I want to THANK all of you for your support, thoughts and prayers over this past weekend.  I woke up on Sunday, June 17th, and felt . . . PEACE! I cannot explain it with any other word.  Just peace.  And gratitude for how far I have come within the past year.  Shawna June 17, 2017 and Shawna June 17, 2018, are two very different people, and I am so thankful for the healing and grace I have been given.

Today’s post is about our weekend away.  I think Reid may have found his new favorite spot in Texas! His dream was always to buy a family ranch, now he wants to buy Rough Creek Lodge.  I am apparently headed to go buy some Powerball tickets after publishing this post.

Reid and I had planned to surprise the boys and get away a long weekend at the JW Marriott in San Antonio.  We love that place.  Well, early last week, Tropical Storm Bud decided to be annoying and massive thunderstorms were being forecasted for almost the entire time we were to be there.  On Thursday we made the call, cancelled our San Antonio trip and booked Rough Creek Lodge.  Rough Creek Lodge is just outside of Glen Rose, sits on 11,000 acres, and feels like you are at your own, private ranch.  Let me just say that it was the PERFECT spot for our family this weekend.  Thank you Tropical Storm Bud!

The property has a TON of activities, and the vast majority are included in your price.  Additional activities are horseback riding, shooting activities, hunting guides, etc.  Harlan and Reid LOVED the fishing on Mallard Lake.  I killed it with catching four fish within an hour of showing up, and then decided to retire by fishing pole for the rest of the stay.  I had to go out on top, right?

Here is a picture from 7:30am on Fathers Day.  Reid and Harlan got up to go fishing at 6:30am.  I think this was Reid’s best Fathers Day to date! This is the definition of his happy place.

Rough Creek Lodge also has a small, but great pool.  Bonus points for a fun pool slide! We did a little rock climbing.  Well, my family did.  I tried, and unfortunately discovered my strength is that of a small toddler.  Workouts started back yesterday.

We also did zip lining, which is SO MUCH FUN!   A quick side story . . . when I was a sophomore in college, I was trying to be the cool, super adventurous girlfriend and go bungee jumping.  It was from the top of a crane probably only three stories high, but in my memory it was at least 20 stories up there.  I had to sign a waiver saying that I was a healthy twenty year old with no heart or back injuries.  Please note that I had back surgery in the 9th grade after a car accident.  I can still feel the nerves today, and am slightly shaking as I type this memory.  I jumped off the skyscraper of a crane while humming “How Great Thou Art”, and somehow managed to make it to solid ground without any injuries. I can say that I went bungee jumping, but I will NEVER DO IT AGAIN.  That feeling of “will this harness actually work when I unnaturally throw myself off a very high platform?” still sits with me in crazy, adrenaline-filled situations today.  So . . . back to zip lining. A bit nerve-racking at first for everyone, but so fun.

The BEST experience from the trip was a total accidental situation.  We had just been notified that our room was ready, and as we were unpacking we heard a helicopter coming in for a landing.  Reid took the boys out to watch it land.  Because, you know, guy stuff.  After about ten minutes, I walked outside to see where they went.  Reid was standing by the helicopter talking with the pilot (he had just flown his wife and friends in for a weekend stay).  I asked where the kids were, and he said that they were IN THE HELICOPTER, and this nice man (a TOTAL STRANGER) had offered to take them on a ride.  And, Reid had said YES! I immediately said “if my kids are going down, then I am going down with them”, and the pilot escorted me into the front seat with him.  I had a brief moment as we lifted off thinking that this was how it was all going to end, but friends, it WAS AMAZING! I never would have done something like this on my own, and am very thankful for this crazy experience.  The pilot was such a nice man that had flown for the DEA and Coast Guard, and now flew for fun.  He even let me steer the thing! He took the picture below as I was “driving” the helicopter.  Notice the pure joy on my face.  And, please note, that right after he took this picture, he told me that I was climbing 1,000 feet per minute and that is why our ears were popping.  Needless to say, I am not an expert.  Yet!

We LOVED Rough Creek Lodge.  Reid could have stayed there for days, weeks, maybe a month.  I think 48 hours was great for me.  I loved all aspects of the place, but I also know my limits when it comes to a lack of nearby Starbucks.  But, I went fishing, had a blast with the family, and am now a pseudo-helicopter pilot.  Basically just lived my best life at Rough Creek Lodge.  And, it was the perfect place for us to celebrate this guy for Fathers Day.

I highly HIGHLY recommend Rough Creek Lodge to all of you. Click here to head to their website.  They have some awesome specials for the summer, July Fourth weekend, Labor Day, and even Christmas time! We will definitely be back.  XO