September 26, 2013

Summer Bucket List recap

Well, I did not to as well as I had hoped, but Summer came and went so quickly I didn't even realize it was over until the Pumpkin Spice Latte was out and people were saying "Happy Fall!"

What?

So here's my Bucket List recap, and I'll do one for Fall....maybe....and try to complete some of the things I didn't get around to on this one! :)

finish five books by only reading them outside   
way more than five!

make homemade donuts
yes, and they weren't that great but I made them!

eat fruit every day 
kind of? I didn't make it a priority in my mind, therefore I don't know if I had it every single day, but close to it!

start running (again-ish)
haha 

catch a jar full of lightening bugs with Jace and Jackson
We caught lightening bugs, but they didn't want to put them in a jar because they can't breathe ;)

have friends over for a cookout and games
coming this fall :) 

buy a bike
nope, I couldn't justify it right now

go camping 
sad face

buy colorful tennis shoes
once again, couldn't justify it. I bought a pair of Sperry's though, so that counts for something! ;)

journal every night
I did this for about a week, but then I began choosing to read instead of write.

blog once a week
I crossed this one out because I sort of did this. Not every single week, but most weeks! ...right?

complete a DIY 
yes!

play whiffle ball and win
didn't even play.

take the boys to the park
Nope. :(

go on a picnic at Defeated
Um, kind of?
 
go to the zoo
I wish! I love the zoo!

Go to Belmont Mansion or Bel Meade Plantation
Went to both!

decorate my corner of the office
Yup! Still have a little ways to go, but it's getting there! Pictures soon. :)

get some hydrangeas
By the time I got around to it no one had any.

help clean up the pool area
Yep! It looks good, too! (Although I only did about 3% of the actual work.)

make a dress with my mom
No. I have enough dresses.

Kelley, do better next time!

September 11, 2013

Today is September the Eleventh

September 11.

9/11.

You wrote it on your school paper this morning, or you dated a check. You glanced at the calendar as you planned your day, and you stopped. And you remembered.

Twelve years ago on this day, where were you? I'm guessing that if you were older that six or seven when it happened, you remember. I was eight, and I remember. Vaguely, but it's there.

I was at home with my older brother doing school and my mom was out running errands. She came in and had heard it on the radio on the drive home. We didn't have a television, so we went down the road to the golf course. We sat at a round table in the club house and watched the planes crashing into the Twin Towers. We watched it over and over and over. Disbelief? Yes. Fear? Yes.

A third plane crashed into the Pentagon. More lives were taken. And America wept. America was stunned. America was afraid.

In one day, nearly 3,000 people were killed within the borders of the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our nation began to pray.

Fast forward twelve years. When you open your computer and go to Google, you will see the black ribbon reminding you of what today is. The YouTube homepage may be featuring tribute videos to 9/11. You might even watch the live coverage of the memorial services at Ground Zero and the Pentagon. Bloggers, just like I am, will be writing about it, video bloggers will talk about it, and everyone you follow on Pinterest will pin an inspirational quote or something about never forgetting, all of your social media sites will be reminding you - today is September the eleventh.

And you needed the reminder. Because we don't think about it every day. We don't dwell on that dark day in our history. Not even a year ago was the shooting in Newtown, less than six months ago was the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Terrorists forced their way into our country and killed our people. And we can't even think about the shooter.

But the people who lost loved ones? The families who are missing one of their members? They haven't forgotten for one day. Every morning they wake up and they remember. They can't forget it. Their losses won't let them.

Those were our losses, too. Not as personal, but our losses just the same. 

So today, don't just be another person who shares an inspirational quote, another person who cries a little and says, "Oh, it was so sad!" Another person who scratches the surface of sympathy. Pray for those families who are still hurting. Keep them in your prayers, and not just today. As many days as you remember.

And do something about it. Tell the people in your life what they mean to you. Say it now. Don't wait until you're in an airplane that's about to crash and you have to make a frantic, panicky phone call because you never once said "Mom, I love you." Say it NOW. Don't wait. 

"I love you. I don't ever want to live without you in my world. You changed my life." Say it.
 
"I love you. Thank you for molding me into the person I am today. You are everything to me." Say it.

Take a moment and look around. Love your life. Love the people in your life, and tell them. Did you say it? Because it could all be gone tomorrow.

Today is September 11, and we will never forget.


September 5, 2013

calm before the storm ♥ august recap

Oh August, how kind to us you were. Cooler temps, a few rainy days, and a week or two with nothing to do but the normal. Rest before the crazy month of September attacked us with a roar!

August 1 we spent the evening at our county fair. Our church had a booth where we witnessed to people as they passed, and I believe the final count was 6 saved. What a blessing! Some of us teens/young adults went one night and ate fair food, walked the midway, ate funnel cakes and fried Oreos, free Popsicles, and rode 1 ride.


August 2 Jacob and Christine took the two older boys to the fair and we got to keep Tanner. It's rare that we have just one boy at a time, so it was a lot of fun and Tanner really enjoyed being the center of our attention.


August 4 they drove Amie and Leah up to Indianapolis and dropped them off for three weeks so they could attend Noteworthy, a music school at Verity Institute.


August 11 we had a farewell fellowship at our church to send off a family who has been with us since the beginning, but they have recently retired and are moving to VA to be near their parents.

CBC Charter Members


August 14 was my mom's 53rd birthday. I made a copycat recipe of Longhorn Steakhouse's Parmesan chicken, Outback's ranch dressing recipe for the salad, we cut up my mom's homemade bread, and Christine brought seasoned oven fries. For dessert she wanted ice cream, so we had 4 different flavors. 


August 20 my mom and I went to Belmont Mansion and Bel Meade Plantation. I loved it SO much and would go back right now if I could. We're planning to go sometime this Fall with my dad and Amie, and then when Faith gets back we're going to go for Christmas. It's beautiful.


August 23 we went to Amie's concert and brought her home. They sang a song she had written for one of her assignments, a Bible verse she put to music.


And except for a few other piddly things, that was our August. Relaxing and slow. We just finished our annual Labor Day meeting at church. Bro. Travis Alltop preached and did an amazing job. It was a wonderful meeting, and I wish it was still going on! Tonight we have a wedding rehearsal for Tom and Hannah, Amie's really good friend. The wedding is tomorrow night, and Saturday we have a cookout at my grandmas house. Next week we'll have 4 house guests for about 5 days, and then after that one week until our family vacation. September is full, but it's full of fun!

I hope everyone had a great August and is sliding into September and the upcoming new season very well! Thank you so much for reading. :)