Vacation

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.

Visiting the broski

Sunday was amazing. I spent the whole day with my whole family.

That’s my family…

My older brother, Billy, lives  and works just minutes from the main campus at Penn State and the rest of my family (mom, dad, me, & Hannah) live in Pittsburgh. I hate living 2 hours away from my brother because we have always been close growing up, with about 4 years age difference between us. I just miss him so bad sometimes.

My parents, sister, and I all woke up at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning and drove out to PSU to visit my brother. With one stop at Dunkin’ Donuts we arrived at his apartment around 9:45AM.

What my family did on Sunday:

  • Attended the church that my brother worships at, Penn State Church of Christ.
  • Had lunch at an Italian pizza pub (so, so good).
  • Checked out Wegman’s for the first time. It was pretty amazing! I got some pumpkin granola and had a soy vanilla latte.
  • Walked around the PSU campus and shopped in the little stores that sell clothing & such.
  • Visited the famous Penn State Creamery for ice cream.
  • Walked around the alumni gardens
  • Hung out at my brother’s tiny apartment with his cats.
  • Had dinner at Cracker Barrel (<— one of my favorite restaurants.. one word… CORNBREAD!).

Pictures from Sunday:

Portabella pesto salad from the Italian pub. I asked for chicken on top too 😉

The homemade herb bread that came with the salad and balsamic dressing.

I was so excited after this picture was taken because I realized that squash was growing from the “ceiling”

How do these not fall on people’s heads?!

Hannah playing with one of Billy’s cats, Simba.

Dinner at Cracker Barrel. Two fillets of rainbow trout, baby carrots, mustard greens, pinto beans, and (unpictured) corn muffins. I ate everything. It was amazing.

Thoughts:

  • It was so nice to spend a whole day with my whole family.
  • I haven’t smiled so much or laughed as hard as I did on Sunday in a while. Seriously, I couldn’t stop laughing sometimes.
  • I miss my brother so much. I really wish he didn’t live two hours away. I also feel bad that his apartment is so small. I know everyone has to start out somewhere and that he’s happy, but I know it must be hard to pay his bills month to month at a new job without any financial help.
  • I’m going to make a trip up to PSU by myself to visit my brother soon. We are going to get into so many shenanigans. He wants to show me his favorite running trails, have lunch (or every meal..) at Wegmans, and cook together like we used to when he lived at home.

I had a really special day with my family and I’m so happy that I could see my brother and just hang out with the family that God has blessed me with. No, we’re not the perfect family, but we all love each other so much and I’m so grateful for them.

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Bible verse of the day: Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Psalm 127:3