friday five

Happy Friday!  I have some big plans this weekend to catch a baseball game, do some yardwork and enjoy a free jazz concert in the park.  Now let's just hope that the forecasted rain decides to not make an appearance...

I'm linking up here and here with five silver lining moments on this glorious Friday morning!

h54f

Happy Friday!  It's hard to believe we are halfway through November already.  This month, I've been participating in The Thankful Project over at Chasing Happy.  It's been a great chance to reflect on those ongoing silver linings in my life.  Without further ado, here are my five silver linings this week:

1.  In this post I wrote about the opportunities of life, including being able to travel the world!
2.  I re-discovered this delicious recipe from my grandmother.  Yum.
3.  Hello, old friend.  Wuthering Heights is my all-time favorite novel, and reminded me of why I am thankful to have been taught to love reading at a young age.
4.  This little pup brightens my day, every day. 
5.  I reflected on those little annoyances of married life, and how I am learning from them.

We're planning to put up Christmas lights this weekend (it may be a little early, but oh well!), and I'm so ready for the holidays!  Next up: Christmas music.  Have a great weekend!

(PS - If you're new here, I'm glad you've stopped by!  Please feel free to leave a comment saying hi, and read a little more about me here.)

weddings, westies and weekends

Happy Friday and Happy November!  It's hard to believe that November is here already.  Next thing we know, it'll be Thanksgiving - one of my favorite holidays.  After that, Christmas :). 

 

Without further ado, here are my five silver linings of the week:

 

1.  Celebrating parenthood with two sweet couples who became parents for the first and third time.  We're not ready for kiddos yet but it's so much fun holding these sweet little babies!

 

2.  Our last wedding of the season (!!) on a brisk October afternoon.

3.  A Westie suffering from a case of the Mondays.  Someone did not want to wake up.

 4.  Spending the weekend with my mom.

5.  The last farmer's market of the year with S, my mom, my aunt and Gannie.

 

If you're new to my blog, thanks for stopping by!  Please feel free to say hello and read more about what I'm currently up to here. 

Have a good weekend!

the chili-serving miracle of 2013

It's Friday!  If you are new to my blog, welcome!  Please feel free to stick around for a while and check out a little more about me here.  I don't know about you, but I can't believe we're almost halfway through October already.  I'm linking up with Lauren for five silver linings from this week:

1.  I'm working my way through my Fall To-Do's and am going to cross one off of the list this weekend - visiting an apple orchard and pumpkin patch with a good friend.  We're going to head out to my hometown and hopefully will find some apple cider while we're there - another one to cross of my list!

2.  I'm still on a high from our trip to Wheaton for the hubby's class reunion (you can read about it here).

 3.  This little pup was so worn out from her weekend at the boarding kennel.  She loves it there and always comes home exhausted from playing.  So much for feeling guilty about leaving the dog behind!

4.  Our small group spent yesterday evening serving a potato bar to a local inner-city high school football team.  I was in charge of serving chili and somehow managed to not spill it all over myself - which is a miracle, let me tell you.  It was a blast! 

5.  Speaking of my small group, after the Chili-Serving Miracle of 2013 we all went out for dinner and stuffed our faces with pizza.  YUM.  I am so thankful to have such great friends. 

 

Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

 

 

the smell of chlorine

It's Friday!  I'm at a conference for work all day today so I'm attempting to post from my phone for the first time. Please excuse any formatting errors!  Today I'm linking up with Lauren Elizabeth with my top five silver linings this week:

1.  I'm on Day 2 of this work conference, which means my work-Friday was actually Wednesday this week. The nerdy side of me is thrilled because today I get to learn all about recent updates to the law all day and then go home!  Woohoo!

2.  I swam 3,500 yards this morning. Without any back pain.  It was amazing.  I'm sure I'll post on this in more detail soon but long story short, I was a competitive swimmer for years and suffered a career-ending injury in college. I haven't been able to swim without pain for years but today I was pain-free!  I can't even begin to tell you how great it felt to be back in the water again. And I smell like chlorine now- I love it. 

(Image via google)

3.  My sister passed her second med school board exam - with flying colors!!  I am SO proud of her.  Next stop, residency interviews!  

4.  Steve's birthday is tomorrow so we are hosting a birthday fiesta complete with fajitas. We haven't hosted a large crowd in the new house yet so I'm looking forward to playing hostess. Happy birthday S!

5.  Tomorrow is also a big day for another reason- Lyla's first official Westie Walk. Apparently there are 144 other westies signed up and I think Steve and I are more excited for the event at this point than Lyla is. 

Have a great weekend friends!  

family, friends, flowers, fruit... and a med school exam

Whew, this has been a long work week.  I've battled a cold, drove up to Detroit on Wednesday, came back down Thursday, and have been ridiculously busy in the office all week.  I am ready for the weekend!  Linking up with Lauren today for five silver linings this week:

 

1. My little sister (the cutie on the right) is taking her STEP 2 medical school exam this Sunday, and a surgery rotation exam next week. Not exactly a silver lining... but the lining will be when it is all over and she can finally relax for a minute or two! My sister is such a hard worker and is going to make an incredible doctor. I am so proud of her.

2. I had such a great time seeing old swimmer friends at my friend Anna's wedding in PA last weekend.  We took a detour on our way to Anna's wedding to spend the night with my aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh - and I'm so glad that we did!  I can't wait to head back out to the 'Burgh to see them again this fall.

3.  "Thinking of you" flowers from Steve while I was feeling under the weather at work - he sure knows how to cheer me up.

4.  I love nectarines.  They are by far my favorite fruit.  And it's finally that time of summer when the grocery store seems to be stocked with perfectly ripe nectarines!  I'm in nectarine heaven over here.  Seriously - I'd eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could.  Yum.

via google

And lastly...
5.  I'm so thankful for this man.  He's not only handsome wedding date (to the bazillion weddings we've had this year), but also my biggest fan.  He tells me that I'm beautiful...and I know that he means it.  I'm one lucky girl.

I'm off to visit my grandmother in Chicago this weekend while Steve has a guys' weekend here in town.  They're going to a motocross race, while my grandma and I will probably spend the majority of our time shopping.  It's a win/win.  Have a great weekend!

 

the hooray friday bouquet

It's Friday!  This week has been a gorgeous one, full of sunshine and 80 degree weather.  Perfect summer weather and the perfect way to wrap up the last week of July.  Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for five silver linings this week:

 

1.  This bouquet of lovely Friday flowers from the hubby makes me smile. 

2.  I finally completed a successful Pinterest project!  More to come on this later... but Steve and I are in figuring out the whole "married dating" thing and now have over 80 new date ideas.  We are both creatures of habit, so I'm hoping this little jar will get us out of our comfort zones a bit and allow us to try new things together. 

3.  We took a trip to Brown County last weekend and I'm still loving this view.  Hard to believe it's in Indiana! 

 4.  My husband/chef extraordinaire is still tearing it up in the kitchen.  This dinner consisted of swordfish, wild rice, grilled asparagus and roasted red pepper soup.  Yum.

 5.  Over the last week, I've realized 1) I actually enjoy golf; 2) golfing is not just for guys - ladies can do it too; and 3) a ladies' golf tournament is the perfect excuse to get out of the office on a bright sunny day.

This weekend, we are hitting another one of my summer to-do's - catching an outdoor summer concert - with two of our favorite people.  We're also hosting our nieces for a little sleepover / Disney's Hercules movie action tonight.  It's shaping up to be a great weekend!

the great heat wave of 2013

Happy Friday!  I'm linking up with Lauren today for five silver linings this week:

 

1.  It's been 90+ degrees and humid outside every day this week.  Unlike the rest of the Midwest, I am loving it.  Reminds me of high school/college summers in Houston :)  Bring on the sun!

2.  Steve took me on a date last weekend to see The King and I at an outdoor movie theatre (I wrote about it here).

3.  Our vegetable garden has exploded this week.  I guess the veggies love 90+ degree heat and super sunny days as much as I do.

4.  Lyla's go-to "frog stance" just cracks me up.

5.  While I've switched lately to morning workouts, I got in a nice afternoon jog on Wednesday and had the Monon all to myself.  Probably because it was 100 degree heat index and everyone else was smart enough to stay indoors.  Oh well...Amy for the win!

We are heading down to Brown County this weekend for another camping adventure.  I've never camped in 90 degree weather, so we'll see how this turns out.  Have a great weekend!

high five for friday

Happy Friday!  Summer is finally, really here in Indy, and this girl couldn't be happier.  I'm linking up with Lauren to share five silver linings this week:

 

1.  I'm still on a high from spending the Fourth of July weekend with my family up in the IN Dunes. 

 2. The hubby has taken on P-90X... which means that I've been spoiled this week with all of the delicious healthy dinners that he has cooked for me. It's a big plus that we are also eating better than we have for...oh, our entire marriage.  (With the exception of my secret love of pie, of course.)

3.  Our new patio furniture has arrived!  I'm so looking forward to entertaining in the backyard, now that we finally have places for guests to sit.

4. I had a lovely Friday lunch and impromptu ice cream sundaes on the circle with a dear friend. So thankful for her.

5.  Steve and I have a date night tonight to see The King and I at the IMA.  I grew up loving this musical (home sweet house, anyone?) and can't wait to see it under the stars.  Also, I'm excited to check this one off of my summer to-do list!

source

memories and milestones

Today is the first day of summer (finally!).  I'm linking up with Lauren today for five silver linings this week:

1.  Sunday marked our first wedding anniversary (you can read about it here).  Cheers to the first year of many!

2.  Sunday was also Father's Day this year, and I reflected on the special love of fathers (and my wonderful dad in particular) here.

3.  This past Tuesday marked the first anniversary of Pops' reunion with the Lord in Heaven.  This one is a true silver lining because although I miss him terribly, there is hope in knowing we will be reunited one day.  Amen.

 

4.  Steve and I took a quick trip down to Dallas last weekend to see my parents.  I haven't seen them since Christmas and I can't put into words how sweet the reunion was for me.  I miss them dearly and am so glad to have seen them and their new lives in Dallas.  Isn't my mom a beauty?

 

5.   I've decided to become a morning workout person again, after many months of struggling to fit in a workout after a long day in the office.  I've managed to get up at 6am every day this week for a run... I forgot how much I love watching the sun rise in the morning.  It's been really great.

 

I am heading up to Chicago for a ladies' weekend with my mom, grandma and aunt this weekend.  It should be a great time, and the area where my grandma lives is just gorgeous in the summertime.  Plus I get to see my mom two weekends in a row!  I. cant. wait. 

Have a great weekend - happy first day of summer!

the biggest spectacle in racing

There's no better way to end a work week than knowing that you are coming up to a three-day weekend.  Happy early Memorial Day!  Here are my 5 silver linings this week (linking up with Lauren):

1.  Indy 500 on Sunday.  Aka the Biggest Spectacle in Racing and the most exciting event in Indianapolis all year.  We live for Race Day here, y'all.  We'll be sitting right across from the pits - my favorite part is to watch the cars come in & out of the pits (and nearly crash into each other every time).

2.  A taco date with some of my favorite ladies this week was a great mid-week break from work and led me to write this post on the importance of gal pals.

3.  Steve and I were in Houston this past weekend for a college friend's wedding (I wrote about it in this post).  So good to see old friends and stomp around my hometown with my sister for a while! 

4.  Pacers v. Heat.  George v. Lebron.  I've never been a big NBA fan... until Steve and I started dating.  Now, the Pacers are my boys.  I may have the slightest obsession with Roy Hibbert.  But anyway, Games 2 and 3 of the Pacers v. Heat playoffs are this weekend, with Game 3 here in town on Sunday after the Indy 500.  I'm stoked.

Roy dominating Lebron... NBD.

5.  Only 1 week until Steve and I head down to Florida to celebrate our first anniversary!  Until then, I will be daydreaming about this view of our resort.

 source

Enjoy your long weekend! 

high five for friday

1.  Spring has arrived in our backyard!  Such a great reminder of how God is making all things new.

2.  I finally got around to seeing Silver Linings Playbook and let me tell ya, it was fantastic.  Steve and I rented it for a date night over the weekend and were both blown away.  If you haven't seen it, you should. 

source

I have to admit I pretty much knew I was going to like the film even before I saw it, since its title is so similar to that of this blog, but still - it's excellent.  Oh, and Jennifer Lawrence is superb. 

3.  My love of running has returned along with the return of warmer (and sunnier) weather.  I think it's mainly that I can't resist the chance to get outside and soak up some Vitamin D.  Here's my view from an after-work run this week.

4.  Steve surprised me with Ritters on an impromptu date night.  I love all kinds of ice cream, but Ritters has been a life-long favorite.  (And for the record, it's frozen custard - not ice cream!)

5.  I'm heading up to northwest Indiana this weekend to visit my grandma, Gannie, for Mother's Day while Steve is out of town on a fishing trip with his brothers and dad.  I'm really looking forward to a ladies' weekend and hope to make it down to the beach (where Steve and I got engaged) once or twice while I'm there. 

 

 

Have a good weekend!