Rachel's Ladies Weekend

Large families like ours tend to have their own special kind of culture and 'in' group. Logan and I have worked a bit behind the scenes to cultivate this family connectivity. At the same time we are very aware that as our kids grow it becomes increasingly important to encourage them to branch out and create their own identities with friends completely separate from family.  The balance between friend and family time can be tough, and I am more than happy to provide a good example of what that looks like! 

I have been looking forward to the last weekend in August since Summer began. It was the weekend that Jamie, Kristin, and I shed all family responsibilities and took off for a Ladies Excursion. My sister, Shannon, gifted me three Lindsey Stirling tickets for a concert in Missoula. This is all of the encouragement that we needed to plan a full ladies weekend!

Kristin, Jamie, and I are the perfect balance of personalities. I think this GIF screenshot sums us up perfectly. When we get together, fun happens.

We began our weekend in Wallace. Delicious home-made fajitas and margaritas are best enjoyed in the Wallace yard overlooking the town. After dinner and plenty of conversation we went to a local joint to play darts until 2 am! Somehow we always end up playing darts that we think we understand, but always seem to keep us on our toes by inventing new rules! The result is consistent- Kristin smokes both of us, but the machine insists that I won. 

Triple 12's! I was a bit excited. 

A cozy breakfast at the Wallace home, then off to Missoula for a bit of hot tubbing before the concert. 

Lindsey Stirling and Walk off the Earth provided a fun and energetic concert! I didn't know much about Lindsey before Shannon gave me the tickets. I was impressed with her showmanship and ability to made beautiful sounds come out of her violin while spinning dizzyingly fast hanging upside down. The Kettle House Amphitheater provided an intimate setting nestled in the hills. I will definitely be back for other concerts. Their upcoming lineup was pretty impressive. 

Sunday morning found us on a hike. When the three of us get together we typically find ourselves centering our days around active fun (skiing, hiking, running (gasp), paddleboarding, etc)! This trip was a bit more mellow, but we did get in a good hike. 

I think The Barbie Movie was created to give girlfriends a reason to go to the movies together. We couldn't pass up the opportunity and we went on Sunday to finish up our trip. It would not have been complete without dressing up, so we jumped at the opportunity! 

I arrived home refreshed and rejuvenated. Everyone should have a Jamie and a Kristin in their lives!

Have a good week!