Summer Lovin'

Okay, so it's not technically summer yet.  But it feels like summer, and classes have been over for 2 weeks.

This past week, Ohio seemed to finally make the shift from spring to summer.  We had been having a lot of dreary days and temperatures had been in the 60s and low 70s.  All of a sudden, something wonderful happened last week, and we've had sunny, beautiful days with the temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s.  This is my kind of weather!  To make things even better, look at the forecast for the next 5 days: 

Perfect!  I hope I can really take advantage of this perfect weather week.  I seriously don't think I've ever seen a 5-day forecast with no rain (or snow) predicted!

Last week was equally beautiful, and I spent it doing a lot of great things.  On Thursday morning, my grandma invited all of her (local) granddaughters over for brunch.  So I went with my cousins Sarah and Rachel, and of course the babies were there, too.  We had eggs, asparagus, fruit, all from Grandma, and delicious chicken salad made by Rachel.  And then we walked through the flower gardens and picked some poppys and just laughed at Hudson as he played in the dirt, and Elin as she wanted to pick every flower she saw.  

The best part of the day was that I realized that while at one point I may have been a bit jealous of my cousins and their adorable babies who are only 1 month apart in age, I now realize that God has blessed me so much in having close friends with adorable babies since I don't have my own.  

When we got home, I put my poppies in a little yellow vase, and have been enjoying them all week

Friday I had to sub, but when I got home I visited my grandma since it had been awhile.  We talked nonstop for 3 hours.  Lately, my grandma has been telling a lot of stories about when she was younger.  I have a fascination with all things old-fashioned or retro, so I love hearing these stories.  It was a fun afternoon.  It put me in the mood to watch Mad Men, so that's what I did for a good portion of the evening.  I love going out, but I also love spending Friday nights in, just chillin' at home.

Saturday was not spent just chillin', that's for sure!  It was a big shopping day spent in Pittsburgh at Ikea with my mom, sister, and brother-in-law.  We spent most of the day getting lost in Ikea, and had a great time, as always.  I didn't have any big buys, but I have been wanting to buy a tray for our big, square, coffee table for a long time, and I found the perfect one there!  I also bought a summery candle and this (faux) plant.  I put some of my old books there too, and I like the way it all turned out.  I have been trying to figure out what to put on that table for over a year, so I was happy.  After our trip to Ikea, we ate lunch at Chipotle, and I was basically in heaven.  Bless you, Chipotle, and your Prism-friendly-yet-delicious foods!

On Saturday night, my friend Kristin came over and we had a movie night.  We watched some cheesy thrillers from the 80s, and it was pretty fun.

Sunday was my mom's birthday so after church we all went to her house to celebrate.  Since my mom and I are both doing the Prism diet, we couldn't have a birthday cake.  Luckily, a friend had shared a link with me awhile ago about this raw cashew dream cake (which I made into bars, because I somehow lost all my pie plates in the move).  It was dairy-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free.  It contained almonds, dates, lemon, honey, coconut oil, cashews, and lots of raspberries.  And it is the best, sweetest thing I've eaten in the past 3 weeks.  I highly recommend this recipe!  Here is the link

We had a great afternoon, outside on my parents' beautiful patio they built last year, celebrating my mom's birthday.

This morning since I didn't have to sub, I decided it was as good a time as any to start the Couch to 5k program, which is one of my 30 before 30 goals.  I realized how out of shape I am when I felt like I was going to die at the end.  But I'm sure it will get easier as I get keep going. 

 I then spent the remainder of the morning working outside on our landscaping.  I don't think I ever shared a picture of the finished product after we mulched last weekend, so here it is.  Luke has been working really hard!  He even got a comment on Facebook that that's the best our (OLD) house has looked in 40 years!  We were pretty excited to hear that!  We recently planted some roses, too, because we need some serious color!  I can't wait until they start to bloom, and will definitely be sharing pictures.  

Well that is what I've been up to during the past few days.  I feel refreshed and renewed after the sort of horrible week I had the week before.  I am so excited to begin this summer, and see what amazing things are in store!