25th wedding anniversary

Summer of 2012

This past summer was amazing. I wanted to recap it all in one post so when I need a happy moment I can look back on something to make me smile!

May

I kicked off my summer by running 18 miles and going to a Pirate’s game with my family. I then babysat my sister and all of our pets for a week while my parents went to Florida to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. It was a struggle because everything went wrong LOL. I was also able to go to Kennywood and wash my truck with Hannah & Jimmy.I read two great books: Made To Crave and A Love That Multiplies. I made Jimmy a welder cake for his birthday.I taught spinning 3-4x a week, swam in my pool, hung out with friends, and helped my mom recover from foot surgery.

June

Hannah and I made a music video. Please go laugh at it.My 20th birthday was awesome and included carrot cake and a cactus. I made some cute pancakes. My sister and I were “actresses” for a week and I had an minor toe surgery. Apparently I ran a 5k too… I actually forgot about it until I looked back through my pictures!Toe stuff. Gross.

July

I went on the best vacation ever to the Outer Banks with my family, grandparents, uncle, boyfriend, brother’s fiance and my neighbor. It was like one big party for a whole week.

Hannah and I took Lola to a coffee shop and I went to Benihana for the first time.I found out I had a stomach infection and had to take a butt-load of pills that made me really sick.

August

Hannah turned 14 and my family + her boy & my boy all went to a Pirates game to celebrate.I swam in my second open water swim and it was cold. So very cold.I competed in my first run-swim-run and placed second overall.I visited my brother at Penn State and had an endoscopy to see if the stomach infection I had in July was gone.I spent my last weekend of summer with Jimmy at the Pittsburgh Ren Fest & the Pittsburgh Zoo.

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This summer was not what I expected it to be… in good ways!

I never would have guessed that I would be a spinning instructor or that I would teach 4x a week throughout the summer. Blessed.

I never would have guessed that I would let go of my try-hard ways and let loose all summer by sleeping in, staying up late, and doing nothing sometimes.

I never would have guessed how fun vacation was really going to be.

I never would have guessed that I was going to deal with problems when my parents went away, toe surgery, a stomach infection, and an endoscopy.

I never would have guessed that the summer of 2012 would become my most favorite summer yet.

I had some challenges and I became closer than ever to God. I worked hard and still had many fun times of relaxation. It was the perfect mix and truly blessed in every way.

It was the perfect summer.

Appreciation

I’m currently blogging from the great outdoors. I can’t tell you how good it feels to be sitting outside just chillaxin’ on my back porch!That’s my extra happy face… with absolutely no makeup on.

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Now onto the point of this post:

Appreciation

Tomorrow is my parent’s 25th wedding anniversary. They are currently celebrating in the Florida Keys. They left on Sunday and I talked to them today–they’re having a ton of fun.

I’m home with Hannah. And four needy pets.

Things that happened this week (so far) that make me appreciate my parents:

  • Our golden lab had diarrhea all over our basement. I almost puked cleaning it and then I realized I didn’t want to clean puke and diarrhea. Little did I know that I would be cleaning puke within a few hours.
  • Our cat puked twice. Once in the kitchen and once in the hallway.
  • The same cat peed on a bathroom rug. 
  • I found a bug in my bed. I laid down and felt a tickle on my elbow… turns out it was a bug. 
  • The fire alarm started going off because the battery died.
  • Hannah forgot her math book so she couldn’t figure out her homework and I know nothing about math. 
  • The “Check Engine” light in my truck appeared.
I know it probably sounds like I either make my pets really sick or I’m complaining. I’m not complaining (and I really hope I don’t make my pets sick!).
 
I have always known that my parents deal with all of the aforementioned issues but I never really appreciated/understood everything they do until I had to do it all at once by myself.
 
So mom and dad, if you’re reading this… I haven’t burned the house down yet! I just wanted to say thanks for everything you do for me. Happy anniversary, I love you!