Friday Favorites ~ August 9, 2024/Richmond & Virginia Beach

Happy Friday! Today for my favorites, I am doing a re-cap of my vacation this week, which was definitely a favorite, other than having both girls home this weekend!

Last Friday, Brook and I flew to Richmond, Virginia where my brother and his family lives.

Airport drinks!

She had a window seat...but there was no window, ha!

Oh the many faces of my newest great niece!  She was born in May.

Saturday, we got up and did some shopping at this cute outdoor shopping area.

The girls came home and made 2 key lime pies.  This is Brook and her cousin.  They are 6 weeks apart in age and have always been so close.

My niece and her husband came over with the baby for an afternoon cookout. Below is their little family, plus my sister-in-law, nephew and brother.

Sunday, the girls drove over to Virginia Beach. Brook and I had not been there, so it was pretty to see.  This was our view sitting on the beach, looking back at our hotel.

Next to the hotel were these beautiful homes.  

We saw so many dolphins, to our surprise!  It was hard to get good pictures of them, but you can see their fins in this one below.

Here are some collages to avoid 50 pictures, ha!

I love the beautiful skies and watching the military planes fly overhead.

We had dinner Monday night at this hotel, which was cool to walk through and see the decor & history of this building.

Me, Brook, my niece, my sister-in-law

Tuesday morning breakfast on the beach

The water was cold, but I loved my walks along the water!

My brother and I (my Irish twin! ~ we are 11 months apart in age)

It has been a while since I've posted a flying picture :)

We came back to Richmond Tuesday and we flew home Wednesday morning.  We stopped at the grocery store on the way home.  Brook and I prepared an easy dinner and Isabella came home, so that was so fun to have both girls here.  I did laundry & caught up on a little work before I went into the office Thursday morning so I could leave ontime that day and be with the girls.

Enjoy your weekend!

Currently & Hodgepodge ~ August 2024

Good morning!  I am joining up with my friend, Jennifer, for this month's Currently series & Joyce for Hodgepodge.

This month, we are talking about what we are loving, looking forward to, dreading, eating and buying.

Loving

I am loving time away on vacation enjoying time with family and seeing a beautiful city I haven't been to previously. This is me holding my newest great niece for the first time!  I will post more about the trip on Friday.

Looking forward to

I am looking forward to later today when I will have both girls home again for 3 days!

Dreading

I have one more month before Brook goes back to school.  Here we are at Virginia beach this week:

Eating

I have been on vacation the past few days, so my eating has been very different this week:

Chicken skewers & crab rangoon

Breakfast on the beach

Brussel sprouts appetizer

Crab cake with asparagus over yellow rice with sauce

Brownie s'more & apple bourbon cheesecake

Buying

I posted all about my Amazon purchases last month here

1. What's a task you do on a regular (or semi-regular basis) that feels like it should be an Olympic event? 

Weedeating & pulling weeds!

2. What's in the trunk of your car right now? 

My car trunk is clean at the moment. I do keep a collapsible crate in the back of my car to help carry things & a first aid kit.

3. Summer foods vs. fall foods...which do you prefer? 

I would vote fall comfort foods!  I can enjoy my cold favorites,  like frozen yogurt & key lime pie year round!

Would you rather-watermelon or caramel apple? iced coffee or pumpkin spiced latte? potato salad or sweet potato casserole? barbecued ribs or roast turkey? ice cream sandwich or apple pie? corn on the cob or candy corn? 

Caramel apple; hot tea or chocolate (I added my own option!);

Sweet potato casserole; roast turkey

Key lime or strawberry pie; I would take either!

4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you're visiting an area known for theirs? 

I just saw one this week at Virginia Beach! I haven't ever gone in one though. They always do photograph so pretty!

5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a lightbulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight...of the 'light' idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain. 

I am beginning to see life in a new light these days as I face a new identity and future with new hopes, dreams & plans. I am slowly seeing light & having lightbulb moments as God reveals His promises to me in new ways.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I literally drew a line in the sand yesterday. It felt really symbolic for me.

I will be back on Friday!

Prime Purchases ~ July 2024

 Happy Monday!  I am joining Tanya for this month's Amazon Prime purchases.  I had a lot of purchases due to Prime Days, but won't list every single one here, as some are just routine household things & a few Christmas gifts!  I am excited to see all these posts!  

Drill/Tool kit

I needed my own tool kit to have on hand and purchased the same brand as my weed eater so they would all use the same battery. This came with a bag, so I have a place to store all of it!

Curling Iron

I bought this long barrell curling iron for Brook and I.

Teak Wooden Utensils

A few of my wooden spoons had been showing their age, so I researched and purchased these teak wooden spoons.

Cord organizer

I have seen these multiple times on different posts here & finally got some to use on a few appliances.

Here are some of the beauty products I purchased:

Julep eyeshadow

Menopause support tablets

Neck cream

Neck masks

Collagen Retinol eye patches

USB charging cords

Can't we all use a stash of these in our homes?

Raincoat

I have been wanting a new raincoat for a few years now and found this one in the sale that I like.  I love the thin, pinstriped lining inside of it!

Earring Studs

I usually wear pearl earrings in my 2nd piercing hole, but wanted something like this.  The good thing is, I got several pairs so I can share with my girls too!

Hair Oil

I bought this the week before Prime to help with dry ends of my hair after I style it.

Oven Mitts

The amount of burns on my arms had been one too many lately, so I needed some oven mitts.  I only had hot pads & those were not working when I get my sourdough out of the oven! I researched these and like they are long and easy to clean.

Fire Pit

This was my biggest "fluff" purchase.  I knew that this would be something I could keep for a long time, hopefully, and would bring me enjoyment this fall as the nights get cooler.  

Thanks for reading along and have a great Monday!

Share Your Shelf ~ August 2024

 Thanks for joining my friends Joanne, Jennifer and Tanya for this month's Share Your Shelf!

So this month, I only read 2 books, both memoirs by some of my favorite podcasters.  I am catching up on their older books.  Both books were enoyable and tell a lot about their young adulthood lives.

First, was Home is Where My People are by Sophie Hudson.

I also finished Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle.

This probably doesn't count as a regular book for sure, but I spent some time reading through a new hymn/song book for our church.  They asked me to proofread it before we publish it and use it on a regular basis. I attend a church that is 5 years old, so we are updating the current songbook we have been using.  Disclaimer: I had the Yankees game playing in the background :).

Between work, life, and all the podcasts I listen to in my free time, I have found that 2-3 books is my pace each month.  So, whatever your pace is, no pressure to post a ton of books each month!

Thanks for joining us today & have a great weekend!  

(I will be off tomorrow instead of blogging)

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