Eureka Springs

I think I've told you, before: this blog is not only a vehicle to share thoughts and stories publicly, but also a way to document our life for posterity's sake.  So, if you're not interested in the minute details of our (somewhat) recent anniversary trip to Eureka Springs, AR, this post might not be for you.  ☺

Before telling you about our super-fun trip, I need to brag on my husband.  He took it upon himself to plan the whole thing, without being asked!  He found a cool destination within driving distance, arranged for childcare, researched must-see stops and must-try restaurants, made all the reservations, etc., etc.  In a season of life where I feel like all my brain cells are at capacity and I'm doing well to know what day of the week it is, his efforts meant the world to me.  

Headed out (sans baby - thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!).

Stopped in Bentonville, AR for lunch at this really unique restaurant!

We enjoyed our meal!  Interesting cuisine...we tried the fried artichokes appetizer and were glad we did.

See the bicycles in the windows?

Our next stop (and reason for going through Bentonville) was the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  This was a free attraction that had been recommended to us by a few different people.  We don't necessarily consider ourselves "art museum people," but we really enjoyed our time here.  The grounds were truly awesome, the art was interesting, and the people were wonderful.  If you're in the area, or reasonably close, it's definitely worth seeing.

This is a picture of a picture - it's so hard to explain the amazing architecture, so I was glad to find an aerial shot to share!

Speaking of architecture, they had a Frank Lloyd Wright house on location.
This is a model of it.

We didn't wait around to take a tour inside, but enjoyed seeing it from the outside.

☺

The drive through Arkansas as the leaves were just starting to change was truly breathtaking.  The mountainous, winding roads and sweeping forest views were hard to capture, but will remain in our fond memories of the trip.

We knew we'd saved room for dessert for a reason.  What a fun surprise stop!
So yummy!  Check them out here.  They ship!
(That striped pole is the bottom of a huge candy cane.)

Our lodging in Eureka Springs was a tree house!  It was the perfect mix of seclusion, nature, quiet, charm, cozy, and peaceful.  Though there were other tree houses (as well as hobbit holes and castles!) housing residents, we didn't run into any other humans during our two-day stay.

Hard to tell, but dinner the first night was in a cave!
https://www.grottoeureka.com/

Glass chapel in the forest!

The drizzly, cold day ruined our hiking plans, but we were able to do some shopping downtown and were glad for a tip from one of the shopkeepers to go walk around a local hotel, even though we weren't staying there.  So, we did our "hiking" inside!

The Crescent Hotel & Spa

A fun night of karaoke and dancing was spoiled by a lack of indoor-smoking ban (allll the eye rolls), but we enjoyed our dinner beforehand and a full night of rest before our trip home!

Not the first time we've left our mark somewhere special...and won't be the last. ☺

Our penultimate stop was to see "Quigley's Castle: Ozarks Strangest Dwelling."  Strange was a good word...others we discussed were unique, weird, amazing, bizarre, concerning, and inspiring.  You can read more about it on their website, if you'd like, but in short, this house was a woman's dream come true.  She and her husband built it from lumber cut off their own land and "bricks" made from cement and stones collected over many years.  Because it was built during the depression, the family had to cover the window spaces with various materials for three years until glass became available.  There is a border of soil inside the home between the living space and outside walls, so plants can grow and thrive indoors year-round.  There is so much more to tell about this, but again - I'll let you read on your own.  Pictures don't do it justice, and even after having seen it in person and spoken with a Quigley granddaughter, I still have questions and don't quite know how to explain what we saw.

Last (spontaneous) stop was a yard "sell," because our curiosity was piqued.
Alas, we did not come away with any treasures.

This trip was such a wonderful getaway, and we're thankful to have been able to take it!  Thanks to all who helped make it possible (watching the baby, fur babies, providing recommendations, rescheduling lessons, etc.).

Thanks for your continued interest!

Belatedly (this trip took place over a month ago...haha),
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

time with family

my electric blanket

the fact that Panera has a drive-thru

Glasses and Ponytail

Coming to you live from nap time!  So, this one is gonna be short and sweet. ☺

Jacob's latest favorite thing is my glasses.  I don't know when or how the obsession started.  I don't know why he's so into them.  What I do know is that he says his word for them starting the moment I walk into his room in the morning.  I also know he's talking about them throughout each day, whether I have them on or choose to wear my contacts.  If I'm wearing my contacts and we're home, he sometimes goes to our room to the place where the glasses are to ask me to put them on.  If we're out and about, he asks where they are (if I'm wearing contacts) or comments on them (if I'm wearing them).

The kicker?  After saying his word for them, he often makes the sound I make when I'm prepping them to be wiped off.  You know, the "h" sound you make when you're huffing on them to fog them up before cleaning them?  He makes that sound at any mention of glasses - whether he's the one doing the mentioning or he hears someone else say the word.  Again, I don't know how or when this started; only that, apparently, I clean them often...probably because someone is always getting tiny fingerprints on them...

The boy also loves when I have my hair in a ponytail.  I can't remember when this obsession started, either, but I'm pretty sure it was several months ago.  He loves to play with my ponytail.  He looks for it when my hair is down.  He gets excited when he sees me putting in a hair tie.

The reason I'm sharing these quips, other than their obvious adorableness, is this:

If I'm in "glasses and ponytail" mode, it's probably because my hair is on day 2 or 3 and my eyes were too tired for contacts, which needless to say, usually means I'm not "feeling my look" as much as I could be.  But, in Jacob's tiny, sweet opinion, these are my best days!  He loves glasses days, and he loves ponytail days, and when they happen on the same day, he can't get enough of his mama (even more than usual).  On these days, when I'm potentially down on myself for not taking time to fix my hair or put on eye makeup, he's looking at me with so much joy and excitement.  

Please don't read into any of the self-image/vanity/whatever stuff that may be associated with this post.  My intention is not to fish for compliments or make you concerned about my own self-image.  I'm simply sharing this little nugget of a lesson I'm learning in motherhood that's probably bigger than I realize (or have time to write about, at the moment).  It just makes my heart happy, and I thought it might do you good to hear it, too.  To me, it is such a picture of the love God has for us, despite our "dirty hair" and "unconcealed faces," if you will.  ☺

I had intended to keep this all to myself and just post a picture of Jacob's outfit on Instagram, because I thought he was looking especially cute today, but instead, I'm writing this post and sharing a picture of us both.  ♥

And some of him, of course...

Enjoy the weekend, friends!

Out of time to come up with a witty salutation,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

those precious red baby Chucks

my trusty Norwex optic cloth (ha)

the super generous b-day gift from my in-laws - a Cricut!  (this is what my margin time has been devoted to, lately)

Margin

I'm writing to you during a time that is listed on my calendar as "hobby time," which is something the cool kids these days would refer to as "margin."

This word, "margin," began showing up very prevalently in my life several weeks ago following a conversation my husband and I had about needing to make time during the week for us as individuals to do things we want to do.  We had kind-of made a plan to implement this, and then, "margin" started showing up everywhere.  The concept came up in sermons I heard and conversations I had.  It was discussed on almost every podcast I listen to, both new episodes and ones I was catching up on, and even mentioned by name on a couple.  Then, we started a worship team Bible study; the title?  "Margin."  I couldn't believe it.  I thanked God over and over for such clarity.  This message He was trying to convey was coming through more clearly than any of recent memory.

While it may be a sort of buzzword these days, and therefore, might seem fleeting like most trends, I think the concept of "margin" is very important.  Creating time for your own enjoyment, personal development, hobbies, whatever it may be, can allow your brain to be used in a different way, your heart to be opened, your mind to be cleared, and your body (and dare I say, your soul) to be refreshed.  Taking this time for yourself can allow you to reconnect with yourself, which in turn, can lead to better/stronger connections with those around you.

I realize this all might sound a little lofty or unrealistic.  Me saying, "Take time to find yourself!" "Find some quiet space in your life!" "Do what you love!" might conjure thoughts of a girl in a sunny field of wildflowers with her face to the sun, a yogi in child's pose, or a leather chair and warm beverage, and you're rolling your eyes.  You're thinking, "Yeah right.  Who has time for that?!"  There are certainly circumstances and seasons in life that seemingly make any downtime or spare moments impossible.  Whether it's a matter of time, money, lack of childcare, whatever - this idea of "margin" can feel unattainable for many.

However...

I've heard many times that you make time for the things you value most.  I've read articles about the fact that we spend so much of our time doing things we don't actually need to spend time doing.  Statistics show our screen time is off the charts.  People are often heard saying, "I'm so busy!" and "I'm too busy!" and having to start saying no's, because they've said too many yes's.

It wasn't necessarily easy for us to find this "margin" time in our what-we-thought-was-already-pretty-full weekly schedule; it took some thought, effort, and a little trial-and-error.  We've made it work, though, and are better for it!  We are able to spend time doing the things that somehow got pushed completely off the "to-do" list by the more pressing items (By the way, it's still really difficult for me to not use "necessary," rather than "pressing" in that context.  I'm still working on defining the things I want to do as necessary; to put "self care" in the "necessary" category; to prioritize myself right up there with everyone else.).  We each get to spend a little time each week doing something that will refresh and recharge us.

So far, my personal margin time has been spent differently each week: I've gone bargain shopping with coupons in hand (one of my favorite things to do).  I've watched shows (at home in the guest room with doors closed - haha).  I've spent time stamping and organizing my stamping supplies (both things I enjoy).  And, as may be obvious, I've written blog posts!

My husband's "margin" time has also looked different each week and always looks very different from my own, because we're different people with different personalities and interests.  This is not to say that we don't enjoy spending time together.  Nor has this "margin" time taken the place of our weekly date night or other quality time together.  Rather, it is separate from and in addition to these things.

It IS possible to do this for yourself...and it's important!  It doesn't have to cost money.  It doesn't have to be out of the house (though if you're at home most of the day, I'd encourage you to make this a priority).  It doesn't have to be super exciting, adventuresome, or new.  It just needs to be what you want it to be, and for some of you, that might mean you need to let yourself figure out what that is, first.

I know this level of mandate is a little uncharacteristic of my posts, but as you've just read, this really means a lot to me.  I feel so cliché saying it, but as I get older, I'm learning more and more about myself and what it takes for me to be at my healthiest.  This is not something I'm working on alone; my husband has played a major role in this part of my personal development.  Without his encouragement (sometimes it's had to be more strong than others), I wouldn't have ever considered allowing myself to prioritize myself (that's my Enneagram 2 showing...and that's a whole other blog post - haha).  He's on his own journey, too, and I'm so proud of him.  So thankful to get to do life together!

Anyway, please seriously consider this for yourself.  I'm no expert, but would love to talk through it with you, if you want!  Would love to hear anything you're willing to share.

Until next time, friends. ☺

With margin (because "margin-ly" is too close to "marginally"),
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

my son - for so many reasons

cooler weather, open windows, prospect of fall, etc.

Aldi

BFF(AE!)

Hey, all!

I'm writing from a completely nostalgic/sentimental/sappy place today.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  ; )  I'm also writing, from a thoughtful/thankful/reflective place, though, so if you can wade through the personal stuff, I think you'll find some practicality here, too.

This post is in honor of my best-friend-for-life's 30th birthday!  Please join me in celebrating Katie today (and always, really, but especially today)!

Many of you know this, but Katie and I have known each other since the 2nd grade, and have "officially" (ha!) been best friends since the 5th (or maybe 4th) grade.

I really don't even know where to start to tell our story...  We lived 5 mins. from each other.  We attended the same school(s).  We were in 4-H together.  Our moms were friends.  We had the same piano teacher.  Our families became each other's families.  We vacationed together.  Etc., etc.

Looking back on our childhood is quite a trip, but it also makes me teary to think of the blessing it was and what a foundation it created for the friendship we have today.

One of the reasons this is currently at the forefront of my mind is this:

Katie recently unearthed our friendship journals.

Yes, you read that correctly.  We had friendship journals...plural.

One even had a matching bookmark.

Not only have these been hilarious and entertaining to read through, but they've also provided for some reflection and "deep" thoughts (not unlike ones we used to write about in these - haha).  So much life has happened since we started that first journal in the 5th grade.  What a treasure to be able to look back on not only our friendship over the years, but also our individual lives and day-to-day thoughts and happenings.  I think I've mentioned how terrible my memory seems to be, especially lately.  It's always been hard for me to remember things from my childhood and school years, except for a few milestone/big deal occurrences, of course.  These journals have reminded us not only of various life events, but also of how our days used to look and what mattered most to our younger selves.

We've known for a long time what a treasure our friendship is - we documented how thankful we were many times - and we are continuously grateful for each other and our ever-strengthening relationship.  Please know I am not sharing all this to brag, to one-up your friendships, to say our friendship is perfect, or anything like that.  Rather, after reading back through these journals, there are some recurring components in various "entries" that provide clues as to how we've made our relationship work over the years, and I thought I'd share them with you.

In no particular order, here are a few key components of our friendship and how we've applied them over the years:

Grace
Then:  One of the very first entries in the very first journal is, "This will also be a book of appologies (bless my fifth grade speller's heart), and here's one..."  From using our "code names" outside of the journal to jealousy to failing to make time for one another, we recognized and sought forgiveness for actions both big and small.
Later: Though we found a surprising amount of these "I'm sorry" notes throughout the journals, I know there were so many more in-person requests for forgiveness over the years.  As we matured both in our friendship and as individuals, we recognized the things that might upset the other and learned to avoid them.  We also had grace for each other in knowing life changes meant making some adjustments in our relationship, as well, and were patient with the process of working through all that.
Now:  We haven't had a major conflict in years, and I'm having a hard time remembering even having a minor one.  Though we had never intentionally hurt one another in the past, we learned from the times that we unintentionally did, and have since been able to avoid doing so again.  Our grace is likely often extended without a prerequisite apology, though, because we're human and mess up, but we know and love each other in a way that allows us to recognize when hurt wasn't intended and forgive without an apology extended.  Perhaps this just came with practice, too - practicing apologizing and forgiving and moving forward.

Shared Interests
Then: 4-H, gel pens, boys, puppy chow
Later: slumber parties, shopping, Bible studies, puppy chow
Now: pool time, hospitality, awesome bargains, puppy chow ☺
Seriously, though - a relationship without shared interests is much more difficult to maintain, in my opinion.  While our differences allowed us to grow as individuals, our commonalities allowed our friendship to thrive.  Quality time is much more enjoyable when you're spending the time doing something you both truly enjoy.

Honesty/Vulnerability
Then: Sharing what boys (a.k.a. "flowers"...don't ask...) we liked.
Later: Sharing what boys we liked (haha - but seriously - this is what girlfriends are for, right?).  But also: opening up about various situations and how we felt about them, calling each other out and keeping each other accountable, writing/talking to each other during our lowest of lows and highest of highs (which usually involved tears on both ends of the spectrum)
Now:  All of the above and much more!  As our friendship has deepened, so has our level of vulnerability.  It has become clear to me that this is such an important part of any real relationship.  Though I may not tell her EVERYthing, there isn't anything I wouldn't feel comfortable/safe sharing with Katie.  With great vulnerability comes great...

Trust
Then: Keeping the journal(s) hidden from others' view (both intentional and accidental). "Mom just came in my room without knocking AGAIN."  Heaven forbid our own mothers lay eyes on our precious journal.  An entry written while writing during a high school class, "People keep looking at me like I'm crazy.  Do u know how horrible it would be if people took this and read it!  lol.  It must be a secret."  The next entry started with an "*idea*" to only write in the privacy of our homes and simply transfer the journal at school.  haha
Later: As our relationship grew, so did our level of trust.  We learned we could trust each other with our insecurities, emotions, and "deepest secrets." From petty thoughts to important feelings and decisions to knowing the other wouldn't back out on plans; we gained each others trust through many, many opportunities to not let each other down.
Now: I hardly know how to quantify this, at this point, except to say that I know I can trust Katie with absolutely anything.

Foresight
Then: Making a plan as to how we're going to use the pages in the journals (this was a surprisingly prevalent topic of conversation (and consequently, use of space) in the books.
Later: Comparing school schedules and finding several opportunities for quality time during the school year when we were living in different states, because we knew that simply trying to meet up when we were home at the same time wasn't going to be enough.
Now: Knowing that even though we're in the same metro area, we need to make plans somewhat far in advance to spend time together, because life just seems to get in the way if we aren't intentional about it.  (The opportunities for spontaneity and the times we're able to take advantage of it, however, are so wonderful!)

Loyalty
Then: "Kensy and I have been having big problems with a group of girls who are extremely rude to us.  They are rude to everyone!"
Later: Our friendship survived junior high.  Enough said?  ☺
Now: Though we have various commitments, several different circles of friends, and husbands(!), we continue to make an effort to prioritize each other and our relationship.

Another big contributor to the success of our friendship is our shared faith (our 5th grade selves even wrote a special prayer for us to say when we spent the night together...I have no memory of ever actually saying it, but it's in the friendship journal!  Bless our hearts...).  Though we went to different churches (different denominations, even), we attended events/services at each others churches and participated in several Bible studies together.  In "Christianese": The intersection of our faith walks was a huge blessing, and Katie's faith continues to challenge me and keep me accountable.  In plain terms: Katie's faith definitely impacted on my own, and still does, to this day. ☺

Truly, the list of components goes on and on: intentionality, thoughtfulness, respect, encouragement, etc., etc.  I could write a book about all the hilarious and meaningful memories we share, as well as the important conversations we've had and the ways we've built this friendship to be what it is today.

Praise the Lord for technology and the ease it eventually brought to our constant communication, esp. when we were living in separate places.  The first friendship journal documents our first e-mail addresses, and we even wrote, "E-mail me!"  That said, however, these hand-written words are so precious; there's just something about the time and effort it takes to write, as well as the ability to have it all in one place when we want to reminisce and have a good laugh.

I hope that all made sense to you, dear readers - especially those of you who don't know me well and/or don't know Katie, at all.  My goal was both to give you a glimpse into our specific friendship, as well as present more universal thoughts on relationships, in general.

Happy birthday, Katie Sue!  I love you so, so much, and am inexpressibly grateful you're in my life.

Friendly-ly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

This girl, who stood by me (in literally every way) even when I had those bangs.
(I had such a hard time not sharing more pics than this one...there are some gems, for sure! haha)

sunshine and pool/splash pad/water time

rhubarb custard bars

Our Very Hungry Caterpillar

As of a month ago, we have a one-year-old in the house!  So hard to believe.  I still don't know how to feel about it.  BUT, I thought I’d share some pictures of his Pinterest-inspired (though not Pinterest-worthy) party! ☺

Bryant's mom made the super cute birthday shirt (GreatStitch), and his mom and sister made the awesome quilt!
(These are for sure Pinterest-worthy, for the record.)

Thank you, Amazon, for having the perfect plain, colored, non-glitter b-day hats that happened to match the "Happy Birthday" banner I've had for years!

Hooray for free online printables and bamboo skewers I always knew I was saving for a reason!

These were his monthly "milestone" pictures!

Never did I ever expect to have a "photo booth" at our one-year-old's birthday party, but it just kind-of happened. 
The caterpillar ended up on the empty spot we usually take pictures in front of, and it ended up being a nice way to commemorate the decoration.

More monthly pics (he had almost exactly the same few poses each month, so I couldn't help but print them all out).

The "spread!"

(Cucumbers and mint fresh from the garden!)

My 4-H cake decorating training/materials came in handy!

His very first cake (or treat of any kind) experience!

He commonly eats with just one hand, so this method wasn't out of the ordinary. 
He took bites a little faster than normal, though. ☺

When they take the cake away...

Made a pretty good dent in it!

This party was a little more involved than I'd originally thought it would be, but when you have all the materials to just keep decorating (thanks to my card-making hobby/materials), you just keep decorating!  haha.  I kept telling myself that because I wasn't planning to make all the food the caterpillar eats in the book, and I also wasn't planning to poke little holes in all the food, I wasn't going completely overboard.  I did, however, put up more decorations than I'd thought I would, and just generally did more than serve a meal and some cake.  It was enjoyable, though, and really fun to make it special.

...

I considered leaving this post at that; a fun DIY party that was enjoyable all around.  In the interest of transparency and sharing life lessons learned, however, I’m going to tell another part of this story.

There were tears involved.   Unnecessary-stress induced tears.  Unnecessary stress-induced tears.

There were a few causes for these tears (including, but not limited to, the fact that our baby was turning ONE), but the unnecessary stress I brought upon myself to put on this super-casual, low-key first birthday party caused me to reach a breaking point.

In an effort to try to help my sweet, patient husband understand what was contributing to my inner turmoil and unrest over this gathering (for which we didn’t even send out formal invitations), I did some serious self-reflection (that I've already shared and talked through with him, for the record). Here’s what I figured out:

I felt alone. Felt is the key word, here. I knew then, and I still know now, that I wasn’t, but for some reason, that didn’t stop me from feeling alone and unsupported in the planning process.  We had a lot going on in the time leading up to this milestone, so yes, I may have been the only one making the specific plans (both necessary and unnecessary ones, mind you).  That doesn’t mean, however, that my husband and pretty much everyone who was going to attend the event didn't offer to help.  As it turns out, I’m just terrible at accepting help and even more terrible at asking for it.  This wasn't the first time this has been an issue for me.  I’ve even been know to rescind a request for help because I felt guilty/bad/burdensome for asking in the first place.  Some would probably say it's a matter of control.  At times, it very well may be, but only in part.  More-so, I just really don't want to inconvenience others, especially when I am fully capable of doing what I'm asking them to do...or when I don't think the task I'd be asking them to do is completely necessary in the first place (i.e. hole-punching pieces for a homemade banner that I wasn't even planning to make).

The other, less-prevalent-in-my-life, thing I realized is that I did more decorating than I'd planned because it was really the only thing I could do in advance.  I couldn't make food more than a couple days ahead of time.  My biggest fear was the cake frosting "melting," so I wanted to wait till the night before to do the cupcakes/cake.  I could only clean so far in advance before things would need cleaning again.  So, since all the plans were made, but I felt like I couldn't do anything in the couple weeks leading up to the party, I just kept making decorations.  I don't regret it (esp. since I didn't really spend money on them - I already had all the materials in my stamping stash...and it's something I enjoy doing), but I do regret the time it took away and stress I allowed it to add to everything else life entailed at the time.

As I was writing this (because goodness knows this wasn't written all in one sitting (#allthenaptimes)), I was listening to a podcast during which they discussed the fear of failing in front of others and the need to have emotions/hurts/feelings/"wrestle points"/circumstances known.  It was my desire for this party to go off without a hitch and be enjoyable for all who attended.  It was also my desire to creatively and economically make it special, which meant several DIY projects.  My fear of it all not getting done, the cake melting, the food not being enough, etc., etc. was real.  If I failed in any of these areas, it would be very evident to those attending the party (who would not have cared/judged at ALL, for the record).  I kept all this fear bottled up inside of me until it came spilling out of my eyeballs in the form of ugly-cry-tears.  I (finally) expressed these fears, took a deep breath, and realized how irrational I was being.  This may have all been a silly reason to come to some of these realizations, but I'm so glad to have come to the realizations, period, regardless of the reason.

Something else that was mentioned on the podcast put into words something I've been trying to explain (to myself and others), but hadn't quite been able to figure out how to do so: "Recreation causes disappearance."  When someone can recreate our feelings/situation in a way we feel completely heard, then that can cause our situation to disappear in a way that no longer bears weight on our life.  I've heard the quote before, but had to look up who said it first: Timothy Keller said (wrote?), "To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything."  Bottom line: God is enough.  He's more than enough, in fact.  He both knows AND loves us, and He's all that matters.  Why, oh why, is this simple, simple truth so difficult to remember, sometimes?  I've been writing (in my head, that is) pieces of a whole other blog post about my desire to be known in my still-fairly-new community and stage of life (outside of marriage), but I'm deciding right at this moment that I'm not going to do so.  Writing the post itself would've been a cry out to be known by others besides the Lord, and it's just not necessary.

So, anyway...here I am, writing to you in an effort to put my fears/failures/mistakes/emotions out in the open; not for sympathy, but in an effort to bring some light and solidarity to some issues I'm sure I'm not the only one struggling with (speaking of struggling, I'm struggling to leave that sentence ending with a preposition, but I'm going to, anyway...choosing my battles...or something like that...).  I hope to become better at seeking and accepting help, as well as failing in front of others.  My pride, perfectionism, and own sense of control are not worth the expense of the stress it all can sometimes create in my life and the lives of those with whom I'm closest.

Phew.  Ironically, I wrote far more than I expected to about a party I decorated for far more than I expected to.  Ha!  If you made it this far, thank you.  I appreciate the time and interest you took in my pictures, ideas, and thoughts.  As always, questions and comments are more than welcome.  Happy to chat about any of it in person, too!  ☺

Transparently,
Kensy

P.S.  An added benefit to all the decoration efforts: since there isn't a holiday for a while after the 4th of July, I just left the b-day decorations up for a couple of weeks!  It was kind-of fun to feel like we continued the celebration.

Favorites of the day:

quality time with others

garden-fresh produce

brunch 

more specifically: this pancake "flight"