Things I love about this weekend besides my new planner

My new planner is here!  My new planner is here!  I'm SOMEBODY now!! (Insert dancing emoji).

It came this week and I'm already sufficiently obsessed with it.  It's probably my favorite one ever.  I know I've said that before, but well, just look at how adorable...

And I had to splurge on the optional sticker pack because, just... 

yep.

Call me old school (go ahead say it, punk!)  (just kidding).  But I have to have a paper planner.  I've tried the electronic calendar on my phone and ipad, but I found it more complicated and takes more time and energy than just pulling out my planner, whipping it open and writing it down like a human.  It's worth carrying around in my purse.

Schedules, goals, to-do lists, notes and pockets for stuff...it's not just a planner, 

it's a way of life, people.  

I filled in the goal page during my coffee shop therapy time yesterday and now I feel inspired.
How often do we really write down things like this?  We think them, but there is something about writing things out on paper and looking at it often that increases my focus and gets me motivated to make it happen.

I could have kept going with the list, but these are what came out of me spontaneously yesterday, which I find is the best way to write goals.  Listen to your heart, whatever comes spilling out first without overthinking it.

Other things I love about this weekend:

Rainy days and cuddles on the couch
Steaks on the grill by the dubs
A husband who does the laundry every weekend
Fresh baked cookies (even if it is frozen fundraiser cookie dough, still good)
Coffee dates with my girl, and my sis-in-law
Conversations with my boy who was actually home for much of the weekend
Sunday afternoon naps :)
Lazy dogs

Puppy pillows and birthday boys

Saturday morning we left our sleeping teenagers at home in their beds and went to our favorite local breakfast place because we're sneaky like that sometimes :)

And this guy is a goof...

We had a special birthday boy to celebrate today!  Jaden turned 9, which is so hard to believe.  Time really does go by fast.  The saying "the days are long but the years are short" is really true, with children and grandchildren too.

I think they need a larger bonfire area.  It was a cool day and sitting by a fire looked so inviting, but everytime we went by the chairs other people were sitting in them.  So not fair.

We enjoyed some yummy treats...mini apple and cherry strudels...and some special memories :)

Well, hello there!

Sunday was filled with church, warm blankets, and naps.  It is so sweet how much Macey loves Kyle's basketball pillow...or is it Nick's?  I can't remember.  It's hers now.

Relaxing, creating, and a little pouting

Vince and I spent a relaxing, low key weekend at home.  Kyle and Nick left yesterday for a fishing trip with their dad, and Hope was busy for much of the weekend with parades, pageant projects, friends and boyfriend activities.  So, Saturday morning found me out on our deck early, enjoying the cool air, the sound of the neighborhood birds, and the smell of one of my new birthday candles...Watermelon Lemonade!  It's got a fresh, fruity scent and as soon as I opened it I had a smell memory that took me back to Jr. High....it smells just like watermelon jolly ranchers and I ate many of them back then.  

Vince made us a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, and coffee in our favorite mugs.

Mr. W jarred up the first harvest from our herb garden for the year.  I'm curious to see what we will do with dried lavendar.  Apparently you can cook with it, so we'll see what he comes up with.

My Sunday morning view looked very much like my Saturday morning view!  

We live-streamed church today, which was a lovely thing to do outside.  The message was great and so was the worship.  I like being able to take in the service from the comforts of our home, and not having to navigate the sometimes awkward social small talk (cue my social anxiety).  But God pointed out something to me today.  Church isn't just about what I get out of it, or how comfortable I am.  It's a place for me, for us, to serve the body of Christ.  We have gifts and talents that God has given us to bless our brothers and sisters in Christ and we can't do that while staring at a computer screen from our deck.

Ouchie.

But the view, though...

...we truly are blessed.

And then there's the Macers...pouting because daddy went inside.

She doesn't stand at the door and whimper when I go inside.  She's such a daddy's girl. 

Vince spent much of the afternoon making a wooden box for the butcher knife and fork set that I got him (for Christmas I think).  He's becoming quite the woodworking master!  It turned out beautiful. 

My project for the day was homemade pizza dough.  My first attempt wasn't too bad, but I have some ideas for next time. 

I perfected my homemade pizza sauce recipe a few years ago.  It's pretty easy and sooooo good!

Mr. W made caramelized onions and they are so good I think I could eat them with a fork right out of the pot.

They turned out pretty good! My new favorite pizza is hamburger (with house seasoning) and caramelized onion.