Showing posts with label family fun time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family fun time. Show all posts

Friday, July 31, 2026

Christmas in July 🎄🌟

Hello Friends

Happy Fri-yay to you...the weekend is here! 💗

It's been a busy week with my Annie and her bf, Kristopher, here. Yesterday we spent the day in a quaint town about an hour &1/2 from us. It's a charming town on Lake Superior. It's got marinas filled with sailboats & fishing boats and cute homes on a hill that have sweet shutters, window boxes of flowers & charming little gardens. My Dad and step Mom rent a place there for some of the summer every year. So we got to catch up with them. And an Uncle that lives about an hour away from there came to meet us all for dinner too. 

We spent the day visiting and catching up, walking around the town, shopping the cute artsy shops, and eating fun food. You can see photos of our adventures at the end of this post.

But earlier in the week when Kris first got here, we did our Christmas in July time. To get in the spirit click below to listen




We listened to music like this all evening. I made a holiday-like meal. And we enjoyed that along with some Christmas sugar cookies. We exchanged some little gifts after dinner and then played fun board games. I loved every minute! :) I think the kids & Matt got a kick out of it too.


                                                

this photo looks like how it felt around here ❤️💚


We enjoyed a meal that consisted of roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, mac & cheese, cranberries, vegetable medley, dinner rolls, and sugar cookies with cream cheese icing & holiday sprinkles. 😋







Followed by a few fun little gifts to open:





Here are some photos from our fun excursion and family time yesterday:














Monday, July 13, 2026

Happy Homemaker Monday



Hello Friends and Happy Monday 😊

Are you in the heat of summer right now too? It's been in the 90's here the past couple of days and we have a few more hot days ahead. We don't get too many days in the 90's in the northwoods...so I think they always feel extra warm to us. Plus, they typically come with quite a bit of humidity. So I was doing all of my outside chores nice and early. And my workout - as I have been increasing the time I spend in my workouts each day...so I work up a good sweat!  So I wanted to get it in before it got too warm.  

I sure give a round of applause to the person that invented air conditioning!! Lol 

We had a fun weekend at the lake. Matt's Mom used to be part of putting on a production there each year. Though she's not as involved anymore, she still has a connection to an artist that brings his group up to perform now in the park each summer. He is from her old home town and he was one of her students when she was a teacher there. He has a "big band" type band he is the lead of - and also an 80's band. This year the 80's band came to perform and they were awesome!! So fun and brought back such fun memories of my youth. I'm biased, of course, but I think the 80's were the best!! 💗

We also had fun hanging with Matt's folks and did some chores around the property. As well as playing cards in the a/c, watched an Avengers movie, and spent one whole afternoon swimming in the lake (we didn't want to get out!) It was so nice on such a hot day. 

Now I've been back home and catching up with Annie and chores around the house. So it's on to the week ahead....









THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:















ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

ice protein coffee












ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

groceries, errands, my MD appt, yard work (when the weather cools down), hospice work











THINKING ABOUT: 

How I'm treasuring the time with my Annie while she's still here this summer. I'm so grateful to get quality time with her. 💗












THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

golfing with my Hubby 😊













CURRENTLY READING

Nothing new at the moment

 











ON THE TV TODAY:

Jeopardy, Big Brother, AGT - need to catch up on some other shows too













ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:


    MONDAY - 



TUESDAY -




WEDNESDAY - 




THURSDAY -  




FRIDAY -

*not sure about the menu this week - we need groceries but want to check in with Matt & Annie about things they may want for this week (& will bring some things to my Mom too)













TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

hopefully read, work on projects












TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:









 




FROM THE CAMERA:

We had so much fun at the 80's concert in the park with Matt's folks. People came over in their boats and pontoons (as the park is on the lake) and would listen from the water too. 




I had to wear my "sincerely yours, the breakfast club" t-shirt 😉


some of the hot weekend we hung out in the a/c at the cabin and I was coloring on my ipad - I guess I had Christmas in July thoughts going on. Lol


Ruby thought we were going on the pontoon and ran right onto it. We had to coax her off and tell her it was too hot for a ride that day. 

But we loved swimming in the lake and this family of ducks floated on by :) 



Some moments back at home:





Matt & I like to still date one another, even during the day while he's working at home (he's been extra busy these past few weeks). So we often send one another a sweet text, or a pic, or something funny. So I had sent him some love along with this pic the other day. He is the sweetest most hard working Honey. So so grateful for him! ❤️







PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear, especially everything going on in the middle east right now. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For healing for my Mom. For my step Dad fighting pneumonia.

For the Lord's love and peace to fill 2026. ❤️ 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way to loving our neighbors as ourselves. 🙏🏻











PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:



I love this because I love scrapbooking and paper ephemera and tangible memory things. It's hard for me to get rid of things. I'm such a sentimental softie I guess. Do you like those things too?

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Have a blessed week!


Monday, July 6, 2026

Happy Homemaker Monday



Hi there Friends! 
Happy new week to you.

For those in the States I hope you had a lovely Independence Day weekend. 

We went to the lake to spend it with Matt's folks and Annie came with us. They love when kiddos come and especially love the fact that my kids have embraced Matt's folks as other grandparents to them. 💗 Matt and I love that too! 

The weather was a little rainy/stormy on Saturday. But we had fun playing games, watching a movie, and then later it cleared enough that we could watch some of the fireworks across the lake. 

Then Sunday was gorgeous out and we got in a pontoon ride before lunch and then heading back home. 

Another lovely July 4th in the books ❤️🇺🇸

I know my fellow Autumn loving Friends feel the same way I do though. That once July 4th comes and goes we allow ourselves to let in a little Fall thought here and there. Lol In the northwoods July is the epitome of summer and then August becomes pre-Fall so it's easy for me to think that way. 






But don't worry my Summer loving Friends. I am still all in on Summer vibes. I still have a lot of flowers and garden to love, walks to be had, iced coffee to be sipped, golf to be golfed, BBQ's to be grilled, sunsets to be watched by a fire, swimming to be swam in the lake, and pontoon time to be relaxed upon. I just needed to be honest for a moment about who I am and that I do enjoy the allowance of an Autumn thought because it's always in my heart. As well as, I plan on some Christmas in July to be shopped and celebrated too. 😉❤️💚

But that's another story....












THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
















ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

ice protein coffee, whole grain toast with a little natural peanut butter












ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

errands & groceries, getting ready for an Aunt to visit that is having surgery in the area and will convalesce here overnight (need to work on menu as she has a gluten allergy), check in with my Mom, projects, yard work, hospice work











THINKING ABOUT: 

As a Taylor fan (my daughter & I saw her in concert before and she was amazing!) - I'm glad she got her happy ending and that she had her big wedding with Travis over the weekend. It will be fun to see photos when they release pics of the big day. 













THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

fun bonding chats with my Annie boo













CURRENTLY READING

I'm happy to report I'm back to the book I was reading a month ago and making a dent on finishing it. Then I can dive into my new pile. (still finishing it 🙈)

 











ON THE TV TODAY:

  Jeopardy, old seasons of big brother Castle Impossible (we have several yet to watch), AGT, Sweet Magnolias (I need to finish this one), new Big Brother starts this week!













ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:


    MONDAY - green goddess pasta salad (for Annie & I), Matt will probably have a turkey sandwich too as he doesn't like to eat only vegetarian Lol😂



TUESDAY - maybe breakfast for dinner? (eggs, breakfast potatoes, I will make pancakes if Annie wants, fruit)




WEDNESDAY -  chicken salad low carb wraps




THURSDAY -  grilled chicken, roasted regular or sweet potatoes, romaine salad with fruit veggies & feta with balsamic viniagrette, gluten free rice krispies bars




FRIDAY - out for dinner?













TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

projects, maybe read, work on a craft for a future Christmas gift












TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:










 




FROM THE CAMERA:

A few shots from around home - including my goofy Hubby's humor. He put this monster plant in my garden for me to find. Lol Also some pics of the pretty glow at night. I love solar lanterns everywhere. 









Some pics from July 4th weekend at the lake. Crazy clouds before it got stormy. And the July 4th tradition Matt loves is to watch and see if Joey Chestnut can defend his hot dog eating contest title each year. I made some patriotic goodies for the weekend including chocolate covered strawberries. And this cream cheese berry french toast bake that was SO good. I will share the recipe this week. 








Sue (my MIL) wanted to take a pic of all of us to send to her Bestie back in AZ who always sends pics of her grandkids to Sue. I love that we always need take 2 because in the 1st one Matt is always being such a dork. That's my goofy Hubby. ::sigh:: It's never dull. 😂 

Also, you gotta love that I always look like I'm standing in a hole because I'm so short compared to everyone else. Lol 🙈








The weather cleared up enough to give us a pretty sunset and allow for us to watch some fireworks going off across the lake. 







Then Sunday was nothing but blue skies and a lovely day to take a ride on the pontoon. I love the last pic of a Mama Loon we came across that had a baby on her back:













PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear, especially everything going on in the middle east right now. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For healing for my Mom. For my Aunt's surgery this week to go well.

For the Lord's love and peace to fill 2026. ❤️ 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way to loving our neighbors as ourselves. 🙏🏻











PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

See, still mostly iced coffee and summer thoughts around here. 💗 Blessings on your week ahead. 

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.