Can you believe it’s August already? I sure can’t! Time just keeps flying, but as we get further into the year, I find that we’ve been settling into a routine. Maybe routine isn’t the right word. We’re settling into a balance. We’re getting better and better at maintaining the chores that come with home life, while I’m also trying to start working away from home a tiny bit more. Plus, travel just gets easier and easier with our little ones.
Trip Planning this Month
This month, I started doing some planning even further ahead into next year! Being new to camper travel, I discovered that many popular destinations book up a year in advance! So, we decided to go ahead and book a couple of camping weekends at a couple of state parks in Missouri and Illinois! We also have added a few days on to our Moab trip next year to spend in the Vail, Colorado area.
Travel this Month
We had a mini hiatus from travel while we celebrated some family things over the weekends like birthdays and a baptism. It’s been nice to get some things done at home, but the second half of the month brought us three weekend trips!
First up was a camping trip to Ponca, Arkansas. Y’all know I love the Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park! So, we stayed down there and did a few small hikes. We took Charleigh into the Buffalo River for the first time and now we cannot keep that little girl out of the water – she’s a little fish! It was hot that weekend, so in the mid-day heat, we decided to drive up to Eureka Springs and visited a brewery we fell in love with on our 5th wedding anniversary trip, GotAHold Brewery. Their beer is so great and they have a the Twisted Taco food truck outside and holy cow! So delicious! The biggest memory from this trip, for me personally, is that I drove, towing our camper, for the very first time!
Next up was a weekend camping trip with my parents! We drove down to Van Buren, Missouri to explore the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. We had our first back-in campsite with a big payoff of a stunning Current River view. We couldn’t have ordered better weather for mid-July and we spent time hiking to springs, climbing waterfalls, wading into rivers and roasting marshmallows while we watched boats speed by our campsite. It was one of those weekends that just made you feel alive!
Lastly, we had a really fun-filled weekend in Tulsa with my brother, sister-in-law and our two nephews! We got in Friday evening, so we all hung out in the hotel and then settled in for night. We got up bright and early to hit the ground running for a day filled with kid-friendly activities. We started off at Gathering Place – a free park in Tulsa that is filled with some truly fun and imaginative play equipment! After a couple of hours being open, the water park also opens up and there is a whole other type of fun to be had. Charleigh had a blast – when she wasn’t having toddler meltdowns in between – and I can confidently say that we will be back! Then, after lunch, we went to the Oklahoma Aquarium! The highlights were the shark tunnel and the sea turtle! For Charleigh, though, the ocean themed carousel was definitely the highlight. After a little quiet time back at the hotel, we met back up for dinner and finished off the evening with a swim. We had so much fun!
Travel Mishaps + Laughs this Month
We had a couple of camper related mishaps this month where we discovered we left things behind. Matt forgot the sewage hose connector in the dump station of our Ponca site in June, but since it had been a month since that camping trip we just realized it! Then, we got a phone call after our camping trip to Van Buren and the owner kindly let us know that we left our $200+ surge-protector attached to the electrical box! Thank goodness for good people! And my mom very sweetly came with the kids and me and we had a lovely half-day trip!
We had our first ever hotel complaint! While in Tulsa, we were trying to put Liam + Charleigh down for bed and, well, babies sometimes cry during that period. It was 9pm, so yes, night, but not super late, but right after getting Charleigh to sleep and Liam was calming down and I was breastfeeding him, the phone just starts ringing and someone had complained about it. It was really frustrating and as a mom trying her best, it also hurt my feelings, honestly. But it was an experience that every parent has, I suppose. With how quickly his crying got a complaint, I’m a little surprised it took 2.5 years.
Blog Posts from July
A Monthly Recap – June 2023 – These posts have become one of my most favorite blog “series” I’ve ever done, and the one I’ve stuck with on time the longest. I love getting to share some of the smaller stories and moments from home with you guys. It makes me feel like I’m connecting more with y’all and shows me just how much we accomplish each month! So, I hope you guys like these posts as much as I do. I think they’ll be sticking around.
Our Long Weekend in Mexico City – This is a very travel-diary style post about our recent trip to Mexico City. We fell hard for this city and cannot wait to go back!
Hotel Review: UTOPIC Roma Norte, Mexico City – This was where we stayed during our long weekend in Mexico City and I would 10/10 recommend it and we plan to stay here again when we go back to Mexico!
Most Popular Reel + Instagram Post this Month
Best Thing We Ate This Month
The taco + queso from Twisted Taco food truck in Eureka Springs, Arkansas was definitely the best thing I ate this month. We didn’t intend to eat anything when we decided to go to Got-A-Hold, but this truck smelled amazing and apparently have the best tacos in the region – we can confirm, they’re amazing and decked out! The queso had a slight kick to it too, which we always love too!
Life Updates in July
It feels like July has been fairly uneventful on the home front. We’re just watching our kids grow and learn more and more every day. It’s crazy how much they’ve both grown this month. Liam is crawling and trying to pull himself up. Charleigh’s vocabulary is off the charts. They’re both beautiful little souls make this mama exceptionally proud.
We did celebrate a few family birthdays (including my dad’s 60th) and made a lot of really sweet memories with friends. One of my favorites being our dear friend Alaina bringing over the most badass kiddie pool and chilling with the kiddos on the patio in this crazy thing!
What’s Coming in August?
Next month, we only have one weekend camping trip on the books, which coincides with my first half-sleeve tattoo session down in Bentonville, Arkansas. I’m very excited for this! I also have a day trip with Alaina planned mid-month, a family lake weekend with Alaina + Em and then we’re home for a couple of weeks before Labor Day weekend kicks off us being away every single weekend (and more) until Halloween weekend! I’m also getting another tattoo later in the month and this one is super special because my dad and I are getting matching ones (his very first) and one of my best friends is doing it!
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