{PUMPKIN PATCHIN'}

For the last three years, Mason and I have visited this cute little pumpkin patch in Midlothian, TX. It's put on by a church there in town. We found it because it's right next door to Nathan's Grandmother's assisted living facility. We love supporting the church! And, they always have the cutest little photo ops around the patch. Plus, it's a sweet little tradition shared by just Mason and me. 




{Homeschool // 2020}

 Long before Covid hit, we had decided to homeschool Mason for the 2020/2021 school year. It's something we have talked about and prayed about for years and we felt that it was a good time to do so. To be honest, Mason was being held back in his current district. He knew the content and thus was getting very bored in class. Because he was bored, he would start talking and land himself in trouble every day (or so it seemed). Also, there were some changes happening in his district for the next school year, and that helped make our decision even that much easier! 



{Annual Hocus Pocus Movie Night // 2020}

 Back on October 15th, we had our annual Hocus Pocus movie night! We decided to do it on a Thursday evening because we were going out of town the next day. I love this little tradition of ours something fierce! And Mason loves it maybe even more than me. 


{Falling for Fall // Fall 2020 Bucketlist}

The temps here in Texas have been glorious and it's actually starting to really feel like fall. I couldn't love it more if I tried. Fall is my most favorite time of the year and I get so happy and so giddy. I am obsessed with fall weather, fall clothes, fall scents, fall foods, fall festivities, fall traditions, topless rides in the Jeep, fall crafting, etc. September 22nd may have been the actual first day of fall, but my heart was in fall mode after school started (Sept 8). Here's a look at our Fall 2020 Bucketlist. 



{Del Rio, TX // August 2020}

Still playing catch-up here. Back on the weekend of August 7th, we went to visit some of our best friends down in Del Rio, TX. I took off on Friday and Nate was off, so we left super early that morning. We wanted to get there as early as possible to have as much time as we could with them. 


{Jeep Meet at Bluebonnet BBQ // August 2020}

 Back on August 5th we attended a Jeep meet with our local Jeep club. We went to a local BBQ place that just turned over new members. They also have a new menu and did some upgrades to the place. It was neat to see all the new details of Bluebonnet. 


{Jeeps at the Lake // August 1st}

Back on August 1st one of our favorite Jeep groups had a weekend at the lake. We weren't able to camp with the group, so we just went out for one evening. 


{QUARANTINE HOME PROJECT #8 // Wreath Refresh}

I like to switch up my wreaths with the season (or when they start looking ratchet! ha). It was well past time to update this one. I wanted it to be more spring/summery. I think I nailed just that!


{Currently // Sept 2020}

 Hey y'all! It's been 47 days since I last visited this space! I have so much to catch up on. I thought I would come back with the "Currently" post I missed this month. I'll include a little life update below. 



{Halloween & Fall haul from Target // 2020}

 What did we do before the Target dollar spot (or Amazon)? I always find the cutest pieces there. I think I missed the best time to go for fall & Halloween things this year, but still managed to snag a few adorable things. 



{COLORADO // DAY 3 // OPHIR PASS}

 On our way home from Moab we decided to drive Ophir Pass! We were getting back into Colorado at Sunset and got to watch the sunset over the mountains. It was pure magic!! 



{VACATION // DAY 3 // MOAB, UTAH}

 On day three of our Colorado trip, we found ourselves driving 3 hours to Moab, Utah! We couldn't fathom the thought of being that close to Moab and not spending at least 1 day there! For you non-Jeepers out there, this is off-roading heaven!! So many awesome trails. The adrenaline rush on the way there was just about enough to send me over the edge! I couldn't believe we were actually going to Moab after so many years of talking and dreaming about it! 


{COLORADO // DAY 2 // IMOGENE PASS}

 After we walked around Telluride for a bit, we headed to Imogene Pass. This trailhead begins in Telluride and ends in Ouray, CO. It was really neat getting to this trailhead...it's literally right behind a neighborhood in Telluride. As you're climbing up the trail you can see the whole town of Telluride below and if you look across you can see the switchbacks on Black Bear Pass. It was crazy to see a different perspective on the trail we just conquered!! 


{COLORADO // DAY 2 // BLACK BEAR PASS & TELLURIDE}

 On day 2 of our Colorado trip, we woke up bright and early to hit up Black Bear Pass and Imogene Pass. We wanted to be able to conquer both of those trails in one day, so an early morning it was. It was fine by me though, we got to see the sunrise over the mountains! It was such a beautiful drive to the trailhead.


{Colorado // Day 1 // Exploring Silverton, CO}

We began our drive to Colorado on Monday evening (August 17th). We drove a little over 4 hours and then got a hotel for the evening. We wanted to get a jump on the drive so that we had more time to spend in Colorado!! We drove the rest of the way on Tuesday, August 18th, and got into Durango around 3:30 pm.




{Colorado trip // August 2020}

 Much like most of our trips, we decided last minute to head to Colorado for a week. I had already taken off work for a Jeep event (that we later decided we didn't want to go to), Nate had some time off, and Mason's new homeschool start date got pushed back, so we decided we wanted to take a trip somewhere. I mentioned Colorado, of course. I have been wanting to go back to CO for the longest time. Nate mentioned asking some of our friends if they wanted to go and the rest is pretty much history! It really was just a matter of perfect timing for all of us!
 


 

{CURRENTLY // AUGUST 2020}

I have really put this blog on the back burner lately! Summer is so busy for us and I can't keep up with all the things! I have so much catching up to do, but in the meantime here's what I am currently choosingconsumingenjoyingordering, and remembering.




{CHASING SUNSETS // Summer nights at the lake // 2020}

Chasing sunsets is one of my favorite everyday adventures. God is so gracious to give us these beautiful skies and I am so thankful for these little treasures. Every time I see one I am reminded of just how much our Heavenly Father loves us! And how mighty He is.





{Texas Hill Country Loop with Friends/JAT admins}

Friday night around 10 pm we got a wild hair and planned a trip to the Texas Hill Country for....the very next morning!! Lucky for us, we have some pretty awesome friends that are just as spontaneous as us and said "absolutely" to our crazy plans! We were talking about planning an event for a group that Nate and I started {Jeep Around Texas} and wanted to make a pre-run to plan it all out. Our admins and great friends Michael & Keri, and Freddie joined us on this trip and we are so thankful that they did! We had a blast!! 



{Oh THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS // 2020}

{Beach House Tour // Surfside House}

We had so many people ask us about the beach house we were staying at during our recent vacation to Surfside beach. So, I decided to do a beach house tour.


{FREEPORT, TX ~ SURFSIDE BEACH // SUMMER VACATION 2020}

I've been putting this post off for far too long! I think I was intimidated by the number of photos I took (and making the YouTube video). Anyhow, back on June 16th, we headed down to the Freeport, TX / Surfside Beach area for several days! Nate's entire family went and it was the first time in years that we have all been together for a vacation! It was really nice.


{10 ON THE 10TH}

I finally remembered to take 10 pictures on the 10th!! I set an alarm that morning so that I wouldn't forget! The first few pictures will probably look similar to my last 10 on the 10th post because my mornings start out the same each day! I love my time outside with just me and God!


ONE SEC EVERDAY // JUNE 2020

Here's a look at our month of June according to the One Sec Everyday App! I love that this app reminds me to make a conscious effort to take more videos every day. I'm usually just a photo snapper, but I love looking back on videos so much! June was full of spending time with God, sunsets, hanging out on our porch, Jeepin', birthday-ing, beaching, friends, and home projects. 



{Sunflowers // 2020}

It's no secret around here that I love sunflowers! Actually, I am a bit obsessed with them. There is just something so beautiful about sunflowers and sunflower fields. I've posted about them several times on the blog (here, here, here, here, and there were more but I lost all my pictures when Photobucket decided to shut down). We've already been out several times this year and I can't get enough!


{STAR SPANGLED Saturday}

While the 4th of July weekend was a bit different this year (quarantine), we still had an incredible time. Our original morning/afternoon plans of being in the 4th of July parade and then going to the waterpark with the Jeep club were quickly vetoed. We were definitely bummed about the parade because we had so much fun last year. We kind of figured the waterpark thing wouldn't happen because Texas is starting to shut down again. The weekend before they closed down the river floats around here, so it was bound to happen. We didn't even tell Mason about it so that we didn't get his hopes up.


{WEEKEND WRAP-UP // SUNFLOWERS, JEEP RIDES, 4TH OF JULY, ICE CREAM}

We had a really, really good weekend! I was sad to see it go. Nate and I were both off on Friday and Nate was off on Monday! Those extra-long weekends are so incredibly good for the soul. Nate will have an extra-short week this week since his company celebrated the 4th on Monday! And, he's off on Fridays. I sure wish I could say the same. lol. Anyhow, here's a look at our weekend...


{WE FINALLY GOT TO GO WHEELIN' // HIDDEN FALLS // JUNE 2020}

We were so thankful when off-road parks started opening back up (#quarantine)! We couldn't plan a trip quick enough. We invited several but due to other commitments, only us and our friend Freddie were able to go. It ended up being just fine, though. Freddie had added a lot of stuff to his Jeep and we had some new parts to test out.



{CURRENTLY // JULY 2020}

It's that time of the month when we link up with Anne In Residence for the "currently" series. This month we are sharing what we are currently cookingphotographingsharingtrying, and wondering


{QUARANTINE HOME PROJECT #7 // DIY ROUND WOOD "GATHER" SIGN}

You know I love me a good DIY! I started seeing these DIY round wood signs popping up on Pinterest and Facebook and knew I had to make one. And then after we finished our picnic table we had this big empty wall that needed something to fill the space. And then it hit me - a round wood sign. And I knew just what I wanted it to say.


{Weekend Wrap-up // Working in the garage, lake, Sunday Funday with neighbors}

It's been a minute since I have done a "weekend wrap-up"! We had a pretty good one, so why not share?


{Five on Friday // Reminiscing, 4th of July shirt, Skies, Tik Tok, New Kicks}

Happy Friday! I thought this week would really drag since it was the week after a week-long vacation, but it actually went by pretty quick. All the praise hands. I think it helps when work is busy and there are enough chores to do at home (catching up from vacay) in between work. And the best part? We have a pretty chill weekend ahead of us. Nothing really planned. Unless we think of a home project to do. Anyhow, here's a little Five on Friday.


{Don Juans Grand Opening // June 2020}

One of our favorite restaurants from our hometown recently opened a second location about an hour from us near Cedar Creek Lake. Nathan and I have so many memories of this place (at the Grand Prairie location) and have gone there for as long as we can remember. The grand opening for the new location just so happened to be on a Friday (Nate is off on Fridays) and so he and Mason were able to go!


{Mason's 10th birthday party}

We haven't had a birthday party for Mason for the last couple of years. We couldn't seem to fit one in between the end of school and our travel schedule. This year we made it happen! My parents recently got a nice above ground pool and Mason wanted to have his birthday party there. Our nephew's birthday was June 11th so we just combined both boys' celebration together! We were inviting mostly family anyhow. It worked out great!


{Sweet Summertime // Summer 2020 Bucketlist}

The first official day of summer was on June 20th, but let's be real...Texas never plays by that rule! It's been summer for a while around here! It's already hit triple digits more than once. I missed posting this on the 20th because we were on vacation! Until I get around to blogging about our trip, you can see many pictures on my Instagram.  Spoiler alert! It was a good one. Anyhow,  here's a look at our Summer 2020 bucketlist.

{TEN ON THE TENTH // 10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT SUMMER}

It has been so long since I've done a 10 on the 10th. So, I set an alarm to remind me to take 10 photos throughout the day. I love documenting our days through photos.


{SPRING BUCKETLIST 2020 // UPDATE}

Taking a look at our Spring list and all that we have accomplished. We'll be switching gears into summer mode soon and for that I am excited!



{MASON'S TENTH BIRTHDAY}

Mason's TENTH (gasp!) birthday was the Monday we got back from our Fredericksburg camping trip. It was also Memorial Day! I'm so glad that we were able to come home from camping a day early and wake up in our own beds for his birthday morning! Otherwise, we would have been driving for almost 4 hours on his birthday.


{FIVE ON FRIDAY // DIY SHELVING & STORAGE, MASON'S WELL CHECK, HOME}

It's been forever since I have written a Five on Friday post! Since I'm no longer writing the "Our Quarantined Life" posts, I thought this would be a good way to dump out some of the week's randomness. So, here goes...



{MEMORIAL DAY TRIP TO FREDERICKSBURG, TX}

After our annual camping trip to Mason, TX  (Thanks #Corona) was canceled we found a spot to camp in Fredericksburg, TX. We were so bummed to not be able to go to Mason. It's one of our most favorite weekends with some of our favorite people. But, we had an amazing time making new memories in Fredericksburg, TX.


{CURRENTLY // MAY & JUNE 2020}

The Currently series with Anne in Residence is one of my favorite blog link-ups. I somehow missed the link-up in May, so I am combining May & June here. :) 



{QUARANTINE HOME PROJECT #6 // PORCH CHAIR UPDATE}

Isn't it amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to something? We have this really awesome chair on our porch that came from Nathan's Grandfather's place. When we first moved it out to our new home the paint was chippy and it was rusty. We painted it red as it matched our decor back then. But now it didn't really match anything we had. So, I painted it and added a cushion to make it fit the space better!


{ONE SECOND EVERYDAY // MAY 2020}

Here's a look at our month of May via the One Sec Everyday App! I love that this app reminds me to make a conscious effort to take more videos every day. I'm usually just a photo snapper, but I love looking back on videos so much!


{QUARANTINE HOME PROJECT #5 // NEW VINYL ON PLANTER}

After we got our post up for our hanging lights I wasn't loving the saying on the metal bucket. The "Mercantile" was one of the first things I did when I got my Cricut...and it shows. It's lopsided and just lackluster. The bucket has been sitting in our garage since. Now that we are using it on our newly done porch I knew it needed a facelift.



{QUARANTINE HOME PROJECT #4 // HANGING LIGHTS}

One thing I have been wanting to do forever was hanging some lights over our patio. I think this has been on my season bucketlist for a year or maybe even two. They are just so dreamy and I wanted them bad! Especially now that we have our new picnic table there. So, we tackled this project last weekend.


{QUARANTINE HOME PROJECT #3 // FIREPIT}

I left a tiny hint of our third home project in the last picture of the Picnic Table Project. :) We re-did our firepit. We've actually had it for years, but just recently started using it. We needed to re-level the ground and then we wanted to add another row of stones.


{QUARANTINE HOME PROJECT #2 // PICNIC TABLE PROJECT}

I mentioned in my "Naming the Good Stuff" post that we have been tackling projects we've talked about doing for years. One of those projects was re-doing our picnic table. We inherited a picnic table that Nate's Grandfather or Uncle built many, many years ago. It was awesome but in dire need of some new wood. So, we did just that.



{Spring Bucketlist // 2020}

I know spring is almost over and I am super late in posting this, but I didn't want to let it slip by. Plus, it's still spring around here until school lets out. Then it's all about summer! Here is a look at our 2020 Spring Bucketlist. We've already completed many of these, but again I want them here for memories' sake!



{Chasing Sunsets 2020 // vol. 2}

God’s timing is always so absolutely perfect!! Tonight I asked Nate if we could take a drive through the backroads...a little sunset cruise with the top down on the Jeep. The weight of the world was starting to get overwhelming and I just needed to get out of the house. Driving the backroads and chasing the sunset is so, so good for my soul. It always resets my mood and I can literally feel the stress and worries melt away. As we were driving I saw something I have never really seen or paid attention to before. We have passed by this rodeo arena a hundred times, but tonight I saw it so clear - “In God we Trust”. And then we decided to take a backroad we have never taken before and then I see “Be Still and Know”!! God put us right where we needed to be right when I needed it most. Thank you, Lord







God’s timing is always so absolutely perfect!! Tonight I asked Nate if we could take a drive through the backroads...a little sunset cruise with the top down. The weight of the world was starting to get overwhelming and I just needed to get out of the house. Driving the backroads and chasing the sunset is so, so good for my soul. It always resets my mood and I can literally feel the stress and worries melt away. As we were driving I saw something I have never really seen or paid attention to before. We have passed by this rodeo arena a hundred times, but tonight I saw it so clear - “In God we Trust”. And then we decided to take a backroad we have never taken before and then I see “Be Still and Know”!! God put us right where we needed to be right when I needed it most. Thank you, Lord. 🤍
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{OUR QUARANTINED LIFE // WEEK 8}

Here we are at week 8 of this whole quarantine thing! More businesses around Texas are starting to open this week such as hair and nail salons. And then there will be another wave around the 15th, I believe. Nothing is really going to change for us! I'm just hoping and praying that we can go on our annual Memorial Day weekend trip to Mason, TX. This is one of my favorite weekends out of the year and we will all be so bummed if it gets canceled. Anyhow, here's a look at our week.



{Naming the Good Stuff // Quarantine 2020}

Recently I was thinking about the quarantine and reflecting on all of the good that has come from this. While its a scary time and the future is unknown, there really have been many blessings come from this slower-paced lifestyle. I started writing those blessings down and wanted to share them here.


{OUR QUARANTINED LIFE // WEEK 7}

Week seven? It just seems unreal! Seven weeks of quarantine and staying at home as much as possible. Still ready to travel and camp, but still equally enjoying the time at home. I love getting projects done and making the outside of our property such an enjoyable place to be. Here's a look at our week.