Welcome to my Scenes From the Month series! In these posts, I share the highlights from my previous month ranging from the simple, everyday things to the more memorable events. One of the primary reasons that I blog is to keep a scrapbook that I can look back on in the future, and these posts help serve that purpose. Now that I have babies, everyday moments are extra special!
July had plenty of lovely memories, but it also brought sadness. My Papa went to be with Jesus on July 18th, just a few months after Mimi. He lived a beautiful life. He packed his last few months full of social activities: Sunday school, family visits, Ellen’s wedding, Caden’s birthday party, and more. I wanted to share what I wrote for his service here like I did for Mimi:
One of my fondest memories of Papa was going with him to his office in Olney a few times. I loved filling up a cup of candy from his Runts dispenser and settling in to observe a small part of his work routine and watch his friendly conversations with his employees and clients. I first became interested in the CPA world because I wanted to be like Papa one day. Once I went on to college and then onto my career as a CPA, Papa would always ask about what I was learning and working on. I’ve truly enjoyed sharing these conversations with Papa – not only was he one of the few interested in an accounting career, but I have also always been proud of my similarities with him.
Carson asks about Mimi and Papa a lot. Back when we were preparing to drive to Waco for Mimi’s funeral, I was telling him about all of the cousins who would be at Terry and Vicki’s to play with him. He said “Oh! You forgot Papa!”. I had a very similar conversation with him again yesterday, getting him excited for the weekend ahead, and he once again asked about Papa. While he doesn’t yet understand, I told him Papa is in Heaven with Mimi. Even though he is just 3 years old, I don’t think he will ever forget some of his Papa memories. My last memory with Papa was taking the kids to the hospital last week to visit. Carson and Caden were both very proud to sing and dance to Wheels on the Bus and ABCs as Papa clapped along.
We love you so much, Papa.
I start these posts with some favorites from the month and then share some photos and highlights after that.
Favorites from the Month:
{This section contains some Amazon affiliate links.}
Fiction Book – The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer. This is a beautiful WWII fiction novel that flips between the life of a young woman during that war and a related woman in modern day trying to learn more about her family’s past . There are a lot of good WWII fiction books out there, but this is probably my favorite one that I’ve read. Truly a beautifully-written story.
Nonfiction Book – That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, The Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby by Annie F. Downs. This is a quick read about the importance of seeking out fun in your life. I loved reading about Annie’s life and enjoyed how it got me thinking about incorporating more fun into the daily routine.
Music – We’ve been listening to a lot of Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and Les Miserables music in our house. Carson loves and requests these songs all day long!
Movie/TV – We flew threw the “Behind Her Eyes” series on Netflix. Just wow. I did not expect that ending.
Item – My EC Hourly planner. It’s a fun hobby to decorate it, but mostly it keeps me very organized.
Activity – Celebrating the life of Papa with our extended family
Accomplishment – Continuing with a great Peloton streak. I love my (almost) daily rides!
Photos from the Month:
(Top left to bottom right)
(1) We didn’t do much for the 4th, but I did pick up this cute flag cheese and meat platter from HEB!
(2) Carson and Caden love hanging out on the window sill and jumping (or scooting for Caden) onto the Nugget. We spent a lot of hot afternoons doing this!
(3) A cute little bear just after bath time!
(4) And a little drummer boy putting on a show for us!
(1) Caden had his first dentist appointment and loves brushing his teeth and going “aaahh!”.
(2) We aren’t taking as many walks these days because of the heat, but it’s always worth it when we do.
(3) Caden loves his Friday morning swimming lessons.
(4) And Carson got a medal for his swimming lessons!
(1) Our family gathering after Papa’s funeral service was wonderful. Many of our extended family members are from out of town, so it was a joy to see them. There were so many kiddos!
(2) We celebrated Papa with stories, food, outdoor fun, and …
(3) cotton candy!
(4) My cute boys are growing up too fast. I love this photo of them hanging out together. 🙂
(1) Carson loves his train set and often asks to play with it during rest time.
(2) We visited The Shady Llama in Wimberley for the first time. It’s such a cute spot with a playground and cute llamas to feed and pet.
(3) I had a girl’s night out with my friend Kelsey at the new Sammie’s restaurant downtown! It was a delicious Italian meal. I knew it would be – Kelsey is an amazing foodie blogger over at So Much Life. Also she is expecting her second baby boy any day now!
(4) We had a fun weekend with our friend Mike who visited from Dallas. One night we got to go out to Kemuri downtown and also met up with our friends John and Amber. It was a wonderful night out.
Have a great end-of-summer!
{Thanks for reading! Want to know a little more about me? I’m a CPA learning how to balance a career with motherhood and regular travel while planting roots at home in the Austin, TX area. When I’m not exploring my home city with my husband Daniel and baby boys Carson and Caden or cuddling with my chubby orange cat Banana, I’m probably either out on a playdate with my son or planning, packing for, traveling to, or daydreaming about our next adventure. After all, my travel mug collection is never complete. If you have wanderlust too, be sure to follow me on Instagram (and InstaStories!), Pinterest, and Facebook, or subscribe to my blog!}