clean and strong

Well friends. We're doing it. We started Monday and it was not as hard as I had expected. Sure there were some moments of weakness, but I didn't give in. Because the result will be worth it: Clean and Strong. That is the motto for May. To let you know how serious we are, Abby and I are using the bathtub and bicep emoticons to encourage each other this month - get it? Clean and Strong :) We're proud.

So what is this journey we are taking? In a very small way, it is a journey back to the basics - away from processed foods and toward healthier living. No dairy. No meat. No white flour. No alcohol. No sugar (well except fruit). Similar to The Daniel Fast but with a few changes of my own. For about 2 milliseconds, I thought about enforcing the "No coffee" rule and then I laughed and decided I would just drink it black and see how it goes (it's going well, thank you). We are using few spices and seasonings and working to enjoy food the way it is naturally. I'm not gonna lie - I did grocery shop at Walmart this week for my fruits and vegetables, but it was 10:30 on Sunday night and let me just tell you that the shopping options were limited...
Enter Lesson #1: Planning ahead. Eeeesh. I know I'm not a great meal planner, but the last few days have shown some serious needs for improvement in this area. For the last (little ish) while, I gave up planning ahead and decided that running through Taco Bueno or Chick-fil-A was going to have to do. Doing this every once in awhile is great - I am definitely not anti-fast food, but I want it to be the exception, not the rule. So I will be training myself to plan. (Yes, Ali, I will be taking any advice you have to offer, oh wise and thrifty meal planner extraordinaire...)

Growing up, my mom always said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. So that's what we're doing: Changing our habits. For 21 days, we are simplifying and refocusing and fasting. We are learning and hopefully these lessons will stick (ish - I'm not hoping to become crazy - just smart. And clean and strong :)
I guess really this all started because of reading Jen Hatmaker's book, 7. I love the way this book is written: She is not saying that everyone should do her "experiment", but she is encouraging people to look at their lives and see where they've missed the point or gotten off track. Basically her 7 experiment was to focus on a different area for each month of 7 months and fast and dig deep to the root of all of the excess. For example, during food month, she only ate 7 different foods; then in stress month, she paused 7 times each day to pray; during clothing month, she only wore 7 items of clothing and so on. The book is convicting and hilarious and absolutely not judgmental or pointing fingers. She admits we're all apart of the never ending cycle of more until we stop it. I so appreciate her take on all of this. So, when Abby asked if I wanted to simplify for a little bit, I easily said yes...
Today it's fine. Tomorrow maybe, maybe not :)
But there will be grace and encouragement along the way...

so it's been awhile...

i didn't think anyone was still checking this blog, but it turns out that someone is - my blog status page shows that one person checks each day - even after months of no blogging whatsoever. so for that faithful viewer (and for you others who received the email notification saying "COMING OUT OF THE WOODWORK IN HER (2nd) BLOG DEBUT, KATIE, THE GIRL WHO NEVER WRITES ANYMORE!" haha)...

so i have been wondering how to re-enter the blog world - do you address the long absence? do you need to write something that will change lives? do you ignore the fact that you haven't written publicly for 6 months? these are the questions and the problem is that i don't have answers. honestly i am not sure what happened. I had been so faithful - blogging about thanksgiving every day and then i missed a day and then one day turned into two and three and four and so on.... this type of things happens to me occasionally so i shouldn't be to terribly surprised...

"I am going to be a runner!" you announce to the world. so you train and run a half marathon and then a year goes by and looking back you can (shamefully and quite literally) don't need a full hand to count the number of times you ran...

"I am going to eat Paleo!" so confident, so sure... well maybe i'm going to eat Paleo on weekdays (weekends are so hard) but Friday counts as the weekend right? and my favorite day of the week is Thursday so my weekends sort of begin then. but Mondays are just so hard anyway so probably i shouldn't add to that stress. i mean is Paleo really worth it if i only eat it two days a week? probably not... hey Katie, do you want to go to Chuys? Mr. Chopsticks? Chick-fil-a? Roosters?..... why yes, yes i do.... i'm sorry Paleo who?

not that i don't ever stick to anything - i guess maybe it has to really matter to me. and i'm not saying this blog doesn't - but maybe that i forgot that it mattered? ya maybe that's it...

for the most part, i do consider myself a loyal person - for example i am incredibly faithful to (and defensive of) my family and friends. because honestly i have the best ones around. and when i look at the last several months, i am overwhelmed at how they have been there for me in difficult times and in times of celebration. one will call just to check in on like the worst day i've had in awhile. one will schedule a 2 hour phone date so we can (finally) hear what is going on with each other and then she'll ask questions that tell me she knows my heart and cares so deeply for me. one will help celebrate small victories (because she knows that for me, they are not small). one will cry over the phone because, even a couple hundred miles away, she simply knows. one will call to see if i'm going to Bible study and when i say no (for no good reason), she'll show up to pick me up. several will meet me for breakfast, lunch, happy hour, coffee, dinner, dessert, wine, or whatever works because we don't want life to pass by and us forget to know each other. they will sit with me on patios, in restaurants, at my apartment, at my mama's house, by the pool, in a coffee shop and they'll ask and then they'll listen. gosh. one thing i know for sure is that i am blessed by the people around me.

so what has been going on in the last several months? well in some ways it has seemed like the longest stretch of time there has ever been. and in other ways i feel like it absolutely flew. isn't time bizarre? 

well i moved, had a sweet family Christmas, went to California by myself (best trip ever - maybe more on that later, but i'm not making promises...), went to Abilene (a couple of times), went to Galveston, celebrated many birthdays, went to OKC, went to Canton, started my own business with Mary Kay (WHOA - talk about a whirlwind), celebrated my childhood best friend getting married, celebrated the first "four blonde" baby (and the second on the way EEEK!), applied for new jobs, found out about several babies on the way (please let ONE of them be a girl!!), celebrated engagements, studied the book of James with incredible women, joined a home group (who am I?), laughed a ton, cried a ton, drank more coffee than anyone should ever, read several books (goal for the year is to read a book a month and i'm happy to say i am well on my way :), listened to new music (thanks, Jenny!), caught up with blogs i love (one of which reminded me yesterday that the purpose of her blogging is to document life - like her own little scrapbook - thanks, Shay! - which is what this originally was for me anyway...) 

i will say that i am so happy that it is May :) warm weather in the afternoons and cool evenings is heavenly. i plan to spend the better part of this month outdoors - either on a patio or by the pool or walking around Canton (see you Saturday!) i have plans to spend time with good friends and am gearing up for summer which is my favorite time of year. (hello, Fourth of July!!! ...visions of fireworks dancing in my head.... yes, fireworks dance, okay?) so thanks for hanging in there with me and thanks to my incredible friends and family for just being there - sometimes "there" is all i need :)

happy May Day, team!

here's to new beginnings!

ps if you haven't heard, Starbucks is so excited about May, they are bringing back Frappy Hour! Half priced frappes from 3-5 on May 1-10! :) you are welcome.

remember

It's so easy to let our emotions get the best of us, isn't it? I mean sometimes I'm just walking along and out of nowhere (okay not exactly out of nowhere, but relatively unexpectedly), I am overcome with anxiety. My emotions just take off like a spaceship and suddenly I am soaring into another dimension. I know some of you are reading this and thinking that I must have some type of anxiety disorder or something and maybe you're right. Or maybe of we're honest, this happens to us sometimes. I just forget that my emotions can be deceiving and sometimes they tell me that everything is going to go wrong and nothing will turn out right and I believe them. Actually now that I think about it they might be right, but just coming from the wrong emotional state. Let me explain.
If my emotions tell me nothing is going to turn out the way I think it should (note: remind me to tell you later about the word "should"), they might be right, but is that a bad thing? Or is it just what it is? Maybe what I think is the right way or the best thing really isn't. Maybe there's actually someone orchestrating this whole deal and maybe (just maybe) it's not actually about me. Whoa. Revolutionary, I know. So when my emotions get the best of me, what do I need? Truth. I need truth. I need to know the promises of God so that in anxiety-ridden turmoil, I can remember what I already know - that I am loved, that God cares about me, that I have been redeemed, that this life is not the end of the story. And you know what emotion comes out of those truths? Yep. Gratitude. A great and overpowering sense of awe at the fact that I deserve nothing and yet have been given so much. A sense that, even when I am melting down because I don't trust the One who is in control, He is for me and my heart swells with thanksgiving. A long time ago I was given a daily devotional called "My Utmost for His Highest" (written by Oswald Chambers). I was told that this book would change my life and honestly, I read a few days, but wasn't really super into it. Every once in awhile I will pick it back up and read a day or two, but for the most part it sits on my dresser with a few other books holding up a vase and serves a merely aesthetic purpose. For some reason I spotted it today while I was putting on my makeup and decided to read today's devotional. Here's the first sentence:

We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus.

Insert the gritting teeth emoticon at the end of that sentence. Oh dear. After the meltdown that I had yesterday and the gentle reminder that I received last night that my emotions are not always telling me the truth, I read that sentence and knew that the fact that I spotted the book today was a gentle calling from my God to remember Him in truth and in love and in gratitude. Ann Voskamp would call this eucharisteo - to remember and give thanks. And isn't that the point? It is definitely my hope for my 21 Days of Thanksgiving.

to remember and give thanks

a thankful heart is a happy heart

Does anyone remember that Veggie Tales song??? You know Junior Asparagus is sitting with his mom and dad singing about an apple pie while that gigantic shopping mart is being built? I think it's from Madame Blueberry??? No? Just me then... Well that song has been stuck in my head for days.
...because a thankful heart is a happy heart. I'm glad for what I have. That's an easy way to start....
As a (former) die hard fan of Veggie Tales, I will defend it to the ground, although there are some odd lyrics to some of the songs - I mean get serious, Larry, everyone does not have a water buffalo and no matter what you say, I cannot believe that your lips got stuck in a gate, ever. I don't even think you have lips... Anyway I'm sure I had a point.... Oh yes.

I'm glad for what I have. That's an easy way to start.

Today, I truly am glad for what I have. And honestly, some days that's all I can muster up the strength to be thankful for. I have been given a roof over my head, food to eat, an incredible family, and friends who know love me no matter what. And that is definitely something to be thankful for. The interesting thing is that when I actually stop to consider what all I am thankful for, the gifts seem to just pour in - I guess I could probably chalk that up to lack of awareness on my part. Surely these things have always been there. Like that beautiful gigantic house across the neighborhood from us, or the guy working at Chick-fil-a who wished me a blessed day, or the bright red trees around Denton, or my parent's neighbors who have lived there longer than we have and apparently put their Christmas lights up every year on November 1 - each of these things - so simple and special could be missed if I'm not looking for gifts. And that's what they are: gifts. Things I have taken for granted, rather than truly appreciating the woman who doesn't want to waste a second after Halloween by not spreading holiday cheer. Simple gifts. They are overlooked, but not hidden. If we look for them, we will find them.

What gifts have you seen today?


PS Today is 11-12-13 in case anyone missed that :)

playing dress-up

When we were little, very little, my Granny gave us a trunk full of dress up clothes for Christmas and I guess that's where it began. We have video footage of my sisters and I strutting around in big hats and feathered boas and gloves up to our elbows. We giggled and oohed and ahhed as we pulled sparkly bright colored garments out of boxes. Keila wasn't even born yet so I couldn't have been 18 months old. And as we walked around, the adults in the room played up our glamorous ensembles by applauding and congratulating us on our beauty. And we (based on our response in the video) loved it. We knew we were cherished and loved so deeply - first by a thoughtful gift and then by trusted family members instilling in us this truth: You are beautiful to me.
I read this blog post this past week, which probably started this thought process but I was thinking about it today as we, yet again, were found with a few occasions to play dress up. Today I was able to spend a little time with some of my closest friends and family picking out the perfect outfit combinations - using some of their items and some of mine, we pieced together outfits that both reflected the person and made them feel beautiful. This kind of "work" brings me much joy. It forced me to pause and reflect on how thankful I am to be brought up in a family that cherished beauty and instilled in me a sense of confidence in my own beauty.
Growing up, we did fashion shows after ever shopping trip and we knew that my dad thought us to be the most beautiful girls in the world (second only to Mama - I mean who could blame him???).  And I am filled with great thankfulness for his love for me and the way that reflects the Fathers. I am also thankful for reasons to dress up and celebrate and be girly. This morning was a gift and I know this evening will be for each of us as well.

Here's to celebrating beauty!

making a list.. checking it twice...

wait that's the wrong holiday...
maybe what I mean to say is... is... are there Halloween songs? I feel like there should be but now I can't think of any... hmmm. well anyway.
I made a list last week on the blog and have had a fun and enlightening week of checking it off. (Literally I kept forgetting what was on the list so I checked it way more than twice...) And this blog post will complete it. I had fun completing all of the things, but I also realized some things along the way... The always funny thing about me is that I think I can fix me. I think that making a list or a change, getting my hair cut or my nails done, drinking more coffee or having a glass of wine, might change me, but I was / am / foreverwillbe mistaken. If I think that it is possible to add value or purpose to my life by making a small list, I've lost track of what I really need. This week was a completely broken and sweet reminder of that. I cannot change simply by adding things to my To Do list. I need a heart change. And that doesn't come from me. I used to wish it was that easy - that I could just do a couple of quick things and I'd be fine, but I know that if I could change myself - if something I did could add value to me, I would lose sight of something so much more important. And that is the fact that there is someone much more powerful than me, who created me, who loves me, and He alone not only says I am valuable, but he makes me valuable (when let's face it, I am the ultimate suck *Thank you 8th grade Bible study for that lesson*). And even though I don't always understand those things and I don't always feel like they are true, I know in the deepest parts of who I am that they most definitely are true. The Creator of the Universe called me and He can see better than anyone else how much of a mess I am and still he covers it - not because he doesn't know it's there, but because he loves me and knows that I could never be enough. Only Jesus is enough. And that reminder was so painful to get to this week, but I know it is true and I will make the effort to be faithful in the small things and try to trust that He is at work in me. It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true.

The cool part about a list like this is that, even though there were meltdown moments this week, there were also some really fun moments. Even though a list like this doesn't fix my circumstance or heart, most of these items caused me to slow down and take a deep breath and evaluate and enjoy life - and that was the point. So, make your own list and bravely check things off. Force yourself to take a step outside of yourself and actually see the world around you. I don't think you'll regret it...
I don't have pictures of everything on the list, but I did manage to snag a few:

Here is a picture of Scarecrow Treats. Got this recipe from here - It's Mix and Match Mama :) I have referenced Shay's blog before and truly she has become my go to for fun and simple treats. I did burn my finger on this one, but it healed nicely and I know these were a hit at my sister's Halloween party tonight :) I also made these Sweet and Salty Oreos (not pictured which is unfortunate because they turned out so pretty!) and they were super easy!!!

Here are a couple from the Dallas Arboretum. I am seriously considering becoming a member! It was so wonderful - despite the ridiculous traffic on 635 that made me want to die. Luckily I was in good company and we had wine with us so as soon as we found a spot to "set up camp" we opened a bottle of wine and it was smooth sailing from there!

LOOK AT THESE COLORS!!!! (photo cred to Deb :)

This is my current background on my work computer, which just makes me happy :)

Pumpkin carving was an adventure too... I tend to be a little ambitious when it comes to pumpkin carving... but I usually have a stencil. This time not so much. I just drew it on the pumpkin and started carving. There were panic moments along the way, but overall we were so pleased with all of the pumpkins!

Then last night I had a relaxing hour or so to walk around the children's department of Barnes and Noble. I love that place. It is happy :) The first book I read, I just fell in love with...
Here it is pictured... It's called "The I'm Not Scared Book." I figured I would like it just based on the title alone. And it did not disappoint.
The last page was my favorite:
Sometimes we are scared of things because we don't understand them.
When you are afraid, tell someone why and maybe you won't be scared anymore. The End. Love, Todd
How true and such a good reminder, especially for me :)


And then I got to end my evening with a cup of decaf pumpkin spice - it was glorious, as Ali would say. I want to be clear that even though this list was great and honestly fun to complete, it is not what fulfills me. The list does not complete any part of me and there were still rough moments of this week, as I imagine there always will be... But I am so glad I did it. Sometimes it is so nice to take a step back and re-evaluate and do things that you know are good for you. Like drink coffee and read children's books. Simple. Precious. Life.

PS

the longest month of my life

I was thinking yesterday that this has got to be the longest month ever! October seems to be neverending, which normally would be okay with me. I love fall weather and pumpkin everything. But for some reason this year I am having a hard time getting into the fall spirit. Maybe it's because the pumpkin spice latte came out in August this year (curse you, Starbucks!) :( :( :( okay I take it back. I know better than that. Never, ever curse Starbucks... But seriously something weird is happening this October and it seems to be the month that goes on and on and on and on and on and on... Today I woke up and much to my despair realized there is still A WHOLE NOTHER week left in this blessed month. I started out being super frustrated with this discovery, but realize there's nothing I can do about it so the only other option was to figure out a way to enjoy it. And I want to really enjoy it because I know myself and about the time it's over, I am going to be wishing for October again. Oh my restless heart. 

So since I want to really live it up this October, I am making an "end of October bucket list" You may recall my recent victories with short term goals. Well, this will be similar to short term goal setting, but better :) I am so excited to present to you my last week bucket list. 

Katie's Plan to Celebrate October

1. Make fun Halloween Treats

2. Drink a pumpkin spice latte in a "for here" mug

3. Go to the Arboretum

4. Make butternut squash soup

5. Be outside for a consecutive 15 minutes (at least) everyday

6. Watch You've Got Mail (most likely with Keila)

7. Carve a pumpkin

8. Watch Football
9. Write 2 blog posts

10. Enjoy pre-daylight savings time with a glass of wine on a patio.
11. Spend some time in the children's book section of Barnes and Noble.

So next week, I will update you on my progress with this list as I celebrate the last week of this ridiculously long month. Don't forget to celebrate the end of October this year! Chances are, you will be a completely new person by the time it comes around again :)



so you think to yourself...

if I run a half marathon, then I will be a runner.
So you train
from January til April, increasing mileage weekly but never looking ahead to what the next week might hold. On Sunday of week 4, you know that if you run 5 miles, you will call it a miracle, but you can't possibly think ahead to the coming weeks when you will run 7, then someday 9 - all leading up to the big day, when you will run more than double that measly little run of week 4. Week 4 is tough. Many of your longer run days feel like make it or break it days, but for some reason week 4 is a deciding factor. But you make it through and you settle into your "easy" three mile run on the first day of week 5 trying not to acknowledge that there is no turning back now. And you are scarily aware that three miles has become an easy run. In these moments pride mixes with anxiety and knowing that you will burst if you linger for one moment longer on the truth that there are many, many more miles to come, you concentrate instead on each step. Just one foot in front of the other. Simple. Methodic. Rhythmic. And pace after pace your stress eases.

Then suddenly its 9 mile day. You are painfully aware that you have not completed all of the miles you should have logged by now, but you remind yourself that you are in charge - that you decide what your legs will do and even though breathing is not always at it's best, you pray for deep breaths and little anxiety and you prepare. You eat the right thing and you drink the right amount of water and you give yourself an out by saying that if you need to walk, you can walk. And then it's just you, on the road, running first your three mile loop (easy) and then your four mile loop (harder, but done). So you've run 7 and now 2 doesn't seem bad at all. So you keep going. Your app tells you that you've hit 8.5 and you want to stop, but you don't - partly because you want Sonja Richards Ross to congratulate you and partly because at this point half a mile is a cake walk. And you complete it. You thank Tegan and Sara for their distracting new album and you tell yourself that now you know you can do it because you ran 9. And after 9 you would only have to do an easy three mile and then a one mile and then .1 and you can hardly believe it.
Despite the fact that in the last few months, you have dealt with sore muscles, breathing struggles, black outs, inclement weather (including rain, sleet, and below freezing temperatures), negativity, and that pesky voice in your head asking you what in the world you are doing, you are somehow proud... and glad. And now you feel like a runner. The next four weeks of training fly by in a blur as you have taken even further steps to be prepared. You quit drinking Dr. Pepper and you realize you are sleeping better than usual. You feel great - maybe better than you have ever felt. And on race day, you have a blast - more on race day later. It was an incredible experience!

So you would think that after that (and maybe a week or so of rest), you would keep it up - at least so that three miles can still be considered easy. But summer happens and it's hot. And there's not an end goal and you have a million excuses, but really it's mostly laziness. So maybe it didn't work for you. Maybe you're not a runner afterall, even though you have a sticker on your car proudly broadcasting the 13.1....
Then there's a day like today. The weather is so perfect, it feels like it would be wrong to not run. In your head you know that three miles used to be easy, but your body does not remember that time. So you barely survive two, but that's okay. A year ago, you would have said that beautiful days like today are for sitting outside and reading or laying out a blanket and napping on the grass, but today you went outside and could only think of one thing... And excited you grab your tennis shoes. Oh no. It happened. And you decide maybe, just maybe it did work for you. Maybe, just maybe you became a runner.

Days like today are meant for one thing....
I promise you if I can do it, you could too :)

sisters make everything better

Today I became completely aware of how much I was craving Fall. I mean don't get me wrong, I love Summer. I am a Texas girl through and through so late Winter and into Spring, I start counting down the days until I will get in my car and it be so hot, I immediately have goosebumps and can barely breathe. You may think I'm kidding, but I honestly love it. I love how freezing the AC gets and I love walking outside to let the sunshine heat my skin. I love swimming and laying out and reading. I love how long Summer days are and I love cooking out. Oh and my birthday and the 4th of July fall in the summertime. It's just an all around great time of year. The clock slows down and there is much less hustle and bustle. However, when school starts and August becomes almost unbearably hot, I start to dream of scarves and boots and pumpkin spice lattes and today was one of those days. I feel like I have really lived it up this Summer - Rangers games and fireworks, and a couple of trips to the beach, but today I realized I'm over it and so ready for the season to change. I'm ready for football and cold wind and snuggling in on my sister's couch with a hot cup of coffee. I crave the day that I will be engulfed in one of her large chairs, surrounded by reds, oranges and rich browns that just heighten the beauty of her already gorgeous house. Growing up we used to use the term "homesick" to help us define what we were feeling so if we missed home, obviously we were homesick, but if we just missed Mama, then we were "Mama-sick" and if we missed Christmas, we were "Christmas-sick" - you get the idea. So today, I am Fall-sick. On the way to work, I came to this realization, after leaving my sister's house where I had all of the perks of Fall, without the cool weather outside, which honestly means I may as well have had none of it. And I heard on the radio that tomorrow the temperatures will be back up into the hundreds. *sigh* looks like I wont be seeing the weather I am so desiring just yet, but as I sat at my sister's this morning, I was sure it was coming. I could almost taste the pumpkin bread and smell the cinnamon. Fall is coming. It is. It is. It is.
Until it does, I am hiding my scarves and boots from myself because I may just throw them on thinking I can handle it and then die from heat exhaustion. My sister's idea was to go through my closet and find my favorite Summer clothes - the ones I really miss during the Winter and can't wait to get out again as soon as the temperature hits 75. And only wear those this week. Now that is what I call good advice. So here's to the end of Summer and Fall on the horizon and sisters that provide a safe space during all months of the year.

what the what?!

July 31... THIRTY FIRST! Is that a joke? I mean weren't we just settling in to Summer and celebrating my favorite holiday (the Fourth :) and starting to plan pool parties? How did this happen? July was completely nuts as usual and it sort of feels like a blur. I am not ready to say goodbye to it yet so I thought I would re-live some of the greatness that was this month...

The month started off with me having a nice short week and looonnnnggg weekend for the fourth.

On July 2, I went to a Rangers game with some great friends. We had awesome seats and ended up being on TV! It was epic :) And it happened to be free fedora night! So we each got to take home a fancy Texas Rangers fedora... LOVE! :)
Then my family hung out by the pool and cooked hamburgers and had a classic July 4th. We climbed on my parent's roof to get a small glimpse at fireworks in the area and stayed up late talking and enjoying the beautiful (not too hot) weather.

Later that weekend we had family date night at the movies and went to see Monsters University (so cute!) My sweet nephew (who's car seat can just barely be seen behind my dad's head...) even wore monster pjs and was so calm and quiet for his first movie theater experience! At just 7 months old, he did great - we were super impressed :)

The next week, two of my sisters and I left for an adventure week in Guatemala! Becoming a "guategirl" was definitely a highlight of my July. We explored the city of Antigua, climbed a volcano, spent a few nights at an avocado farm, and one night at a fancy hotel in the city. Overall it was an incredible experience. We caught up and read and rested and laughed and fought and played. Everyone should go there at some point. You won't regret it!

Then my birthday week began with a roadtrip to Galveston with my two best friends! Spending time at this beach house is always a favorite part of the summer. We fished and read and relaxed. The group consisted of four guys, my best friend (Amanda), and me. Amanda and I acted like the "dorm moms" and cooked the meals for the weekend - with help from her amazing hubby! It is so fun to play house like that :) And I never regret taking a road trip with those two. Amanda and her husband each picked the most incredible people to marry and I am so blessed to call them my best friends!



And then BIRTHDAY WEEK BEGAN! There were so many surprises along the way. On Monday night at our weekly bachelorette party, Amanda brought ice cream treats for everyone. On Tuesday night, Amanda and Will cooked dinner for me and then took me to see Despicable Me 2 (because they know I love to go to the movies on a weeknight :) On Wednesday, my roommate and I celebrated National Tequila Day and had Mexican food for dinner. On Thursday (actual birthday), my roommates woke me up in the morning with Starbucks and a Kolache (YUM!). Later, my Dad, Mom, sisters, nephew and Amanda went to lunch and then my friends took me for sushi and a girls night out! On Friday we layed out by the pool all day and then had family dinner that night. On Saturday we layed out again all day and had a golden birthday party that night. All my friends came to celebrate and everything was decorated in gold :) It was a nuts-o week but so so so much fun! Click here to read about some of the awesome gifts I got!

   

Pretty much my July was incredible. Precious time spent with my sisters, my sweet sweet nephew, my mama and dad and my great friends. This is how July is supposed to be. And although I'm sad for it to be over, I am so happy at the way it went. Here's hoping August brings as much joy and celebration!
Hope your July was a time to be treasured as well :)