Currently...

Listening... to music from my playlist for pilates class tonight at First Baptist.  It’s my first time teaching all by myself (Eeek!)  Playlist is lots of praise and worship music…. Anyone else like to workout to praise and worship?  I find it so motivating…. Luckily our class is at a church, therefore praise and worship music is encouraged. 

Eating... trying to stop myself from eating the entire container of triple ginger snaps from Trader Joe’s.  We visited the new store in Columbia, FINALLY, and I even visited it twice the same day because I just NEEDED to introduce Ryan to the cheap but yummy coffee there.  Are you married to a coffee snob?  Check out Trader Joe’s.  It will change your life (or at least your coffee budget).

Drinking... Always lots of water and daily diet coke.  For a quick second last week I quit drinking my morning diet coke cause I thought it was making my face twitch.  Not so much.  So… back on the sauce.

Reading.... nothing! Need to go to the library!  Just read Get Lucky by Katherine Center for book club that I hosted at my house, and next month we are reading Where’d You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple, but I already read it while I was at the beach!  So… recommendations are welcome…

Wearing... Seersucker! Only a few weeks left and I just got a new-to-me hand-me-down skirt from my sister.  Planning to literally wear this sucker out until Labor day!  Also, got blue paint on my white capris, so those are out.  L

Feeling... Anxious about teaching my first Pilates class tonight.  Mainly because the other instructors are out (hence, why I’m teaching) so I don’t have any backup.  Luckily, got a class full of experienced Pilates ladies.  P.S. Natalie, feel better fast!

Weather... Surprisingly cool for August.  Wondering if this summer has been some sort of cruel joke that is gonna lead into a bitterly cold winter.  I hate cold weather, but I am soaking up these 70 and 80 degree August days.  Seriously.  NEVER BEFORE has this happened in my lifetime.  What a relief from the usual 100+ degree summers we have here.

Thinking... the next 2 weeks are gonna fly by and then it’s officially FOOTBALL SEASON and the unofficial start of FALL!  Thinking I absolutely love fall and I’m really looking especially forward to it this year.

Enjoying... morning walks with my pup and listening to my daily Bible reading on my phone.  230 days out of 365 are done.  This is the furthest I’ve ever made it in a Bible-in-A-Year plan and I am super stoked that it looks like I will actually finish it this year.  So encouraging and one of the best things I’ve done, hands down, ever.  Looking forward to figuring out exactly how I want to dig deeper into the word in 2014. I know, crazy, but not that far away.

Catching up...

A whirlwind of a month and a half has passed by since I posted here.  So many things have happened, but I’ll try and get back in the swing with the beginning of August in just a couple of days! Wish I had some more pictures to go along with this post, but just don't want to forget what we did this summer, so here it is in lots of words!

During June, we spent an afternoon kayaking with friends down our local river, which then inspired us to purchase our own kayaks.  However, since we bought them, it has rained for a month in a row so the river has been too high.  I’m hoping we’ll get to use them much more in August and September!

We also spent a few days at the beach and wrapped up the month of June celebrating my niece’s Baptism and my nephew’s 3^rd birthday.  Where does the time go??

For 4^th of July, we spent time on one side of the lake with family in the morning and then headed to the other side of the lake for a cookout and fireworks with friends.  I was reminded how AWFUL it is to work the day after a late-night holiday.  They should give everyone the 5^th of July off, too!

July has nearly completely passed me by without even a mention that my husband got to start a new job!  There is a lot of new information to learn and a whole new schedule to adjust to, but so far he is enjoying it.  He’s had to go out of town twice for training, and I spent a week at the beach, so we’ve been missing each other a lot. 

Finally, this past weekend, I attended my Pilates certification course and passed the test to become a Pilates Mat Instructor.  After 4&1/2 years of practicing Pilates, this has been a goal of mine for a while, and I’m excited to see what my future as an instructor holds. 

And… since we’ve been so busy, my sweet husband was sweet enough to plan out a menu for our week, so here it is!  Our weekly menu for the week ahead…

7.29.13 – California Turkey Burgers, Guacamole & Chips

7.30.13 – Leftovers

7.31.13 – Thai Chicken Bites & Rice

8.1.13 – Bacon, Avocado, Tomato Sandwiches

8.2.13 – Headed to Greenville for the night to see our friends & enjoy some baseball and other fun!

8.3.13 – Homemade Pizza or Calzones

Oh, and as always, we’ve been spending plenty of time with this guy, who apparently thinks this is his bed....

June 15 Weekly Menu

The heat of summer truly hit us last week and so I'm aiming for lots of summer crockpot meals so I don't have to sweat too much in the kitchen!  I especially love making any sort of shredded meat for tacos in the summer.  Who am I kidding?  I love tacos year-round, but the veggies are fresh in the summer so that makes it a pretty inexpensive meal, too!

6.15.13 - Leftovers
6.16.13 - Fathers Day Plans TBD
6.17.13 - Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (never made last week)
6.18.13 - Leftovers
6.19.13 - Grill out
6.20.13 - Shredded Beef or Pork Tacos in Crockpot
6.21.13 - Dinner Out

June 8 Weekly Menu

6.8.13 – Grilling Burgers, Brats  and Corn on the Cob, Making this Tomato & Blue Cheese Deliciousness

6.9.13 – Leftovers

6.10.13 – Hosting a Premier Jewelry Party, Making Baked Brie and Slutty Brownies for Snacks

6.11.13 – Making Spicy Sausage Pasta

6.12.13 – Leftovers

6.13.13 – JWC Happy Hour & Dinner at Liberty

6.14.13 – Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

TGIF

Thank goodness it’s FRIDAY! Seriously, this may have been one of the longest weeks EVER.

TGIF because as of this morning, I have now taken 3 completely rain soaked walks with our dog.  Hooray for rain, not hooray for Tropical storms that dump it on us nearly 24 hours/day.  I love the rain that shows up over night and makes my grass green, I do not like the ALL DAY SEVERAL DAYS IN ROW RAIN!  So, thank goodness for the rain that is supposed to move out of here tomorrow!

TGIF because we’re having girls night tonight… making Baked Brie in puff pastry with brown sugar…. Cannot wait to devour it.  And of course some wine.  Thank goodness for Wine & Cheese.

TGIF because tomorrow is Saturday and I’m going RUNNING!  You might not know I’ve been battling a leg/hamstring/glute (unknown) injury that made running pretty difficult for me during April, so I’ve pretty much taken the whole month of May off, only to figure out, it’s probably Pilates that killed my leg, not the running afterall.  So thank goodness for getting out some of this crazy pent up energy!

TGIF because it’s the weekend and we are gonna be doing yard work and cleaning and grilling and running and napping and churching and all the great things there are to do on a weekend.  Thank goodness for weekends!

June 1 Weekly Menu

Summer is one of those busy seasons that we barely know what's happening tomorrow, much less for the month ahead, so I'm forgoing the monthly menu for a bit and going back with weekly menus until things settle down a bit.  We have had a busy last few weeks, including a long-weekend trip to the beach (see our new picture up there?  Courtesy of the wonderful photography skills of my sister... need your picture or your kids pictures taken?  I can get you in touch with her!)

This guy (and his short haircut) really enjoyed the beach too.... the not so great iPhone photography skills are mine :)

Now, for the menu....
6.1.13 - Brandon & MaryKathryn's Wedding!  Our only wedding this summer, seems we're growing up and there aren't too many to attend anymore!

6.2.13 - Thai Chicken Bites w/ Rice

6.3.13 - JWCMeeting/Girls Night with Leigh!! 

6.4.13 - BBQ Peach Pulled Pork 

6.5.13 - Leftovers

6.6.13 - Roast Beef Panini's w/ Carmelized Onions

6.7.13 - Date Night Out!

Currently...

Listening... to a Jennifer Weiner book on CD.  Ever since our bookclub started, I've been really into listening to books on CD again.  So far this month, I've listened to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, our book club selection Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson, and now the Jennifer Weiner book, which I can't remember the name, but it's the one about the fertility clinic with about a million characters.  Also, on the subject of books, I have Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn in hard copy at home as well.  May has been the month for reading.
Eating... leftovers of Bacon & Mater pasta for lunch.  absolutely love this recipe.  The ingredients are flavorful and the sauce (when made with milk instead of cream) is light and perfect for summertime. 

Drinking... Is that even a question? Diet Coke. I'm hopelessly addicted.  Anyone see that article go around facebook about signs you're addicted to diet coke?  That's totally me.  And tonight, probably drinking the leftover wine used in the pasta above. 
Wearing... scrubs.   I'm so lucky to have an office dresscode that allows me to wear pretty much whatever I want except jeans, but today, just wasn't feeling like planning and outfit or ironing anthing. 
Needing... to finish up my notes on a presentation I'm making at a conference... tomorrow! Yikes!  Procrastination = my worst enemy (or my best friend, depending how you look at it)
Wanting... my dog's hair to grow back.  He is so skinny with his summer shave!  Also, wanting to find a new groomer that gives him the perfect cut, not too short, not too long.  Will be on the search for that next month.
Planning... a long weekend at the beach for Memorial Day.  First days off work since my half-day off in January.  Now that has taken some HARD work!  Finally built up some time off so my bank won't be empty after summer vacation!
Enjoying... warmer weather!  After a weird few weeks in April and beginning of May, it's finally here!  I need to put a towel in my car so the leather seats don't burn my booty.  Now, if only my leg will get better so I can RUN!