Y'all or You Guys

The reason for our Texan Tour was my beautiful cousin Kelly was getting married. Here's some documentation of the festivities, heavy on the images:

My mom didn't actually mean to take this picture but in a weird way, I think it's beautiful.

She was definitely beautiful.

Blog, meet my brother Ryan and godson Gaines.

Thomas is never amused by my moms photo taking obsession. My blog, on the other hand, appreciates it greatly.

This little flower girl has perfected the art before the big day next week.

Copeland walked around dropping petals and enjoyed it so much that she scooped them back into her basket just so she could do it all over again.

It was a great and beautiful celebration but by the end of the night we were all feeling like Cope, ready to hit some Zzz's before waking up at 5 to hit the road. Again, last road trip, bitter or sweet?

San Antonio

Last Magee family road trip, tearing up. Tears of sadness or tears of joy? That's one secret I'll never tell. 

We did a tour of northern Texas on the way to a family wedding in Austin. We hit up Dallas on the way south. We got there just in time for our European style dinner. And by that I mean we went out in search of a restaurant who's kitchen was still open at 9:30 and not that the meal was in any way European inspired. In fact, the menu  of my various family members included Deep Fried Pickles, Mac' n' Cheeseburger, Fried Green BLT, Peach Cobbler, Banana Pudding, Dr. Pepper Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, and Dr. Pepper Float... Welcome to Tejas?

We got up early the next day so we could spend a full 24 hours in San Antonio. It was so worth it. Well, I guess I really can't speak for the city aside from the River Walk because we never left it. But the River Walk was great and I highly recommend it!

It seemed as if every corner you turned presented a different style of bridge or decor. You would come to a bend in the river and feel like you were transported into Venice and then another riverbend and you were in New Orleans and then another riverbend and you were in Texas again and another just around the riverbend, beyond the shore...

Tex-Mex Cuisine at it's finest. But srsly.

They could be singing a really depressing song, and we would have no idea... Newbs.

Smaller than I thought it would be. And Tim will be so proud to know that I read 60% of the plaques and watched the informational video even when the majority of my family left me behind. I'm a museum and historical site goer in training.

And they had a store just for me. Truly everything was purple.

I have the most beautiful sister. The three of us other Magee girls not so secretly hate her for being the prettiest, I'm sure you can see why.

My Life, My Sweetness, My Blog

Happy Anniversary Little Blog. I've loved growing with you. I've loved sharing my life with you. Mainly I love stalking you to reminisce on the photo collages past and present. It doesn't feel like it's been a full year of blogging. But I really am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to blab.

So one year later and this was a huge one. It was providence that I started blogging at precisely the moment I did. I was thus able to document the end of my DC summer, my senior year, getting engaged, excitement to wedding plan, stress about wedding plan, leaving my city, graduating, moving to a new city, getting a job... It really was a big one.

When I started this blog I thought it would be to share my life with those I love, now I realize that I am the majority of my own page views. It's really just a way to say, "Hello world, meet egocentric Rylee." You're welcome. This is why I get giddy when I receive a text or phone call or in life conversation that starts with, "read your blog and..." or "don't find this creepy but I actually read your blog..." or "your latest post..." or "I told someone else to read your blog..." these are all ways in which I am affirmed that my life is of some interest to someone other than me, and Tim who reads primarily in fear of how I will respond if he doesn't, and that maybe it might be worth it for more than just me. 

So, thanks for stopping by and stick around if you'd like. I'd definitely like. It's going to be a big year around here, getting married, starting my first big kid job, moving to a new city, living the newlywed life. You know ya know? Just every major life change for your twenties all at once? So blog year two, let me at it!

Our Lady of the Blogoshpere, Pray for us.

Love Ludington

For my family, summer means Ludington, Michigan. It's real pure up there so we try to head north as much as possible, ya know?

It's Murphy's favorite thing ever. He's a lake pup so you start loading up the car and he will sit there waiting for you to leave because he refuses to be left behind.

It's a great small town full of family members which means many, many, many family parties.

My Aunt Kelly has taught me the ropes of all things garage sale-ing. It's good going with a professional who maps out her morning and know a deal as soon as she walks up the drive. We've been buying wedding things and apartment things and things things all summer for super cheap and it's the best. I've always said frugal on the side of cheap.

 Kitchen chairs? Check.

Frames? Check.

Notre Dame glasses? Check.

Cake stands? Check.

Really awesome coffee tables? double check. 

But seriously I got this Lane table for $20 and I am obsessed. It might be my favorite thing that I own. It's so heavy and sturdy with the fun spindly legs and a washed antique gray look. Happy. Joy.

The problem with garage saling in a small town is you can happen upon some very disturbing location and items. The freakiest one from this summer? Wandering around an abandoned storage unit to find the sale.

Maddie let me style her, inspired by STB in all ways.

But no weekend of this summer will be void of wedding planning. Not a second of this summer was void of wedding planning really. And not just for me. I guilt most everyone I can into helping all the time.

Maddie is our Cricket Queen. All hail the Cricket Queen.

Playing tourist in your own small town is simply wonderful. I highly recommend. And if you don't live in a small town? Leave for the day and find one because it is one of the most refreshing things you could do. It's sad because it took me leaving the country to realize that. So many of my best European adventures were off the beaten path at a slower pace of life. Now I'm appreciating America in the way I did in Europe. Make sense? Probably not because at this point I am just rambling.

Moral of this blog post:

Plan your next vacation for Pure Michigan, more than just Tim Allen recommend it.

July 4

This holiday is our family's holiday. I know it is big for family time for a lot of families. But really. This is our family holiday, over Christmas and Easter and Flag day. We choose Independence Day.

I already posted about our early afternoon here. So now, more pictures of our day:

Little ones make cousin time even more fun.

We spent some quality cousin time out on the lake at the dunes (not pictured for fear of dropping camera in said lake). All the aunts and uncles were waiting on the back porch for us to return home for dinner, so we came back singing. Except for Murph who was so over it.

And the boys who were too far behind the boat to hear the music...

The winners of the Independence Day Open needed a winners team shot. 

Ronni showed her true feelings for her dad and sister winning bragging rights for a year...

The next day and we are back on the boat again.

When we started slowing down to get to the dunes Murphy showed just how nervous he was for those of us on the tube.

So he jumped in to try and save us. And almost killed himself. But we succeeded in pulling him onto the tube with us and he succeeded in looking like a drowned rat.

Every year there are fireworks on Lake Michigan. I didn't take photos, whoops. But the following night there are more fireworks on our lake. We head to Upper Hamlin and eat and roast and gaze and ooh and ahh with the Hankwitz's. As I said, cousin time is our thing.

At the end of the show, my uncle shows his gratitude with his train horn hooked up to the air compressor.

Love my family. Love this holiday. Love being home for it.

But I was a bit nostalgic about last 4th of July with these two beauts and ice cream shots and celebrating our great nation in the capital. Miss you.