In case you haven't figured it out yet, I am slightly obsessed with Ree Drummond, AKA "The Pioneer Woman".  Like many people, I first became acquainted with Ree through her TV show.  Since then, I've read her blog, bought her book, memorized her cookbooks, and indoctrinated my child with her Charlie the Ranch Dog series. 

​I have a problem.

Ree, along with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist, was one of my inspirations for starting Soul Food Time.  Her love for cooking, for her family, and for life is contagious! So yeah, I was beyond excited when my husband offered to take our family to Pawhuska for spring break.  It was a dream come true.

We left Cincinnati on the Sunday before Easter and drove 8 hours or so to The Lodge at Old Kinderhook in Camdenton, Missouri.  Located about 30 minutes off of the interstate, this lodge and golf resort was an unexpected treasure.  I had flashbacks to our spontaneous discovery of the beach at Lake Ogalala in Nebraska.  Just absolute beauty in the middle of nowhere.

A tip: We booked our room only a day in advance on Orbitz, and because it is Kinderhook's off season, the rooms were cheaper than the local Hampton Inn!  Woot woot!

People, I felt like a QUEEN!  We arrived to the lodge through a gated entrance (oooohh), and it looks over a beautiful golf course on all sides (aaahhh).  There was an indoor pool, jacuzzi, outdoor pool, volleyball court that is transformed into a skating rink in the winter, two restaurants, and an elegant lobby area with a fireplace and piano that played by itself (that kept Reed occupied for a very, very long time).

Can I go back?  Pretty please?

After a night and morning of relaxation and fun, we ate breakfast and left literally 2 minutes before the checkout deadline.  

We left Old Kinderhook behind, spurred on by the promise of The Mercantile's twice-baked potatoes.  Four hours later, we checked into a hotel in Bartlesville, OK, about 30 minutes from Pawhuska and all things Ree Drummond.  Bartlesville was a fantastic town with plenty of restaurants and shopping.  Reed and I managed to sneak out to the mall for a minute or two... or ninety.

At last, on Tuesday, we made it to The Mercantile! 

A few notes here:​
1.  I was so excited to see the Merc, I forgot my nice camera!  So the pics from here on out are from our iPhones.  Sorry!  I lost my wits, seriously!

2. Let me take a moment and commend my awesome husband.  I mean, what kind of man drives 11+ hours to take his wife to a town in the middle of nowhere so she can be a crazy fan-girl with mostly middle-aged women in cold, rainy March?  This guy!  There should be monuments built in his honor.  He should hold seminars and charge lots of money.  And then he should use that money to take me back to Kinderhook and Pawhuska.

Is that selfish?

Wait a second... didn't I camp out in the middle of nowhere IN A TENT for 10 days so he could look at antelope?  

That's right, my ladies.  It's all about the give and take.

But still, thank you, Jacob.  You are an amazing man.

We arrived at The Merc around lunchtime, so the first thing we did was eat! We waited for about 20 minutes and then were seated at our table by the most adorable, friendly waitress.  The size of The Merc was the most shocking thing to me; it just went on and on and on.  About half of the bottom floor was a restaurant, the other half a store, and then the top level was a bakery with seating to relax and enjoy the 360 view of Pawhuska.  We stayed for about two hours; I could've easily stayed for four.

The food at The Merc restaurant was some of the best I've ever had!  And it's not just the rose-colored glasses, Jacob agreed!  He kept saying over and over, "Wow, this is a lot different than what I expected!" and then I would fill him in on another 5 minutes of random Pioneer Woman trivia.  I really think he had a great time. 

So ladies, don't be afraid to bring along your husbands.  The food will make the trip worth it. 

​He ordered the steak dinner, Reed ordered mac n' cheese, and I ordered the half chicken parmesan.  We split chips and queso, and even after stuffing our faces we had enough leftovers for dinner at the hotel.  

Thanks to Charlie the Ranch Dog, may he rest in peace, Reed is almost as obsessed as I am with Ree Drummond.  He could narrate her mac n' cheese recipe and he had her seasoned salt recipe memorized at age 2.  He was sooooo excited to be in cowboy country. Whenever a cowboy walked by he would smile creepily and watch him until he was out of sight.

Where does he get this weirdness?

​Oh, yeah.

After eating and shopping, we went upstairs to the bakery.  I ordered a cupcake for later (it was dreamy) and a latte.

​I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

We spent a few more sweet minutes at The Merc before grabbing tickets to the Lodge and heading out back in the rain for the 30 minute trek to Ree's guest house and TV studio.  If you make the trip to Pawhuska, be sure to check The Merc Webpage for lodge visits.  The tickets are free and easy to get, they just aren't available every day.

The drive to The Lodge was long, but it was so worth it!  Although there was a tour guide there to take questions, we were allowed to explore the TV studio and guest house on our own!

Ree is so cool like that.

I have so many design ideas now for when I become a rich and famous cowgirl someday!

Ok, and maybe some practical ones, too!
​

Reed and I stood behind the stove and pretended we were cooking for the camera.  #nerds

Sneek peek into the props closet! See that box of Dr. Pepper?!  Ree Drummond is a kindred spirit, I'm telling ya.

The view from the lodge is just as beautiful as it looks on television.  Reed is a little distracted by the ranch dogs here, not by his psychotic mother.

At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Time to head home!  Our day in Pawhuska was amazing.  If you ever get the chance and you are a Ree Drummond fan like me, you have to make the trek to Oklahoma.

You just might have to go camping for ten days first.  It's worth it.

Oh, and Reed learned a new sleeping-while-traveling trick on our roadtrip.  Experienced little fellow!

Want to read more about our family adventures?  I tend to keep them on The Little Outdoorsman's page; here are some of my favorites!

Spring break is here at last!  I think I heard trumpets blast and angels sing when I locked up my classroom on Friday.  We are heading to Oklahoma for a few days over break, just to relax and explore a new part of the country.  (And possibly see the land of Ree Drummond!)

​But first-- Spring Party!

Reed and I have spent the last few weeks ignoring the snow and planning a "Welcome, Spring!" party for his friends.  Honestly, I've never really been a person to throw parties or show hospitality.  My excuses were endless, but the top three were always:
3. I don't have time. (Excuses: work, school, parenting)
2. I don't have resources. (Excuses: house, space, money)
1. I don't know how. (I really just don't know how to show hospitality!)

Amidst my excuses, over the past year or so, God has been dealing with me about confronting this skill, this commandment, of hospitality. I picked up a few books on the topic like The Lifegiving Home and The Turquoise Table.  Sally Clarkson, especially, has been an inspiration and encouragement to me. After the long winter, I finally decided to take a baby step in the form of a Spring Party- Winnie the Pooh style!

I kept it low-budget and relaxed.  I bought a fold-out table, a couple decorations, a disposable tablecloth, plates, and napkins, and invited a few of his closest friends (whose mommies are my closest friends).

The kids ate PB&J, goldfish crackers, and apples.  I used bunny, butterfly and flower cookie cutters  cut their sandwiches into fun spring shapes.  I made a giant bowl of Simple Pasta Salad for my friends.  We ate the whole batch!  For dessert we had strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

After dinner, the kids played for a little bit...

Meanwhile, we steeled ourselves for the egg-dying activity that some psycho (me) decided would be fun to do with four toddlers and two infants.

What could possibly go wrong?

Believe it or not, other than a few runaway eggs, there were zero (yes, zero) messes!  These kids are egg-dying experts!

The lady at the table took the gold medal for the most beautiful eggs (of course).  And look at how neat and clean her space is!

The boys took first place in the "how-many-different-eggs-can-I-dye-at-one-time" category.  Yeah, that cutie with the blue hands?  He gets his clean-space skills from me.

From the youngest to the oldest, we had a blast welcoming springtime!  Something so small to many was a big step for me, and I feel encouraged now to open my home to my friends, neighbors, and family.  This experience helped me see that it is not so much about impressing people (because nobody likes that), but that hospitality is about loving and blessing others with whatever we have.  I'll keep you updated on my journey!

Happy Spring, everybody!  Now if that pesky snow would just go away...

Take a look at some of our past Easter and spring activities!