August is at its end, and so is Blogust. I had a blast posting this month and am already looking forward to doing it again next year. Thanks so much for following along. I'm planning to keep posting throughout September, and may even bring  back Blogtober! My birthday was yesterday and it was a wonderful day. I wo…

1. Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You are. Thank you for Your Son, Jesus Christ, and for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your Love!  2. Daniel, you are the most loving, honorable, patient, and selfless man I know. I love getting to do life with you for eternity! I will never stop trying to be better for you! Y…

Once upon a time there were two cousins, best friends since forever. Growing up they would spend weeks together during summer break due to living 150 miles apart. They shared many of the same interests, and knew how to make each other laugh until they cried. Those girls are grown now, married and raising families of t…

I haven't had one yet, but I heard the PSL is back and that means it's (un)officially autumn! Growing up, summer was my favorite season. Summer break meant trips to Nanny & Papaw Rose's, week long sleepover parties with Erica, no school, swimming and sunning, staying up late... the list goes on. Now, I…

It's been four days since my last post. Life happened, of course. Friday's post was nonexistent. I was going to write up something late that night, but ended up feeling tired and planning to pick back up over the weekend. I had been asleep for a little under two hours when I woke up to my youngest having a cou…

This past week has worn me out. While I'm looking forward to getting back into a regular schedule, I'm realizing that my mornings and evenings will be more hectic than ever. The good news is I'm sleeping better than ever! The other news is, even though I'm sleeping at night, getting up in the morning w…

Today is day 3/75! I’ll be sharing more about my trip in another post, but these next 75 days will be crucial for me and I owe it to myself to do the absolute best whether I feel like it or not. And let me tell you, I am not starting out as strong as I’d hoped BUT I’m choosing to be confident and work with myself inst…

Window shopping is always fun. I often like to fill my (online) cart with whatever my heart desires. Every now and again I'll get an email beckoning me to revisit and perhaps complete my purchase, with a tiny percentage shaved off of the total amount as an added incentive. Nice try, but I hardly ever bite. My moth…

It’s back to the rise and shine and get the kids off to school in time routine. Evenings are a bit chaotic since bedtime is enforced while the kids still want to sleep like it’s summer break. Morning traffic makes me a nervous wreck, but I suppose I will get used to the hustle and bustle in time. The kitchen is always…

Since my children have started school, paperwork has flooded home. Communication with their teachers is vital and I always do my best to be prompt when items have to be signed and returned. It’s been nearly two decades since I’ve last needed a permission slip signed by my parents.  Even as an adult, I still feel like…

I planned these posts out in advance. I wanted to do Blogust, but I had already gotten behind, so when I get a chance to sit and write I do more than one post and schedule it in advance so I can keep rolling them out each morning. It's important for you to know this because some of what I'm sharing has already…

This week marks the end of summer break. I feel like it was only yesterday when my days opened up for more freedom, sunshine, and daydreaming. I had big plans for June, then July flew by, and now August is nearly half gone. It’s hard not to feel guilty sometimes, thinking I’ve been wasting precious God-given time. As …

I can't recall the last time I read a book purely for fun. Growing up, I loved to read and often would write my own stories. It's been a long time dream of mine to become a published author someday; surely one of the stories in my head will make it to print. I was recently inspired by Darling Desi to become a …

The beginning of summer wasn't very magical for me. I was feeling really low, burnt out, and lost. One evening, after everyone was snug in their beds, I got cozy on the couch and decided to browse YouTube until I felt sleepy. The videos I happened upon kept my interest and left me wanting more. I watched as many a…

Today's Blogust post is brought to you in part by my amazing husband, Daniel, and some cozy fantasy ambience I've got playing as I sit to write to you this morning. The kids are swimming at my mother-in-law's today, so I am spending this sunny Saturday solo. Every now and then it does my soul so much good …

This summer I found myself wanting to escape to simpler times surrounded by the wild countryside. I grew up in the middle of nowhere, fields as far as the eye could see. Swimming in shallow bends of the river. Making dirt roads for my bike in the barn. Climbing trees. Spending hours on a tire swing in my backyard. Eat…

I've been feeling "in between" this week. Since returning from vacation under the weather and slowly recuperating, these last days of summer break won't be able to provide me with much else. Soon our schedules will shift as school resumes. My weeks will become routine once again, but I am ready to we…

Before the summer took off, I had one amazing Saturday. I slept in, spent the early afternoon lounging in the sun, picnicked in the backyard with a yummy southwest salad and fresh raspberries, spent the evening browsing every aisle of Hobby Lobby, and topped it off with a Jaime French marathon while making friendship …

I don't like being stuck in a rut. The moment I am able to plot my escape, motivation abounds, energy soars — suddenly I'm knocked off my feet, stumbling a few paces back from where I started. The last decade of  my life has felt like more like a series of setbacks than successes. Just when I think I've di…

I’m finishing out my last day of vacation feeling under the weather. The family headed out for one last beach trip to watch the sunset without me while I nursed a sore throat. The fear of missing out was strong, making me think of other things that I miss.  The Blogust challenge, similar to my Blogmas series, is about…

August is a month for new beginnings. Sylvia Plath wrote that August was the “odd uneven time,” with summer nearly gone and fall on the horizon. It’s the perfect time to reset and refresh before the new season arrives. August is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month I know. -Tove Jansson…