HAPPENINGS ON THE HOMEFRONT | 4 | AND EXCITING NEWS!

Our hearts continue to go out to our family and friends in Texas who are devastated by Hurricane Harvey.  Please do what you can to help.  Here are just a few ways you can help monetarily: We personally contribute to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, but Samaritan's Purse and the Red Cross are also worthy organizations providing help to those in need.  My thoughts and prayers are with you all. 

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Well hello there!  Long time no post, right?  I absolutely did not intend to only post a handful of times this Summer, but boy, our schedule over the past few months just about did me in!  Nope, no slow, leisurely Summer with afternoons at the pool here... we were WAY too busy and unfortunately when I did have a day or two to catch my breath blogging was not at the top of my priority list.  However, the kids are back in school, we're easing back into a normal routine, and I'm ready to get back to it!  Since it's been so quiet around here I thought I'd catch you up on what kept us so busy all Summer (one thing in particular...keep reading!), and a few other random tidbits.

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We kicked off the summer with a giant Garage Sale- check out my post on how to have a great one if you missed it earlier this year.  It was SO nice to clear some space and get rid of things we don't need anymore (not to mention make some extra $$!).  The day after we wrapped that up we took a trip to Phoenix and thoroughly loved it!

These chairs that I got for a steal on Craigslist have been hanging out in our garage for a few years.  I've kept them stashed planning to redo them some day, and I finally started making some plans for them.  I was thinking navy velvet, but before I committed I pulled them inside to get a feel for them in the room, and draped a throw over one of them to test out the color.  I liked the color ok, but after having the chairs in the room we decided they weren't quite right.  The shape of the back and wings is great, but they were better suited for an office since the seats weren't very wide or deep.  I want a set of chairs I can curl up in!  So, they're out and now I have even more room in the garage!  ;)

We also spent some time at the beginning of the summer digging out some new flower beds across the back of the house.  Once we finally got the patio all finished, we knew we were going to have to focus on some fresh landscaping back there.  We still have a long way to go, but it's a start!

We dug out two new beds that are actually much deeper than they appear.  It doesn't seem like that big of a project, but by the time the grass is removed, they're shaped and prepped, shopping is done for plant selections, and they're actually planted, it took quite a bit of time.  They are a hot mess right now, but I added some foundation plants and then experimented with some seeds and bulbs for the Summer.  The lantana and zinnias have gone crazy, so next summer I'll have a better idea of how to plan for and plant those.  I also hope to build up the base of perennial plants/bushes/trees in the beds a bit more this Fall.

A few days after we returned from Phoenix, we all left for youth camp at Falls Creek.  Ray was a High School sponsor, and I helped cook for our Middle Schoolers.  We took over 400 students and adult sponsors altogether, with about 185 of those being middle school, so there were lots of hungry mouths to feed!  I've done this job two different times in the past and it's a work out, but so much fun!

One late night snack...

Our June was back to back events, and two days after we returned from camp we had a week of Vacation Bible School.  My teen kids worked and I always organize the teachers' break room and keep it stocked with yummy snacks that church members donate.  There's not much better than tables full of snacks made by church ladies!

The Fourth of July is always celebrated at my parents' house, and our son marches with the band in our town's parade.  He moved to snare this year and is loving it!

Floral 5" Shorts  ||  Chambray 9" Shorts  ||  Gingham Shirt

Mens Flag Shorts

I took on one big project over the summer (more to come on this one),

and we continued to work on outdoor projects as well.

Our pool days were few and far between!

Parrot Pool Float

As we moved into August I spent a week helping at the school run a merchandise booth for a band fundraiser as kids rotated through to pick up their schedules.  She's moving to High School this year so they're both in the same building again... woo hoo! 

We were finally able to squeeze in a quick family vacation right before school started, and even though we only had a few days it was unanimous that we should head to one of our favorite vacation spots.

Bike  ||  Shirt  ||  Lemon Embroidered Shorts

Everyone else practiced their new hobby of fly fishing this year, while I watched from the sidelines with a book.  Perfection!

We had one day when we returned home and then poof!  The summer was over and the kids went back to school.

On top of our busy schedule that kept me from blogging, I'm working behind the scenes on lots of changes to my site to update the look and to make things more organized and easier to navigate.  I'm hoping to have that ready for you very soon!

Now, on to the big exciting news...

the reason that almost every spare day that we weren't out of town was filled with a big to-do list...

We had a photo shoot in our home at the end of July!  A CHRISTMAS photo shoot!!!  Yep, we were sweating away while decking all the halls during one of the hottest weeks of the summer.  Fa la la!  Sooo.....keep an eye out for the Griffin family in your December issue of BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS!!!  (Can you tell we're just a bit excited?)  I'll do a big behind the scenes post when the issue comes out, but for now all of the photos are top secret.  ;)  I will say the best part of having a photo shoot in your home is all of the flowers that are left over after the shoot.

So, there you have it, you're all caught up.  I've been storing up lots of things to share with you, but for now I'll see you back here tomorrow for a fun special post.

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