I’m happy to report the garden is now producing vegetables! So far, I’ve harvested a few zucchini, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, and green beans. I just adore walking out to the garden each day and checking on the plants and seeing what is ready to pick and eat!

Since my sisters’ day with Hannah, we’ve been up to all sorts of fun. Lots of time on local trails, splashing in creeks, and even my once in a blue moon jog with Niva 😂
How about some pictures?

We have access to a creek less than a mile from our house so Sadie and I walked to a playground and then the creek one day and did some exploring together!

We spent another evening at a different trail and creek with Niva and Jimmy and both Sadie and I got in the water. I was surprised at how chilly the water was and how it made zero impact on Sadie’s enjoyment of it 😂
I feel like kids somehow hardly feel excessive temperature changes?! I remember not wearing gloves in the snow as a child and it not bothering me one bit. Nowadays I’m bundled up until April!

Oh how I love my daily coffee and Bible time. What is it about the ritual of drinking coffee that is just as good as the coffee itself? Add in my time with God and I am one happy girl.
Do you have any daily rituals that are comforting and joyful for you? I want to hear about it!

I was washing cabinets the other day and Sadie asked to help so I gave her a sponge and let her have at it and she surprised me with how long and how well she washed them! Thanks Sader Tot!
I used this new dish soap to wash the cabinets and was impressed with the quality. It’s a pretty neat product 🙂

Another day, another park! We had our church’s weekly Youth Summer Days and met up with other kids in the congregation to play for a couple of hours.

Jimmy and I just started watching the TV show Alone after Sadie goes to bed and it’s just so fascinating to see people survive in the wilderness all alone. I don’t think I would last more than a few hours without peanut butter 😜
Malcolm loves to snuggle on our laps while we watch TV and he purrs so loudly. Love it. I’m still trying to convince Jimmy to let us have ten black cats.

Niva and I went on our once-every-few-months jog together and she reminded me that her favorite pace is about 20 mph. She gets walked all the time, but she loves to run.

She slept well in the afternoon after our run! I guess I didn’t tire her out enough, though, because she escaped our fence in the evening. How!! We literally have a fence + an extension and she has figured out a way out.
Other things from life lately:
- We ordered a few meals from Hello Fresh and they were fantastic. I love using it for getting out of food ruts and trying new recipes.
- I’ve been working on a new granola recipe for fall 🍂
- I was eating a cookie the other day and Sadie asked for a bite and I told her it was coconut flavored so she wouldn’t want any 🙈
- There was a gnat flying around in our car the other day and Jimmy was like “I want to create an extermination company called Gnats N’at.” The “n’at” part comes from Pittsburghese 😂
I love that you and Sadie do so many fun things together. She will remember when she is older that an amazing mama she has.
I could never run with Niva ~ if I wanted to live to tell about it that is.
Your coconut cookie trick is hilarious – I would try that with dad but he likes everything 🙄
Aww, I hope she remembers all the stuff we do together! I know what you mean about running with Niva! There have been a few times where I was sure I would trip and fall because she spotted a rabbit or bird!
I felt so bad telling Sadie the cookie was coconut… but not so bad that I didn’t enjoy it 😉
Love this post!! I’m sure you’ll look back at it in years ahead and smile!! We’ve been busy as well!!
Yes, so true! You guys are super busy… ya’ll make me look like I’m sitting on the couch eating bon bons with all you do!
No way Jose!! You know how to say no hahaha
Yes, I SO look forward to my coffee and Bible time in the morning too. It’s like the calm before the storm some days. Ha, ha. 🙂
That picture of you, Jimmy, and Malcolm made me laugh; because that is me and Nate when we watch TV too! We get the kids to sleep, relax on the couch, and our black cat lies across us. Ha, ha! He’s such a snuggle bug, just like yours. So sweet!
Massachusetts is just EXPLODING with region-specific slang… Ha, ha. “Go pahk the cah and grab a coffee from Dunks.” Yep, that’s Massachusetts for ya. HA, ha! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more about the calm before the storm, ha! So funny your black cat likes to lay across you and Nate, too!! So sweet ❤
I had no idea people from Massachusetts called Dunkin "Dunks!!" Sometimes we call it Dunkies… but that may just be my family being weird hahaha.
Ha, ha, ha! No, we call it Dunkies too! Dunkin Donuts, the coffee spot with a hundred names… Ha, ha!
Your veggie harvest is so satisfying. As for the coffee, those of us who understand the ritual can relate on a deeeeepp level.
Thank you, Brittany! I wish I could have you over for some freshly cooked veggies!! Sooo glad you can relate on the coffee! I learned the best trick from your blog years ago about warming my mug before pouring coffee so it stays warm longer and keeps my hands warm! Thanks for that 😉
Oh my goodness!!! Best kept barista secret. 😍
I haven’t tried Dawn Powerwash on anything other than dishes. What a good idea to use it on cabinets! I love that Sadie helped you! ❤
And I love all the time at creeks you all had!
It worked so well at getting the grease off the cabinets!! It was such a sweet thing for Sadie to help with and I didn’t even ask. Win-win!
Yay for all the creeks! I hope you guys have been able to get to that amazing beach spot near you again. It looked like so much fun!