Road Trip :: Missouri

Days two and three of our RV trip were spent in the beautiful state of Missouri.





We enjoyed a quick pass through St. Louis. 

I was pretty tickled with the shot that I got of the Arch as we passed through. I was quiet literally hanging out the window of our RV to get this one. I'm not sure it was the smartest thing I've ever done in my life.

I'm certainly not proposing to go to any dangerous lengths to get good shots. The only real danger for my method was in dropping my camera out the window.





So I stopped snapping out the window after I got this photograph.

If we passed you on the highway, thanks for not honking at me as I was taking pictures out the window.  
And thanks to the really nice truck driver that stayed back a bit toward the rear of our RV until I finished taking pictures. He was quiet nice to help this Southern girl out a bit.

My claustrophobic self just couldn't stand the thought of going back up into the Arch this trip. We've made the visit to the top riding in the little egg-like pod on previous trips. It really is breathtaking from the top (and on the way up and down if you are squeamish in close quarters like I am).  

It is something you just have to do when you visit St. Louis, just not every time you visit.





We stayed just outside of St. Louis in one of the cleanest RV parks I've ever visited.





The gardens were immaculate and filled with beautiful flowers and decorations.





It was one of those RV parks where you can just wander around and enjoy nature and wish you could just pack it up to take it along on the road with you.





On the 4th, we enjoyed the day and evening in Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri. 

Roasting hotdogs, grilling hamburgers, enjoying sparklers as we waited on the big event of the fireworks by the capitol. And they were gorgeous.

Thanks so much to Darcy for the awesome instructions on photographing fireworks.  Of 100 photographs, this was my favorite.

Follow along with other posts of our RV trip:

Road Trip and Camp Trail Mix
Road Trip :: Nashville
Happy Fourth of July

I'm sharing photographs over at Darcy's Sweet Shot Tuesday. Come see all of the beautiful photographs others are sharing, too.

Mingle Monday :: Week 6

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July!

This week, I decided I'd highlight one blogger from last week's Mingle Monday. It's Sara from Saving for Someday. I've really enjoyed getting to know Sara. If you haven't met her yet, take a few minutes to go visit her as soon as you add yourself to the Mingle Monday linky.

Remember, Mingle Monday is pretty simple and straight forward. No special blog posts to write, you aren't required to use the button, just add your blog and visit a few of the other blogs linked up when you can. I'm all for a simple summer!






Promote Your Blog!

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Also, remember I'm giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card to a lucky entry in On the Grill. Entries close July 5th at midnight. So head on over and link up your favorite recipe!

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July!!!

As we are traveling cross-country on our RV trip, we are loving all the slices of Americana.

Have a great holiday!

Road Trip :: Nashville

Image via Wikipedia

We've turned my trip to the Savvy Blogging Summit into a great excuse for a family road trip in our RV. Honestly, it's not hard for us to justify an RV trip. It's one of our favorite things to do as a family.

Our first stop was in Nashville, Tennessee. Oh how we love Nashville. Just last summer we enjoyed a ten day stay in this beautiful city and love to come back pretty frequently for long weekend trips. There is so much to do and see in Nashville. Our favorites are:

The Grand Ole Opry
Our family loves going to the Opry. Being able to see and hear legends like Loretta Lynn, Roy Clark, Little Jimmy Dickens, The Charlie Daniels Band, Porter Wagner mingled with our generations favorites of Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, and Kellie Pickler. A night at the Opry is truly one of my favorite experiences - every single time!

The Opry is currently being held in the historic Ryman Auditorium. We've enjoyed going to the Opry at the Ryman previously, but look forward to it returning to the Grand Ole Opry House once it is restored from the flooding. To follow the restoration efforts, I love the blog On The Way Home by Opry staffers, members and friends.



Nashville Farmer's Market
Open year-round, this farmer's market is one of the best I've ever visited. The huge selection of fruits, vegetables, herbs, fresh eggs, flowers, and even doo-dads is excellent. Even better, the vendors are extremely helpful and friendly. Just what I've come to expect from everyone in Nashville.

The Hermitage
The home of President Andrew Jackson is now a beautifully maintained museum rich with the history and a glimpse into the life of one of our early presidents. We enjoyed the guided tours and Little Buddy especially loved learning more about his pet parrot, Poll.

Other favorite spots:

Campgrounds - Our favorite campgrounds Nashville KOA and Jellystone Park. Both of these campgrounds are big rig and family friendly. Previously, we've always used Jellystone but due to the holiday weekend we weren't able to make a reservations since we only need for one night. We were pleasantly surprised at the improvements made at the KOA. Easy in, easy out, neat and clean. That's what we look for in a campground. Little Buddy loved the pool and playground facilities. They are in the middle of repairs in a good portion of the campground and office building.

Restaurants - This trip, our niece introduced us to the restaurant Cabana in the Vanderbilt area right off of Music Row.  We loved being seated in one of the cabanas in the back portion of the restaurant. It is truly a restaurant you have got to experience when visiting Nashville.

We met one of the owners Craig Clift who lives up to the definition of a warm, friendly restaurateur. He and his partners have definitely built a beautiful spot we'll be visiting again soon. Oh and the food, well the Lobster Mac & Cheese was out of this world and I can't even begin to tell you how good the Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding tasted. Oh Mama, it was YUM!


There is plenty more to discover in this wonderful city and I know we'll be back again soon.

Where are your favorite spots in Nashville?

Road Trip and Camp Trail Mix Recipe

Image via Wikipedia

Discover another adventure. Discover your family.


Little Buddy was three years old when we rented an RV, packed up, and headed off to the Adirondack Mountains with my husband’s family. There were seven RVs in all making up our convoy headed from Georgia up the east coast. To say we were a sight on the interstates would most likely be an understatement.

Our trip took us to Pigeon Forge, TN, Natural Bridge, Hershey, PA, Lake George, NY, and Niagara Falls. We discovered something new each stop we made. And along the way, we discovered our family. Being in an RV for two weeks helps you to let go of the distractions from every day life and simply focus on your time with your family. Playing Go Fish with the younger children, afternoons of bike rides and long walks, and evenings filled with roasting hot dogs over the campfire followed by S’mores for dessert.

Not only did I love spending time with my husband and son, I was able to get to know his family even better. We were blessed with older grandchildren buddying up with younger grandchildren and teaching them swimming games like Marco Polo, jump rope lyrics, horseshoes and croquet.

Since that trip many years ago, we’ve purchased our own RV and try to go RVing as often as possible. Trips to Disney World, Nashville and the mountains are family favorites. And each year we do our best to plan a longer trip to visit different areas of the country. The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Williamsburg, and OshKosh for air shows are highlights of our RVing trips.

While planning my trip to Breckinridge, Colorado for the Savvy Blogging Summit, we decided we wanted to incorporate it into a family RV trip. Luckily, my husband’s parents are able to load up their RV and hit the open roads with us. These are the times we cherish - time with parents/ grandparents that makes memories to last our lifetime. 

I look forward to sharing our trip with you as we travel. To get started, I’m sharing our favorite snack mix I make at the beginning of each trip.

Camp Trail Mix

Ingredients:
Planter’s Cocktail Peanuts
SunMaid Raisins
M&M's, plain
Reese’s Pieces
Sunflower Seeds

Step by Step:
1. Add all ingredients into bowl and stir until well combined.

2. Pour into an airtight container.

3. Enjoy!

The Homeschool Village and Patriotism

 The Homeschool Village is celebrating! One month old and a brand new blog! 

The Homeschool Village is a wonderful place to connect with other homeschool families in this great community. While we all may teach a little differently, approach subjects with our unique viewpoints, we each began with a deep love for our children. The Homeschool Village provides an excellent forum to come together and share in our desires for our families, lean on one another when we need to, and learn from each other every day.


This week, in honor of the 4th of July, The Homeschool Village is  sharing about talking patriotism.



Daily Routines 

In our homeschool we have certain routines we follow each day which help to teach our son about patriotism.

We begin our morning with the Pledge of Allegiance to our schoolroom flag. I'm privileged to be able to teach my son to place his hand over his heart and state the pledge to our country. It is truly a blessing to be able to instill in him a foundation of patriotism to our country.

Next, we bow our heads for our daily prayer.  We lead our prayer requesting God to bless our country, lead our leaders, and protect our servicemen, followed by our family, our neighbors, our schooling, and ourselves.

Scouting

Our family is deeply involved in our local Scouting activities. Little Buddy is a Cub Scout, my husband his Den Leader, and I am on the board of leaders for the Pack working specifically on communications. Scouting instills patriotism through various avenues - lessons in leadership, service, and specific programs on the flag and its handling to name just a few.

Additional Materials

Our homeschool curriculum provides excellent materials on the history of America, including the Wee Sing America music CD we utilize each week to learn important classic songs of America's past. This week, we've focused on The Star Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key,  and the meaning behind the song.

I'll be a very proud Mama on July 4th as we stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the National Anthem before the day's festivities. And as Little Buddy recites the Preamble to the Constitution, I'm sure my Mama heart will swell the size of this wonderful land I'm blessed to call home.

Preamble to the Constitution (1787)
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

On the Grill :: July 4th Edition

Little Buddy had an awesome week as the Guest Judge last week. 

Today we are celebrating Kids Day around our house. It's a long story, but when Mother's Day then Father's Day came around, he asked, "When is Kid's Day?" We decided July 1st was just as good of a day as any. For today, he asked me if I could make Debbi's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip dip. He's a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate. Congratulations, Debbi!

Congratulations! Send me an email with your shipping address and I'll get you your prize and Grill Master button.

***** 

It's July 4th weekend and it's time to get grilling! According to Hearth Patio and Barbeque Association, this is one of the peak weekends for grilling. I know in my family, it's one of those weekends we all look forward to enjoying time together, great events such as parades, fireworks, and laser shows.

It seems like every year, we pull out the stops with the meal. A family favorite is Smoked Beef Tenderloin, but honestly, hamburgers and hotdogs even taste better for our July 4th celebrations. This year, I'll be sharing my Blackberry Tartlets and have even made Raspberry Tartlets to wow the crowd. I know they'll love them. Little Buddy and I will also be making Ina Garten's gorgeous Flag Cake.


This week, I'm the Judge for On the Grill! So share your July 4th favorite! If you've not already prepared it, that's fine - just include the recipe.

Remember you can include recipes of foods that do not have to be cooked on the grill. You can include a favorite drink you serve, favorite side dishes, desserts, etc. You name it! Of course, you certainly can include items prepared on the grill! Anything you would serve at a cookout or BBQ is welcome!

Also, take a few minutes to read over the On the Grill guidelines. 

This Week's Giveaway

This week I'm giving away a $50 Amazon Giftcard. Can't we all find a way to use $50 at Amazon?

How Do You Win?

Our Guest Judge will review your recipes and photographs which are linked up below. She will determine the Grill Master {winner} for the week. The winner then receives a special button to display on your blog or site,  the Gift Card to Amazon will be emailed to you, and you'll be able to show off your new t-shirt at your next cookout.

Be sure to include a link back to Our Homeschool Home. You are welcome to use the snazzy button in my top right sidebar or use a text link if you prefer.

In true cookout party style, be sure to visit the other blogs linked up to On the Grill. If you can't visit them all, at least visit the link ahead of your link and behind your link. In other words, mingle a bit.


When Does It End?

The link will close Sunday evening. Entries will be reviewed and the winner announced at next week's On the Grill party. And yes, you may enter more than one post. You will need to make sure each post entered meets the guidelines.


What is your favorite July 4th memory or activity?