Something I love about our little family, is that we love to celebrate. The big things, the small things. Really, we look for any reason to make a cake, to pop a bottle of champagne, or go out to a restaurant. Jordan makes the best double layer chocolate cake. He only uses a box cake mix, and I don't think he does anything special. It's just delicious. So for birthdays, or just because that's usually his celebratory contribution.  

I was surprised by how many people enjoyed my previous links I sent Jordan. I really appreciate all of the feedback I have been getting from my recent blogging ventures. Thank you for reading and stopping by, it's so affirming for me, especially as I navigate how to follow some of my passions.

As a teacher I have the summer off and it's been officially summer for me now for one week. I am not ashamed in the least to admit that this is what my life has looked like for most of it, relaxing. The end of the school year was hard on me. I was was sick for several weeks and broke out in hives for a couple weeks after having some sort of viral infection. On top of all of that I was finishing end of school stuff, my normal teaching duties, coaching track, planning the school's banquet, and an art show. I am not a person who likes to be busy, in fact I keep a calendar only out of necessity. So, it was very draining. Needless to say, my body and mind are enjoying a vacation.

Now that I've had a week to decompress, it's time to accomplish some things before we head out on a few adventures. My thought is that hopefully if I share this, then I will do it. So here goes nothing:


Before Summer Adventures begin:
Clean House (Really clean, & Organize too!)
Organize My Closet (This needs it's own line)
Try my best to pack LIGHTLY for our trips - this is a very difficult task for me.
Finish redesigning blog (Did you notice the change? - it might be a little crazy around here)
Plan some of our time in the San Francisco area - any suggestions?


Hopefully that will do the trick. Let me know if you have any tips on San Francisco or packing lightly!

here's a life update for you:

i can't believe it's already august and this summer is coming to a close. this is my last day of waking up when i wake up, of eating cookies for breakfast, of taking my time to water and survey my garden. it's my last day of waiting anxiously for jordan to arrive home. and to feel okay that my biggest accomplishment this summer was finishing the gossip girl series (still a little embarrassed about that one). okay okay, i may have done other things... along with watching gossip girl, my other accomplishments this summer are: our garden. hands down. picking up a paint brush. getting a new job, that i like! decorating our house and then redecorating. taking a trip to the big apple. surviving jordan's first rotation. organizing our filing cabinet. joining crossfit. and that the manager at madewell knows my name.:) all in all, i am so thankful for this summer, i keep looking back at how we ended up in such a great house and an awesome city.

but, to be honest i'm a little excited for fall's arrival. with the weather being on the cooler side, i remember what it feels like to grab a jacket or put on a few layers. i'm also looking forward to teaching. this summer i was blessed to be given an opportunity to teach middles school and high school art at a christian school close by. it's really a dream come true and i still cannot believe that it's true. hopefully i'll share a little more of my art projects on this space this year. jordan and i are hosting a med students from ireland at our house this month, so that should be interesting! we're also committed to crossfit for three months. we both really enjoy it and the community at the gym, anyone want to start a bet on how many pull-ups i'll be able to do by october? i'm at 0 now, my goal is 10!

so, here's to you august!