I’m back to tell you this past weekend was the most fun I have had in quite some time. And I’m also here to tell you I don’t have a usual WIAW post for you today — with this long weekend, my days are totally off! I always forget that the first day back to work is a Tuesday, not a Monday. After deciding to avoid traffic, the Husband and I set off to one of our favorite weekend getaway spots — a cottage in Michigan owned by his aunt and uncle. It’s about a 3-1/2 hour drive without traffic, and we got up to the cottage early on Saturday.
We spent the weekend with our family jet skiing, lounging, napping, eating good food, and bonfiring (yes, it’s a verb). I think the very best part of the weekend came on Sunday morning though. About a two weeks ago, Ashley and I figured out she was going to be in Holland, Michigan, which is about an hour away from the cottage we stay at. Ashley has become quite a good friend these past couple of months — we’re unusually similar, talk every day, and often complain about how we don’t live near each other. When this opportunity came about, we knew we had to meet up.
So on Sunday morning, I drove back down to Holland and picked Ashley up for brunch. As we both knew, there was no weirdness or awkwardness, and there was definitely no “getting to know you” type questions. We picked up conversation just like we had seen each other the day before.
We went to The Windmill, which was positively Dutch, since I wanted Ashley to tap into her heritage and my future (God willing) children’s heritage — ha! Once we got there, we walked around for a little bit since Katie was also meeting us but had driven from Chicago (she gets the most friend brownie points for the day).
I had a veggie omelet and hash browns, which of course is a picture on my phone… and right about now I’m too lazy to get my phone cord to connect it to the computer (honesty is the best policy!). You can use your imagination though. It was delicious. We had a great time talking and catching up with one another for a couple of hours.
And just like that our brunch date was over. Katie headed back off to Chicago, I dropped Ashley back off at her family’s rental for the weekend, and I headed back upstate to spend some more time with my family.
I’m always so excited when blog friends become real life friends. The three of us had a great time — I only wish Ashley lived closer so the three of us could hang out all the time. Looks like I just need to make a trip out west!
Question: What was the best part of your holiday weekend?
{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
Glad you guys had such a nice meet-up!
I’ve met up with a couple different blogger friends, and it’s always a good time!!
Sounds perfect! I got to spend the weekend with some blog friends too and you are so right…there is never any awkwardness and it’s truly like I’ve known these people my entire life.
Okay so now, when are you coming out to PA? LoL…please please please!
I do need to get out to PA (or the east coast), don’t I?
I just started reading Ashley’s blog so it’s nice to see you guys together
! Sounds like a great weekend!
I spent a few years in holland
Love that place!
It’s really pretty!
Totally worth the drive to meet Ashley and to see you!!
I agree!
Sounds like a great weekend!! I bet it’s so fun to meet blog friends! My favorite part of the weekend was a surprise birthday party that my husband threw me!
Oh that’s a blast! Happy belated birthday!
Sounds like you guys had fun! And wow, go Katie for driving to meet you. Glad you got to spend some time with family and had an enjoyable long weekend. Isn’t it great when you forget that it’s really Tuesday and not Monday?
Yes! Although it doesn’t really matter anymore since it’s summer for me now.
Aw I’m so glad that you guys had a fun meet-up!! I would have loved to have been there! The best part of my holiday weekend was getting to see my cousin and her new baby
Aw yay! I love how babies smell when they’re brand new (obviously not “too” brand new - ha!). It’s the best!
Sounds like you had a great weekend! The pic of you girls is so pretty! <3
Thanks Love!
Fun! I bet you loved meeting up with some friends — especially with no awkward ‘getting to know you’ stuff. I love friendships like that. They are such a blessing! …..I got to give my niece & nephew lots of kisses this weekend + hear “I love you, Julie” from the nephew lots. Both of them just melt my heart!
I love kisses from nieces and nephews!
Yay for meetups and family time.
The best part of my weekend was all the friend time.
Blogger meet ups are the best!! Looks like the three of you had a great time!
meeting you girls was the highlight of my weekend for sure! and yes, pretty please come visit me! i miss you already!
Someday I will! I have always wanted to go out west!
I don’t have any really relevant commentary, I just wanted to say that you look simply beautiful in that photo
Thank you Rosalie - what a nice comment!
We went camping in southwest Nebraska (about an hour and a half away), but the parents and I came home early because it was too humid, and mom had to work. The next day, we saw Men in Black 3, went to Red Mango (PB FroYo, FTW!) and just relaxed. I hated that the long weekend was over, but it was relaxing.
I’ve been wanting to go see MIB3 - was it good?
I thought it was the best of the bunch. James Brolin did a great job as the younger K and adding Emma Thompson to ANY mix is a good idea.
I really enjoyed it, but decided if you want to be a Man (or Woman) in Black, you have to have a STRONG stomach. The movie, itself, wasn’t gross, but thinking of context of that world, it totally is, if that makes sense.
Sounds like a great weekend! I spent Monday afternoon lounging in the pool, and it was very relaxing.
That sounds fantastic!!
I’ve never met any blog friends in real life, but hopefully I’ll have a chance to someday. I am so thankful for the friendships I’ve made through blogging!
Sounds like you guys had a great time, that’s so awesome! I know what you mean about the days being off. Oddly enough, we Canadian folk didn’t even have Monday off, but I still feel like I’m a day behind everything. Guh!
Aw! It’s so nice to see familiar faces in a blogger meetup picture! I usually don’t know who half the people are
haha
Glad to hear you had a great weekend!
haha I know what you mean!
Your weekend sounds awesome and I remember before Scott and I left Chicago for good, that taking a weekend trip to Michigan could totally recharge our batteries and put us in the good old-fashioned slower pace of life and it was so quaint and fun and refreshing there!
Oh it totally does! It’s a completely different lifestyle up there!
Holiday weekends are the best. Just spending time with friends and family and grilling out at my favorite things.
grilling = perfection!
Sounds like a great weekend! I still have yet to meet any blog friends, I don’t think anyone lives near me sadly! Maybe someday! You girls look awesome!
Thanks Lisa!
That’s so exciting that you guys finally got to meet up! I love how normal it feels to meet other bloggers - it’s like they’re already old friends! I’ve only met a few so far, but I’m hoping to meet tons at HLS this year. Are you going!?
I wish I could! School starts the Monday after, so I wouldn’t be able to go and feel good about it. I’d be so anxious and stressed the entire weekend!
Glad you had a great weekend! We headed south from Ontario to Kentucky to visit my family. I can’t narrow down the best part because the whole weekend was wonderful. I love and miss my fam so much that I treasure every single second we get to spend together <3
That’s so fun! Quite a drive!
It’s so great you guys have met up in the past and become real-life friends. Sometimes the blogging world can seem full of people who would be great friends, but who are all so far away. Glad you guys showed it can happen!
Oh it can definitely happen! Blog friends turned real life friends are the best!
What a cute little restaurant!
Awesome! Michigan is where I grew up, about 45 minutes from Holland - and I spent MANY a warm day (and several cold) enjoying Holland, where my grandparents lived. I’m glad you could spend some fun time there!! It is fun for me to see pictures of the town and of the lake that I so so so so miss here in the middle of Pennsylvania!
We love Lake Michigan! It’s fun to head over to the beach!
Sounds like a fantastic weekend! I’d love to go to some of Michigan’s lakes.
The best part of my weekend was definitely our beautiful hike in Jasper.
That does sound nice - I love hikes!
What a fun weekend! I just stayed in and relaxed for a good chunk of it. Fine by me
What a cute main street
Best part of my weekend was spent with family + friends at the beach
Ahhhh I love this post! I went to college in Holland and I miss it so much now that I live in Ohio! The Windmill is the best. My hubby’s family has a cottage a couple hours north of there on Lake Michigan and it is our favorite vacation spot also:).
How cool that you went to college there! I was actually considering Hope College for a while!
My parents came up to visit me in Boston for the first time with my sister. I had a BLAST doing all of the tourist-y stuff with them and showing them some of my favorite places to eat, drink, and cheer on the Red Sox!
Glad to hear you had a great Memorial Day Weekend as well!!
Best part of my weekend was taking my son on a boat for his first time!!
Oh how fun!
Love the toes and reflection/water pic! My favorite part of the weekend was spending time with my husband, sister and friends for my birthday! Perfect time to have one in my opinion
.
Thanks! That’s actually a recycled one from last year!
Oh my goodness! So freaking damn adorable! The best part of my weekend was at 10:15pm Memorial Day, realising that I hadn’t maintained a big fat fortress against a potential eruption of my holiday eating disorder tendencies. It was an au natural kind of day. And it was fabulous. In fact, I cried tears of happiness.
But your post has just made me smile equally as much as my day did. Adorable! 
x x x
Great job!
I love seeing bloggers meet up! So much fun. I’m glad you all had a wonderful time together!
Ha, I am just as lazy. I email my phone pictures to myself instead of getting up to find my phone cord to connect it to my computer. Ridiculous.
I’m glad I’m not the only one! haha!
oh my gosh I’ve been to Holland! I went 3 summers ago and we stayed with relatives who have a house on the beach of Lake Michigan. There was this really cool farmers’ market that had a fruit sculpture display when we were there.
The best part was throwing my daughter a graduation party and having nothing on the schedule after that!
I went to Michigan this past weekend as well! I was about 20 minutes outside of Holland. Michigan may just be my new favorite nearby vacation spot…it was so beautiful and only a (relatively) short drive away.
Glad you had a great weekend!