The Bread & Wine Project: Peach Crisp

I love the Bread & Wine Project linkup that Rachel of Oh Simple Thoughts started over the summer.  

So many of us have read Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist now, but it's a book that lasts much longer than its 200-some pages.  It sticks with you, as any good book does.

I've written about it before, & probably will mention it again & again.  Bread & Wine is more than recipes.  It's about fostering community within our homes.  This wasn't something that I would ever have thought I would have a problem with, but I've come to realize that I do.

I want my home to be the place that people can drop by unannounced.  I want to feel comfortable serving other people, whether it's a well-thought out meal, or frozen pizza at the last minute.  I want the importance of the community formed around the table to far outweigh my insecurities about what is on the table.  Or what is on the walls or how clean the floor is, or anything else, for that matter.

A home is supposed to be a respite, a place of refuge, a shelter from the world.  But it is not supposed to be a cave that you hole yourself up in & don't allow others to be a part of.  It's so easy to shrink back & think that our homes are "just for us."

After reading the book, I started to feel very convicted about this.  We had people over more often before we moved to California, but since being here, only our families had ever been to our house.  We lived in a small apartment that we had had to pick over the internet before we moved cross-country.  I had to park a long way away, & guests would have to park on the streets.  The gate for guests to come in didn't work, so we'd always have to go meet people at the street to let them in.  The reasons excuses could go on & on.

Before I even finished the book, I'd invited some friends over for dinner.  Holing ourselves up, even unintentionally, just wasn't going to work anymore.

This is something I'll continue to struggle with.  As long as we're living in California, we will be in small places because I don't see the cost of living here changing for the better anytime in the near future.  There will always be projects that aren't complete, quirks and imperfections in our home, and decor that is lacking.  Even when we eventually move back to Georgia & buy a house, it will not look like the dream homes I pin on Pinterest.  But that's not what a home is about anyway.

For now, we took the first step.  We invited people in.  And we'll do it again & again.

I need to hang this print that Rachel made up in my kitchen as a reminder.  I have a home & the ability to serve others, & that is more than enough.  

The pictures above are a modified Peach Crisp from the Blueberry Crisp recipe found in Bread & Wine.  I've made it several times now (making it today with peaches & raspberries!) & it's become a new favorite.  It's good as a dessert, but isn't super sweet so I'll eat it for breakfast too!

Ingredients:

4 cups of almost any fruit

Crisp topping:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup pecans, halved or chopped

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together crisp ingredients.  Pour the berries into an 8 by 8 pan, and then layer the crisp topping over it.  Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes, or up to 10 minutes longer if topping and fruit are frozen, until fruit is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden.

Wednesday's Words // Vol. 1 {Intro}

Today my blog friend Martha Kate is starting a brand new link-up!

Since this is the first of a weekly link-up, the topic today is an introduction & what God is teaching you right now, in this season of life.

I have been blogging off & on for about 6 years now, I think.  I started this blog, Whimsy & Wanderings, a little over a year ago, as my husband & I were getting ready to move from Georgia to California.  I would consider it to be a lifestyle blog; I like to write about our adventures in California, faith, family, marriage, & my Etsy shop.  And maybe an occasional cute cat picture.  Or a little more than occasional...

What is God teaching me right now?  I think He's teaching me to dream bigger.  Several years ago, after I graduated from college but before I had a full-time job, I had another Etsy shop.  I loved it, & it kept me busy during that time, & gave me a sense of purpose.  But once I got a full-time job it was quickly put on the back burner & then ended altogether.  This time that is not my intention.  Rachel &  I began dreaming of a shop together pretty much the day we met.  And then that dream finally became a reality about 3 months ago.  It has really blessed me in so many ways, but one is that I truly believe God is encouraging me through this.  I feel at liberty to try things I've never done before.  I believe He can use this not only to give me something to do while I'm in a season of working part-time.  It's more than something to keep me busy & give me some entertainment & a little extra money.  I believe we are all given platforms where God desires for us to be intentional in sharing our faith, & I believe this is one that He has entrusted to us right now.  I want to always make things that will encourage others & point them to Jesus, & right now I feel like He's blessing our little business & showing us more ways to do just that.

We have our new fall items that come out on Monday, & they are some of my favorite things I've ever done.  I don't usually think of it this way, but recently I've seen any little creativity I have as being a reflection of God.  He is such a creative God...the fact that He can make so many humans, & make us all unique.  He can not only make, but sustain, trees, plants, flowers.  He made the ocean & the waves, the sun & the moon.  So I like to think that my creative side is a reflection of that.  In order to reflect God, I need to embrace that & use it for His glory.

P.S. If you'd like a free little East West lock screen we designed this week, click here & save to your phone!

Community Brew | Community Around the Table

Like everyone else did about a year ago, I'm finally reading Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine.   It's definitely different than any other book I've ever read & I wasn't really sure how I was going to like it.  But I've found myself underlining parts, & reading other parts out loud to Grayson.  Last night I followed Grayson around Home Depot & found boxes to sit on to read while he was getting what we needed.  

This book has been everywhere with me the last week or so.  I've found myself always making sure it's in my purse when I go to work, though that makes no sense.  Never once have I found a reason to read at work.  (Okay, at my old job when the power went out or the fire alarm went off, which seemed to happen frequently, I would read.  But never at my current job.)

I'm still only about halfway through (probably because of all the stopping to underline or read out loud...) but I've already made one of the recipes (more on that later this week) & have plans for many more.  

But it's about so much more than the recipe.  Shauna isn't even a "recipe girl," so clearly it's about more than the food.  She starts off by noting how many stories in the Bible are set around a table.  Jesus was very much a part of the community He lived in.  He shared meals with people.  He was a part of nourishing not just their bodies, but their souls.  There's something intimate about sitting around the table with a group of people, and Shauna captures that so well in the book.  

As I started reading this book, I started to think about the meals that stand out the most to me & why. The first that came to mind was our rehearsal dinner.  At that long table of family that night, I was very aware that there will probably never be another time when all of our family & closest friends are in the same room together.  There will never be another time when everyone we love most shares a meal together.

I'd dreamed about this food since we first tasted it months ago.  And my mother-in-law did such a beautiful job with the decorations.  Everything was perfect.  But it wasn't about the great food or gorgeous setting; it was about the people gathered around the table.

Another "meal" that stands out to me is from college.  When I lived in a townhouse we affectionately called "Ruby Holler," we always had people over.  Especially Thursday nights.  Thursdays were about friends, pajamas, Grey's Anatomy, The Office (which we recorded upstairs on a VCR while we watched Grey's downstairs...), Betty Crocker Cookie Brownies, hot chocolate, & coffee.  There's nothing at all fancy about that, but those are some of my favorite college memories.  I loved living there because our living room was pretty big so there was always room, & friends were always welcome.

When I was a kid, blackberries would grow in the woods at my grandparents' house.  Every summer, my Papa would take us to pick blackberries.  We would sit at barstools at the counter & snack on them while he made blackberry cobbler.  There is never ever a time when I put a blackberry in my mouth that I don't immediately think of him.

I love how taste is a sense that so easily reminds of times we've shared with the people we love.  These are just a few of the stories of meals that come to mind.  There are many more, & many more waiting to be made

P.S. Linking up today at Community Brew [Wetherills Say I Do + Oh Simple Thoughts]

Community Brew | Marriage

I've discovered so many great new blogs lately, & their link-ups not only help when I'm in a blogging rut, but they're also just really good topics. I love seeing the online community that's created through blogging & social media.

That being said, I'm joining in on Community Brew with Rachel & Madison.

This month's topic is marriage.  One of my favorite topics.

Grayson's dad & stepmom visited with us for a few days last week.  Since we've always lived in a different state, & now on the other side of the country, this is only the second time we've gotten to see them since we got married a little over a year & a half ago, so we ended up talking several times about our marriage, & how that first year & a half has been.

[Side note: Grayson looks a lot like his dad anyway, but this picture...just alike.]

So we were talking at dinner one night about what had been the hardest/easiest things about being married.  I've said before, marriage has been a lot easier than I expected.  And it always scares me a little to even utter those words.  There are definitely hard days, & bad days, & fights, & arguments over nothing...but those are pretty rare.  For the most part, we just have fun together.

Looking back, I think one of the main things that has helped us grow as husband & wife is learning how to show a mutual respect for one another.  I don't quite know how this started, but every.single.night, Grayson tells me thank you for making dinner.  Honestly, I think he started that & I liked that he recognized something that I did, so I tried to do the same!

I try to always tell him thank you when we go out to dinner.  He tells me thank you for doing the laundry, making the bed, cleaning the house, etc.  I tell him thank you when he fixes something I've broken, cleans up the kitchen after dinner, vacuums the house, or brings me coffee.  Sometimes to the point that it seems a little ridiculous.   

But just that simple gesture, that literally takes no effort, can be a game changer.  I could be bitter about any little task, & then he says "thank you for dinner" & I don't even mind anymore.  We should be servants whether it is noticed or not, but it does make it easier when you feel appreciated.

When Grayson thanks me for dinner, it's not just for cooking a meal.  It's for planning a menu that I think he will like, going to the grocery store, making dinner, cleaning up the kitchen after that (though many nights I fall asleep & he does that!).  It's just an attitude of thankfulness that makes so much of a difference.  So I plan to continue to wear out the words "thank you," because I never want him to go a day when he doesn't feel loved, respected, & appreciated.

What's In My Bag?

I can't resist a good link-up.  Especially if it involves a list.  Joining in on this fun one with In Its Time & Rivers and Roads: What's in My Bag?

This is tame & freshly cleaned-out.  Normally there would be at least 2 or 3 bottles of nail polish, a cardigan, several more pens, a notebook or 2, & probably a travel mug that got left in there from the coffee I took to work any given morning.  Plus last week, a tape measure (for trying to decide where to put all our furniture in the new house), an extra shirt or pair of shoes (because California weather can be totally different in the morning/night than in the middle of the day & we were driving up & down the coast), an array of chargers (phone, camera, kindle), & all the trash my husband doesn't have anything to do with & feels a need to store there.

1. My favorite Fossil purse.  I love Fossil, & this is usually my go-to because I love the colors & it's the perfect size to fit everything I want.

2. Fossil Wallet.  Because apparently, things are not free.

3. Kindle.  Because you never know when you might have a few extra minutes to read!

4. iPhone.  Because I feel a little lost without it.  Sometimes literally.

5. Sunglasses.  Because California is a) almost always sunny, & b) does not have tree-lined highways like Georgia, so the sun is always in my eyes.

6. Keys.  The best thing about moving is that I can have all my keys on one keychain & not have to have separate ones for the gate & laundry.  This seems dumb but I feel like my life is simplified already!

7. Chapstick & lip gloss.  My favorite Stila lipsticks.

8. Gum.  I don't think this really needs an explanation.

9. Post-its & pens.  I'm a list-maker...shop ideas, menu for the week, grocery list, etc.  I do more list-making than checking off...

10. An impressive collection of rubber bands & bobby pins.  Don't know why I think I'd ever need this many at once but, you really can't be too prepared.

P.S. Did I mention we moved?!?!  We weren't really expecting to be moved already, but thanks to in-laws who offered to help until Grayson couldn't say no anymore, all our big stuff is here & we've spent 2 nights in the new house.  Everything else is still scattered but...we're getting there!  Little home tour coming as soon as it's all done!

Show Them Jesus

 

I love the verses for this week's She Shares Truth.  We don't have to be eloquent speakers, because God is.  We don't have to know all the answers, because God does.  At church, we're always talking about "the genius of Jesus."  God's plan of our redemption is genius because it's so powerful, yet so simple.  It is so deep, yet still made for even children to understand.  

One time when my cousin Ada Klair was little, she'd gotten in trouble & was in time out.  The whole time she was there, she kept pouting, saying "somebody better say they're sorry!"  She understood that something bad had been done, & someone had to pay. Much to her dismay, she was the one who had been bad & she was the one who had to pay.  

We're human.  We sin.  Someone has to pay.  But in our case, Jesus stepped in.  The punishment that we deserved, He took.  He did much more than sit in time out for us.  He took the punishment for every sin that every one of His children had committed & would ever commit.  

Paul reminds the Corinthian church of this.  We don't have to be skilled orators to present the Gospel to others.  We have to just show them Jesus.

Strong + Courageous

This week for She Shares Truth, we're talking about Joshua 1:8-9.  Joshua is one of my favorite books of the Bible.  I love how we see God speak into Joshua's life throughout the book.  First God tells Joshua to be strong & courageous a few times, & then Joshua's men tell him the same thing.  There's no way that was a coincidence.  God was speaking to Joshua through his own men.  I love that we see how God encouraged him.

As Christians, especially Christians in the United States, I think one area where we are commonly found lacking is in really knowing Scripture.  Most other religions know whatever their "book of instruction" is backwards & forwards, & sometimes know the Bible better than we do as well.  We take for granted what a blessing it is to have God's holy, inspired Word available so readily.  From where I'm sitting in my living room I have five Bibles in sight.  I know there are at least four more in my bedroom, & others scattered throughout the house.  Anyone who has a smartphone can have multiple apps with multiple translations of the Bible with just the click of a button.  Anyone who owns a computer has the whole Bible at her fingertips.  It's there, & we don't utilize it like we should.  Christians in closed or impoverished countries don't have all of this so handy, yet we don't even realize the power of what we hold in our hands.

We find these verses in Joshua just three days before they were to enter the Promised Land.  Talk about a light at the end of the tunnel...this land that God had promised to their ancestors so long ago was so close, yet they still had to trust God in order to get them there.  They were about to cross a river on dry ground & see the walls of Jericho crumble.  God was making a way, but He still called them to meditate & pray.

I think meditation, prayer, & spending time in Scripture, is much less about what we're doing, & more about the fact that we're doing it.  Not that talking & listening to God, & reading the Bible isn't important because of course it is!  But it's about our drawing near to Him.  It's about us putting forth the effort in our relationships with Him.  God already knew how He was going to get His people into the Promised Land.  He knew the battles that lie ahead & the cities that were yet to conquer.  But He called His people to look to Him.  Trust Him.  Rely on Him.  Going into these last days before entering the Promised Land, He wanted them inundated with His Word.  When this is where they were spiritually as they entered the Promised Land, how could they not give all the glory to God?

I think this is kind of like in school when you had a test.  You should be studying a little bit every day so you don't have to cram all at once, but even if you do that, the night before the test you're probably going to spend several hours studying, right?  We should be in God's Word every day, but when we know we have something big coming up, our hearts should be soaked in Scripture.  The Israelites knew what they were about to face; God called them to recite Scripture to themselves, to write it on their hearts.  This was His way of preparing them spiritually, just as it's still applicable today.  We can't be prepared for the day or the week or month if we are not spending time in His Word.

Grace Upon Grace

This week the She Shares Truth devotional is finishing up Jonah, chapters 3-4.  If you've missed these, you can catch up here.  I've loved these past few weeks of opportunities to share.  She Reads Truth is a beautiful community of believers & one I've loved being a part of.  {If you haven't heard, they're currently working on an app & you can help fund it here!}

Last week in the first two chapters of Jonah, we saw how he was afraid of what God was calling him to.  He tried to run, & that got him thrown overboard a ship & swallowed by a fish.  We can understand how he would be afraid.

But in chapter 3, when Jonah finally obeys God & takes His message to Ninevah, the people listened.  Once he delivered the message, they immediately began to fast.  I love this because, against all odds, contrary to everything Jonah had expected, the people responded in a positive way to the message God delivered through Jonah.  This wasn't just pure, dumb luck.  It wasn't the Jonah was an excellent orator, or was really convincing with the words he brought.  It was because God had prepared the way.  He knew when He sent Jonah what the response would be.

And then in chapter 4 after Ninevah begins fasting, Jonah is...upset.  God called, he ran, God called again, he went, he brought God's message, the people listened...& now Jonah is not happy about it.  I immediately want to jump all over him & shake him, asking "what are you thinking???"  But then I wonder how I would feel.  "Okay, God...I did it, they listened, now they're fasting...now remind me why I had to come do this?  Couldn't you have just told them yourself?  Or sent one of the believers who were already in Ninevah to tell them?"  I'm sure Jonah felt a mixture of emotions.  Relief that his message was accepted with ease, anger that he had come all this way & didn't even have to put up a fight, embarrassment that he hadn't just obeyed in the first place.

But what I wonder is this: how often do we misunderstand the purpose of God's commands?  I'm sure God did want His message delivered to the people of Ninevah.  But do you think maybe it was of equal importance to Him that Jonah be the one to deliver it?  I think so.  He could've asked anyone, but He chose Jonah.  It's just as likely that God's real purpose in asking Jonah to go to Ninevah was about teaching Jonah to obey.  It was about teaching him humility, trust that God knows what He's doing, & compassion for the Ninevites.

A book I read recently was comparing a person who had lived for Jesus all her life to someone who accepted Christ on her deathbed.  Obviously the first scenario is preferable, but the second girl is no less a child of God than the first.  All it takes is one breath on this earth taken in complete surrender to God to seal us forever as His.  But I can see where it would be frustrating to have done everything right, & then see someone who does the complete opposite until her last breath, then changes, but receives the same inheritance as you.  This is basically what was happening with Jonah.  He didn't believe the Ninevites were worthy of forgiveness or that they deserved a chance to repent.  They'd shown their wickedness over & over & he was ready to be through with them.  But God saw fit to look on them with mercy & relent from His plan of destruction.  This is the attitude we should have towards others.  It doesn't matter if we think they're deserving of God's love; in reality, no one is.  It doesn't matter how many times someone has screwed up, or how many times they'll still screw up in the future; God offers grace, & calls us to do the same.  I believe this lesson He was teaching Jonah was just as important to Him as saving an entire city of people.

Get Up!

The She Shares Truth devotional this week is from Jonah 1-2.

I love how God uses Jonah's story to show that He can use any means that He chooses to get our attention.  First, he calls out to Jonah.  He tells him in verse 2 to "get up!" & go to Ninevah to call them out on their sin.  But Jonah is afraid & tries to run away from God.  I think most of the time what God calls us to might also cause us to fear.  Think about all the times in the Bible that God sends an angel with a message for someone.  Many of those times, their first words are "fear not."  What God calls us to can be big & scary & way out of our comfort zones.

So first, the Lord Himself speaks to Jonah.  Jonah runs, boards a ship in the opposite direction of where God called him to go, & a huge storm arises.  While this storm is going on, where is Jonah?  Sound asleep in the bottom of the boat.  He was completely unaware of what God was orchestrating all around him.  Then in verse 6, the captain comes up to Jonah, still sleeping, & says again "get up!"  I love that the captain, not a believer, uses the exact same words with Jonah that God used when He first called him to go to Ninevah.  Get up.

God doesn't need us to accomplish His purposes.  With our cooperation or not, His purpose prevails.  He could've easily chosen another vessel to take His message to Ninevah, but He invited Jonah to be a part of this plan.  When we say "no" to God, we're hurting ourselves.  He delights in using us to play a role in his grand story, but He doesn't need us to get from point A to point B.

Sometimes God uses a storm.  Sometimes He uses another person.  Sometimes He uses a big fish.  But He knows how to get our attention.  And often once He does, the first step is to get up.  We don't have to understand the whole plan.  We don't have to know steps A-Z.  We just have to get up & obey.  We have to have the faith that God is going to carry us along this journey. 

My Sin Held Him There

This week the She Shares Truth Friday devotional is on Psalm 38.  (See last week's here.)

I've often thought, when reading Psalms, that one moment it's "woe is me," & the next moment David feels like dancing before the Lord.  They can seem so back & forth.  But I think that's one thing I like about the book...it's real.  We have phases like that where you have a horrible day one day & the next you feel like you're on top of the world.

Is Psalm 38, David writes out of his despair.  In verse 3 he says, "because of Your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins."  Reading through these verses I kept asking myself one question:  am I offended by sin?  We're usually pretty easily offended by the sins of others, but what about our sin?  My sin?

As Christians, I think we tend to focus either on sin or on salvation, but not always both.  I tend to not be as concerned with my sin as I am the mercy, love, grace, & goodness of Jesus.  But the reality is, if it weren't for our sins, we wouldn't need Him.  If we were perfect, there would have been no reason for Jesus leave Heaven, walk this earth, & take on the weight of our sins.  So as important as it is to understand His grace, it's also vital that we recognize our own sin.

Even though we know we're sinners, do we really grasp the ugliness of sin?  We know well the effects of sin; we understand guilt & conviction.  But, whether it's murder, or just not talking to your neighbor & showing God's love when you should have, all sin is a separation from God & that's what makes it such a big deal. 

There's a song that my mom sang in church when I was a child.  Does He still feel the nails every time I fail?  Does He hear the crowd cry, "crucify" again?  It was my sin that put Jesus on the cross.  It was my sin that held Him there until He cried, "it is finished."  It's a lot easier to admit that Jesus died for me than it is to admit that my sin is why He did it.

To truly understand what we are saved to, we have to grasp what we are saved from.  Understanding the ugliness of our own sin is always followed by a but.  Sin, sin, & more sin...but then there's grace, mercy, forgiveness, & salvation.  That "but" is the heart of the Gospel.  It's the moment that we recognize our need, & Jesus gloriously steps in.  We see an example of this in verse 15; after David has gone on about his sin, & even the physical effects that it is having on him, he says "I put my hope in You, Lord; You will answer, Lord my God."  We have every reason to place our confident hope in Jesus.  He has already paid the price to purchase us.  He's right there waiting.

Miscellany Monday

one | I've been sick for 2+ days & have never been more thankful for a) a husband who likes soup & b) an apartment located right across the street from Panera.

two | My favorite season is upon us!  Grayson is embracing his newly-discovered love of shopping (my words...not his) & shopped almost two whole days by himself.  And I've done some here & there.  Wrapping is my favorite part!  Seeley's too.

three | Found this list of advent readings on Pinterest & just bought Behold the Lamb of God to start reading tonight.  I love advent.  I feel like most of the time when we're in a season of waiting, we don't know what the final outcome is.  But with advent, we do.  We know that the days of hopeful anticipation reach an apex in the birth of a Savior baby.  Waiting periods in life are usually scary, frustrating, anxious, & sometimes sorrowful.  But even during those, we still ultimately know what we're waiting on: Jesus.  Reminds me of a favorite C.S. Lewis quote: If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.

four | Thanksgiving day we went to a park to take some pictures for our Christmas cards.  Just a peek at one of my favorites.  [And Grayson just found us a really nice tripod on a huge sale!]

five | Grayson's company had a 10th Anniversary party a few weeks ago (I like just about any excuse to dress up, especially if it means I get to wear my wedding shoes again).  The photographer just posted pictures from the party & I love these!

six | Apartment is decorated & we're getting our tree soon!

seven | One perk of having only two of us to eat Thanksgiving food: I haven't cooked since then.  Leftovers for days!

Linking up with lowercase letters today!

Miscellany Monday

one | Right now I just want to read all day.  I've read several good books lately & wish I could just sit by a fire & real all day long.

two | We've had cooler weather lately & have had several fires.  I love living in an apartment with a fireplace (& am already excited about having a mantel to hang our stockings from this year!).

three | Typical family picture.

four |  Have I mentioned this exciting news?  Gonna have to find a way to make it back to Georgia in May.

five | Still can't get over some of our pictures from Yosemite last weekend.  Some of my favorites I've ever taken & the landscape there just made it so easy.  Called for some Photoshop creations for new lock screens on my phone.

 

Miscellany Monday

We had such a great fall weekend!

Saturday: Slept in & then went to Mount Diablo State Park for a little hike.

Sunday: Church, farmer's market in Los Gatos, then to the fair to ride the ferris wheel, then home to carve a pumpkin!

Miscellany Monday

Linking up with lowercase letters today for Miscellany Monday.

one | I LOVE this quote that Carissa shared today.  I need this on my wall with some of our beach & lighthouse pictures.

two | Grayson's parents got to spend the last 12 days with us.  More pictures from their visit coming later.

three | I've been knitting again.  I was afraid moving to California would mean I wouldn't get to wear winter scarves, but I'm pretty sure I still will...so now I'm busy making some new ones!

four | I think I made my best pumpkin cheesecake ever last weekend (& I'm making it again this weekend).  Recipe here (except I used pumpkin pie spice instead of mace & left out the lemon extract).

five | Five.  The number of loads of laundry I am trying to get done right now!  I've fallen down on the job with company here, so today has been a day of much laundry & grocery shopping.

six | My parents fly in on Friday!  So excited to see them & take them to our favorite places...& it's their first time to California!

Off to fold the tons of laundry & maybe try to squeeze in some time to bake...I've been wanting to try these!

21 Graces | Week 7

1. A husband who takes care of my car.  New washer fluid, wiper blades, & tags, & cleaned inside & out.
2. Chick-fil-A milkshakes.
3. News that another Chick-fil-A is coming to our area.
4. Fall weather.
5. Parker's "lightly sparkling" soda.
6. Philippians.
7. Super clean apartment.
8. Texts with friends who I only see every few years, but still keep in touch with.
9. A husband who likes to vacuum.
10. Introducing Grayson's parents to our favorite Cali places.
11. Great first meeting of our new small group.
12. An unexpected text from an old small group friend I haven't talked to in awhile.
13. Sunset in Santa Cruz.
14. E-mails back from submitted job applications.  Even if it's not a job that will work for me, it's good to feel wanted.
15. A walk at the park.
16. A good fast food fish taco.  Yes, it doesn't seem possible, but it is.
17. New York bagel shops.
18. First pumpkin cheesecake of the fall.  My favorite :)
19. A $7 burlap lamp shade.
20. Spending a Michael's gift card to "finish" decorating.
21. Grayson finishing work early several days this week. 

21 Graces | Week 6

one | A lazy Saturday morning.

two | The sounds of football on TV.  I don't care about football & don't watch it, but hearing Grayson watch it means fall, & I like fall.

three | Red + blue.  [I keep putting little snippets of our apartment on here.  I hope to get to a "finished for now" point eventually & do whole post on it.]

 

four | A Sunday drive.

 

five | TV marathons.  We get addicted to one show & watch all of it in a matter of days.

six | Figuring out how to use things I already have to decorate.

seven | Countdown to our first visitors (Grayson's parents) is within a week!

eight | Good mail days (a check + a save-the-date + new insurance cards + a magazine).

nine | Trying to make flowers last a really long time.

ten | Hanging things on our previously bare walls.

eleven | Grayson coming home to work when he has to work late, so we can sit at the same table.  He works + I paint.

twelve | Encouraging e-mails from Sunday school friends at home.

thirteen | This app.

fourteen | This text.

fifteen | Playing cards one night this week.

sixteen | Parents getting iPhones.  Now they'll get all my texts & actually be able to see my pictures.

seventeen | Getting into a good workout schedule.

eighteen | Good curly hair days.

nineteen | Painting several things this week.

twenty | Open windows & doors on breezy afternoons.

twenty-one | After 3 hours at the DMV, we are officially licensed drivers in California!