I’m having another one of those moments of, ‘how is it the end of the month?‘ again, well, in reality the beginning of the next month. It seems pretty non-stop this year, but that is largely because we’re so busy. We filled March with a lot of family time, about 2 weeks of the month were spent traveling and we started a new weekly routine of part-time preschool for Little Miss. So our whole norm has been shaken this month, but we’re learning a lot about balance.
Trip Planning this Month
We, apparently, picked the worst weekend to ask my parents to watch the kids for camping along the Current River. So, we had to switch the destination of our anniversary trip from Van Buren, MO to Ponca, AR. At first, I was a little bummed that we were going to be going somewhere we’ve been so many times, but we also have a lot of favorite hikes we get to take because we have kiddos. So, I’m actually really excited for it! Plus, it’s a great position between a couple of towns we love, so we can pop into those during the hear of the day.
We also have started planning a little winter getaway to Tucson. I’ve never been, but I love getting away from the cold weather and exploring new places! Plus, I’ve never been to Saguaro National Park so I cannot wait!
Travel in March
This month, we left on the 1st to take our trip to Big Bend National Park. It was such a special trip! My parents joined us on the trip, which is always a lot of fun. We hiked over 30 miles in Big Bend National Park, we took Charleigh and Liam to Mexico for lunch – that was their first time out of the country, and we also took a little day trip to Marfa. We spent so much time outside, it was glorious! From mountains and rivers to canyons and deserts, we definitely covered a lot of ground. My mom treated me to a really special dinner for my birthday – chicken n dumplings and angel food cake with strawberries. It was so sweet! Charleigh sang happy birthday so perfectly to me too – it was really sweet and she was really into it! I got to spend my entire birthday outside and that brought me all kinds of joy! My parents even gifted Matt and me a date night that night to go hike 6.5 miles before dinner. It was spectacular. I have a ton of Big Bend content coming your way – I’m just waiting on Matt to finish editing the pics, which he’s working on as I type this.
At the end of the month, we started our spring season of camping, which basically means we will have 90% of our weekends booked until the peak heat of the summer. We started off exactly where we were at the end of the month last year: Ponca, Arkansas. We got down there, had dinner and realized we had just enough time for an easy hike to one of our favorite waterfalls. It was perfect lighting and the waterfall was flowing so intensely. We spent Saturday perfectly balanced between hiking and relaxing (plus, I had a little work sprinkled in). We did two waterfall hikes – one we hadn’t really seen flowing before and the other was Magnolia Falls – one of our favorites. Charleigh hiked a little over 3 miles on her own and I am so proud of her.
Travel Laughs and Mishaps this Month
There were two camper mishaps on our Big Bend trip. One, we installed a new faucet and it turned out to be a total dud. Such a bummer! Two, we left our water pressure regulator at the first campsite we stayed at.
I want to love Marfa, Texas so much. But every single time we go (truthfully, I’ve only been twice, but I get to be dramatic -it’s my blog) nothing is open! Last time I fell hard for El Cosmico, and I loved seeing the Marfa Lights. However, we had a weird almost 3-hour window between when we were wandering around and when any place was open for dinner. Maybe next time I’ll plan it out even better.
Blog Posts from March
This is the worst month I’ve had in over a year as far as getting posts out has gone. I’ve been trying to get at least 4 a month in and I only made it to three this month. Here’s to doing better in April.
Monthly Recap: February 2024: This is our monthly recap from last month, it’s just like this one!
Why You Should Experience the Total Solar Eclipse in 2024: A total solar eclipse is such a spiritual experience. I got to experience it in 2017 and instantly looked up the next eclipse in the US and have been planning this experience ever since.
Getting Away Without Our Kids: This is a post that speaks to the honesty of just how refreshing it was to travel without our kids, even though we also love to travel with our kids. We’re so grateful to my parents who give us this gift.
Most Popular Instagram Post and Reel from March
Best Thing I Ate in March
The chile rellano I had in Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico was definitely my favorite thing I had to eat this month. It was stuffed with ground beef, potato and carrots and it reminded me of a quesadilla I had in Mexico City.
I also want to acknowledge that Matt is a fantastic amateur chef in his own right. He got a Blackstone and he has been whipping up some tasty meals. My top two are the fajitas he made while we were camping in Big Bend and this amazing chicken with homemade potato wedges and sautéed mushrooms. Seriously, I camp like a queen around here.
What I’m Reading in March
I finished the Throne of Glass Series. It was so good! Tower of Dawn was my favorite in the series, but I loved seeing the growth and evolution of the characters. It was a great fantasy series!
I finished Rooted and it was wonderful. I am entering my woo-woo years, and I fully acknowledge that. This interconnectedness between each of us and the nature around us feels deeper every year and this book just morphed a lot of feelings I’ve always had.
I started Fourth Wing! A dear friend of mine let me borrow this book and I’m finally getting started on it! I’m about 10 chapters in and very much hooked so far.
Life Updates in March
I turned 34 this month! Honestly, I feel like I’m personally in such a good space. 33 was tough, sweet, beautiful and mentally really unhealthy for me. But I learned a lot and feel like last year set me up for the best year of my life. Here’s to 34!
Charleigh Jo started preschool which is a whole beautiful journey, but a learning curve for the whole family as well. I’m endlessly proud of her and I am also loving my one-on-one time with Liam.
My book is officially available for pre-order! It’s really surreal and so exciting to think that something I wrote is going to be on shelves at bookstores and is already available on Amazon (again, just for pre-order).
What’s Coming in April?
We have four weekend/long weekend trips coming up! I’m so excited for each of them! We’ll be experiencing the total solar eclipse in SE Missouri, visiting Starved Rock State Park in Illinois for the first time – hoping to see some waterfalls, our favorite Ponca spot and Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas as well! We have some pretty special adventures across three states coming up!
I hope that everyone else had a beautiful March and I wish you nothing but beauty and happiness in April!
1 Comment
PAM MCKINNIS
April 2, 2024 at 4:25 pmYou are really amazing!!