I wanted to share how Kenzy’s “Dinner and a River Story” went a few weeks back. I know I shared with you all how she wrote a six-chapter story on the river. She worked really hard on it and made sure all her Grammies and Pappies were in it. I recorded a short clip of her reading it and shared it on my Instagram and Facebook stories. People were messaging me and wanted to hear more. I had lived in the moment during her reading to us but recorded just a minute of her storytelling. It was so sweet.

I made ham and cheese cosmos that night for when everyone came over. There were eight of us that night.

Kenzy patiently waited for her grandparents to start pulling into the driveway. She made a sign on the door that said, “WELCOME TO THE DINNER AND STORY TIME.” Kenzy also made everyone a ticket, so when they came to the door, she gave them a ticket and said that they would need it to get into the show.

We all gathered around the table for dinner, and Kenzy was the first one done. You could tell she couldn’t care less about eating and just wanted to get the show on the road! She had anticipated this day for days.

After we were done eating, Kenzy asked for everyone to get up and line up inside the living room door so she could collect tickets. God love, all her grandparents got up and stood in line as each person walked by handing tickets to only walk right back into the dining room where they first came from. Kenz does everything in a big way. That’s her. No one had the heart to say, “Do we really need to get up?” Haha.

But let me just say that the whole night was so worth it. The way she put thought into the front door as people came in, the way she made everyone their own ticket, the way she placed herself smack dab in the middle of the room so everyone had a good view, and the way she slowly dimmed the lights, saying, “Here comes Kenzy with her story. Silence, please.” (Only our kid.)

The way she acted as each character just cracked you up. Mom (me) was super sweet all the time, and Daddy seemed “meh.” Chris was kinda like, “Why did you make me seem so boring, Kenz?” as he laughed. Then, me, I was all sweet and bubbly. Never getting into “MOM MODE.” I laughed and said, “It’s probably because the story is placed at the river, and the river is my happy place! I mean, am I ever grumpy at the river?” Chris laughed and said, “True.” Then I said, “You were probably meh because you were dealing with the boat or something.” We both laughed.

Our boat had been so good to us for five years, but we had to rebuild our engine last year. But Chris has to deal with all that. I do what I can. The boat is back in action now and running the best it ever has. Ya know, boats are just a love-hate relationship. But it brings so much joy to our family. Anchor days with a packed lunch or dinner are my absolute favorite!

Kenzy continued on with her story and talked like her brother and grandparents. She practiced different voices all week as she wanted them to sound different. Even Uncle Joe and Aunt Winny had their moment in her story.

These have been memories for her since she was born. The older she gets, the more she loves it up there, and that makes my heart so happy. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area with mountains and a river. To have a spot right next to the river is a relaxing feeling. You go to unwind and get away from life. Up there, you don’t have the worries you do at home. You go up to get away from it all.
We welcome anyone who wants to come.

Of course, we enjoy our family days, too, but sharing them with friends and family is a joy for us.

I love it when my dad just shows up on the Harley and wants to go for a dip. I’m typically in the water, and if I hear a Harley, I’m like, “Dad’s here!”

Or my momma asking to bring a friend up to just sit on the bank and watch us swim. Telling Kenzy, “Now you be careful going down that waterslide! It makes Grammy nervous because it’s so high!” Kenzy had this as a part of her story. It was hysterical because she nailed her grammy saying it to her. This was the minute that I recorded!

I love that her memories up there are in a book.

I love that she is eleven and already cherishing river days. She was born and raised a river rat, just like her momma.

It’s grilling season, guys.

Let’s kick it off with one of our favorite recipes to make on the river. I’ve shared it before, and I’ll share it again.

It’s that good.

Easy Blackstone Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients:
• 2 lb. of boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
• Two packs of McCorrmick’s Fajita Seasoning
• Red & Green Pepper, sliced
• Large onion, sliced

Directions:

Clean and cut the chicken into chunks in a large bowl, and add seasoning. Mix well until chicken is covered. Let sit for at least 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. The longer, the better.

In the meantime, prep your veggies so they are good to go too!

We love this recipe at the river and make it all on our Blackstone, but you can use the stovetop, of course, too! When cooking, add oil to the pan or Blackstone. Cook meat on one side and veggies on the other on medium heat. Surprisingly, when they are cooked together, they cook about the same time. I just put salt and pepper on the veggies for seasoning. Cook until the veggies are the way you want and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with:
• Tortilla Shells
• Sharp Shredded Cheese
• Lettuce
• Sour Cream
• Salsa (if desired)

I also have fresh fruit and Tostito Scoops to go with it.

It is a great fast summer meal that the whole family will enjoy!