Who says you need to be fancy to drink wine?

School starts in just a few weeks.

August 13th for Jill!  Ack!  I am not used to this at all.  I never started school before Labor Day.  So annoying.

It’s been a little quiet around here simply because we’ve been busy traveling and/or trying to recuperate from travel.  Am I the only one who feels like she needs a vacation from her vacation?  Some people feel rejuvenated after going on trips…I am 100% the opposite.  It’s nice while we are there, but the getting ready to go…and the Aftermath…oy.

In any case, I thought I would share some pretty with you today.

Every summer we go to Clearlake.  It’s an odd little town that surrounds a huge lake…but because the lake can often be yucky and GREEN (and smell like a sewage treatment plant…no, seriously), the poor little town has crumbled.  Much of it is boarded up, and what is there are run down dinky little thrift stores.  Honestly, it’s kind of depressing. Andy’s aunt has a friend who lets us use their house, and it so happens that there is a hospital just up the street in the case that Jill needs it. So it’s kind of the only lake trip we can take, even if it can be dodgy depending on how the lake is behaving.  This year the water was PERFECT.  Like, ridiculous perfect.  Yay!

So, keep in mind that for the most part, town is dilapidated and has likely seen better days when you see these pictures.  Because imagine my surprise when we found out that there is a winery just a few miles away, that you can boat right up to!

Looking like hot messes, we docked and were more than a little under dressed.

Um, can I move in?

Because I might be in Heaven.

In fact, I think it’s highly likely that Heaven is a Spanish Villa.

My absolute favorite was the detail in all the gardeny stuffs.

I love me some garden stuff.

Because I’m basically an 87 year old woman in a 30-ish body.

I need this plant in my life.

NEED.

Chippy wood and weathered clay.

Few things in life are better than this.

Okay, wait.

This might be better.

Big fields of lavender separated the lake from the winery.

They weren’t in bloom yet, but I’m guessing it’s a way to freshen the sometimes stinky air.

Lighting.

Because it’s kind of my thing.

The kids found a lizard.

So they spent the better part of our time there chasing this poor little dude around.

Yes please.

Chippy terracotta pots you have my heart.

Babies in baby trunks and baby rash guards?

It’s kind of the best.

Why hello there Sassy Pants.

I have a lemon tree in my yard that isn’t doing so well.  Obviously I need to plant it in a giant clay pot.

Obviously.

We had some cheese, crackers, and wine while the kids snacked on trail mix.

It would have been fancy if not for the life jackets and the fact that we were all sticky sweaty.

But it’s okay.

Because this sticky, sweaty, train wreck status is my family.

And I kinda like them.

(PS this is literally the ONLY picture I have with all 6 of us in it!  Ha!)

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jeannett

I'm a mom to four. A wife to one. I believe in story. I love telling you about mine and would love to hear yours. There's really no sense in wasting our suffering and not sharing in each other's joy. We're all in this together...even if it doesn't always feel like it.

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