Hello, Beautiful friends. I am so excited to share some of my favorite moments from the summer season as I close the door to one season and open the door to another season.
Family Star Wars Day! We ate Star Wars-themed food and watched one of the movies. All of our young adults made it and their partners. We kicked off summer this way!
I visited Natural Bridge State Park in Alabama for some hiking and exploring. All I can say is I felt mighty small!!!! Look at me in the bottom picture!!!! It was an amazing place.
Special moments at church with my hubby!!! We occasionally get a good photo. :) This day was such a wonderful day!!!!
Waterfall chasing and hiking are a big part of my EARLY SUMMER adventures due to the heat. I have to do this type of thing in early summer. This is Kinlock Falls in Bankhead National Forest aka...Sipsey Wilderness. It was absolutely beautiful. It was a bucket list moment to cross off.
My mom and I do a once-a-year outdoor trip. We used her RV and had a wonderful time exploring the area we were in. Waterfall chasing, visiting several state parks to collect stamps, and hiking. Lots of campfires, talking, and enjoying the outdoors.
Visiting a local farm to cut fresh and wildflowers was a wonderful experience. I made so many lovely bouquets for the home and friends.
Finishing my first 5k of the year. It was super hot but I loved it.
Celebrating my birthday. I was actually thrown a surprise party and my daughter made this cake! All things nature. It was perfect for me!!!!!!!!
Just fun birthday moments!!!!!
We celebrated our youngest son, Kyle's 18th birthday with family. Our birthdays are two days apart. It was nice to have him home and to celebrate him. He has been moved out for a while.
One of my friends and I did an impromptu, not planned at all, trip to a beach about 4 in a half hours away. She is a schoolteacher. I called her and said, "Before you start school, do you want to go to the beach?" She has been having a rough year, and the beach is her jam. She was so excited. We had a free hotel room due to my husband having free room points. We split food, sat at a free beach, and brought snacks. It was frugal and fun!!! I called her the day before 😂 and we left the next morning and hit the road for a one-night trip. It was worth it.
I host a seasonal tea party for little girls in our church. This was such a wonderful day!!!! We made bouquets of flowers and talked about tea etiquette and being a little lady.
I hosted a Christian Book Club for ladies and we had such an enriching summer with the book we read.
A few special date nights sprinkled throughout the summer with the hubby was nice too.
I will spare you any more of my memories. But I love sharing on this little space and coming back and reminding myself of this blessed life I have. Especially when life hits you hard at times. I share all these pictures, and it may seem like life is amazing and perfect for me. I will tell you I have had to truly fight for every single one of these moments this year. I choose not to be deeply personal on my blog for now. But I will say, I have had many hard days with dark depression, anxiety, and lots of ups and downs because of dealing with many other personal things. I also have an autoimmune issue that can put me in bed for days or weeks after doing certain things. So, I love having my memories recorded. It reminds me that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. There is always joy in the midst of pain and confusion. There is always hope and a fight in me to keep going when it is hard and I don't want to.
Goodbye summer. It has been a good season. A very up and down season. I am thankful for those moments that carried me through the rough spots.
What are you looking forward to most about FALL?
With Love,
Chrissy T
Gorgeous photos, Chrissy. Thank you so much 😊 for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteThank you so much!!! :)
I enjoyed your summer recap. It looks like a great summer! I love the pictures from the park - I wish it was closer to us. The surprise party looks fun too!
ReplyDeleteMari,
DeleteI loved my surprise party! I have never had one. It really came at the perfect moment and lifted my spirit.
Beautiful pics and memories! I sure enjoyed our trip and the birthday celebration’s! Love you! Mom
ReplyDeleteMom, Thank you for creating memories with me.
DeleteHello, my friend. I am so happy you are blogging! Your summer recap was so much fun to read! I love the cake your daughter made for your birthday! And I know the struggle with anxiety. I have OCD, and when I hit menopause, i felt like a different person. It was so hard, but with support from family and friends, therapy and medication, and prayer, I am happy to say I am myself again. Prayers for you. Just know you are not alone!
ReplyDeleteBillie Jo,
DeleteI am so glad you stopped by!!!! Yes, perimenopause has been a beast for me. I am doing a lot of the things you suggested. Thank you for the encouragement!!! Hugs!!!!
First of all, you and your Hubby are so adorable!!
ReplyDeleteNext, the places you went this summer were so beautiful!! I ADORE that you're a nature lovin Gal too! God is such an artist and this planet is such a gift. :)
Finally, I loved all of your summer catch up - but my favorite was the impromptu friend trip. That was so cool that you did that and I bet it gave her the best boost. 💗
Now on to Autumn's goodness and the cozy ahead! 🍁🧡💛
Carrie,
DeleteThank you!!!! I LOVE nature! There is something that always revives me with a good dose of it. :)
It looks like you had a good summer. Lots of smiling faces.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you have a lovely fall. Our weather has been amazing but we need rain so badly.
Cathy
Cathy,
DeleteThank you!! We got some rain today finally! WOOHOO! It has been WEEKS!!!!! Mississippi is so dry!,
Such lovely photos showcasing those highlights of the season!
ReplyDeleteThank you sweet friend. :) I love all your highlights of your trip.
DeleteWOW you surely had some wonderful trips this Summer. What a fun filled Summer it was. Sorry to hear about your bad days, but so glad you were able to have the majority of your Summer being out in nature and doing the things you love. That's what memories are made of. Janice
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janice!!! :)
Deletehappy birthday and thanks for sharing your summer with us. wonderful outings and a surprise birthday party, what could be better, well, being out in nature is pretty awesome too!! i especially enjoyed hearing about the tea party you hosted. what a great way to make the girls feel special!! such a fun post with a really happy vibe. have a great week!!
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
DeleteThank you! The Tea Party was such a beautiful highlight for me. I have another one planned in October.
Hoi Chrissy,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your blog—it always feels so warm and real to read. 💛 I think it’s good that you don’t feel the need to share everything, every time. Sometimes holding back a little also makes space for peace. For fall, I’m especially looking forward to a 10-day vacation with my husband, just the two of us. At the same time, I feel a little nervous—I just want everything to go well, but I know I have so little energy. Like you, I often need a lot of rest after an activity. Sending warm greetings from the Netherlands.
🌷 Aritha
Aritha,
DeleteI hope you have the best trip!!!!!! Thank you for visiting me!
Wow, you had such a full and wonderful summer, filled with great outdoor adventures and special moments with your family and friends. It's really inspiring how you make time for those things even when you’re dealing with hard personal stuff; those memories definitely shine through and remind us to appreciate the good times. melodyjacob.com
ReplyDeleteHi Melody! Thank you!! I am so thankful that I have these memories. They help me so much keep going.
DeleteLooks like you have been really busy moving and grooving! Awesome. I would have to sit back and think about what I did or managed to try to do this summer...lol
ReplyDeleteHAHA!!! I make myself groove! If not, I would be a hermit. :) LOLOOL!
Delete