Some of you may have seen this post earlier, but it got posted by accident…Here’s the finished version 🙂 August’s watchlist was a mix of mystery, nostalgia, and emotional chaos—from cruise ship disappearances to road trip mishaps and coastal family drama. Here’s what pulled me in (and what made me roll my eyes).
August snuck up on me as new months usually do, while I was rinsing off Texas dust. Mushrooms took over the yard, LA dropped by with her usual sparkle, and the 21-year-old landed back home between leases; bringing laundry, late-night fridge raids, and that familiar mix of chaos and comfort. The house feels full again, but not settled and I’m ok with it. July 28 Came home from our family visit to Texas>>>Quick Trip to Texas July 29 We’ve had so many mushrooms pop up. These were on our side yard. My favorite time is any time LA gets to…
July 2025 has been a blend of sunshine, milestones, and those quiet moments that sneak up on you. Rob’s 50th was a highlight, the backyard dream is edging closer to reality, and July brought its share of good meals and social snapshots. Work’s humming along and I’ve been neck-deep in blog tweaks. As August begins, the school-year memories resurface—fuzzy backpacks, early bus stop waves—and the house, though quieter, still holds echoes of those days. Let’s catch up.
July was a patchwork of party prep, sweet conversations, and mop-induced motivation—plus one roof-hugging feline and a whole lot of step counts. One sentence at a time, here’s what made the month memorable.
The last two weeks in July were pure summer scramble—baseball dreams, taco diplomacy, and smash burgers gone rogue. But tucked between the grease clouds and fangirl squeals were ice cream breaks, health check wins, and the kind of selfie moments that remind me why “LyLy” matters. Buckle up.
From fro-yo runs to a 50th birthday bash, here’s what life looked like lately around our corner of Auburn. July 5 LA turned 5 months…I mean how is it going by so fast?!?! My in laws throw a 4th of July party every other year. This year the party was actually on the 5th. You can read about it here>>>Celebrating Independence Day 2025 July 6 We went to visit our friend Marc at his church about 30 minutes away. We got to hear his sermon and then went to the parsonage to visit with him and his family. July 10…
Our final day pulled us back to two favorites: coastal cliffs and wine country charm. Napa offered up some unexpected insight, while the rugged shoreline kept stealing the show. And yes—getting to the airport felt like its own plot twist.
Our day in San Francisco started with a jolt of classic charm and ended with a splash of unexpected adventure. From cable cars to winding streets, impromptu food tastings to techy detours, the city served up a full plate of surprises. What looked like a mellow day turned into something much more memorable… even if we were left a little soggy and very hungry by the end.
Day 7 brought a shift in scenery and energy as we left San Francisco behind and crossed the bridge into Oakland and Berkeley. What started as a plan to catch an evening baseball game soon turned into a full-blown city-hopping adventure—one filled with scenic detours, surprise gems, and a few moments that had us laughing, squinting, and maybe even tearing up a bit. California just keeps unfolding in the best ways.
Our final morning in Palo Alto unfolded with a gentle mix of insight, discovery, and coastal charm. What started with a guided stroll through Stanford’s campus bloomed into an unexpected trail of sculptures, stairways, and shoreline beauty—with just the right touch of whimsy and surprise tucked in along the way. The transition from academia to ocean air was seamless… and delicious.
Day 5 marked a bit of a transition—one filled with peaceful campus wanderings, playful wildlife encounters, and thoughtful goodbyes. With the morning unfolding in familiar company and the afternoon spent exploring Stanford’s storied corners, this stretch of the trip offered a slower, more reflective kind of magic. And the evening? Let’s just say it ended on a high note… quite literally.
Sometimes the slower-paced days sneak up and charm you the most. With a bit of extra sleep, familiar company, and breezy moments between conference prep and rooftop catch-ups, days 3 and 4 brought a welcome ease to our California rhythm. Not every day needs to be jam-packed with sights to leave an impression—some unfold through the quiet joy of shared breakfasts, casual strolls, and conversations that linger.
Day 2 of our California adventure took us from misty morning farmland into the heart of towering redwoods, tech landmarks, and quiet college-town charm. It was a day of contrasts—ancient trees beside futuristic design, crispy waffle chips alongside creamy panna cotta—and one that reminded us just how layered a single afternoon can be. Spoiler: even the hotel fan had something to say.
With a couple days to spare before the conference, we hit the road and hugged the California coast—chasing foggy beaches, towering cliffs, and roadside surprises. From lighthouse silhouettes to sea lion lounging, moody skies to crumbly cliffs, this stretch served up all the drama and delight a wandering heart could hope for. Even the snacks played their part.
LIFE Happenings Here’s my weekly posts to catch you up. Week 27 Week 28 Week 29 – We were in San Fran…I’ll be posting about that trip as soon as I can go through all the photos. Week 30 July 22-28 Loving watching the Olympics. Go USA!! Happy to be getting on a cruise this week with extended family! Excited about getting to hand out with my niece and family on the cruise. Reminiscing about previous cruises. Social Had dinner with my friend Rebecca. Work Memories Pretty chill month at work, which is nice. Current Project Cleaning my messy house…
+ Drew & Caitlyn were in Boston, so we went over everyday to hang out with their dog, feed and walk him + My garden is doing pretty well, considering I’m not doing much with it. + Kayleigh living her best relaxed life + Trying out some new shoes that I ended up returning bc they just weren’t that comfortable, especially for the price!
Doing a little catch up in between vacations. Here’s week 28 highlights. + Dinner with our ‘adopted’ Army son, before he heads off to his next training location. + This cute little lizard hides on the walk way and often pops out and startles me. + Celebrated Rob’s birthday with some Italian. + Happy to report Katniss was located in my neighbor’s yard. Not sure what happened, but glad she’s home…hoping she doesn’t disappear again. + Love this color of tomatoes.
Yeah, I feel like posting these weekly updates, my life is pretty boring. It is what it is though, right! + Kayleigh bringing me one of very dilapidated babies. + Next 3 pics across are from the garden. Love seeing these pops of colors. + Drew and Caitlyn came over on 4th of July for a little bit and Bigsby and Kayleigh got to play. Besides that 4th of July was pretty boring. I wasn’t feeling great so I was glad to just be home all day and not do anything. + Sadly, this is the last picture of Katniss…
Here we are for the LAST post from our NYC trip. This is another day there and then flying home. Another morning to see if we could be on TV at Fox and Friends! Here we are with Janis Dean. They were featuring a Teqball team, which was really cool to watch. Looked like lots of fun. Still just taking in the awe that is NYC! Staten Island ferry After breakfast at Westway Diner, we decided to take the Staten Island ferry over. We were both so tired and our feet were hurting. I wanted something where I could sit.…
Day 11 was another full day in NYC. Fox and Friends We woke up and walked down to FoxNews where they film Fox and Friends. We got pictures with Ainsley. She is so sweet and kind to take pictures with everyone. Rob was bummed the timing didn’t work out for us to see the Gutfield show, but he still wanted his picture in front of where you go in for the show. World Trade Center area I wanted to go back over to area for a couple reasons. First reason was to get some pics of the Oculus Center, because…