Wedding Camp

One of the things I wanted to blog about was "Wedding Camp."

Finding a place for all of us to stay in Oklahoma...and a place that was near the wedding site, was not an easy task.  Everything we looked at seemed more like a "fish camp" than a place to prepare for a wedding.  Grant it, I LOVE camping, but not when I have to dress for a wedding!

We found some motels in Madill and Kingston, but they weren't as close to the lakehouse as we'd have liked.  When we saw these cabins, Cabin Fever, we called right away to get a preview of the inside.

There are five small cabins on the property, but only four are rental properties. (The fifth one is the office and the owner stays in it on weekends.)

They are small, but were quite comfortable for all of us.

There are Tee Pees on the property, but they are not outfitted for sleeping.  The kids thought it might be cool to sleep in them over night.

There was a burn ban while we were in Oklahoma, so we were not able to have an open fire while we were there.

 We were able to make s'mores in the grill one evening. There is a grill next to each cabin, as well as a picnic table.

 

Each cabin has a sleeping loft with two twin beds...Lauren liked being upstairs.

The property is nicely kept and it was very quiet over night.  There were so many stars that we could see since we were in the middle of nowhere!

There's also a small tank (pond) for catch and release fishing.  Austin caught his first fish on Sunday!

Each morning we would all meet together for breakfast before the day's activities began.  

By Sunday morning, it was a relaxing time of food, coffee and talk before everyone headed home.

I think Austin had the most fun...he could wander cabin to cabin and find all his favorite people...right in his own yard!

If you want a fun, private place to stay then contact Rick!  I also saw the great boats he owns, and he offers fishing adventures...but that will have to be for another time!

We couldn't have asked for a nicer, cleaner place to stay.  I love camping, and this was a nice (easy) way to do camping!

Till tomorrow...

debi 

Final Push - Newly Wed Home

The Newly Weds were gone all last week on their "Texas" Adventure.  Emily and Jared visited several points of interest (Original Dr. Pepper plant, Blue Bell Creamery, Spoetzl Brewery, Luckenbach, Kyle Field, The Texas State Capitol, and many other places.  They stayed in various Bed and Breakfast and were given the royal treatment at each location.  They stated they had a great time.

However, while they were away playing...we (as a family) got busy finishing the last of the projects in their home.  (We just thought we were done working for them! HA!)

This is the same house Emily bought a year ago in January.  Before she began dating Jared we had completed most of the projects right on her list, but the one back bedroom needed some major ceiling work.  It just never quite got on any one's radar...Jared came into her life and all renovations ceased...then the wedding took over!

We were determined to finish the majority of items while they were gone.

Emily's brother-in-law, BJ, does remodeling work for a living...so he came in and prepared the room so he could spray texture on the ceiling. Emily had patched the bad spot on the ceiling, I sanded it smooth, and BJ came in to make it all look perfect. 

BJ and his dad have also done work for a friend of mine - they do great work!!!

 (If you happen to live in the Dallas area and need professional remodeling work...be sure to call Tom Wright - (972) 562-6327.)

All the walls were sealed off to keep them clear of the over spray.

There was also one small spot on the wall Emily patched, so BJ also added a little texture to the spot to blend it in. 

I didn't take a picture of the room before we began, but here's what we did with all the stuff...just shoved it into the other back room.

Once the texture dried overnight, we came in Saturday morning and painted the ceiling.  If you have not used this product...it's wonderful

The paint goes on pink, but dries white. It's so much easier to see where you've painted because of the color. No missed spots!!

When the ceiling dried, we started right away on the walls.

Emily had already purchased the paint...so it was just a matter of putting it on the walls.  It covered easily since the old color was also dark.  Emily stayed with her brown color pallet for the bedrooms.

Many hands made short work of the task.

When everything dried the paper was pulled up and Ashley cleaned the wood floors.

Ready to move furniture back in...

We hung curtains, made the bed and readied the room for guests.

Once we cleared out the other back room...we got Jared's "Man Cave" ready for his game time.  There are many "extra" pieces of furniture and several boxes to still unpack.  With the combining of two homes there are several things to be consolidated, but they'll be able to quickly decide what they want to keep, now that they can see everything!

With the back rooms finished...we moved to the front office.

I think Austin was done in with all the activity.

When we last saw this room we had fresh paint and new carpet.

Built in bookcases were added next.

Peter and I got the trimwork stained on Friday night...so by Saturday afternoon, we were ready to get this room whipped into shape.

Emily got a really cute craft table from a lady at work...and then she "took" my extra desk for times she works at home.

As we cleared out the back rooms, all books, knick knacks and office supplies were brought into this room and arranged. 

By Saturday afternoon we had news the newlyweds were coming home earlier than we expected...so a last rush of activity, and all was clean and ready for their arrival!

Meanwhile, these two discovered the new guests room and laid claim to it stating that now there was room for them to stay overnight!

As we left for the day, we put up the wedding signs we'd gathered along the road that had helped point the way to the wedding.

The happy couple arrived late last night, wondering who put signs in their yard (Emily thought someone had filled her yard with election signs)!  She and Jared were pleasantly surprised to find they were their very own signs!!!  They were also VERY HAPPY to arrive home to a clean, organized and completed home! (With one small bathroom still needing paint, that now feels minor.) Their only task now is to hang pictures...and OH...

come get all the stuff they have left at my house from the wedding!

Here's to happily ever after...

Till tomorrow,

debi