I’ve always loved what front porches represent: family time, relaxation, cold glasses of sweet tea, being a part of the neighborhood. My family’s home when I was growing up had a front porch, and we spent countless hours together there, watching thunder storms, eating ice cream and just enjoying each other’s company. That front porch saw a lot of smiles – and a lot of tears – over the years.
Yesterday was September 1st – and the start of what I consider fall! Technically, the season of fall doesn’t start until later in September, but as I sit here in a cozy sweater, covered with a blanket, it sure feels a lot like fall to me! The weather this time of year can be a little all over the place in Northeast Ohio: some days it’s hot and sunny; some days it’s chilly and overcast. Ryan and I got married September 5, 2009, and it was in the high 70’s with lots of sunshine. The poor groomsmen were sweating in their tuxes! But almost eight years later, the weather calls for long sleeves and umbrellas. Continue reading
Hi, everyone! I hope your Memorial Day weekend was full of family, friends, and food. We had a few thunderstorms on Sunday, but overall, the weather was GREAT in Akron. I had Friday and Monday off of work, which made for a lovely, wonderful four-day weekend. Ryan’s family came into town because….he was promoted at work!! He’s now officially a lieutenant at the Lorain Fire Department. We couldn’t be prouder of him – and I couldn’t be more nervous about having to learn to spell lieutenant now (thank heavens for auto correct!).
I’ve been slowly incorporating what I like to call “farmhouse prep” into our house. I love the simple, rustic details of a “farmhouse” style, but my hearts also flutters for the clean stripes and hints of gold found in a “preppy” style. It’s an evolving style, and I’m having so much fun with it. Continue reading
Last week, Ryan and I took our longest solo trip without the little guys. We headed way down south to Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas. I had a work meeting in Forth Worth, and since we have friends from college in the Dallas area, Ryan decided to join me.
Quick fun fact: Ryan was born in Texas and spent the first 7 years of his life in El Paso.
Before this trip, I had never been to Texas, so I was super pumped to visit the state home to one of my favorite shows ever.
If someone you love is a first responder, you know all too well the mix of overwhelming pride and fear concerning their job. Firefighters, police officers, military personnel and paramedic/EMTs are the ones running in while others are running out. My husband, a firefighter and parmedic (and Army veteran!) half-jokingly says that to me, but it’s so true. These everyday-heroes are not compensated for their daily sacrifices. I started writing this post on a day we lost a local police officer to a hit-and-run driver. My heart breaks for the family and friends of that officer, as well as the members of his department. I know that technically all of us are all putting our lives into danger by just getting up and going to work everyday – no matter our profession – but no one can argue that these men and women are quite literally risking it all for the sake of the lives of complete strangers.
So – before I say anything else – THANK YOU to all first responders and their families. Your sacrifices are not overlooked. ❤ Continue reading
Like a lot of people, I’ve really gotten into the farmhouse style of home decor. It reminds me of my childhood and speaks to my very soul.
What a day, what a day, what a day. I think the universe knew I would be partaking in National Margarita Day by enjoying a refreshing cocktail this evening, so it threw every possible curve ball at me. But there is no way I’m letting a few hiccups get in the way of enjoying this beauty:
We’re about a month out from the official start of spring, but it’s been in the 50s and 60s around Northeast Ohio lately – so it feels like spring is here already! We are loving the warmer weather, and so are the boys. We spent almost FOUR HOURS at the park last Saturday. Needless to say we were all totally wiped out after that. I think we all slept like rocks that night!
We’ve been busy around the homestead lately. Earlier this month, Ryan was out of town for two weeks at training for work (yay to getting promoted this year!!), so I had my first experience of just me and the kiddos at home for a long period of time. I’m so, so, so blessed to have a wonderful babysitter and an even more wonderful mama who made those two weeks not only doable, but not that bad. And it helps that my boys were eerily well-behaved. But in any case, I was SO happy when Ryan finally came back home. Our home just isn’t the same when he’s not around, and I swear Gunner (our younger dog) was in a state of depression for those two weeks. The dog loves his dad. Continue reading
Hello, hello! Summer FLEW by – and now we are entering fall, my hands-down favorite season. The cooler temperatures make me want a hot cup of coffee more than I normally do – and trust me, I want coffee just about any time of day, any time of year. Coffee is my comfort; it’s what I drink when I want to wake up, as well as when I want to relax. It’s what I share with family and friends while catching up about the up’s and down’s of life. It’s a part of who I am, and if you think that sounds silly, do a quick search of the internet for coffee memes. Looks like many other people agree with me! Continue reading
We had a nice little surprise over the weekend: our refrigerator stopped working…for the second time in a month! We went through the whole DIY fix last time, but it was such a huge ordeal, there is no way we’re going through all that again. So until a technician can come take a look (Friday or Saturday!!!! AGH!!!!), we are surviving with a mini fridge and a deep freezer (located in our non-attached garage). Should be a fun week. 🙂
Anyway, since our cold storage space is limited, we’ll be making several trips to the grocery store this week for our meals. Nevertheless, I’m excited about our menu this week! Continue reading
True Whit 