August Hot Happenings

Here is an update from the month of August at our house!

The kids enjoyed soaking up all the sun and ocean they could before cool weather sets in! This girl {loves} swimming in the ocean! Me...not so much!

Mom found Judah a swing. This picture is out of focus, but I think it is cute anyway! He is not all about the swing thing yet...a little insecure-feeling maybe?

His older brother, however...

Should we tell him???? ;)

August was a HUGE month for this little fella. He cut his first 4 teeth, pulled himself to standing, and learned to crawl! Our lives will never be the same!

I love, love, love this picture.

Justin waited 15 years to get a brother. Now that he has one, he really does make the most of it. Hes not like a lot of teen boys who won't get near a baby. Justin loves holding him and doing things with him from time to time. Sometimes Justin takes Judah out to sit on the lawn tractor or in the van so he can "drive" the steering wheel. Its a boy thing, I think. :)

An Uncertain Dream by Judith Miller. This is a historical fiction book that I own and have read before, but I was really itching for some easy reading, so I plucked this off my shelf and read it in like 2 sittings. (I actually woke up at 6 am. one morning and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I read half of it right then and there!) It is a decent fiction book, but like I said, it is easy reading. I don’t care to read too many of these types of books, they get boring and cheesy after a while! Let me be clear, also, that this is not a romance novel, either. I really don’t care for those at all! This is just fun historical fiction - my favorite kind of fiction!



Music in the Air by Mark Ward Sr. This is one of my favorite books! It is definitely on my “read every year” list! This book tells the story of the golden age of gospel radio. Beginning in the 1920’s, it gives stories and details of the men and music that made the radio age golden! It also has just enough technical details of the evolution of radio during this time to make it interesting. It also includes many of the stories behind hymns that were written or popularized during this age. It is a valuable book for anyone interested in Christian radio or music!


At dinner time, we’re continuing to read through the Little House on the Prairie series. We just finished up “The Long Winter” and started “Little Town on the Prairie.” These are two of my favorites! The various details of what it was like for a young person in that era are so interesting. The younger girls are enjoying it immensely...we usually read two or three chapters a day because one is just not enough!

I’ve chatted before how you never know what a month will hold when you set those goals, and this month was no exception. A large Etsy order that I wasn’t anticipating really threw my August for a loop, but I’m thankful for the things I did accomplish. I am thankful for these opportunities that get thrown my way! I’m eager to jump to them!

Here are the goals I set last month:

And here are the ones for September:

During the summer, I kinda slacked off working on one monthly habit like I mentioned here.  I have, however, been trying to implement a few new things as I can, so here is a little update on some small habits I’m changing:

-Exercise more. I haven’t updated you on my exercising habits in a while! I am still walking several nights a week at the park. I need to measure for sure, but I think I’m going 2-3 miles each night. I also have started some simple low impact aerobic exercises each morning when I wake up. Just a little something to jump start my day and hopefully help me not gain weight this winter! As I develop a better routine (still experimenting and tweaking to find what works for me!) I’ll be sure to give you a run-down of my method. It is hard to get going each morning, but once I start I’m always glad I did!

-No more coffee after supper. I have tried cutting out an evening coffee to see if it will help me physically and help my sleeping habits. Caffeine does not usually bother my sleeping, but I wondered if maybe it secretly was in a not-as-noticeable way. Sneaky little bugger! So far I haven’t noticed any difference, but I’m still hoping this helps with my waking up habit. Speaking of..

-Better morning routine. I semi-participated in MSM’s “Make the Most of your Mornings” series, and loved it! I’ve slowly been implementing her ideas and working them into my routine to make them a habit, and I’m pleased to say that I’m seeing some improvement! Just yesterday I started my fall morning routine (a little different now that the kids have started school) and I’m anxious to see how it works. Next week I’m going to share my thoughts on making the most of my mornings, and share my fall routine with you!

Here is a roundup of the things that happened throughout August in the blogging world...

Here are 10 things I want people to remember me for...a list I'm still working on implementing in my life!
My completed a DIY project - iced coffee!
I offered my thoughts on encouragement and ways to encourage others
A new series - a virtual tour of some hot spots in our area of Nova Scotia! Here is an antique shop and here is another gift/antique shop.
My Pinterest project involved some art for my sewing corner.
With my meager sewing abilities I tried to show you how to make a window valence with a lining. 
I made some small changes to my bedroom that are the bomb-diggity!

So that was my August! How was yours? Any major life changes or big projects accomplished? Did you get away before school started? Is it still warm where you live? I envy you!