The July We Got.
Canceled plans, unexpected treasures, and a grateful heart.
When people ask me how our summer was, here's what I find myself saying…
Summer went by too fast. The season we love so much for its lazy days, late nights, hours in the water having no idea what time it is, quality time with pepole we love…it went by too fast.
July...well, July didn’t look how I planned it.
We brought home our Golden Retriever puppy, Ruby Nutella, which immediately changed our travel plans. Then somehow it felt like natural disasters were following us around. Floods altered one trip. Wildfire concerns canceled our traditional Colorado trip. We pivoted to the lake...only to discover it was closed because of flooding from the very storms we’d been trying to avoid.
Honestly, it’s kind of funny now. If you can’t laugh, you’ll cry.
Despite all the ways July didn't unfold the way I expected, I'm sitting on the other side of it with a grateful heart.
My family is healthy, we are safe, we got to be together, and that is truly what matters. I have been thanking God for those things every single day.
Not traveling as much left room for unexpected treasures: a deep dive into my closet, finishing up my writing room, getting fresh vision for our new homeschool room, and lots of Ruby time.
July also gave me sweet quality time with some of my closest friends and family. Two funerals with hours of storytelling, a night in a hotel with Asher + her bestie back to school shopping, four hours on the porch with a friend after kids went to bed, a sunburn from losing track of time in the pool with friends, long car ride phone catch ups, an epic wedding weekend with family friends, and I still can’t get over going to Vegas with “the original 5” (my parents and 2 sisters) to sing and dance our hearts out with the Backstreet Boys.
I am smiling at the coffee shop writing all that out, because what a life! I am learning to let go more and more. Through it all I realize while things might not work out according to my plan, His plan is always better.
Looking back, July wasn’t what I expected.
But I don’t think I’d choose anything else.
✿ Things I Loved This Month
Spending such quality time with people I love
One thing counseling has gently uncovered this summer is how often I’ve equated the depth of a friendship with the quantity of time we spend together.
Now, with brand-new friendships, I still think quantity matters. You have to log the hours before a friendship has deep roots. But with the people who’ve known me for years? I’m realizing something different.
This summer wasn’t full of weekends away or endless afternoons together. It looked like an hour-long phone call, coffee and a walk while someone was in town, two hours of conversation on a funeral day, four hours by the pool while our kids played, or catching up on a long drive home.
When it comes to the people I love most, I’ll probably always wish for more time. I think that’s just part of loving people.
But this summer reminded me that quality has a way of stretching time. Sometimes one unhurried conversation can carry my heart longer than weeks of hurried interactions.
Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful for those moments. They may not have been many, but they were deeply meaningful.
Simple moments and memories with my family
The older I get, the more I realize it’s not always the big trips that become our favorite memories. More often than not, it’s the ordinary moments tucked in between.
Morning walks to the park with Ruby and the girls. An afternoon bowling as a family. Watching funny videos together on the couch. Tearing up the dance floor at a wedding. Countless rounds of Scattergories. Nighttime putt-putt at the lake. A trip to the mall. Sonic drinks on an errand day. Taking Ruby for her first Puppuccino. Showing up unannounced at a friend’s house with treats. Afternoon rest time.
They’re the kinds of moments that are easy to overlook while you’re living them, but somehow become the memories that make up a life.
I’m so grateful for all the little moments that filled July.
Perspective
This one feels a little different than the others, but it’s been part of my summer too.
Over the past several months, I’ve attended more funerals than I expected to. Each story has been different, but I’ve left every one with the same quiet reminder: life is fragile, life is precious, and every day is a gift.
Watching dear friends say goodbye to their dads has a way of bringing everything else into focus.
Suddenly, canceled plans don’t feel quite so disappointing. Delayed trips don’t seem quite so important. The little inconveniences of everyday life lose some of their weight.
Instead, I find myself wanting to linger a little longer around the table, answer the phone when a friend calls, hug my people a little tighter, and thank God for another ordinary day together.
We aren’t promised tomorrow. But today is here. And that’s a gift I’m learning not to rush past.
✿ What I Watched This Month
With more time at home than I expected this summer, I definitely watched more TV than I read in July (my abandoned stack of books below can confirm 😂).
Instead of giving you a full review of everything, I’m sharing the list. Maybe it’ll give you a few ideas the next time you’re scrolling Netflix or Prime, wondering what to watch.
I also started a Nancy Meyers movie binge that I fully intend to finish this fall. So far I’ve watched The Intern, Home Again, Father of the Bride, and half of It’s Complicated.
Here’s what made the list this month:
Ransom Canyon – Season 2 is finally out!
The Ultimatum
Below Deck Med – Keeping up with new episodes.
DWTS: The Next Pro – Watching with my girls.
Off Campus – I wasn’t sure about this one...and yes, it’s spicy. 😅 But I ended up enjoying it.
Dutton Ranch – Finally finished it with Stephen.
If you’ve watched anything worth sharing lately, tell us in the comments.
✿ What July Taught Me
ChatGPT is surprisingly good at closet clean-outs and fall planning.
It’s not the quantity of time—it’s the quality.
Puppies really are like having babies and toddlers all over again.
Life doesn’t always go according to plan.
You can’t think your way into a season you haven’t lived yet.
Screaming old Backstreet Boys lyrics at the top of your lungs with your sisters and parents is peak nostalgia.
Being part of a wedding as a family is ridiculously fun.
Laughter really is the best medicine.
Saving Instagram Reels to the “Screenplay” audio while sitting with lifelong friends is an elite summer activity.
✿ Book Talk
Apparently July was the month of abandoning books. 😂 I started a lot, quit a lot, and eventually found a few that kept my attention. I just went and updated my Goodreads, mostly so I could remember what I read LOL. Also, I got a new kindle case and and it’s bringing me an unreasonable amount of joy.
I’ll keep this month’s book recap short since my reading life felt a little all over the place. If you’re on Goodreads, come find me over there!
Capable ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I finally finished the audiobook of Capable! I can’t recommend this one enough, especially for parents. It’s one of those books I know I’ll want to reference again, so I’m planning to buy a physical copy too.
I listened to this one on my solo flight home from Vegas, and it was exactly the kind of light, feel-good read I needed. I wasn’t expecting a few spicy scenes 😅, but overall it was a fun rom-com.
Love You More⭐⭐⭐⭐
Emily Giffin has been an auto-buy author for me since college. Reading one of her books always feels a little like coming home, and I really enjoyed her newest release.
The Missing Half ⭐⭐⭐
I read this one at the lake—mostly floating in the pool one afternoon while everyone else swam. Even though I landed on three stars, it definitely kept me turning the pages. Whenever I’m in a reading slump, a quick mystery or thriller usually gets me back on track.
Making Home Your Happy Place ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I bought this audiobook on a whim while sitting in the Starbucks parking lot before driving home from the lake with the girls. Since I knew I was coming home to tackle my closet and several other decluttering projects, it couldn’t have been more timely.
As I listened, I found myself thinking about how much decluttering, rhythms, and organization have shaped my own story over the years. I’ve often wondered if I’d write a book on one of those topics someday. Reading this reminded me there are already so many wonderful resources out there...and maybe that’s not the book I’m meant to write after all. 😊
DNFs: 4 😅
Somehow I DNF’d four books this month! Once I get about 25% in and I’m still not excited to pick it back up, it’s usually time to let it go. I still hate doing it a little, but there are simply too many books I want to read to spend time finishing one I’m not enjoying.
If you need that permission, HERE IT IS!!!
✿ A Final Thought
As I close the book on July, I find myself feeling less concerned with all the things that didn’t happen and more grateful for everything that did.
This month reminded me that a good life isn’t built only in the big moments or the trips we plan months in advance. Sometimes it’s found in long conversations, canceled plans that make room for something unexpected, ordinary afternoons with the people we love, and learning to hold our plans with open hands.
I’m heading into August with more questions than answers, and for once, I’m okay with that.
School is about to begin, new rhythms are around the corner, and I’m sure there will be plenty I can’t predict. But if this summer taught me anything, it’s that I don’t have to figure out the whole season before I live it.
Thank you, as always, for reading along, cheering me on, and sharing little pieces of your own life with me. I never take that for granted.
Here’s to August—and all the ordinary moments we don’t know are waiting for us yet.
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Such great words!!! I love you so much!!!🩷🩷🩷