where has the summer gone?

It seems like just yesterday summer was starting, and now it's already the first full week of August. I've barely done anything "summer-y" this summer considering I have a grown-up job now. I didn't get to experience every minute of church camp. And I can't just pick up and go to Holiday World. And there's no sleeping in during the week. And I don't get "vacations" per say. But I do have a full-time job, which is nice.

We have officially moved to our new location. The new building is smaller than the last one, so we are still trying to find a place for everything. And we've had a few technical issues with printers/engravers/sublimation printer, but things are starting to look up as of this week. The super good news is that there is a new coffee shop in our new building. Good for my well-being, but bad for my wallet. They are super nice people and the place is decorated so chic/vintage/coffee shop-ish. Very cool for my small town.

I am very thankful for friends. We still meet every Thursday night and usually hang out on the weekends and Sunday nights, and chat throughout the week. It's so nice to have people you can rely on. If there is something I need prayer for, I can always ask them and know that they will stop what they are doing and pray right then. If I ever move away, that will be the first thing I look for.

I just finished reading through Job. I knew the gist of it, but I had never read through the whole thing. It really made me reconsider what I value and what I consider important to me. Is God the most important thing to me that He would allow the devil to take everything away from me? Would I understand that He thought so highly of me? Would I understand that He was testing me? Would I see past my current situation to where God is trying to take me? Would I ignore the advice that my so-called "friends" give me and wait for God to speak to me? When God did speak, would I repent of sin and turn to Him? Even as I am writing this and saying 'would,' I can feel that these things happen to me all the time. But how often do I answer rightly? As I was going through Job, I was praying that I would be like Job, and then praying that I wouldn't be like Job, and then praying that I would be like Job, haha. I want to be unwavering in faith, the ability to know you need repentance.




I am so excited for this weekend because I am finally going to get one day off. My parents and I are going to the Ocoee River. Dad is going kayaking with his friends for part of the day and rafting with me for the other part of the day. Mom is going to take pictures. I'm ready for a much needed break from working.

1) I worked in the nursery at church during Sunday School and got to spend some quality time with my sweet Hallee Jae.
2) The high school kids having a dance party in the tabernacle late night at senior camp.
3) My mom doing what she does best on 4th of July -- SycamoreGrovePhotography
4) My brother & Hallee Jae on the beach without me :(
5) Jackie & I at junior high camp
6) Celebrating the end of camps at Jackie & Austin's house with a killer pool party.
7) My mom and I got this lovely bouquet from the local farmer's market the other day.
8) All us girls with my friend Beka who got married a couple weeks ago -- She made such a beautiful bride!!
9 & 10) All us friends hanging out yet being anti-social on our iPhones. Oh, technology!
11) My BFF Becca stopped by on her way back to Evansville and her little sister was with her.