{a new mantra & some gratitude}

counting my blessings: week 1

• watching my big brother be so gentle while handling & feeding his 2 month old son. 
• coworkers that make me feel safe & protected when there are foul-mouthed-and-crazy people around.
• having a job where it is not only okay to laugh and have a good time- it's actually encouraged.
• unexpected "i love you" message written on the fridge before the husband went out-of-town.
• waking up to the husband home way earlier than expected from being out-of-town.
• waking up on a Sunday morning to some very much needed summer rain...and hearing it's supposed to continue all week!
• using the Starbucks gift card that was randomly given by a stranger.
• a bounty of homegrown veggies from a friend's garden.

...how were you blessed this week?

{On this, our Independence Day}

Back in May, David and I took a week-long vacation/ anniversary trip to visit family in Maryland. I would LOVE to share the hundreds of photos...but first I have to get a new adapter for this old computer. And every time I'm at a store that sells them, I forget.. Anyhoo, whilst we were there, we spent a couple of days perusing the sights of our nation's Capital. I may or may not have tried to sneak a photo of  The Star Spangled Banner, which may or may not have turned out almost completely black...and we also got to drive (on the aptly named Francis Scott Key Bridge) past the buoy that marks the exact spot where Mr. Key sat in that little boat and wrote our beautiful anthem. Since we were driving, and my husband was practically hanging out of the car window with my camera, those photos all look like completely random water with some maritime related stuff on the horizon :/ so here are some images from The Great Wizard of Google instead. Enjoy. And have a safe and happy Fourth of July.