I just looked back at the titles of Labor Day Weekends past and I had called them all “Labor Day Weekend Things.”  Every.Single.One.  But, I’m changing it up this year and that’s pretty much the theme of my LDW in general.  Joey was out of town till Sunday night and at first I was sad that I’d have to spend a holiday weekend without him, but then I saw my bestie (and felt the baby!!!), had a sister date, cooked myself dinner and watched a movie, maybe openly cried during said movie and walked to Sunday breakfast with my parents.  Then Joey came home and we got to spend a perfect actual Labor Day together.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is, this Labor Day Weekend may have been different, but in a good, refreshing, totally satisfying way that meant I got to spend time with lots of people I love, doing lots of things I enjoy and it all felt really amazing.  Except that part when I was in bed alone and a spider ran across my comforter…

I met Hannah for happy hour on Friday and not only was she smart enough to suggest meeting away from Denver and (worse than normal) Denver traffic, but she suggested a restaurant I’d been wanting to try because: PUFFY TACOS!  It was all too good to be true.  But as good as the tacos, smoky salsa and vibrant pink drinks were, time with that beautiful mamma-to-be was still the best part.  P.S. She and Josh got me that perfect taco dishtowel and I can’t get over how funny it is!

Saturday morning, I took a solo bike ride to the Farmers’ Market and made a bee line for the peach tent because I am loving so hard on those stone fruit beauties this year and I had a serious fear that they’d be out, or worse, done for the year.  I was relieved to find them there and in ample supply.  Phew!  Also spotted some cutesy baby melons and headed back home with shishitos, corn, aforementioned peaches and a loaf of Challah bread that I was seriously excited about.

Maybe it was the iced coffee I’d had with breakfast or my bag of peaches, but I felt so dang happy that morning that I almost skipped back to my bike.  Dug around in our tomato plants when I got home and found all these goodies!

I had plans to take my sister to the MCA for some sophisticated art viewing and lunch on the rooftop but when I pulled up the museum website I was greeted with a lovely message announcing they were closed.  THE HORROR!  But oh well because we still biked downtown and had lunch at Mercantile (scored some salt while we were there) then walked through Union Station and maybe also through the fountains that all the kids were playing in.  That night, I grilled a brat and some corn and made a quick potato salad for myself.  I ate it outside in the backyard and decided solo dinners are underrated.

I watched Corrina, Corrina afterwards and look, I used to do this thing in high school where I’d put a movie (VHS!) on repeat while I slept so if I woke up I’d catch a few minutes and I’d do that every night with the same movie for MONTHS at a time, so those movies — the lines, the soundtrack, the wardrobe — are seared into my brain and this was one of those movies.  I hadn’t watched it in years but I’m happy to report it was as good (and heartbreaking) as I remembered it being.  Grilled a peach, then filled it with honey and yogurt for dessert and I need to do that way more often!

I woke up Sunday and ran six miles for race training and now my legs are REALLY FREAKING SORE!  I’m scared!  But other than that, it all felt really good and afterwards I got to walk to breakfast at Sunny’s with my parents ♥  Isn’t it nice when you have a solid breakfast joint in your own neighborhood, no car ride required?  My mom gifted me that collapsible cup because she recently told my sister and I that my grandma used to ALWAYS have one (and a rain bonnet) in her purse and we’d never even seen/heard of such a thing.  How funny but heartwarming is that??  Food prepped us some lunch for the week and sauces for our Labor Day dinner afterwards, then JOEY CAME HOME!!!

We had dinner together then headed over to his aunt and uncle’s to see his cousin who was in town from Houston.  He did have to evacuate to Austin last week but luckily there was no water in his apartment.  P.S. I ate the best homemade Oreo cheesecake ice cream while were there, omg!

Monday, we woke up and put that Challah to good use with French toast (topped with a miso-date butter that I ADORE) then relaxed until game time.  I just want to point out that Monday was the only Rockies game I attended and also the only game we won all weekend.  So the key to our success isn’t the offense or the pitching, IT’S ME!  You’re welcome, Rockies.  But the highlight of our Labor Day was definitely definitely dinner.  I hit up the butcher on Sunday and though what I was actually trying to buy was something more like lamb spare ribs, I ended up with rib chops and maybe it was a blessing in disguise because these turned out SO GOOD!

We marinated them all day in salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic and rosemary then Joey did the grilling outside while I cooked up some flatbread inside and then we put it (plus the sauces I made the day before, some grilled shishitos and an amber ale) all together and were in dinner nirvana.  I was so impressed with the flavor and with ourselves.  It was the perfect way to end a holiday weekend and to toast the end of UNOFFICIAL summer with (though I’m still living a summer lifestyle until OFFICIAL summer ends on the 22nd).

HOW WAS YOUR LABOR DAY WEEKEND??!!