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