As July comes to a close, I want to share significant happenings in my life that didn’t make it to the blog this month such as my younger brother getting married in my backyard and my son’s early 9th birthday party all in one night.
Yes, all in one night. The evening was filled with close friends and family and a lot of love. What more do you really need?
Birthday Sparklers and Chicken Sandwiches
Prior to all of that, we also celebrated my other brother’s birthday at my house and used real sparklers from the 4th of July on his homemade chicken sandwich because we didn’t have a cake or candles. LOL.
Aren’t these the moments we live for?
Again, we had a nice time, just hanging out around the house and talking. He didn’t care about a cake or candles, laughed at the sparklers, and thanked me for the delicious homemade chicken sandwich.
Family events didn’t stop there. Nope. We also hosted two Family Nights.
The 4th of July
The first family night was pretty impromptu and included everyone coming over for the 4th of July where I had my first jab at making a fun candy charcuterie board for the kids and hanging out on the patio until midnight – with of course, more sparklers. It was pretty crucial for me because I still had to get up for work the following Friday. Eeek!
Family Night Monthly Rotation
The last family event was our big family dinner which includes extended family. Since our dad passed in April, we have been taking turns hosting family dinners.
Typically, about 30 people show up, we eat, laugh, and have a great time. This month was our month and it included an outdoor, gingham and pineapple theme! It was a lot of fun!
Patio Hopping in Champaign
Aside from big family events, the boys and I enjoyed some time alone and had an awesome day trip during my week off. We spent the day in Champaign patio hopping from Portillas to Campus Town’s Cold Stone Creamery.
We topped the trip off with an hour at Elevate for Family Night. Feel free to read more about our Family Night at Elevate.
Much Needed Alone Time
In between all of the family events this month, I was able to slide in some valuable and much needed solo time.
I woke up early and made breakfast for myself and enjoyed it all alone on the patio while everyone else was asleep. And, a few days later, I wander out to Sleepy Creek and enjoyed a cherry wine slushie garnished in chocolate syrup.
Read more about previous visits to Sleepy Creek.
It was a first at trying that and I can honestly say that I’m not sure that garnishing a wine slushie with chocolate will ever be my go-to. LOL.
Lastly, I enjoyed several Dollar Tree runs with the kids, a delicious salad my mom made for us that we ate on for three days, and gorgeous, rich and purple Gladiolus flowers from my love. Awwwww.
Final Thoughts
Whew! It was definitely a very busy month, both in life and on the blog. I am thankful for all of the collaborations I have had and am embarking upon, as well as all of the positive changes that are taking place in life.
There are still some areas in life that need to be cleaned up, but overall things are pretty good and moving in a positive direction.
