We’ve worked hard to keep our weekends reserved for Carlton Landing and with summer coming to a close, we only have a couple more weekends left until our fall obligations begin.  Simon remarked to me over the weekend that we’re finally able to relax at the lake house instead of just working on getting things set up. People keep asking, “How’s it going with the house?” And honestly, up til this point my answer has been, “It’s a lot of work!” Because it’s true – it’s a ton of work to get an entire separate household up and running.  There hasn’t been much relaxing to speak of – until now.

Jude and I came down middle of last week to work on some decorating projects. It’s funny how accessories and things like baskets or art on the walls really does make a house feel homey. I can’t wait to give you a more formal tour. We’ve had so many beautiful things so graciously sponsored by the Land of Nod and Lamps Plus and I’m close to making a big reveal! 

You might’ve seen on Instagram that Simon found these blue leather chairs on mega sale at Dillard’s in OKC. He texted me a photo of them and I said “YES! Buy them!!!”  And now they have a happy home at the lake.

But the big event of the last week on Lake Eufaula was the Whole Hawg Weekend, which naturally included a rodeo. Now, Internet, I’ve lived in Oklahoma my entire life. I do not own cowboy boots nor have I ever been to a rodeo. But I’m game for anything, and so on Thursday night about 25 of us from Carlton Landing drove into town to grab dinner and attend the rodeo. There were pony rides, a mechanical bull, and a ringtoss game where you could win real live rabbits. (Jude sobbed buckets over not winning a rabbit. I on the other hand praised Jesus that we had not indeed won a rabbit. Because OMG – I can barely handle the poopies plus the thought of a new baby plus the thought of a rabbit. NO NO NO NO NO. )

Once the rodeo started, we took our seats in the stands and watched all the various events. The ring was surrounded with a fence that’s almost as tall as I am (I’m 5’7″). And it was about an hour into it when it was time for the kid participation of the evening. First, all the kids under the age of 5 were to come into the ring, remove one shoe, and then run like crazy through the dirt to retrieve their other shoe, and they run back for a prize. Which was crazy enough – in my prissiness, all I could think was, “DIRT! POOP!”.  But — then  they told all the kids over the age of 6 to hop the fence (wait, what? Where’s the gate???) because it was time to chase the calves! YES! Jude was THRILLED and before I knew it, somehow he was over the fence and lined up with all the other kids. And then they released all these calves into the ring and the kids went CRAZY chasing the cows, who were, naturally, freaked. I mean, would this ever happen in the city? Absolutely not. There were no liability release forms, no disclaimers. Just HEAVE YOUR BABY INTO THE RING WITH THE WILD COWS and good luck! WHEEE!  I was still wondering how I would climb the fence if my life – or Jude’s! –  depended on it.

But it seriously might’ve been the best thing I’ve ever seen. It was a miniature Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. The non-helicopter-parent in me that refuses to instill too much fear into my child totally loved every minute of it. A total slice of Americana.

Meanwhile, there was another rode of sorts happening at the house:

I can’t tell you how much I love the community here. We have had so much fun getting to know so many amazing families. Friday night we were up til midnight at an incredible dinner party, followed up with a fun weekend of tie dye classes, long naps, and then having friends over to our house for burgers and brownies. The magic that happens here isn’t just in the pretty designed community; it’s in the amazing people that it’s drawn to it.