Here it is almost the end of July.
Let’s take a look back to the days of June – you know, way back when!
June was FULL.
Yes, we chose it all!
When we are so busy, Blake and I do evaluate – what should we say no to?
What can we cut off our calendar?
I’m here to tell you – there hasn’t been anything we have felt able to do that with!
Which is a good problem, really, until you can’t fit in ALL the things you are hoping to do.
Or people you are hoping to see!
When it is just my trio and I here at home during the week, we do have time to swim in the afternoons.
That pool has been such a blessing!
The month of June still kept our newer grocery routine – the one where I have HELPERS!
It makes grocery SO much better.
Can’t believe I didn’t think to do it this way before!
Sometimes it is just Blake, our chauffeur, and Tate and Eliza and I.
Sometimes Addie and Lane join us too!
The big boys are always helpful when we return home and need to unload it all and put it away.
So thankful for this crew of mine!!
We usually have a treat on the way home, just saying, in case any of you all want to help with grocery shopping too, ha, ha!
Since you know that we buy so much grocery, you must know we are eating.
They still want to eat!!
And I still like to cook for them, even with my limited hand!
Summer means peach season!
Do you all eat a lot of peaches in the summer?
I could not even count how many times we have brought home boxes of peaches!
They are so yummy.
Of course eating brings dishes.
So. Many. Dishes.
Another time for good helpers, but I am able to do dishes again pretty well too.
We have enjoyed so many weddings this summer!
Lots of love in the air!
One of my favorites was at an open air chapel.
It was so incredibly beautiful!
The weather was extremely hot, but the sky was so blue.
Blake and I also had a solo date to a wedding of Blake’s co-worker’s daughter.
It was really nice!
We have also had a lot of running around to appointments.
I am still doing hand therapy.
My hand is currently doing much better than it was back in June – but I was having quite a bit of swelling and pain in June.
I used a comfrey salve sent to me by a sweet friend to help with that.
Progress has been slow!
But today my hand is doing well after a couple of weeks of so much tightness and aching.
When I was laying on the couch with the salve on my hand, this was my view.
Blake is always doing all the things I could not do, and enjoying our helpers too!
Those two were peeling and freezing a case of bananas for making smoothies.
Oh, and listening to a podcast too.
I tried a new supplement, but have stopped it for now.
I might try it again to see if I can tolerate it better a second time around!
Hopeful for some new things to help me continue on a positive path on my health journey!
A check-up for Chad one day allowed us some time with him!
Eliza needed a “real” haircut, so she enjoyed getting a trim one afternoon.
It looks so much better when it is professionally cut!
We still cut all the boys hair here at home.
Blake took over the main cutting part a couple of years ago when my hand started getting bad.
I dropped the clippers one to many times and they broke!
That was my last day with that job!
I still do all the scissor cutting and the trimming, but I am thankful for Blake taking on this job.
It takes two and a half hours to cut all the guys’ hair.
Speaking of the guys, we miss them!
They work a lot in the summer because they have a seasonal job.
We had a spontaneous outing one morning when we found our chickens had been attacked and two were gone.
Sob.
We took our one hen that was still alive to a friend and she joined all the hens in our friend’s coop.
Ice cream for morning snack seemed to help us not be so sad!
Blake and I are also still getting out for date night some Friday nights.
I LOVE DATE NIGHT!
It fills up my love language and keeps Blake and I close and communicating!
Sometimes we run errands, sometimes we get coffee and a treat and watch the sunset, sometimes we go on walks, sometimes we listen to a sermon or podcast, sometimes we have a long time of prayer together parked in the van somewhere.
It is all SO GOOD!
We also have been continuing our monthly hymn sing at our friend’s home.
It is eagerly anticipated by us all!
Of course when we are home there is still plenty to do to keep the home fires burning!
I cleaned our school closet and started to get ready for fall one afternoon back in June.
I wish I would have taken a before photo so you could appreciate this photo!
I started getting our new school books out too!
Blake brought home a bunch of new containers for me one day so I could organize our flour drawer.
Our gluten-free flours come in bags that zip closed with a velcro closer.
They are messy though!
And my bum hand does not allow me to have that pinching mechanism that I need to zip bags closed like that.
These containers were a great solution and look how neat that drawer is!!
Drat, I need another before photo, don’t I?
Since I was on an organizational spree, I ordered six glass bottles to put our cleaning solution in.
We use Young Living’s household cleaner for everything.
I thought having a spray bottle of it in each bathroom, under the kitchen sink, and at the laundry sink would be helpful!
It was.
It is.
I always have office work to do, especially around the time of all of the littles medical appointments.
Please notice the almost empty jar of chocolate chips there.
Doesn’t every office desk have a jar of chocolate chips on it?
Well, they should!
We also love to have “down days” where we can just read and play and be together.
Reading a lot means many trips to the library!!
Many trips to the library means that I can stop at the new coffee shop that is five minutes away.
FIVE MINUTES!
I know, I know.
It is the cutest place and the coffee is delicious.
I did buy a little cold brew coffee maker – it was on sale, and I got it for $2.63!!
It works very well and Lane is in charge of keeping it flowing.
Our pups are always happier when we are home, and always right under our feet!
I took this photo as I was getting ready one morning.
I also never want to forget how Ruby sits up the on the couch at exactly 6:00 p.m. every evening waiting for our people to arrive!
Then she moves to our master bed to be able to see down the road better.
Silly puppy!!
There is always some gardening to take care of when we are home too.
I have great helpers, as you know, and we enjoy being out there together!!
Unfortunately, we have had a mole (or moles?) in our new landscape.
Ugh.
Thankfully we seem to have taken care of them.
We always have beautiful skies here at Twin Oaks.
Here’s my reminder to never ever let it get too busy to stop and enjoy what God did.
The sky is such a majestic creation of His!!
There you go, that was June!!
Did reminiscing with me make you feel like this?
Hee, Hee!
I will say there are many times we look back and say “how did we do all that?”
June might have been one of those months.
July might have been too.
The Lord allows so much for us, doesn’t He?
Grateful for it all!!!
Memories made, and memories kept!!
