We had a girls trip recently and stayed at the Home 2Suites Hotel by Hilton . We have never stayed at this line of Hiltons before so we wanted to check it out.
Front desk Clerk was very attentive and kind Love when hotels have this posted⭐️
The hotel was very welcoming when we walked in .The front desk agent was very kind and texted us to see if we needed anything once we made it to our room .
The room was clean and huge! It really is made for a family of 4/6 easily. There were two queen beds and a pullout couch. A fully stocked kitchen and full size refrigerator.
Our Stay included breakfast ..love that! It was a typical breakfast buffet . Eggs, meat ,toast , oatmeal and grits!! I was so excited for these!
Loved the seating
Our cost was for one night was $225, which we felt was a great price especially if we would have taken the whole family . We ended up using points from our Chase card so it was free !! Yay 🥳
Oh and they take dogs. We had quite the parade of dogs as we enjoyed breakfast in the am.
Coffee break! It has been a season of adventure for me personally as well as my family which means my social media had to take a back seat .. and honestly I’m ok with that! I want to live life full of adventure and experiences to live them and share them but not to do it for the sharing.
Ok so for some updates on what’s happening in our lives and what content you can expect to see.
First of all, we still love traveling and have several trips to still be posted once I get them fully edited with cost breakdowns. I love to see the actual cost of family trips and the value of what you get so that’s important to us to share. In our years of traveling we have not seen enough of those!
We still love Disney .. but God has shown us there are so many beautiful places to see and learn about so we have started broadening our itineraries 🌎
We are still homeschooling and I am teaching at a Coop so lots of content of what I have done or will be doing is in the drafts . Just to note, as we head into this new school year we will have a Senior.. be still my heart!
A new adventure brewing.. this last year I was inspired to climb a mountain.. not just any mountain .. Mt. Everest . Let me just say that this is an adventure in Gods hands that I am learning to trust and show up for. I am completely ok if God only takes me to the base camp or if he takes this from me but for now I am feeling lead to train for it and trust him. Side note, I am not a mountaineer and or have never had any training .. I grew up in Texas so enough said😜oh and this is a 10 year plan 🏔️
In January, a dear friend , accepted my request to train and work toward learning how to climb elevation. She has the skill and knowledge to hike any mountain 🏔️ and I’m so thankful for her knowledge and skill and that God blessed me with her. She encourages and challenges me.
In January , we made a plan and have been going strong ! Guess what! Other ladies have joined us ❤️So you can expect to start to see these adventures soon.
I’m excited to get back to sharing our adventures with you all ❤️
Gold Star Spouses Day is observed every year on April 5. It is a way to honor and grieve with the families of lost or wounded military service members. It was once known as Gold Star Wives Day, but has now become inclusive of all family members — male or female — who have lost loved ones through service in the military. This day lets these families know that we remember their sacrifice, and honor their loss and that they are loved ❤️
A little history ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Gold Star initiative was started during World War One, where families would hang service flags with blue stars for their loved ones that were serving in the military . They were displayed in a front window and there was usually one for each family member that was serving. If the family member died, the stars would be replaced by gold stars as a public display of the price the family has paid for freedom.
In 1945 , First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt established the Golden Star Wives Association and was one of its founding members.Not long after it was formed , the government approved the Golden Star Lapel Button which was presented to spouses and families of those who have lost a member through military service.
Countless men and women dedicate their lives to serving our country every day. Their families make that commitment as well. Imagine saying goodbye to a loved one with no certainty of their return. This is what military families have to go through every time their loved one is called for duty. Wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters of our heroes are left here to keep daily life as normal as they can so when their loved ones return they can step right back into their life here.
In our American Girl Doll History Class this year, we learned about Molly McIntire . She is a historical American Girl Doll and her story takes place at the end of WW2.
In her story, her dad is serving in the war and her mom is working at the Red Cross.
Her neighbor , Mrs.Gilford , is helping Mollys family out during this time. Mrs. Gilford has her only son serving in the military.
There is a part in the movie where Mollys mom comes home and is making a casserole to take to a friend in their community and Molly asks her why she is home .We find out that the casserole is for Mrs.Gilford and that her son has died .
The video clip is below and is worth watching .. this was such a hard moment ⭐️ start about 2 min in .
American Girl does a terrific job in the books describing this time in history.
If you know someone who has lost a loved one in active duty , reach out to them and let them know that they are loved and being prayed for today .
If you don’t know someone, then pray for the families that have lost loved ones ❤️
And if you are a family member that has lost a loved one .. I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. I am praying for you and your family today to have peace and moments of joy as you remember your loved one. I’m also so thankful for your family’s sacrifice that we as a country have freedom because of those sacrifices ❤️
Having an inviting table doesn’t have to be super fancy . You can take a few things to make a beautiful setting that is practical and inviting. . The memories , conversations , plans, school work and sharing of life that happens around a table is immeasurable. It is essentially the hub of a home. A place to gather , cry , work out life and laugh ❤️ . I do wonder if every grain in the wood of this table could contain all of it. Would the grain lines of the wood be darker when there were years scorched by fire or hardships ,would the grain have lines wider in years being well watered and flourishing in love or have thinner lines in years of drought ? Interesting to think about what it would hold. . What ever season you are in , remember it’s just that a season. Take time to enjoy your family or a friend around your table. Invite them to linger and stay a little bit longer. Savor the grain lines that are forming 🍁
“she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” Proverbs 6:8 ESV
We recently met up with friends who taught us how to do clamming. . It’s pretty amazing that you can go out and use these suction rockets and find clams. . We lasted maybe 10 minutes in the wind and rain before we were ready to head back but bucket list item crossed off! Yay!!
You need to add the @blue_rooster_buckley to your must try list when passing through @explore_washington.state .
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It is family owned and has some of the best small plates and wine slushies in the area.
So good! Look at that delicious guacamole
Our favorites were the Bbq Brisket Flatbread and the Avocado Toast ..seriously some of the best small bites in Washington State. . We tried a little of everything and it was all amazing! The most unique item we tried was the watermelon fudge.It was a huge hit with our kids!
watermelon fudge..yum!
The cheesecake was well plated and sooo good! And the wine slushy was amazing and totally refreshing.
The owners have a love of Disney and you see it sprinkled throughout which is another reason we love @blue_rooster_buckley
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This is the perfect date spot or to share a lunch with some girlfriends.
