Wine Weekend #squad #mysquadisbetterthanyours #blessed

OMG!!!  Where to even start about this weekend!  First off I was super lucky not to have to travel until Sunday (thanks Dorna for the ride to the STL airport so I could make it to Dallas), so got to spend a fantastic weekend with some pretty amazing ladies!!!  We left on the Amtrak train on Friday morning heading towards Hermann....who knew that you could drink on the train!  We had such a great time with Darthy (it was her birthday weekend), Liz, Sally, Loudean, Casebolt, Cashman and myself all on the train....Dorna came from St. Louis and met us at the house.  As soon as she arrived we of course jumped on the trolley and headed to the first winery on the list!  Back to the house for a home cooked dinner by the one and only Sally and then off to the best bars in Hermann, there are only 3 in the entire town.  We played a few bar shenanigan games, I'm not sure who the officially declared winner was, but this is my blog and I racked up 275 points...so it was me!  After the bar it was back to the house for singing and laughter around the kitchen table, then moved to the backyard around the fire pit (Dorna was the pit master all weekend and built us some Amazing fires). 
Day 2 brought the rest of the trolley wine tour and our day of the matching girls in the red pants, red lips and laughing the entire way!  We danced at any winery that had music, we danced on the trolley, we had a squad photo shoot, and pretty much drew a crowd anywhere we went because we are awesome and always having a good time.  There was one winery in Hermann that wasn't on the trolley list so our good driver Dorna (with her sweet mini van) offered to drive us all out there so that we could see it as they said it had some of the best views.  Well as most of my friends know, I am not the most emotional person, however write it down....on this day I cried (I'm blaming it on the wine)!  As I sat in van with the #squad I looked around and reflected on the last couple of years as these ladies have come in my lift one at a time.  I am so thankful for a group of amazing ladies that are supportive of my new work adventure, whom I can see after 2 or 3 weeks and its like we never skipped a beat, who Facetime me when I need a pick me up, who embrace my crazy and don't try to change it or bottle it, who are fiercely independent and who make me feel lucky every day to be able to call them #squad members....so that is why (and the wine) that I got a little teary on the journey....thanks Darthy for being the only one that called me out!!!!
Our 2nd day wrapped up with dinner at the Brewery downtown that has an underground room that has the washers game and the best pizza that we had the entire time...it also made for a great midnight snack after a great game of Cards Against Humanity (what a fun group to play this with).  Then as everyone settled into bed Loudean, Sally and I sat in the living room and laughed and laughed about nothing....poor Cashman was in the bedroom next to us and I am sure didn't get any sleep.
Sunday morning Sally made the MOST amazing French toast I have ever eaten, we packed all of our wine purchases and put some of the squad on to the trolley to get to the train and Darthy and I got in the van with Dorna and headed toward the STL airport to catch our flights to work! 
It was a great weekend that I can't wait to repeat again soon!  So thankful for these ladies, their laughter, wisdom, craziness, dance moves, dish washing skills and everything in between.  Blessed beyond measure and thankful everyday!

Train ride from KC to Hermann!!!

First family lunch when we arrived in Hermann!

Trolley ride day 2..."Red Pant Ladies"

Hermannhof Winery....this selfie stick was useful!

Adorable ladies!

Welcome to our Mob Family Photo...snack table at the winery! 

Flipping the table!

This picture sums up our friendship!!  Cashman ready to duck lip at any given time, Loudean wondering what we are doing and me laughing at how we look in the camera trying to take a selfie.

Billy Goats on the table dancing...because we MUST be higher than everything else!

First official weekend photo before we boarded the train in KC for the weekend!

Dance party!!!

Trolley that was our lifesaver during the week!

#squad photo (minus Casebolt who was taking a disco nap)

The entire #squad....beautiful picture at the hill top winery that Dorna was nice enough to drive us too