Little did she know...

a year ago i was excited to the point of no sleep, checking off endless mental lists, second guessing packing, wondering what in the world i had gotten myself into, so stoked to be getting on a plane to Joburg.  nothing i had read or watched or asked about could prepare me for the exchange of Google maps for tangible streets. i spent some exciting days at SIM headquarters in Charlotte, NC getting debriefed and prayed for and encouraged and cautioned and discipled in preparation for leaving the US and being immersed in a different culture halfway across the world. i was about to leave the country and the people that i knew best for a whole different way of life. at the start, three months seemed like a forever long period of time. however, by the last week of craziness in the life that i had adapted to, three months seemed like i had blinked and suddenly it was over. nothing had prepared me for coming. nothing could prepare me for leaving. it was one of the hardest weeks of ...

somehow, i still get astonished at leaves changing color. people in school. cool mornings. pumpkin spice lattes. how can it be that summer is actually over? yet the reality that september itself is practically over keeps slapping me in the face. ready or not, here comes fall! summer was a crazy blur. one of my friends laughed at me for saying "i have been busy. but i am not entirely sure what all i have been doing." it's been road trips and weddings and flights and reunions and family and friends and routine and swapping work schedules and building relationships and quality time with teenagers and camping and hikes and goodbyes. it's been good. but crazy. if someone were to ask me what my definition of summer is it would sound a little like this: it's nights still too warm. a breeze on my bare arms. river wading. stars, lots of stars. it's the sway of the hammock and reading by christmas lights on the back patio. it's long walks and talk...

Do you ever find yourself taking a step back from the moment and saying "wow, i just really love this!"? That happens to me more often than not, and last week was no exception. I was privileged to spend [almost] the entire week with two different youth groups. We did a lot of outdoor lovin'. Hikes. Grilling. Camping. We also did a lot of learning and talking. We serve an awesome God who loves us in a crazy way.  I have known for quite a while now that spending time with kids is one of my favorite things to do, but this week was just a big reminder of how much i LOVE it. Probably in part because I am secretly rebelling on the inside against being a responsible adult. :) 

So I don't know if this happens to you, but I get on pinterest and pin all these great ideas and feel all inspired, but most of the DIY and projects I pin, I probably will never complete. BUT. there have been multiple little ideas that I have implemented into the apartment and such. Here's my most recent project. Which is still a work in progress. But I am pretty pleased with it so far :)  I had a frame that I took the canvas off of in order to mail the painting, and it looked like it would be good for something, so I have probably kept it around for over a year now.First step was to sand it down and stain it with coffee. The coffee didn't actually stain it as dark as I imagined that it would, but it still gave it some nice color. Second step was to decide whether I wanted it for a frame for pictures or to implement it for something else. I decided on the something else and took some old  dresser drawer knobs and screwed them into the top.  ...

Bates boots for work. I have a thing for high tops.  Keens. green Keens. brand new at goodwill. amen. my new friends. I can't wait to see what adventures we will have. and no. i did not make them out of my old prison uniform. ha.

this boy. and his boots. we're both middle children, so I am pretty sure that makes us equally awesome. he's the best for cuddling. and laughs.

this summer is already almost over, and I am not sure where all the time went! it's been a beautiful time of warm nights and lake days and hiking and camping and grilled food and work good times and a lot of bonding with the road and various sunrises/sunsets. the brasil brother has been back for almost a year which means that in a month, he heads back with his little family. i can't even say how awesome it's been to know they are accessible to sms or call or see. great times to renew and build on those relationships. here's a little bit of summer according to my phone. ok, so maybe it's a lot bit. bear with me. baby sitting adorable children road trip numba one to KC to visit some graduating peeps suuuushiii!  hanging with the niecephews in the sand hills [and their rooster]   lots of quality time on the road full moon, plus the ambulance. good times the broski's graduated and we had reunions lake, lake, lake in...