Thursday, June 21, 2012

dear handsome hubs


Just a little note to thank you for
 being especially wonderful these last 
couple of days.  Your compassion and
 encouragement make me feel like I
can do anything - no matter what
else is going on around us.

I'm so grateful that we get to 
do life together.  You're the best
friend & hubs this girl could have
ever asked for.  Love you!

xoxo,
wifey


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

lake dreaming


On hot, sticky days like today,
all I can think about is the lake...

 And since I'm stuck in the office, 
these lovely shots will have to do!  :)


*images here, here, here & here

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

heart check

 
Do you ever feel like your
words take you by surprise?
 
Whenever critical words, snarky 
judgements or ungrateful complaints 
slip out of my mouth, I know it's time
 for me to refocus on the Father.  

It's astounding how quickly 
my little heart gets dry & dirty
when I stop going to Jesus 
for daily refreshment.

Anyone else with me?


Monday, June 18, 2012

a funny combination...


This past weekend was filled to the brim
with lots of friends & family.  We got to hang
out with cute kiddos on Saturday night, cook 
BBQ for the entire church on Sunday, and 
celebrate Father's Day with the hubs' family.  
We're blessed...and a little tired!

 So last night we shut ourselves in the
 house and chose to be lazy.  We made 
a big batch of crepes & a bowl of salty 
popcorn, then snuggled up on the
 couch to watch Star Wars together. 

 It was a silly (and kind of perfect) 
end to the weekend. :)



Saturday, June 16, 2012

adventures


On Thursday night, we celebrated 
the end of another school year 
with a little camping adventure. 
 
We booked a beautiful site at 
a nearby state park, and had a 
great time camping together
 for the first time!
 
With the exception of a thieving
raccoon, it was peaceful,
quiet, and relaxing.


As someone who has never been super 
big on tent camping, I have a silly 
confession...the food won me over.

The best was waking up and making
breakfast outside - greasy bacon and 
pancakes on a camp stove, and 
steaming french press coffee!  


It was nice to escape our normal
routine and just be outside together.
 
We spent most of our brief stay
beside the fire - sometimes 
chatting but mostly just sitting
 in comfortable silence. 

It was a perfect way to officially
welcome summer vacation.  :)




Thursday, June 14, 2012

freckles

This might sound weird, but freckles are
one of my favorite parts of summer.

I think of them as sun kisses, and love
coming inside after an afternoon in the 
sunshine to examine my nose & cheeks 
for evidence of time well spent outside.  

It's like proof on my face that
summer is here, the sun is warm, 
and life is good.  :)



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

summer pie


look perfectly summery & delicious??


*via

Monday, June 11, 2012

take me out to the ballgame

 

Yesterday afternoon we enjoyed a fun, 
sunshiney graduation party with the
 hubs' family...at a baseball game!
 
I'd never been to see our local team
(shame on me), so it was neat to
check out one of the attractions
right in our backyard.

 
This little lady totally stole the show.  
She had us completely amused for the 
afternoon with her antics, funny 
faces, and love for ice cream.

And as proof that it was a 
good summer afternoon, I came
home with a nice toasty sunburn!



Friday, June 8, 2012

exhale


It's time for a weekend, don't you agree?
 
In the midst of some important stuff, 
I think we'll be stealing as much time away
 for rest and togetherness as possible.

Because really, when you have a hubs
as cute as mine, why wouldn't you? ;)




Wednesday, June 6, 2012

grey day wishes


Normally a series of dreary days
makes me want to curl up on the couch,
but for some reason I've been craving 
a quiet, grey day at the beach.

There's something appealing about
an almost empty beach - you get to enjoy
the moody, powerful waves in silence,
and I always feel like God is standing
right next to me pointing out the
beautiful things He's created that 
don't always grab my attention
on bright, sunny days.

Plus, is there really a better
combo than steaming coffee, an 
oversized soft sweatshirt, and cold 
sand between your toes?  :)



Tuesday, June 5, 2012

grace


Anyone else out there struggle to
keep the right perspective?

I get tripped up so easily in this -
constantly striving for perfection, then 
being frustrated when I inevitably fail. 

That's why I cling to the reminder
that God's glorious grace is freely 
given through Jesus.  (Eph 1:6

Thankfully, it's not about me trying 
harder.  Because of Jesus and the riches 
of God's grace, I've already been given
more wisdom & strength then I could 
ever come up with on my own. 

Anyone else need to step 
out of the way, and
 let grace replace striving?
 


Monday, June 4, 2012

feeling crafty


My handsome hubs is a middle school 
teacher, and while I get to hear about
 his academic adventures, the extent of my 
participation is typically to listen and 
enthusiastically encourage.
 
 So you can only imagine how thrilled
I was last week when I got an email asking 
for creative help with a fun little project!   
 
(and yes, we do email each other
 constantly...is that weird?)
 
 
The project:
Create fun invitations for students
with the highest grades this year.
 
My solution:
This free download, cardstock,
some envelopes we had hanging 
around & about an hour of time 
to print, trim & glue. 

It was quick & easy, and my only 
challenge was to adapt the envelopes to 
the template, since they were slightly
different shapes.  (I kept trimming 
until they worked!)

I think the result is pretty fun, and
wouldn't you feel special getting one of 
these in the mail from your teachers?



*PS - check out the free download...
there are a ton of great invites!
 
(But please pretend you've never 
seen it before if you happen to get 
an invitation from me like this!)



Saturday, June 2, 2012

last saturday...


 Last weekend we enjoyed a perfect day
on the Maine coast with my folks.  We visited
some of my favorite places, soaked up plenty 
of sunshine, and devoured lots of good food!

 
We walked the entire length of the breakwater
 in Rockland, which has been a summer tradition 
for my family for as long as I can remember...  
 
 
 ...then visited the always gorgeous
Children's Chapel, another family favorite!

It is the most peaceful little retreat, 
with stunning plants & trees everywhere.
 

Thanks, parentals, for treating us
 to such a wonderful weekend. 
Let's do it again soon!



Friday, June 1, 2012

weird dreams


I had a dream last night that I was 
a dancer in a Broadway show.  

(Even in the dream I had a sense of 
how ridiculous that was, but just bear 
with me for the sake of my story...)

So in the dream I'm hanging out with 
all the other dancers, and everyone 
decides that they're hungry.  

We go to a little store to buy snacks, 
and as we're checking out, all the dancers buy
super healthy food: lettuce, fruit, etc.

And I walk up to the counter and 
plunk down a tub of cool whip.

(Cool whip...because apparently
that's my snack of choice??)

Everyone started judging me and 
telling me I couldn't eat it...so 
I danced right out of the store.

Yep, that's right.  Just try and
stop me and my cool whip. ;)