Happy Wednesday, friends! This year I was lucky enough to spend Fourth of July at my family's lake house, Turkey Hill. The weekend was filled with food, family, friends, water balloon fights and of course sparklers. I hope your long weekend was equally as festive!
Chile GoPro Video
I finally finished our GoPro video from Chile! I love having another way to remember our trip, especially all the silly moments you could only capture on video. Enjoy!
Rengo, Chile
The second half of my family's trip to Chile was planned completely around visiting my Dad's host family from when he was an AFS student in high school! He lived in Rengo, Chile for one half of his year, and we spent two nights at his family's home in the countryside outside the city. We had an amazing time meeting everyone and hearing stories from his time in Chile. They also treated us to some wonderful food and graciously allowed us to realax by their pool.
I especially loved walking around the plaza and the main streets of Rengo. There were still some New Year's and Christmas decorations up, which felt pretty strange with the Summer weather, but at the same time festive in a way we don't experience in the US. And as always I was a huge fan of thebright florals, palm trees and colorful homes!
This part of the trip was especially meaningful because it is what brought our entire family to Chile. Without my Dad's experience we would not have been able to spend a few days experiencing daily life with this family. During other trips I have purely been a tourist, so this was a nice change of pace and allowed us to see a more authentic version of life in Chile. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Snapshots
I couldn't resist sharing a few quick snapshots from Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for time with family, traditions & pumpkin roll — among other things. This year Dale and I carried on the tradition of three family meals on Thanksgiving day. Although we always eat way too much, I wouldn't change getting to spend time with both of our families. This year I was also able to put my pointed pen workshop skills to good use and created some name tags for our brunch! I hope your weekend was filled with family & friends, food and fond memories.
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
Sisters In STL
I spent last Saturday exploring Cherokee Street in STL with my two future sister-in-laws! With the wedding quickly approaching it was nice to spend a relaxing weekend shopping, eating, and enjoying the nice weather. Saturday night we ate at Charlie Gitto's, one of my favorite Italian restaurants on The Hill. It really is hard to beat homemade noodles.
Sunday we ate breakfast at the Soulard Coffee Garden. This was followed by a trip to get gelato at the Gelateria del Leone. After trying way too many samples we each finally decided on our order. Next up was a quick stop at 4 Hands Brewing Co. to get some beer for the boys back home. Our last adventure was a visit to see the Jewel Box in Forest Park. I was excited to finally take a peek inside this mysterious greenhouse, and it is definitely worth a visit! Thanks for visiting Dianne and Heidi!
An April Shower
This weekend my sister Sophie and future sister-in-law, Dianne, hosted a beautiful bridal shower for me! Here are a few pictures of the delicious food and amazing flowers by Hitched Planning+Floral.
The decorations were based off of my grandmother's bridal shower. It made the event even more special to think that she celebrated in a similar way when she was about to get married. I couldn't have asked for a more lovely afternoon! I truly have some wonderful family and friends.
