A weekend recap...

Ready for a super cliche statement?

The weekends are NEVER long enough...  this one was no exception.

Saturday morning I teamed up with other residents in our little community to repaint some equipment at our local playground... it was fun to jump in and do something nice for a town I love so much.   It didn't take long for me to end up covered in paint and primer, but it was well worth the mess!

I am the MESSIEST painter of all time, ever.  

After the painting project, I headed to the local lake to spend some time with family.  With the "unofficial" end of summer coming this weekend, I was excited about getting to have a lazy lake afternoon- even if it did end up POURING rain on us toward the end of the evening (and just when we were getting ready to charcoal some steaks!)

My spot.  

Red Clay.   The color of home.

Our lake (and every other body of water around here) has a red clay bottom, which means the water is not very clear.  And the clay will stain your clothing.  Some find it annoying and unappealing.  To me, it's a part of what it means to call this place "home."

My twin cousins came out to spend the afternoon with us, and I was so glad they did.  These girls are busy middle-schoolers these days with lives of their own taking shape, so it's always nice to get some quality time with them.   We played on snapchat, did some paddle boating and I got all caught up on the middle-school gossip.  (They are QUITE the comedians, too...)

Paddle boating with the "Captains"

Of course, no family gathering is complete without pets... 

My grandparents dog (horse), Sam.  He's still growing!

And, in true "Oklahoma weather" fashion, after hours of sunshine the blue skies quickly turned grey and the rain came down.. and kept coming.   I'm great with rain- but NOT when it hits as we were getting ready to cook dinner.  And NOT when it forces 8 people and two dogs into a camper together...

 It eventually let up and we were able to get dinner finished, just in time for me to eat and run.  I spent the rest of the evening with friends, and I did something I NEVER do:  I left my phone in my car for the entire night.  No checking social media.  No photos.  No idea of time, even.  It was nice to not be distracted by my iPhone- and the group I was with kept things entertaining enough that I didn't even miss it.  

After a full Saturday, I somehow managed to make it to church on Sunday... it was my beloved Pastor's last Sunday with us, as she is retiring and moving to be closer to her family.  Pastor Karen has been a lifeline to me for over 5 years now, and the thought of not seeing her weekly is almost more than I can handle.  I'm so happy for her and for this next, well-deserved chapter of her life- but I'm also still selfish and cried like a baby during the service and after I hugged her goodbye. 

Pastor Karen, telling the kids "goodbye" during the Children's Message.  Cue the tears!

When I got home from church, the busy weekend caught up with me and I crashed.  I spent the rest of the day with my couch, my favorite blanket, my cats and my DVR...  which is pretty much the perfect Sunday (until Saints football starts, that is!)

Not the best cuddles from these two, but they try... sometimes.

Hope your weekend was everything you were wanting it to be!