Wow, what a month. It has seriously flown by and I haven't had a chance to get a post up in a bit. Between work, Shiner, the gym, sleep, and being out of town, it's been a little crazy. But here's a new one to catch ya'll up on everything recently!
So obviously when my parents left after their visit it just wasn't enough for me. I flew back home 2 weeks later since clearly I can't stay away! This trip home was for our annual family vacation to Deep Creek Lake with my mom's whole side (well, most of) the family. I look forward to it every year and this year was especially great since I've been down South since February. We kicked off the trip in true Knieriem fashion with a family dinner with the 5 of us + special guest, Jen. Lots of fun, as always,. Gotta love being around 4 of the greatest people in my life all at once!
Then obviously I also had to squeeze in some friend time with my favorites. Where else to go but our old stomping grounds? Just like all the old nights spent in College Park at Looneys this was no different... except that this time we got to Nay Nay.
These folks are REALLY awesome and I'm so happy they made time for me while I was back. Ya'll make a girl happy and I'm so glad distance hasn't been an issue in our friendships!
The next morning was time for Deep Creek! It's about a 3 hour drive through the Maryland mountains. We rent a giant 9 bedroom house on the top of a mountain and we hang out as a family for a week. Lots of delicious food, card games, pool days, corn hole, puzzle making, etc. I'm so thankful my family does this and it's my favorite week out of the whole year. Here's a picture off the deck in the back of our house. It's the perfect view of the lake and it's one of the most peaceful views there is, especially early in the morning or late at night.
It's always nice to wake up everyday and get to enjoy a hot pool day right in your own back yard. It was especially nice this year because it was comfortably in the 80's compared to triple digits of a Texas summer.
Here's mom and I hanging out by the pool after the sun had gone down.
This was basically the view for the whole week. Pool, rafts, corn hole, and family.
One reason we ALL love Deep Creek is the fact that we get to eat like royalty all week. Fridges and cabinets stocked, plus a fresh cooked meal every night, thanks to the wonderful cooks/grill masters in the family. My favorites are usually steak and hamburger night. This year we tried something new with a create your own pizza night and that was also a hit. Food is one of the best parts of vacation, so we make SURE to enjoy that fully. Here's a typical lunch time selfie in the midst of us stuffing our faces.
After dinner every night we try to play some family games. This is Four Square, which is actually a lot of fun., especially with such a competitive family. Other nights we played wiffle ball, rummy, pool, pinochle, and even went mini golfing!
A big attraction near DCL is Swallow Falls. It's a big waterfall which flows down a long stretch of rocks. We walk the trail, dip in the water, go down a natural made water slide, and finish it off with some Lakeside Creamery Ice Cream (another excellent part of DCL!)! Here's the main waterfall which is always beautiful to see.
Brad and Jason don't usually get to come up but this year they did. Woohoo! We all got in the falls to document it, despite it not being the warmest water ever.
With 3 younger teenage cousins it was only a matter of time before a selfie stick found it's way onto our vacation. They won them at the arcade and they clearly became a hit ever since. Here's a partial family selfie on the rocks at Swallow Falls. (Seriously, selfie stick for the win!)
Here's a pic of my brothers and I on our deck! In case you couldn't see the beautiful view in the first picture, this also captures it well.
Seeing the moon above the lake at night is one of the prettiest sights ever. This was from one of the first nights, however the moon got even bigger later on in the week. (It was the day of the Blue Moon). The moon was so bright it reflected off the water just like it would in a painting. Crazy to look at it and see how perfect nature can be.
After a FABULOUS week with the best family ever, it always sucks to leave. But the memories will last forever, and there's always next year. Seriously, I couldn't be happier to have a family that enjoys spending an entire week together, and even looks forward to it They are simply the best and my favorite part of Maryland, hands down.
Leaving Deep Creek also meant me coming back to Texas! It was exciting returning to Sam and, of course, Shiner. Sam was out of town as well, so she stayed with her puppy sitter and she was SO happy to see us when we picked her up. It was the cutest.
Although we rescued Shiner and her past is a little up in the air, her adoption papers listed August 5th, 2014 as her birthday. So naturally, we had to celebrate her turning 1 (or 7!). We were dog sitting at the time, so her party guest Bolo got to attend too.
She LOVED her dog friendly cake and licked the plate and the floor clean. Here's to many more happy years with this crazy, hilarious, weirdo of a dog. I couldn't have asked for a better little goober to call my first pup.
Back to reality after vacation is rough, but there's always a lot to look forward to! I have a few things on my mind. :)
-Kendra
