High Five for Friday!

{one} This past weekend, my in-laws celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. And what better way to celebrate than to get the whole family together for bowling, laser tag, and games?? We headed to Main Event for a day full of fun. Tin at 10, Silver at 25, laser tag at 40 :)

{two} Everyone keeps talking about fall, and many have already started celebrating it. Pumpkin Spice Lattes, boots, and all. Aside from the fact that it's still 98 degrees here in Texas, and people just look plain silly wearing their fall attire, we still have 25 days left of summer. I love fall too- but I am desperately trying to soak up the last bits of summer. Everyone else can go sweat it out in their fall clothes, and I will continue to enjoy my tank tops and snow cones :) 

{three} I started reading Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin...and it's awesome. I have walked through many of her Bible study series, and I absolutely love them. Her format reminds me a lot of BSF, but is a tad more informal ;)  I really respect her approach to studying the Word, and I have the same heart to see women fall in love with the Word and really dig deep.

Buy it on Amazon

{four} Anyone else excited about Labor Day Weekend?? I am looking forward to {and desperately need} a 3-day weekend. I really need a vacation from work, but just haven't been able to take any extended time off. So a long weekend will have to suffice for now! We have our Fall Kick Off at Redeemer with worship and a concert by Ross King, and there are a number of things I need to get done around the house. But come Monday, I plan to be in my pajamas until I go meet Laura for dinner. I bet Laura wouldn't judge me if I showed up in my pajamas ;)

{five} Slightly sad...this week I realized that I would not see my childhood home again. My parents sold the house I grew up in, and I won't make it down to San Antonio in time to see it before they move. I am not really that bummed about it, as they have done so much remodeling in recent years that it hardly looks the same. But it will be weird to visit them in a new place. I am excited that they finally sold it though and can now find their new forever home!

Adios childhood home!

National Dog Day

Today is National Dog Day, and I couldn't let the day go by without mentioning my sweet puppy!

This little puppy stole my heart the minute I met her.

She has been with me through many life changes: starting my career(s), my multiple moves, and getting married.

She has been by my side through unemployment, ministry, falling in love, and Crohn's.

She is my running partner, my goofy pup, and my snuggle buddy.

She is such a mess sometimes, with her diva-like stubborn personality and hyper antics...

...but I wouldn't trade her for anything, because she has never met a stranger, knows just the right time to nestle her head on your lap, and is the sweetest puppy in the whole world :)

My Bro, M.E. {aka Mr. Smarty Pants}

Last Friday, my little brother graduated with his masters in kinesiology. I am SO proud of him, and we were more than excited to celebrate with him!

He has worked so hard over the past 3 years, working full time to put himself through grad school. This, the kid who didn't even want to go to college in the first place! :)

Hard-earned sheep skin!

Such a smarty pants :)

And of course, my parents couldn't be prouder. The mama tears started days before graduation, and flowed freely throughout. They are so proud of their baby boy!

The outtake :)

Now Mike and Michael are the two in the family with masters degrees...and the ridiculousness has already started. We won't ever be able to live with them now!

Hehe :)

Congrats Michael! We are so proud of you, and we are excited to see what the Lord has for you next.

{iPhone Rewind} :: July

I got a coupon to try a new Fizzio at Starbucks. I got the Spiced Root Beer, and it was pretty good! It's a little on the expensive side for my taste {so I was thankful for the free coupon!}, but I do like how it doesn't have any artificial flavors, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup.

I got some more "just because" flowers, which was fun! When I asked Mike what they were for, he said they were "I love you" flowers and "I like you" chocolates. Sounds good to me! :)

I came across this browsing the aisles of Michael's. Poor guy! :)

The Wall Street Journal was celebrating their 125th anniversary edition, so it looked fun and cool on this day. Not sure why I got so excited about it...  #nerdalert

Mike's family has some land out near Erwin park, so we went out with his grandma to see it. The buildings have not been taken care of in recent years, but it was fun to walk around and see the place where Mike's mom shares so many childhood stories.

My hair. It has gotten super long and slightly out of control. I like having long hair {and this is the longest period of time that I have kept long hair}, but I am starting to toy with the idea of cutting it...

We went to the Rough Riders Game with Redeemer Church. It was a {warm, but} fun night out at the ballpark!

We were able to get away for the weekend and enjoyed a morning hike at Enchanted Rock. 

{30 Before 30} :: Go on a Road Trip

Willkommen to Fredericksburg!

This past weekend, we headed to the Texas hill country for a short getaway. We packed up the car and headed out on our weekend road trip.

Deep in thought...and not very happy with me for taking his photo :)

On the road...beautiful Texas hill country

On Saturday evening, we got to have dinner with my parents! Since we were only about an hour away, we invited them to make the short trek to join us for dinner. We ate at the Cabernet Grill, enjoyed yummy food, and it was fun to see them.

My cute parents :)

My cute hubby :)

My funny husband :)

On Sunday we headed to the spa. I had given Mike the gift of a massage for our anniversary, and I decided to get a manicure. We headed to the Above and Beyond Day Spa and enjoyed a relaxing morning. We spent the rest of the day walking around Main Street and doing a little shopping.

Monday we ventured out for a morning hike at Enchanted Rock. It was nothing compared to our mountain hike up Twin Sisters, but it was still enough of a climb to remind me of how out of shape I am :)  It was pretty warm, but we were glad to get a little exercise.

Half way!

King of the mountain rock

Feeling good about conquering the rock

The rest of our time was spent sleeping in, eating a lot of food, and just enjoying the time away from work/responsibilities for a few days. Technically, we stayed in a bed & breakfast, but it was really an add-on suite to a house {that kind of looked more like a storage unit from the outside haha}, and we received vouchers for breakfast in town. But we were glad to be away from Main Street, and our room was nice. 

I loved being able to add our story to the room's guest journal

We were thankful for the time away, and enjoyed the weekend celebrating our anniversary. It was a blessing to take some time off and spend so much uninterrupted time together.