When my dear friend asked me to take pictures of her daughter and friends for her 16th birthday celebration, I of course said yes.  I have to admit that even though I was honored, I was a little nervous.  Taking pictures of people is not my favorite thing.  They move more than bridges and fences do.  I don't have to worry about wine glasses looking at the camera and smiling.  But I'm always up for a challenge and getting to spend time with my friend was an added bonus.  And what do ya know...I had a wonderful time capturing these young ladies.  They had so much fun posing, and their laughter was contagious.  

There are successes in the kitchen and there are failures...unfortunately these pumpkin dark chocolate chip muffins were one of the those failures.  I had high hopes for them and all their expensive ingredients but they were a huge flop.  But instead of being discouraged,  I had to make light of the situation and use them in a photo shoot.  Part of this healthy journey has been learning to cook delicious meals with different ingredients.  There have been many successes: orange chicken, roasted brussel sprouts, baked apple turkey tenderloins, coconut pumpkin soup.  And that is what I want to keep in mind, as in any part of life, part of growing is both succeeding and failing...and learning from both.  I've always been afraid of failure, as I'm sure we all are.  But by exploring out of my comfort zone, I am learning to push past it...and I know that great rewards are to come. 

And, once I picked the dark chocolate chips out, Isabelle loved these muffins!

There's nothing like going home to experience a favorite childhood memory.  Some things have definitely changed since I've been there to the Clay County Fair...but my favorite food is still the Tom Thumb mini donuts, I still love the Tilt-o-Whirl, and the cows are still cute and stinky.  I don't make it home nearly enough but I still get that sense of love and comfort when I visit.

The best part of my day was enjoying a delicious and relaxing lunch in a garden with a good friend.  Lunch was in a garden, where most of the ingredients are grown right there!  I love visiting new places, especially hidden gems in the middle of the city.  It was a gorgeous afternoon and my only opportunity to relax and enjoy the day, so I'm grateful to take advantage of it and catch up with a friend!

This water bottle seriously made my day on Monday.  I learned that 75% of us are chronically dehydrated.  I know that I was, and maybe still am, part of that majority.  I am learning how much better the body functions on proper nutrition and hydration, and vow to drink enough water.  This bottle, and plenty of oranges and lemons are going to help me accomplish this.  I'm grateful for new gadget to keep me motivated!

Painting my nails is one thing that makes me feel instantly better about myself.  Unfortunately I haven't done it for a very long time.  I have a bad habit of tearing my nails...and I've had a hard time resisting.  But I'm trying hard to give it up again, and finally my nails are long enough to warrant some mint green nail polish.  I'm grateful for fun, girly things that make me feel pretty.

Summer evenings are for hanging with friends, amongst the mosquitos and tiki torches.  Enjoying a healthy homemade dinner with a good friend, while our doggies are frolicking in the fenced yard, is one of my favorite things to do on a beautiful summer evening.  I can't believe summer is already half over, but I'm grateful to take advantage of these great evenings while it lasts.