Camo, Camping, and Casinos

Excuse the delay of this post...I know it's the end of April and I'm kind of backtracking to document activities at the beginning of the month, but you know me, I have a flair for being fashionably late and it would be completely out of character for me to do anything promptly. My handsome husband is the star of this show, which he will be very happy about considering he hasn't gotten a whole lotta love on the blog since it's debut. You should definitely know that April has been dubbed Cody's birthday month, and though we're almost at the end of it, we're still celebrating. (I may have had something to do with this trend when I declared December as my birthday month so I guess I can share that idea with him, too.)

We started Cody's birthday weekend by celebrating on his actual birthday, April 1st with our good friends the Riddles. Jen and Ryan were kind enough to let us come over and grill ribs Texas style, per the birthday prince's request. We even basted them with authentic Tony Roma's bbq sauce--just the way Cody's dad does it. I made homemade mac & cheese and we had all the yummy TX bbq fixin's to go with it, along with an AMAZING camo cake, hand crafted by the mother of one of the girls at work. You won't believe it until you see it...so check out this amazingness.

 So super excited to blow out his 24 candles and eat some camo cake!

 A big slice of amazingness is what this is...camo style!

For those of you who aren't familiar with camo patterns (and those of you that are), you should know that the outside of the cake was done in a fondant that was an exact replica of Mossy Oak camo. I mean, this was one legit camo cake. Not to mention that it was camo on the inside, too... how cool is that? It was a vanilla cake with butter cream icing, and was quite possibly one of the best cakes I've ever tasted. And that's a bold statement as you know. OK, promise I'm finished letting my sweet tooth take control now...back to the topic at hand. We ate way too much, had lots of fun, and are so thankful for our good friends Jen and Ryan who were able to celebrate Cody's entrance into old manhood with us!

The next morning, Cody and I headed to Hot Springs, Arkansas for a little impromptu camping trip. We decided it was the perfect weekend to get some fresh air, and the weather could not have been more perfect for becoming one with nature. I know it may shock you, but this girly girl has become quite fond of the great outdoors these days, and I can "rough it" like no other. After all, Carrie Bradshaw did say that city girls are just country girls with cuter outfits, so I've decided that camping can be added to my list of favorite hobbies, and I can still look cute while doing it. Plus, who wouldn't jump at the chance to sleep in a tent and sit around a campfire with their dreamy husband overlooking a gorgeous lake? Sounds pretty perfect to me, and it was! Hot Springs is a super cute little tourist town, and when we arrived we had to try out the famous bbq restaurant McClenden's. Bill Clinton flew Air Force One just to eat at this place, so we knew it had to be good--and it was. I'm definitely feeding my foodie side these days, in case you haven't noticed... it's kind of out of control. After our lunch date, we drove through the mountains and took in the breathtaking views before heading out to the lake campsite. We set up our tent in the perfect spot overlooking the lake, and then did some fishing. There were lots of bass in the lake, but much to our dismay the little boogers just weren't interested in our bait. I got pretty close to enticing  a couple of them, but sadly we both came away without a catch. Guess we'll have to wait for the next trip to Harlingen for me to dominate some redfish and trout... (I'm counting down to this, in case you couldn't tell!) That night we started a campfire and roasted hot dogs and smores, then hit the sack (literally--in our sleeping bags.) I had forgotten how much I love camping, and it always reminds me of trips to Proctor Lake with my grandparents, mom, dad and sister when I was little. I'm not sure I was such a good sport about roughing it then though... guess I've gotten in touch with my wild side a little more as I've aged.

 You seriously can't pay for this kind of view. Eat your heart out, Four Seasons Resort!

 Documentation of me being a fatty...

 Making Grandad proud!

Our little outdoor home, a complete lakefront property. So perfect!

As if you thought the birthday festivities ended there...now it's time for the big event. For one of Cody's presents, I decided to surprise (emphasis on surprise please--for those of you who know me well, you know that I am HORRIBLE at keeping secrets, so this was a BIG deal for me to not let this one slip) him with tickets to see country singer Joe Nichols in Tunica, Mississippi at one of the casinos. Cody had been begging me to go to Tunica and gamble since he went with his parents over Thanksgiving, and this all seemed to work out perfectly. Not to mention, I couldn't believe that we could get tickets to see a chart topping Nashville star for the same price as a Texas country concert! I guess it pays to live close to music city... 

We weren't really sure what to expect upon entering the casino, but we knew we needed to try our hands at a little gambling before the concert. Cody won at blackjack while I played the Sex and the City slot machine and got lucky for about 10 minutes. Guess we should've stopped there, because after the concert we successfully lost our money. Oh well, there's always next time! The concert started and was probably one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. We were literally on the second row, and I kid you not, Joe Nichols (who was incredibly dreamy might I add), made eye contact with me, looked at me, and posed for a picture. I mean, we were that close to a Nashville star. The setting was really intimate, very different from the concerts we're used to (filled with drunk college kids and out of control barefoot musicians--which we love, of course), and was more of a conversational, chill atmosphere. That is, until he played Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off. :) As you'll see in the picture, I got festive and drank a marg during that one...but don't worry, my clothes stayed on. If you ever get the chance to see a concert in Tunica, definitely take it. It was truly awesome to be so close to one of the biggest names in country music, and definitely an unforgettable birthday present for my country music loving husband. I'd say I reached baller status with this gift, but that's just my modest opinion. Now brace yourself ladies for a little dreaminess in these next few pics... (of course I mean Cody... ;) )

 I got a closer one with my phone where he actually smiled at me (promise I'm not making this up, you can ask Cody and he'll roll his eyes because I was being such a groupie), but this is my documented proof that Joe Nichols noticed me. Don't be jel.

 He was such a good sport as I made a fool of myself. He got to do it when we saw Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, so we agreed it was ok. (Even though I got Tim McGraw that time, too...)

Being out of control during Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off, naturally. Keep it classy, Tunica. 

I'm not sure how we're going to top these adventures...the month of April has been pretty good to us. I'm loving all the musical options in the great state of Tennessee, too. Who knew it could be comparable to the capital of live music, Austin, TX? In fact, our next excursion is getting me really excited--the Beale St. Music Festival, Memphis' own version of ACL. Uh oh, spoiler alert! Guess you'll just have to wait for more on that one... 

Until next time, keep it real friends!