[life] The Last... June 2015

Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX: where Shiner Beer is made!

Y'ALL.

I am the worst! Let's just say I took June off for blogging vacation. Sound good? I have about 45,234 posts to write: our summer has been CRAZY so far, and it'll only speed up as we go into July! But I wouldn't have it any other way... summer is fabulous.

I did this post in May and many of you enjoyed it, so I thought I'd do another round for June! Feel free to borrow the questions and write your own post, then let me know in the comments so I can go check it out!

Thing I ate: Chicken Caesar Salad for lunch from a local restaurant


Thing I watched: Alfie's vlog on YouTube (I like when the YouTubers get together on each other's vlogs... so when I saw him and Zoe going to Tanya's house, I thought it'd be more entertaining... but it was a bit boring)

Account I followed on Instagram: Liz Marie's (LMB) Blog Shops account. It's where she posts all of her amazing finds! I love her blog and regular account already, so when she created this one, I knew it'd be a good one!

Activity I did: Deposited our checks (#payday) into the bank.

Product I used: Maybelline's Baby Lips in Coral Crave. Has a smooth application, keeps my lips feeling nice and smooth, and provides a subtle hint of color! It is a bit more pink/orange than this picture shows, but it's a great, natural color!

Time I was shocked: on Facebook, of course, reading some hurtful/impolite things that were said about others. I really enjoy FB for keeping up with family (especially since we live far away from them) and long-time/no-see friends, but sometimes it really is just about drama. It's so nuts! Does anyone else feel that way about social media sometimes? That's why I usually gravitate more towards Instagram: a cute picture, a little blurb, that's it! It still has drama, but not nearly as much.

Cute thing I saw: again, on Facebook. Ha! With all the drama, there does come a hint of cuteness and joy. I thought this was more "funny" than "cute" because it is TOTALLY. ME. Just ask Nate, ha! I don't know who/what "Dave" it is, but one of my friend's shared it.

There you have it! Another month, another list. Hopefully my month-long vacation doesn't turn into two months of rest and being away, because I do enjoy writing, posting, and connecting with you all! Let me know in the comments if you plan on using the list too: I want to read!

"...The great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him." -C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

[life] Spring & Summer Bucket List 2015

We have been enjoying beautiful weather in Texas so far this spring. A few scattered storms, here and there, but the temperatures have been lovely! Upper 60s in the morning to mid-80s by the afternoon. We Texans relish in this time, because before we know it, it'll be summer and the temps will be in the 100s!

I compiled together a list of the 10 things I want to do more of during the beautiful spring and summer months. They are in no particular order, but I think you'll notice #10 is my favoriteee. Read on!

As Texans, we enjoy a variety of scenery. My favorite? The beach. No, they aren't the Bahamian beaches I have come to know and love, but they are beaches nonetheless. The closest is a little over two hours away from us, which would be perfect for a day trip.

We have an amazing group of core friends here where we live. We have the best times getting together, talking, and of course- EATING. Recently, we have had everyone bring over their meat of choice and we have a big ol' cookout: each couple brings a side or dessert. It is the best!

There are some fabulous local venues that have live music events on the weekend. Nothing on a major scale, but low key: acoustic, small crowd, fabulous views at the different venues. There's nothing like enjoying a cool beverage with some live music playing in the background. Nate will actually be singing/playing at a winery this summer, so I'll definitely dedicate a blog post to that when it happens.

Remember that group of friends who loves to cook-out? The girls are BIG into crafting and I love it! Hopefully we can get some more crafts worked into our schedule this spring/summer.

Y'ALL. Last week, I learned how to make HOMEMADE JELLY. It is divine! One of our friend's mom's has a jelly/jam machine and we made apple jelly. It was so fun, we vowed to do it again and again this spring/summer. Yum!

One of the local wineries near us shows movies every Saturday evening during the summer. You can bring a picnic, chairs/blankets and of course they serve their beverages too. It makes for a fun evening with friends... just bring bug spray!

Nate and I are blessed to live in an area of Texas with lots of little "treasure" towns nearby. We can take day trips in a variety of directions and explore cute/quaint towns that we have never visited before. We hope to add a few new stops this summer!

As our church's ministry assistant (and also the pastor's wife), a lot of event planning falls on my shoulders, such as Vacation Bible School (pictured above: our dear friends who helped volunteer during the week). Lots of fun events are on the calendar this spring/summer, including after church luncheons, a church water day at the local water park, baseball games, small group events, concerts, youth camp, and of course VBS. Whew!

Usually our spring/summer is full of wedding activity. We currently have two, possibly three on the calendar this year. My cousin is marrying a gorgeous gal that we have already basically had in our family since they started dating in high school (10 years ago)! Another wedding is a cute couple from my home church, and Nate is actually conducting the ceremony. My mom is close friend's with the bride's mom, so it will be an extra-sweet ceremony.

 

Of COURSE this will be on our spring/summer schedule! TEXAS RANGER BASEBALLLL. Unfortunately, we missed Opening Day last Friday (sadness... I don't EVEN want to talk about it), but we already have 3+ games geared up between now and July. Can't wait to cheer them on! We are actually watching them on TV right now! #devoted

What are your go-to events for spring/summer? Of course, I could add and add on forever, but 10 seemed like a good starting point. There will be some snow-cone and ice cream consumption as well!

Happy weekend!