July 2023

Monthly Recap

Aug 1

This month was a typical summer month...not a lot going on except for time with friends and a lot of sweating!!

It started with a great half price book sale with friends were all books were $1. And the month rounded out with me deciding to post a ton more book content on my socials. I guess you could say it's the months where I went all in with books.

Still no pool. It's such a long drawn out story and one that I'll have to share in a blog post some day...we have evidence it does exist...we've seen it with our own eyes and touched it with our own hands. I'm hopeful that August will be the month it finally goes in the ground!

We spent some time with friends - quite a bit of which I have no photo proof which makes me sad, but also happy that we were enjoying ourselves so much we forgot to stop and take a picture!

I got a new walking pad for the house (these temps are killin’ me) a new plant and Paul is building a massive hutch for the dining room. It's basically a massive built in and I'm so pumped for when it's finished. It's going to change so much about how we operate in the kitchen! I read TWELVE books this month. Not sure I could do that again if I tried!

What happened this month?

Half price books sale/lunch with gals

4th at Ryan and Maddies
Ants in pantry
Prime day - walking pad
New passports
Carrie bonkiewicz scam package
Massage
Mission Impossible fiasco

Saw pool being built
Hung out with jana and barry
Finished book club at church
Supper club at Slow Rise
Hung with the Chaks
Paul building hutch
The Well Game night
Started bookstagram

Travel

No travel at all this month except up to Dallas areas to see and visit with friends!

Watched

The Last thing he told me - (Apple TV, meh)
The Sound of Freedom (Theater, Great)
Black Mirror S6 - (Netflix, Good)
Hijack (Apple TV, Good)
Mission Impossible (Theater, shut off)
Oppenheimer (Theater, Good)
The Glass Castle (Netflix, Good)
Barry (Hulu/HBO, started)
Jury Duty (Prime, so good!)

Notable US/World events

cocaine at the white house
Biden granddaughter
Threads release
Jonah Hill texts
Hollywood writers strike
Sound of Freedom struck big box office
Hunter Biden stuff

Read

A Postmillennial Primer by Andrew Sandlin (finished)
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Quereshi (finished)
Range: Why Generalists triumph in a specialized world by David Epstein (finished)
American Mother by Greg Olson - (DNF)
1984 by George Orwell (finished)
Sway by Ori Brafman, Rom Brafman (finished)
Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham (finished)
Love thy Body by Nancy Pearcey (currently listening)
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (finished)
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (finished)
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls(finished)
Come Forth as Gold by Erica Dansereau (finished)
The Maid by Nita Prose (finished)

All reviews can be found on my Goodreads page

Studying/Bible verse that impacted you the most?

This month Paul and are I working our way through Colossians. We are doing another Daily Grace study and we are getting into a rhythm of waking up, making coffee and then doing our study and then praying together. It really is a nice way to start the morning. I’m entering a season of life where some doubt and worry are creeping in regarding various things happening around me. Working to spend time focused on the Lord and his promises instead of chaos around me. I know we are promised strife and struggle but holding fast to the Lord is always my goal. Peace that passes all understanding is such a gift!

Favorite Memory from the month?

Not a one time specific memory really, but having decided to lean more into book related content on my instagram has been feeling really good to me. It’s so hard to do something different - to play a part you aren’t used to playing. And I don’t say that to make it sound like I’m faking anything, but we all craft these personas about “who we are” and “what we do” and when we start to do something different it feels really uncomfortable. This is not what I normally do, this is not how I ‘normally’ act…but sometimes breaking out of that mold is the best thing we can do. We aren’t meant to live in boxes, especially ones we craft for ourselves. I’m enjoying my time talking about the books I’m reading and putting helpful content out there for others. I’m hopeful that it is something that sticks and grows into something amazing.