Summer Recap

It has been such a busy summer and I have been horrible about updating my blog, but here are the highlights. :)

When Bible study was wrapping up in May we were encouraged to find summer accountability partners. I am privileged to meet every other week with two other ladies from our group, Shelley and Glenda. Their wisdom and encouragement have blessed me more than I can possibly express. It has made all the difference in keeping me in the Word this summer. Had it not been for them, I'm afraid I would have gotten lazy (as it is so easy to do in the summertime when I tend to let other things take priority). They are incredibly wise, gracious, godly women who I am so blessed to call my friends and mentors.

Over the 4th of July Mike and I went to Atlanta for vacation and had a fabulous time. Our first day there we went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game (although our hotel was so amazing that I didn't want to leave it)! Mike had always dreamed of going to a game at Turner Field, so it was a really special experience for him. There was a rain delay and we got absolutely soaked, but it didn't even matter. The Braves won, and we had a blast. We took our chances on MARTA (Atlanta's public transportation system), which was quite an experience for two country bumpkins. :) Though we almost ended up stranded downtown after the game, everything worked out (and it sure beat fighting traffic and paying for parking).

We spent a lot of time lounging around the hotel pool and being lazy--it was glorious. On the 4th we went to Stone Mountain Park for their huge laser and fireworks show. It was awesome, but unfortunately cut short due to rain. Once again, we got soaked. As swarms of people were rushing past us to get to their cars, we just stopped in the parking lot (still 2 miles from our car) and stood there watching the fireworks in the rain--they were too good to miss.

The other major news of the summer is that I started a Mary Kay business! I initially got involved because I have always been very impressed with the company and loved the products, and I really just wanted the discount. However, as I began to see the incredible potential to earn extra money, I decided to take the bull by the horns and just go for it. It is going far better than I ever could have imagined, and keeping me very busy! I have reconnected with old friends, and met many new amazing women. This year is kind of a test drive, but so far I absolutely love it.

Of course the home improvement projects at my house are never ending, and this summer has been no exception. Mike did a fantastic job on the new kitchen floor. It looks great and I love it (and him)! We also finally got air-conditioning--PRAISE GOD! Seriously, I am the biggest baby you will ever meet when it comes to the heat. My husband is going to like living with me SO much more in the summer months now! And he is just finishing up the wiring and plumbing to install my first EVER dishwasher! I am so excited! We did have a pretty major catastrophe about a month ago when our basement flooded. Unfortunately our power goes out every time there is the slightest flicker of lightening, and 8 inches of water came up through the sump pump hole when it stopped pumping. Luckily we are installing a back-up system next week to prevent that from ever happening again. We lost a lot and the clean-up process has been slow, but when I think of all of the people who lost everything in hurricane Katrina, I can hardly whine about 8 inches of water in my basement.

Other than that, we have been keeping busy with small group get-togethers, bonfires, camping, Cedar Point, lake outings, softball games, painting and remodeling at Angel and Brian’s, cook-outs, swimming, parades, tractor shows, and of course, eating Homestead ice-cream. :)

As the days are getting shorter and the nights cooler, I look forward to my favorite season--fall!