Happy Father's day!

 Happy day after Father's day, folks! I sure hope you got to celebrate with someone you love. Here is my husband, the father of my children. Since we seem to be staying around here this summer and not planning on a big road trip I figure we will go camping (we thought we would b going on a road trip to NC, but since we are bound to the military we get to wait for the whos who to make decisions...sometimes they are not very good decision makers and rather poor planners so we get to cool our jets. I am not talking about the local leadership because I think they ROCK.) But heck, maybe that is for the best? We have been having a great time going to the pool and playing in our garden and finding giant nightmare spiders...and them forcing them to become our evil pets.

 Sharon and Brian brought over another tent for me to use however I see fit. Isn't that sweet? This is the same kind I made the Pool bags out of. Now I have lots of pretty green canvas. Have you ever seen the bags from Forestbound? I LOVE them. I bet I can make some like those. Of course they are way more expensive than mine are. But they have a great deal more media attention than I ever have had.

The other thing we did this weekend was drive out to the Christoval Vineyard. Some friends told us it was really nice, so what the heck? We like wine...it is a zillion degrees, lets go! The vineyard is only about 20 minutes away so it didn't take any time at all to get there. I did not bring my camera and I really regret it. Right after we pulled off I-277 it was like pulling into a Italian villa. Maybe a Spanish one, but I have never been to a proper Spanish vineyard, and I have been to a couple Italian ones, so I am going to name it Italian. Normally the wine tastings are conducted at a limestone chapel, but they were having a wedding, so we drove on down to the main house. They were set up to have their tastings in their garage (now, it was a really pretty garage) while their limestone pavilion was being finished. They are going to have wood fired pizzas available after the pavilion is finished. But I am getting ahead of myself.

So we drive up and hop out of the truck. Stu and I first followed by our 3 children. There is really wonderful swimming pool in the back yard of the house with such lush landscaping (the landscaping around my house consists of some dying oak saplings and dry cracked earth...my withering tomatoes are the bit of green I have splurged on but there are scorpions and tarantulas hiding beneath their leaves) My kids want to know if millionaires live here as they look around with their wide blue eyes. The couple that was behind the wine tasting table had a little girl who looked to be about Emma's age. She was wearing a cute little blue bikini. That was when I noticed that all 3 of mine were wearing their bathing suites too. We have been living in our swim suites since we normally do end up at the pool on base at some point during the day. The dad happily invites our kids to jump in their pool while Stu and I have our wine. They make it seem like we will be doing them a favor by having our kids play with their daughter. Off you go kiddos.

Well, we had our 8 wines and one champagne. Bought a case of wine and then had a bottle of the Viognier out by the pool in the shade while the kids swam. Just in case you are curious The Viognier tastes a bit like peaches. It smells like it will be sweet, but it is crisp and dry. My favorite type of white wine. The Tempranillo is a nice light BBQ red. Great for drinking in the evenings. And the Syrah is my favorite. It is smoky and dark. It is like being kissed by a man.

So while we sat by the pool and had our wine we fantasized about where we will live next and where we will retire...how the kids are growing, and what the future holds. Oh it was a delightful afternoon. I hope your weekend held an adventure or two.

xo,
Tia