First Day of School

We had our first day of school last week! I wanted to start a little earlier this year so we can have a longer break at Christmas. 

Our school mascot was in on the action, too!! I can't believe that I have a 5th and 7th grader. 

Every year, I like to set the table with a few goodies. This year, I had Squishmallow notebooks, new folders, stickers, and crayons. Always crayons!

I also made the girls a back-to-school cake. It was loaded with sprinkles. We waited until Josh got home to dig in. :)

We also watched Andy Griffith. It was the episode where Andy gives a history lesson to Opie and a bunch of his buddies. It was the perfect kick off to our year.

Most of all, I hope these will be sweet memories for my girls. I hope they know how much they mean to us and that they are so very loved.

Summer Days

 

We met friends the other night at the local water park and stayed until closing. I snapped a picture because the sunset was so pretty. Also, the late evening time is my favorite time to go. It's very slow and not a lot of people. 

I've been squeezing as much reading time as possible over the last couple of weeks. I zipped through the book "Casters and Crowns" in about two days. It's a Sleeping Beauty retelling and it had me captivated! 

I have been slowly going through photos and putting together photo albums. With real prints. I realized that the digital age, while convenient, is robbing us of some sweet pastimes. There's something about curling up with photos and reminiscing with loved ones.

I'm thankful for my little garden, and the ability to make sweet flower arrangement for our home.

Happy Saturday!! How was your week?

A Few Things Bringing Joy This Week

Drinking coffee outside <3 

Admiring all the double blooms this year! 

Watching my girls embrace their talents. 

What things are bringing you joy this week?

Happy Friday!

~Heather

Books & Coffee

This has been a wonderful summer for my reading life. I've read a lot of five star books lately, so I wanted to share those.

 Maria, based on the life of Maria Von Trapp, ended up being one of my favorite reads of all time. Her life was both incredible, sad, miraculous, and intense! Some of her mothering choices were not for me, but at the same time, I know it was born out of pure survival as they lived during such a scary time.

I enjoy a good family saga once in a while. This one kept me guessing and had a sweet (not so perfect) ending. 

I also fell in love with the Iced Oreo Cloud Lattes at Dunkin this summer. I order mine half sweet, and it was perfect. I am a sucker for ANYTHING with Oreos. Just ask my family! 

I also tackled reading the back log of Beth Brower, one of my favorite authors. She has quite the variety of writing style, so it was an accomplishment for me.

I have more books to share, but that’s all today. I’d love to hear what you are reading. Happy Thursday!!💙

 

My Garden 2026

 

This year, I planted a variety of Zinnia's (State Flower, Double blooms and Stripes), Sunflower (American and Russian), Cosmos (they didn't bloom), Purple Basil, and Tomatoes. I also found a porch goose at Wal-Mart and had to bring her home. Her name is Mary Poppins. 

A Little Life Lately

 

My girls are growing like weeds! Evie is in that sweet pre-teen stage and has grown up so much lately. She also got braces last month! Ella has one foot secure in childhood, and one foot in-between as well. She still carries her bunny, Blueberry, just about everywhere she goes. I think my heart will break when she stops.

We enjoyed a laid-back 4th of July. On the 3rd, we went for a drive, took a few pictures, ate ice cream, and came back to the house to watch our neighbor's fireworks display. On the actual 4th, we went to the lake to watch fireworks with my family!

I have never been a summer girl mainly because the weather here can be so intense! For example, today we will have a heat index of 117. To combat the summer anxiety, I spend a lot of time gardening. We are all fanatic birders, and my husband hung up feeders for us to enjoy more bird sightings. 

I may be well into my 40's now, but my nerdy side is still very much well and alive. I love collecting books, and decorating my bookshelves. The girls have fun helping me pick out Funko pops for my shelves!

Our family has been participating in a local coffee crawl. We have until September to hit up all the local coffee shops in our area. Last week, I had an iced Oatmeal Cream Pie Latte (half sweet) and it was perfect. I also loved the cute cups!

I've been trying to slow down and watch the sunsets whenever I can. Even if it means, pausing on the side of the road to get a good picture. ;)

Most of my days are spent baking, cleaning, and laundry. May I never forget how blessed we are. <3

Homeschool Days

School days. <3

Big Cedar Getaway

Last weekend, Josh and I got to go on an overnight getaway to Big Cedar Lodge. We grabbed iced Matcha on our way out of town and stopped at one of our favorite restaurants. 

It was chilly, but we still enjoyed walking around the grounds, taking pictures of the sunset, and just having a little downtime. We had breakfast at the local coffee shop. They have amazing quiche. We also spent some time at the arcade by ourselves! Sorry kids.😆

It was so nice to getaway and recharge. :-)

Solar Eclipse Fun

We live in the path of totality, so we decided to make it a family day! Josh took off work and we planned a few fun activities with the girls. Namely, space rocket legos, moon pie snacks, and going for a an evening hike after dinner.

The Solar Eclipse glasses were pretty cool! ;)

Our dog even got in on the action.

The feeling of being in the middle of day and suddenly welcoming night time...and listening to all the birds singing. It was just incredible!

I'm thankful for these sweet memories with my fam!! :)
 

Sweet Little Things

I’m thankful for every second that I get to spend with these two munchkins. 

I found this gem at a flea market recently. 💙💙💙

We’ve been going for walks in the early morning hours. It’s such a nice way to start the day.

I had my first Pumpkin spice coffee!