Written by: Callie, Kenzie and Brenna

Callie

July was an incredibly boring month. Sorry to start out this post on a blah note guys. I just feel like I didn’t do much but also didn’t have time to do much more than I did. And then even though I didn’t do anything crazy, this month still flew by. Like, it’s already August, how is that a thing?? Anyway, I’m separating my month into two parts for ya’ll this time:

The Bad

The bad part is that I’ve been working 10+ hour days, five days a week for this whole last month and a half. And it’s really worn me down. Like I used to be able to keep dates in my head of when things were happening and didn’t need a list for the grocery store and now I don’t know what day it is, and always forget something that I desperately needed. I’m tired ALL the time but I keep moving along.

The Good

Okay so maybe there was more good that I initially thought about this month. The first being Rachael (the best friend from high school that teaches abroad) came back to Texas for a few weeks and came to visit me and Jason in Fort Worth for a weekend! That was a lot of fun, I miss having her around and it was nice to catch up!

Then we went to the beach for mom’s birthday! This was also lots of fun! We were able to stay in an amazing beach house and Rachael and Brenna came too and it was a fun weekend of relaxing on the beach with the fam. Kenzie made mom a tasty and very pretty cake, Jason made my famous lemon cookies (because I didn’t have time he surprised me by making them for me like how sweet is that?!) and Brenna brought the required beach Puppy Chow so we had all the basics.

Jason and I were also able to make it out to the ranch for a weekend and meet our newest nephew!

Kenzie

How is it August? I mean, I understand the concept of time - even though it doesn’t really exist - but this year has just flown by! July was busy, busy, busy, just as all months seem nowadays. Our mom has a new estate sale coming up and the house is huge so I’ve been helping her a lot with organizing and pricing in order to get ready for it. There’s nothing super special about that but it did happen a lot in July.

We did get to have a fun weekend in Fort Worth with Callie and Jason! They have been creating a lot of dope decor items with Jason’s CNC machine (psst lots listed on our Etsy page!) so we were able to see how all the cool stuff is made. I spent a weekend at Brad’s parents’ house in Shoreacres and we went antique shopping for almost a full day which I loved! It’s always great to check out antique shops when traveling because the selection is often vastly different from your hometown. One place we went also sold coffee that the owner roasted right there in the backyard! Next up was an outdoor concert at White Oak Music Hall to see The Head and the Heart with Hippo Campus opening. Hippo Campus is one of my favorite bands and they put on a fantastic show, as always. The Head and the Heart were a tad boring, but I’m still glad Claire and I stayed through the end to hear Rivers and Roads live.

I also got to visit The Mast Arboretum at Stephen F. Austin with my parents and Brad. I’m always up for a fun little day trip somewhere with lots of plants. The weekend after that we celebrated Mom’s birthday in Galveston and it was also Apollo’s first trip to the beach which he absolutely loved!

Brad and I spent one day riding out to New Waverly for delicious coffee from Honey’s and then took a couple hours to just drive around Sam Houston National Forest. On our way home, we went on a tour of St. Francis Wolf Sanctuary. We didn’t get to pet any wolves which was disappointing but not unexpected, but it was lots of fun to hear all the wolves’ stories and get to see them interact with the woman giving the tour. I’m always up for learning about animals and I would definitely recommend a trip out there!

For August, I’m trying to get back into my creative groove - not really sure if I ever had one - but I’m in need of inspiration so if y’all have any artists or bloggers or feeds or literally ANYTHING that makes you feel creative, please send them my way! Hope your July was a month of taking care of business and making sweet memories with friends and family.

Brenna

Hi friends! July was INSANE for me. I always say that it’s hard to think back on what I did the month before for these things but July seriously just felt like one REALLY long day. So for starters, we celebrated a Rylee and Riley’s wedding, ate lots of pizza with The Dios and I finished decorating the apartment, thank the lord. I worked a lot on my classroom. JT is such a trooper, because I have little projects going on from one end of the apartment to the other and it’s driving me nuts so I can only imagine how he feels. #hethinkshemarriedahoarder Thankfully, I was able to get in my room a few weeks ago and got busy decorating! It’s seriously so cute and I am grateful for all of the help I had from Mom, Tricia, Jenni and Lindsey. Let me also take a moment to shout out my dad for building the best bookshelf for my kiddos! When I wasn’t working on my classroom, I was losing sleep thinking about it and how I’m going to structure my classroom. I want everyone to feel loved and accepted for who they are regardless of their background. Rice is their safe haven and I am so excited to convey that to my kids.

 Besides school stuff, I had my last day at Lindsey Construction and it was so bittersweet. They had Olive Garden (are you surprised? Hello! I love that place) cater it and Curtis prayed over me which was so sweet. I miss everyone there but I know I’m always welcome there and look forward to going to lunch with them soon. Closing a chapter in your life is a weird feeling. That might just be me but it was like taking a huge breath of fresh air for the first time in a long time. Also, it’s insane how much stuff you can accumulate in your office without even realizing it.

 For Laurie’s birthday we all took a trip to the beach and had a blast. I of course hardly took any decent pictures but it was really nice to just be there enjoying our time together. JT came down for the day on Saturday and we seriously played catch with a dang tennis ball for probably an hour or so. When was the last time you played catch with someone? If you can’t remember, you need to because it’s good for the soul. Let me warn you though, you will be sore!

 I came to terms with the fact that I’m entering my late twenties soon and honestly, it’s weird. I remember being 21 or so and thinking I would have a house and kids by now. Sorry 21-year-old Brenna, your timing was way off. I’m so content where we are right now and that’s the important thing. Being good with where you’re at in any given moment. Also, if you think you’re letting people down by not living up to these B.S. expectations you have for yourself that totally aren’t feasible at all, you’re not! No one really cares about all of that, they just want you to be happy and good with yourself. So you do you honey boo boo because no one really gives a damn what you have or don’t have. They’ll love you for you and if they don’t, they aren’t your people. #micdrop

 I’d also like to announce that I bought a printer and managed to bring three plants back to life from a near death experience in this Texas heat. So I’d say things are really looking up for me as far as adulting goes. Also, things are ramping back up in Junior League world and I am having such a blast being the Social Media chair! It’s fun coming up with content and spreading the word.

 I know y’all are all dying to know if I’m still doing Orangetheory and I absolutely am! Thank you for the concern. It’s 100% how I justify eating like a child going through a major growth spurt half the time. With things being so hectic lately, I fell HARD off the cooking at home bandwagon but I’m back on track as of today. So expect some new recipes soon because I’ve been branching out from my typical veggie and protein bowls.

 Oh and let me also tell you that you are NEVER too old to go down a thirty foot tall inflatable waterslide with your friends all at once. It might sink in a little at the top but it’s fine. Julie had some people over and we wore ourselves out being kids again. Only now it’s a lot more fun thanks to a crowd favorite, Mama Mango. #noshame #Iamnotlimberanymore

 So there you have it friends, a longer than expected wrap up of my month! I could 100000% use your prayers these next few weeks because I’m nervous as heck for school to start. I’m prepared and I’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s coming whether I’m ready or not but y’all, it’s coming at me like a dang freight train.