Life

A Different Kind of Monday

We had a totally different kind of Monday than we usually do. We spent the day at the Pittsburgh Zoo with my family! We had relatives from New York visiting, so we took them to one of our favorite places in the ‘Burgh. 

Family at Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Real life pictures with a toddler ^^^

It had been over a year since we last took Sadie to the zoo, so we were really excited to see what she thought of the whole experience as an almost-two-year-old vs a nine-month-old. What a difference a year makes. She recognized so many animals, loved running around, and had a great time with her cousins! 

I was in awe of the sheer variety of creatures God has made. Of course I know tons of different animals exist, but to see so many all in one place really solidifies just how creative our God is. Amazing. 

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Walking through different areas of the zoo felt like walking to different continents. The aquarium felt tropical, the elephant and giraffe area was like being on a safari, and seeing the tigers was like looking into a forest. 

The weather was perfect, there weren’t large crowds, and sharing the experience with family was the best part of it all. It was an awesome way to spend a Monday! 

Mother and daughter with masks at zoo

Family at the Pittsburgh Zoo

Father and daughter at Pittsburgh Zoo

Pittsburgh Zoo

Family at Pittsburgh Zoo

Pittsburgh Zoo

Fall wreath

A Quick Front Porch Refresh

When I sat outside to read my Bible this morning I definitely noticed a slight chill in the air. It had me thinking of this verse in Ecclesiastes…

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

The changing of the seasons happens every few months, each year, without fail. God is so consistent, and that’s one of the many attributes of God that I am continually amazed about. The sun? It rises each morning and sets each night. All the while, God slings beautiful sunrises and sunsets across the sky. He is steady, unfailing, and creative. 

I mentioned in my last post that I was torn on decorating for fall, so I decided to at least decorate our front porch and refresh it a bit. Jimmy laid Sadie down for a nap and I got right to work! Here’s what I did:

  • Put up a fall garden flag
  • Spray painted a planter black
  • Took down our summer decor
  • Bought a container from Dollar Tree and drilled holes in the bottom
  • Planted mums in the Dollar Tree container
  • Put up our fall wreath

How about a few photos?

Planter DIY with spray paint

Fall wreath

Mums and fall garden flag

I filmed a short video of the whole process, which is here in case you want to watch! All in all, the little refresh took about an hour and a half and was so enjoyable! Now I’m thinking I should do something for our backyard because we hang out there a lot. 

When I came inside from the front porch, I found these two cuties sharing the couch! 

Husky and owner sleeping on couch together

What’s your favorite season? –> Mine is summer!

Do you enjoy decorating? –> Yes, especially with plants and flowers.