Life lately...

Though August brings the end of summer, there has been lots of good memories this month....

I love Rodeo, that is no secret. One of my favorite things in a hometown rodeo is the bucking horses showing off in the arena. I got to attend the Top o Texas Rodeo this year, and at the end of the night they turned out their horses for a free run through the arena. I grew up riding horses and I love the athleticism of a horse, from show ring to race track to rodeo arena.

My birthday was this month and my friends have blessed me so much! They are so gracious with sweet and thoughtful gifts and I have loved the gift of time with so many people from so many seasons of life this month. 

My Dad is a sweet gift giver. He always has something picked out for Mom and me (we share a birthday) and this year he had to make a little day trip on our birthday, but made a special stop while he was gone for a box of candies. This year I spent my actual birthday at home, with my Mom and Dad and my sweet nephew + nieces. It was a simple day, I think we even had PB&J for lunch, but it was again a gift of time and that to me is priceless.

Birthday week extended this year from almost a week before my actual day to a week after and this little cupcake plus a night out with work friends was pretty sweet!

The last Friday of summer I spent mostly by myself. Anyone who works in education knows, there's not much time to yourself, a lot of days all of your words are used up during the school day and the days can be draining. I spent the morning of my last day at a new coffee shop...a vanilla latte, lemon cranberry muffin (yum!), my Bible Study (Seamless by Angie Smith) and a little blogging for Start Marriage Right was such a good way to finish up my summer break. 

  

I have long wanted a Kendra Scott Rayne necklace, but couldn't see the $80 price tag and when I found out you get a piece 50% off in your birthday month, I waited until August to finally take the plunge. I went with a bestie to the store, I had in mind the color I wanted, but they didn't have that color. Boo. So, began the process at the color bar and I picked out a pyrite stone, the friendly girl put it all together for me, I checked out with my "final sale" custom color bar piece and went on my way. Until the next day when I looked at it and I didn't love it. Sigh. So many choices, I think I was overwhelmed (who knew!?) and didn't love what I ended up with. So, I went back, plead my case, and another friendly girl switched  me out to Rose Quartz and I. Love. It! She {my Rayne necklace} made her first appearance out last week.

One of my dear college besties lost her Grandma on my birthday to Alzheimer's disease. She also lost her Dad in December and this was his Mother. My sweet friend wrote and delivered the eulogy for her Grandma. She talked about the trains coming through their small town and her Grandma would always say "that was her bread and butter" because her husband worked for the railroad. She'd lived 30 years since he passed and still into recent years spoke of the "bread and butter".  As we gathered outside where she was laid to rest by him, a train came by, blowing it's horn through the small town they lived all of their lives. That train reminded me, again, that God is faithful. If we are looking for him, he is there, in every detail. 

This summer has been simple. Nothing grand, but filled with family and friends. I was out to watch the Texans pre-season and these koozies were being passed out.  "Whatever" has long been my word, and #upforwhatever on this koozie pretty much sums me up. My bucket list: up for whatever.

And, finally, it was the final day before I went back to work and I crossed a couple of projects that had been on my list all. summer. long. off the to-do list!  Who wants to clean-out the file cabinet or iron the clothes in the laundry basket?! However, I was glad to have those crossed off, even if I started them at 5pm on Sunday night before I went back to work on Monday. I felt like I finished the summer well and now it's back to routine!

Blessings,