*I saw this and loved it. I've never perked up when I drink coffee due to the caffeine. I've perked up simply because it's warm and comforting to drink. I look forward to coffee as soon as I wake up. :)

*Fun beach day with our cousins from Chris' side. We waited out traffic back at their house with some pizza, then the kids got to spend the night while Chris and I headed home. Fun for them AND us!

*We went on another hike with my sister and her kids (plus my dad). Luckily it was much cooler this time. I'm not sure if all of the cousins are going to be life long hikers, but maybe 1-2 might join us when we tackle the San Gorgonio summit this year (Cam and I did it with my dad years ago but Kendall wants her turn at that mountain top experience).

*Yesterday we surprised the kids and took them out to breakfast. It was so nice to eat at a restaurant, even if it was outside under an EZup!

*I was SOO excited when both kids agreed to read Harry Potter with me again!! A few years ago, when the illustrated editions were released, I really, really wanted them. Now that we are going through them again, I justified the purchase of book one. :) The pictures add a little extra something special. :)

watching and reading

*I have a short list of blogs I have consistently read for the past 6-7 years. I have no clue how I stumbled across them as I don't personally know any of them. :)

Hungry Runner Girl (my favorite)
Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
Carrots n' Cake
Mix n' Match Mama

*I have never been one to HAVE to finish a book or movie once I start. I actually got to page 370 out of 407 in my most recent book... and quit. I could tell where the ending was headed and it was too unrealistic for me. I was annoyed at having invested that much time :(

*The only time I tend to watch Youtube is whenever I ride our recumbent bike. My go-to channel is Jordan Page: FunCheapOrFree. She includes topics such as meal planning, budgeting, organization, or just life with her EIGHT kids (ha!).

*Chris and I are rewatching Parks and Recreation. This will be our third go around and it's just as funny as it was the first time. :) We often struggle in finding shows. Far too often we give up within 20 minutes because many of them are just so dirty. Ugh. We are semi-into Walking Dead, but we'll see...

*I'm a HUGE fan of podcasts. I recently added a couple to my favorites list:

-Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment: This is a documentary style telling of the story of James Arthur Ray. He was (and is) a self-help speaker whose methods were controversial and who was sued due to the death of three individuals at one of his conferences (during a sweat lodge). SO interesting!

-Fitness Simplified with Kim Schlag- I love that her audience consists of women over 40. I can relate a lot more to her fitness/diet advice vs. a 20-something expert.

grandparent vacation

While we didn't have any major trips planned this summer, we did have a couple little adventures we had wanted to do which are no longer possible because of Covid. Luckily we still were able to spend a few days with my in-laws, which is always like a mini-vacation. This time one of my nieces joined us, which kicked the "fun factor" up a notch for Cam and Kendall. :)

Right behind their house is a foothill called, Smith Mountain. We have always thought it would be neat to climb to the top. With a recent path cleared, Cameron and I decided to tackle it. We rode our bikes to the bottom, then hiked to the top. What beautiful views!

*Since I finished all the John Grisham books several weeks ago, I've been trying to find another series. I've probably started and stopped a dozen books. I typically read a few pages and it's either cheesy or just doesn't grab me. I finally found an author/book that I like (though not as much as Grisham). He's written a gazillion books, so hopefully I can stick with him. :)

*We started watching Hamilton last night on Disney+. Chris and Kendall like it. I kind of like it. Cameron does not like it. :) I will say that I have NO IDEA how anyone goes to the live production and follows the plot by simply listening to the songs (which are incredibly fast paced). I would have absolutely no clue what was going on were it not for turning on the subtitles.

the 4th

*We have thoroughly been enjoying having my sister and her family here. We took them on a hike last weekend. I wish their first one would have been a little cooler as they aren't quite used to the heat here, but it was still enjoyable to be together.

*Kendall has been greeted each morning by the bright sun streaming through her window. Foil has been our solution for a long time. We finally bought her some black out curtains and she has been enjoying the dark mornings. :)

*We hosted 4th of July at our house this year. I'm sure I'm not alone in commenting on how many fireworks we heard in our neighborhood. They were pretty nonstop and we were surprised at how many huge displays people were setting off from their own backyards!

*While I don't subscribe to some of Rachel Hollis' worldviews, I have really enjoyed the podcasts she has done with her husband. They're views on marital relationships were always very relatable and their advice was super practical. So while I know things aren't often as they seem when it comes to celebrities, I must admit that I was shocked and really saddened more than I would have thought when I heard they were getting divorced.