Sharing Time

July was a whirl-wind of activity for us!  Essentially, it was all about sharing time with others.  August officially marks the start of the school year for our household, so we focused on seeing friends and family for the last few weeks of "summer".

My sister visited for two weeks!  It was nice to have her here and catch up (she lived abroad again last year so it was the first time we had been together since summer 2012).  Here are the highlights of our two week adventure:

• Shopping at the outlets
• A day at the Lake Oconee
• A few dinner parties with small group friends, good family friends and even extended family
• Chamblee fireworks for the 4th of July
• Saw the movie Despicable Me 2...in theaters!
• Ventured to a new Indian restaurant for some quality time
• Dinner at the Dunwoody food-truck park
• A day in Gainesville with family friends from Fairfield, CT (love the YoungLife community!)

And then we continued the family & friend filled month with…

• A lunch date with two lovely ladies (who thankfully came to Emory Village to be closer to my work!)
• Dinner at Antico Pizza to celebrate friends who live in Bermuda and were recently engaged
• An after-work summer cook out!

We brought a watermelon to the cook-out and C thought we should match:

(sorry the picture is darker than might be ideal!)

To top off this activity filled month, I traveled to the northshore of Massachusetts to visit family for a long weekend.  The night I flew in, my grandparents hosted a small shower/dinner party!  I wish C could have been with me, it was such a joy-filled night.

Between that first night, a trip to the beach (by boat of course) and a shopping outing in Rockport - I was able to see all of my cousins and had great quality time with my grandparents.

Here are some of the group photos from our shopping trip.  It was overcast and chilly (especially for July!), but that didn't stop us from making the most of time together!

(cousin love)

(a family shot)

I am so thankful to be able to have spent time with my my mom, sister, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins....even if only for a weekend!

It was a busy month, but I loved every minute of getting to share time with so many amazing people.

My Good Friend BOB

Of all the things one could possibly buy for a baby, the one that I have been most excited about is the BOB Stroller.  I think my family may have picked up on this as well, as coincidentally it was the first item purchased off our registry!  I was beyond happy!

My love of (the) BOB started back in 2007 when I first moved to Atlanta.  I would often babysit for a family that lived near Chastain Park, so I would often walk both children in a BOB Duallie to the park where we would spend our afternoons together.  Oh the memories!

Baby E's BOB arrived earlier this week and it did not take long for me to open the box (it was open within an hour of being home!).

So great!

There was more than just my excitement of actually owning a BOB that spurred the prompt assembly of this stroller.  You see, one of our dogs, Maggie, is a bit quirky.  I like to think that she has personality (we have been together since she was 8 weeks)....but it may just be a little more than that.  For example, she will not walk across a cord on the floor and avoids bikes and rollerblades, among other unique habits.   I love her for it, but it is certainly understandable that I was a little hesitant about walking her while having Baby E in the stroller.  I am glad to be able to have the stroller to take the dogs and BOB on a little test-drive!  So yes, I plan to take the stroller on a walk :)


Later....

I am happy to report that all went well on our first walk!  We are looking forward to taking Baby E on his/her first walk in the months to come!

Reorganization

This summer we have had many visitors (and are always ready to welcome a few more!).  With family and friends staying with us, it has been a constant reorganization of our "things" in order to best accommodate everyone.  While for some this would be hard, let's be honest…I love to organize!

It all started in May, with moving the living room and den furniture around.  My mom and aunt were here for a long weekend.  They were great about helping to create more of an open and welcoming front room!

(view from the front door)

(my favorite entryway table....a great find from Scott's Antique Market!)

Then we had some friends from high school visit in June and my focus shifted to the guest room closets.  While I love our work-in-progress house, there just is not a lot of room for storing things.  This has led me to my current long-term project, which is to reorganize the utility/laundry room!  It is a work in progress to be sure, but pictures will come soon!

After spending two weeks with us, today my sister headed back north.  I spent the day tackling some more reorganization.  While tackling 5 loads of laundry, sweeping the floors, cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms - I also decided it would be a good idea to move the furniture in our bedroom around.  I moved the bed and the dresser, in addition to switching clothes between our (one) dresser and the under-the-bed baskets we have. What a day...I am feeling productive AND exhausted!

I love heading into a new week with a clean and organized house.  So, here's to a productive week!

30 or 5

As you can see, I didn't quite make it to 30.  Instead of considering this a failure, I am going to celebrate the fact that I made it to 5 (which is better than 2, or 3 or even 4)! In every new adventure there is a beginning….

More to come!

Day 5: A Photo of Whatever You Please

Summer memories in Atlanta almost always include:

Turner Field or "The Ted" as it is known.  It is certainly one of my favorite places to go in summer!

I will admit, major league baseball is not my #1 sport.  For me, what makes this place special is the environment.  I simply always enjoy a game more in person (than on the television).  I love going to a game with friends, tailgating, the food (especially funnel cake!), people watching, and of course...the cheering/the Tomahawk Chop.

A couple of weeks ago, we had some friends in town from high school and had the opportunity to go to a Braves game together.  So fun!  It was even the weekend that Chipper Jones' number was retired (see the #10 on the field).

  

A wonderful time with great friends on a beautiful summer afternoon!

Day 4: Photo From a High Angle

Really, this is about perspective.

Life lesson: what may seem at first to be a significant challenge (height), can always be taken just one step at a time....and, there is often a railing is there as a support!

This picture is actually an appropriate representation of my life at the moment.  We are in a period of change.  It is an exciting time for our family and we are so excited to welcome baby E into our family. And in this time of change there is also an element of uncertainty.  To be honest, my initial response when considering the unknown is to be stressed and worry about what is to come.  But, as C often reminds me, stressing and worrying over the future doesn't actually make anything better (and often times prevents me from enjoying the present).

Thinking back on times of change in the past, I realize how much I have grown as a result of trusting in God and "letting go" of my desire to know what is to come.  We have been truly blessed with supportive family and an amazing group of friends (otherwise known as our "railing") who are walking with us through this time as we begin a new chapter in our family.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Day 3: A Photo of My Favorite Place to Be

My favorite place to be is outside.  I love taking the dogs hiking, sitting on a porch with friends/family, reading a book by the pool or the ocean, going on walks around the neighborhood or having dinner on a local restaurant patio.  They are all good.  Every moment of it.  There is just something about being outside makes me happy (well, minus the bugs of course!).

I even love being outside so much that we got married outside...in July, in Georgia!  Here is just one of the reasons I fell in love with the venue:

Look at that view!  And all of the...well, nature.  I love it.

Even with all of the rain we have been having this summer, I have been blessed with time outside during a family vacation in Mexico, several Saturdays at friends' pools and a day at Lake Oconee at a family lake house.  It feels strange to say, but despite the summer winding down (school starts August 5th here!)...I am looking forward to a few more weekend adventures in the great outdoors before heading into fall.