Beach Cruisin. Books. And A Birthday Girl.

As I sit down to write this overdue blog post, I have a feeling it's going to be a long one! So grab a drink and cozy on up because we have lots to cover :)

Never in a million years did I foresee a time when we couldn't manage a family adventure at least once a month. Then, all the kids became teenagers Well, almost every kid, we still have one tween. And I realized,  all those family hikes and outings would be distant memories from here on out. 

Insert sad face.

Luckily, the stars aligned to get us all together for a bike ride on the island. 

What fun!  

We tried to ride on the beach...in high tide. Which is a big mistake we didn't know about. The sand is soft and it's REALLY hard to pedal.

So, don't ever do that, okay? :)

For another type of beach cruising, we went back to being Prius owners! 

I'm so happy. I've missed the Prius for the last 18 months. 

Not sure if I ever mentioned it, but my husband was in a terrible wreck that totaled our last Prius. 

We bought a cheap used car to replace it that would be our teen's daily driver when she got her license. We are about 30 days away from that reality (pray for me), so we needed another car. 

I was reminiscing the other day about when the kids were little and the most expensive thing I bought them was an outfit at Gymboree or a $50 toy at Christmas. Now it seems like no request comes in under $250. It hurts me to buy a third car. But, you want to be able to get them to and from activities when your working and to get to a job (so they can earn money). So, you buy a third car :(

Throwing in a picture from Father's Day.

Our church had a big Father's Day bash complete with stickers for Rad Dad's and Best Dad's. 

He is a self appointed Best Rad Dad. I would give his Best Dad. He thinks he should be a Rad Dad because he listens to 80s Hair Bands. Jury is still out on whether that makes him rad or not!

What do you think?

My summer reading list is slowly dwindling down. I've read The Refugees and The Dry. I'm currently working on Everything I Never Told You and Not A Fan. I like Everything I Never Told you which gets mixed reviews. It is presented as a murder mystery but the focus is more on the family drama. I have been devouring the story 50 pages at a time. I have so many other things to do but always want to sit and read. That is always a good sign!

The other day I found this cute little independent bookstore in Wilmington. 

I couldn't leave without buying a new book.

This book, South And West, spoke to me. These are short stories/thoughts on comparisons between life in the South and the West. I couldn't think of anything more perfect.

Still committed to my reading list but I might have to throw in this short read soon.

To begin our last week of June, this girl has a birthday. 

She celebrated with friends and a sleepover.

A very loud party. 

As a gift to herself, she got her ears re-pierced and the cartilage part of her ear pierced. 

She was so brave and didn't even wince. 

I didn't realize until later that the background of this piercing room was, well, not really our style. lol

Naked lady art everywhere (thus the heart) and a confederate flag. *eye roll* One of those things I dislike seeing here in NC every day. But, the piercer did a very good job and the place was super clean. It's just  a difference of opinion, right?

Wow, what a week! I can hardly believe we are heading into July 4th weekend. Yikes.

I'm ready for July. We have company coming in for a couple weeks and a trip to DC planned. 

We have cancelled many of our planned trips for some reason or another, so this one is long overdue!

I can't wait :) The last time I was in DC was 20 years ago.  I vaguely remember anything.

Sending good vibes for you all to start this week!

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