In 2017, I’m hunting the good stuff. I am setting aside the turmoil I see all around me and instead recording snapshots that will tell a story of fun, adventure, joy, and thankfulness. This is the story of my life and I’ll choose the tone and how I want to tell it; I do that daily with my attitude, my outlook, and the lens through which I choose to see life.

Here on my blog, I’m keeping a running camera roll of each month’s highlights and adventures. Has life been perfect? Nope. Have we had our share of hard days and tough moments? You bet. But that’s not what I’m choosing to focus on. I’m taking a day at the end of each month to go back and look at the snapshots of goodness and joy we have been given.

January 2017 // February 2017 // March 2017 //

April 2017 // May 2017// June 2017 // July 2017

Without further adieu…I present to you August…or

the absolutely longest month of the year

As our August adventure began, we were already in the midst of one final vacation of summer. We decided at the last minute to join my parents in Fort Myers Beach, FL. It was such a restful vacation and I’m so glad we decided to go.

The kids and I rolled into town late in the afternoon on our anniversary; so Ryan and I celebrated the next day. We enjoyed Motor Supply Company. It lived up to the hype. Also, SIXTEEN wonderful years married to this guy? What?

 

We came home and hit the ground running with the start of school. Here are the first day photos of W.A.C.K. South Carolina. August Claire thanked April/May/June Claire for all of her planning to make the first week back a breeze. ❤

 

Most of Ryan’s month looked like this: (bless his heart). Poor guy has had his nose in a book or laptop ever since we arrived. That’s school for ya’ I guess.

 

Some highlights for Thomas include his increasing involvement in the Shandon Baptist youth group, enjoying a week of golf camp, and getting settled into his college courses.

 

Mae has also moved up to the youth group, enjoyed celebrating National Middle Child Day, and was able to get Babysitter and CPR certified.

 

For Kate, she has enjoyed the updated kids’ area at church, her SKIES gymnastics classes (which on the last day of the month was cancelled for the foreseeable future due to “restructuring,” loving on Hank 24-7, and celebrating her 10th birthday.

As for me, I have been on a Hank-walking kick, enjoyed shooting basketball at the gym on post, organized a movie to see the highly anticipated Glass Castle movie, and found someone to cut and color my hair! 🙏🏼

I also hosted a “girls night in” dessert night with a few new friends and it was great to connect with some fellow spouses.

In other news:

The Eclipse happened…all of the neighbors came out and we kind of had an impromptu Eclipse gathering. It was part magical and part meh. Columbians completely lost their minds over the Eclipse.

 

We have continued to try to prioritize our weekend family outing; mostly going out and trying new restaurants that are exclusive to Columbia. The kids have probably spent hundreds of hours outside with the neighborhood kids…and a few from the next street over…we had a family picnic with Ryan’s C4 small group.

 

We have tried to settle back into the rigors and routines of the school year. Thankfully, the kids are up and working most mornings by around 7:30. I know that will change at daylight savings, but for now, I think we are all enjoying getting an early start to our day. I don’t want to jinx anything, but this has probably been our smoothest start to school yet. I blame all of my obsessive spring and summer planning.

We have had a field trip outing nearly every Friday (and one Tuesday). We have met many new friends that we are counting to get to know. And PWOC started back up. It’s been a minute since the kids and I have regularly attended PWOC, but it felt great to be back.

Katherine Anne celebrated her 10th birthday this month. Our kids have a birthday budget: we let them decide if they want to spend it all on gifts, all on an experience, all on a party or a combination. Kate chose gifts and a very small party. She invited all of the Custer Loop girls for a “cake and craft.” It makes me so happy that all three kids have had instant friends since arriving in Columbia.

That about covers it. August has been a L O N G month. That trip to Fort Myers seems like a lifetime ago. We have all been immersed in school, lots of family time, lots of outdoor time, and some time with friends.

I checked my countdown app and we are already inside 100 days until Ryan’s graduation. LOL. Not really Laugh Out Loud…more like Lord, Oh Lord! We have just barely gotten settled in here and last week we already got the ball rolling with our housing packet at Fort Polk. #armylife

Summer was good to us; really all of 2017 has been good to us. I knew when it began that it would be one of those sink or swim years. Thankfully we are all still afloat and swimming right along.