps in New Hampshire for my cousin Courtney’s nuptials. If we are lucky enough to get fabulous weather, it appears there will be a lot of drinking by the lake, smores, campfires, games, and general merriment all around.

Update and photos on Monday!

Have a great weekend, friends!

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