Happy hour chat

Howdy folks!

(Does it sound like I recently went to a rodeo? Because I sure did! Yeehaw.)

Thanks for joining me for another round of happy hour chats, where I fill you in on life’s adventures because it’s been a little too long since I last checked in.

Here’s what life has looked like lately in my corner of the world.

No summer bummer here

Listen…summer in Milwaukee is incredible. Let’s get the misconceptions out of the way: NO, it isn’t too humid and hot like your average Midwest experience – we can thank that lake effect for calmer temps now (and curse it in the winter for it’s extreme cold). It’s actually PERFECT here. It’s rarely too hot, the skies are blue, and everything is luscious and green.

Beyond the climate, the energy is astounding. Everyone is just so thankful not to be miserable; there’s a real sense of appreciation and urgency in the air to make the most out of summer while it’s here. I mean, there’s sandy beaches, bike trails, beer gardens (my latest favorite), and pretty much every kind of festival known to mankind.

So far, I can’t get over living so close to the water and having so much to do. I’m feeling #blessed, even if I know what’s coming.

Chad turned 28

To celebrate Chad’s new status as a 28 year old, we went to Lake Geneva for the weekend. We stumbled upon a pretty neat summer resort town, with an epic history of Chicago barons and businessmen laying roots on the shore. Ever heard of mail jumping?? I wrote about our weekend trip here.

It’s always a blessing to celebrate another year together—Chad deserves all the trips and love and adventure in the world.

Our house is (mostly) done

Except for our basement, a bed frame we need to set up, and a few blank walls, we’ve mostly settled into our house! I’m most proud of our living room, dining room, and our quick fixes for the kitchen (wrapped counter tops, new appliances, an Ikea cabinet-turned coffee bar). It really has begun to feel like home.

We had guests!!

In June, we had our first guest: Megan! Her husband Phil (one of our besties from college) was supposed to join but had to cancel after getting COVID (ugh), but we managed to have a great time regardless. Her best friend Haley, who’s also living in Milwaukee, joined us at the house and stayed as well.

We packed a lot into a quick trip and it was so fun having people over. Playing host is one of my favorite past times and I can’t wait to do it again. (Aka, come visit, please!)

Summerfest

MKE is the city of festivals and the kicker is Summerfest! It’s all about the music, plus the events, food, drinks, and vendors. I wrote about our experience here – we can’t wait for next year!

Beaching at Fox Brook Park Beach

A couple weeks ago, I had the blues that only a lake day could cure. So, Chad and I loaded up the car and went to Fox Brook Beach, located a short drive away in Waukesha. We had a great time on the rocky sand beach, which was full of people celebrating the holiday weekend. Though the swimming area wasn’t huge and admission cost us $6 through the park system, we enjoyed our time in the sun and got to break in our new beach chairs. Next time, we’ll likely check out the beer garden on-site or bring food for grilling.

Fourth of July

One of my new friends, Brittany, kindly invited Chad and I to her annual Fourth of July party! We had a blast hanging out her and her husband’s gorgeous home, meeting and mingling with some awesome people while eating some yummy food. I re-discovered that I’m horrible at Flip Cup (lol, it’s been awhile), but had a blast feeling apart of a group.

Extra curriculars

Chad and I have been doing our best to stay busy and active! We’ve really loved going to ‘Wisconsin’s Hardest Trivia’ with our friend Haley and Chad’s been doing a great job playing for his company’s softball team once a week. I’ve met up with a few new friends and I’m excited about spending even more time outside and exploring the next couple of months. 🙂

Booked tickets for August

My Turkey Fam (aka my brother Spencer, sister-in-law Mary, and nephews Everest and Atlas) are coming to the States in August. Chad and I will head to Colorado to see them, plus several other visiting family members! Flights are crazy expensive right now, but I’m so excited to be back home.

Chad’s 10 year reunion

Speaking of trips home, Chad and I just went back to our hometown for his 10-year high school reunion. (Go cowboys.) In typical Gunnison fashion, things were pretty casual: we caught up with familiar faces, drank a bit, went to a bonfire, saw some family, watched the rodeo, and we both got to sit atop a float in the Cattleman’s Day parade. It was honestly a lot of fun and went by a little too quickly.

COVID…round 2

Sadly, we didn’t come back from our travels unscathed. What we originally thought was an ill-timed hangover turned into Chad’s first time getting COVID, followed by my second round. Honestly, things were mild and pretty easy. (Nothing like the Delta variant last October, which kicked my ass.) This time, it was mostly congestion and general crappiness, leading to an easy five days of rest.

Street fixin’

The street in front of our house has some pretty intense pot holes and damage. Well…it did, but not anymore! I submitted a request through the City of Milwaukee and THEY FIXED IT! I feel like Leslie Knope. Lol. Shout out to the city for getting it done and following through with requests.

Brady Street Fest

I might just have a new favorite summer party: Brady Fest! Brady Street is located on Milwaukee’s East Side and is known as a fun, going-out destination. There are delicious restaurants and bars and it’s a bustling area, especially in the summertime. Well we crashed their annual block party with our friend Haley and had a blast! We drank specialty cocktails (frozen sangria, margaritas, lemonade in buckets) and tried out a few of the food vendors. There’s loud live music, dj sets, and performances, like a drum group and a BMX stunt group. SO fun!

Self care

This summer has been a little experiment in self care. I’ve had some fun with a few different things: a new hairstylist, fancy nails (they’ve since popped off, lol oops), an accidental (but beloved) spray tan, and a little investment in skincare.

Food (and drink) adventures

If I’m being honest, I’ve dropped the ball a little with keeping track. Based on our credit card bill, there have been quite a few more than this so far this summer. (Oops, lol.) (Might I add: going out to eat is indeed my favorite activity in the world? :))

What we’ve been watching