Weekending - December 4, 2015

As I sit here on Sunday night writing this post, I just have to smile.  I had a fantastic weekend and am feeling so lucky to have great friends in my life!  On Friday I headed to Kansas City to help my friend, Dorothy, celebrate her birthday.

Dorothy is the younger sister of my friend Linda.  I've known her since the day she was born, watched her grow into a beautiful young women and even had the honor of helping her and her husband Robert plan their wedding.  She was a stunning bride!  You can read about her wedding HERE.  She's a wonderful mother, wife and friend.  Happy birthday Dorothy! Love you!

Let's start at the beginning - On Friday I headed to Kansas City the moment I could get finished with work.  Thankfully I was able to leave the St. Louis area early afternoon and was in KC before dark and just in time for dinner.  I was staying with Linda and she fixed the most wonderful meal.  We started the night with my favorite wine ~

As dinner cooked away in the oven, we sat in the living room and soaked up Linda's beautiful tree.  It was great way to start the weekend!

Speaking of dinner - OMG!  Linda cooked a pork tenderloin, roasted vegetables and rice that was to die for!  I'm going to be sharing the recipe for the pork on Tuesday.  You must stop back by and see it.

We opted to enjoy dinner in front of the TV catching up on The Affair.  Do you watch that show?  We're hooked.

Saturday morning we got it together early and headed out to do some shopping before the noon gathering for Dorothy's birthday.  Then it was on to Pinstripes in Overland Park for some lunch and bowling.  Robert, Dorothy's husband, has planned this family-friendly birthday party for Dorothy.  Kudos to him!  It was the perfect spot to entertain the kids and adults alike.  The food was great!  

After every one's bellies were full from the pizza buffet feast, it was on to the bowling alley.  Have you ever been to a Pinstripes before?  Oh my goodness -- perfect activity for a family event.  EVERYONE had so much fun!  The kids took one lane and the adults took another.

Our bowling experience was seamless, but the people bowling next to us had a little malfunction.

Saturday night the girls headed out to Jasper's to continue the birthday celebration.  This was a dining experience!  

From the moment we sat down, you could just tell it was going to be a great dining evening.  The wine, the bread, the service -- oh my!  

After munching on the homemade mozzarella, roasted red pepper and olive appetizer, I chose the pork shank special for an entree.  DELICIOUS!

The dessert cart just was too good looking to let it roll past without ordering something, so the coconut cake made it's way in front of me.  It was as good as it looked!

If you're looking for an exceptional dining experience in the Kansas City area, I would highly recommend Jasper's.  Everyone at the table loved their food and the service couldn't have been better.  Overall, great night.

After breakfast Sunday morning, I headed home.  Thanks Linda for a weekend full of fun and letting me stay with you.  It was a truly wonderful weekend!

It was great being away for the weekend and also nice getting home.  I hadn't been at our house since Tuesday morning when I had left for work and was missing Eric.  We spent the evening on the couch getting caught up and enjoying the view of our family room Christmas tree.  More on our decorations coming soon!

So that's my weekend in a nutshell.  How was yours?  Next weekend I'm helping with a baby shower so this week is going to be full of fun getting ready for that event.  Don't forget to stop back by on Tuesday for a wonderful recipe.  Happy Monday!

Check out what others were up to this weekend.

Champagne and Suburbs

B Loved Boston

Life of Meg

More Pieces of Me
Bella and the City
A Cute Angle
The Quinntessential Mommy
How To Get Organized At Home