Happy {After} Independence Day!

I had a fantastic Independence Day Weekend, and I hope you did too! 

I joined my family in visiting my grandparents in a little town in the middle of nowhere. It's perfect for doing my favorite Summer activities. 

We found a creek and went exploring. 

My grandmother was NOT happy about this next friend we made, possibly because he threw up a fish, bit my dad, and swam towards her legs. But I'm just guessing here.

(It's a young Northern Water Snake - not venomous, just mean-tempered)

And on the 4th we went exploring with my grandfather - we drove around back-roads for 3 hours, getting lost and getting found again and again until we were too tired to drive anymore.

We also stopped by the family well. My grandfather drank out of this well growing up, and his brother still uses the spring it's fed by - he just piped the water up the hill!

That evening we went to a concert-in-the-park and fireworks put on by the town.

I walked around the adjoining cemetery while waiting for the fireworks to start.

This little angel wanted to rock out as well.

It was a good show.

Our trip ended like it started, with one more day of running around in a (different) creek!

I pulled a drowning box turtle out of the water.

It was a wonderful, peaceful trip. 

Thank God for a Southern Small Town USA.

{A Tutorial} Star Spangled Shorts

Last weekend, The Gentleman treated me to a mini shopping spree at Rue 21. I browsed through the store and found a few items I liked and then these shorts caught my eye:

Rue 21 Shorts

But then the price tag of $24.95 caught my eye too, and I turned them down. I've seen enough DIY shorts that there was no way I was going to pay $25 for a pair! So a few days later I went home, gathered the materials I'd need, and got to work.

Summertime 2014

Freshman year of college is (finally!) out of the way and I've got a little time on my hands to sit down and write now.

This summer, I am so blessed to be living with a close relative helping take care of her house during the day. Ironically, the thing I missed most during the school year and living in a dorm was the normalcy of being in a running household. I missed cooking and cleaning and having people I love walking in and out all day. I missed calm and quiet devotionals as I eat my breakfast in the mornings, and hectic afternoons getting ready for someone else’s event.

Frankly, I’m excited to see what this strange summer will bring. I've got vague ideas, but what will actually happen is out of my control – for that I am so grateful. If it were up to me, lots of things would happen and they would be amazing. If I plan things out too much I will miss out on the everyday miracles, surprises, blessings and lessons that He has to offer. Simply living in the here and now allows you to bloom where you’re planted by the Master Gardener, not where you've scattered your time and energies. 

*Not a real Name of God, but I like it; work with me, folks.

Work hard, play hard, live fully.