summer.

it has arrived.  the end of summer.  i'm so thankful for the time off in july i've had to rest and relax!  here are a few things that i have enjoyed...
-visiting friends who are home during the day (meeting up with them for cupcakes, lunches, etc!)
-time by the pool
-sno cones.  yum!
-road trip with mom
-houston, kemah, shopping, and amazing food with the guenthers
-great conversations with sweet friends
-reading my brother's blog while he's away in guatemala
-hearing dad talk about his mission trip and his new BFFs
-escaping the heat and getting to visit with daniel and explore denver
-shopping and getting pedicures
-time to work on crafts and redo my living room
-teacher supply stores and new themes for the schoolyear

i could go on and on....but the point is this: i'm so grateful for time to recharge and prepare for a new year.  let the fun begin!

changes.

it's been awhile.  i guess life just gets busy ... and this whole 'taking time to write' thing often gets pushed to the side.  i'm not so sure i'm really a 'blogger', but i love reading about the happenings in the lives of others.

over the past year or so many changes have come about.  and i like change.  mostly.  change is hard at times, but normally ends in a good result.  sometimes change is moving to a new place and having the chance to make new friends, or change could be dealing with a year of firsts after the loss of a loved one.  change can be challenging, sad, fun, uncertain, but always seems to stretch me to evaluate values, desires, goals, etc.  i'm thankful that in a life of change, Christ is constant and His love for us never changes.

this summer i'm changing up my normal busy schedule.  i'm taking time to rest!, sit by the pool with sweet friends, eat chocolate cow sno cones, visit the local farmers markets from time to time, stay up late, work on crafts, take road and plane trips, learn new things from the Bible, and blog a few more times.

change is a comin' for me at the beginning of august.  i have the privilege of putting my master's degree in action as i become an elementary school counselor!!  this change is tricky because i loved the classroom, school, staff, principal, etc ... but i'm really looking forward to using some of those same skills as i love on and care for a new campus.

change ... ready or not.  it's comin'!  no matter what kind of change we face, i'm learning is has a lot to do with our attitude and how we respond to/accept these changes.

here's hoping the way i handle change will encourage others.