Category Archives: Favorites

Brands, Favorites, Sycamore

Things I Love About Sycamore, Illinois

  • Six dollar movies at the State Street Theater
  • The pumpkins on the courthouse lawn at Pumpkin Fest
  • Tuesdays on the Town
  • Sweet Dreams Desserts & Bakery
  • Stone Prairie
  • Dairy Dogs ice cream with googly eyes on the cone
  • Small town festivals and fun
  • Farmer’s Market
  • The architecture, especially the library
  • The people that are so passionate about their community
  • Excellent schools
  • Privately owned shops lining down town
  • Eggsclusive Cafe
  • Great doctors offices and medical facilities
  • The Pumpkin Fest parade
  • The Sycamore ornament at Blumen Gardens (that I’m definitely lining up for this year!)
  • A caring, compassionate community
  • The Kishwaukee Family YMCA
  • All the friends I have made
The sunset reflected in my porch door
The sunset reflected in my porch door
Family, Favorites, Holidays, Nature, Seasons

Reasons the Month of June Will Be Awesome

  • My birthday on June 18
  • My sister Meredith’s birthday on June 18
  • My parents’ anniversary on June 5
  • It’s SUMMER!
  • Family trip to Arkansas
  • Time with people I love
  • World’s Largest Swim Lesson
  • Finishing the next to last class for a certification I want
  • Warm air
  • Planning more summer vacations
  • Nights on my patio
  • Outdoor swimming
  • Tan lines
  • Tank tops
  • Green grass & growing fields
The sunset reflected in my porch door
The sunset reflected in my porch door
Favorites, Inspirational, Nature, Seasons

Twenty One Reasons to Smile Today

  1. Because you woke up this morning
  2. To cheer up someone else
  3. When you think of someone special
  4. Your best childhood memory
  5. Libraries are full of free books
  6. When you hear a child laugh
  7. Because there are green trees and smiling flowers on this planet
  8. The night is full of stars and moonlight and lovely silence
  9. It’s scientifically proven to elevate your mood
  10. Beauty is everywhere if you look hard enough
  11. You have internet access
  12. You will probably eat a meal today
  13. Most likely more than one
  14. Sunshine
  15. Late spring smells like rain and earth and allergies
  16. When you go on a walk
  17. When you go to your job
  18. When a complete stranger smiles at you first
  19. Because life is too short to spend in a foul mood
  20. Because today is an opportunity to do something you’ve never done before
  21. Because you choose to be happy

Happiness

Favorites, Nature, Travel

A LIST in pictures – Cancun, Mexico

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The view from our balcony — Moon Palace Resort, Cancun, Mexico
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The 4 of us at the beach the first night we got there
cancun sandbar
Sandbar
cancun trent shot
Birthday boy’s flaming shot of… we don’t know what
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Katie & I at the Foam Party
cancun katie
Katie’s cartwheel!
cancun trentleann
LeAnn & Trent dressed for dinner
cancun alligator sign
Turns out Katie & I both have an irrational fear of the same thing.
cancun dolphinswim
My Swim with the Dolphins selfie
cancun us on beach
All 4 of us in the Premiere beach seating area
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One more ocean off my bucket list!
Brands, Events, Family, Favorites, Food, Travel

Awesome Stuff From This Weekend

  • Thursday night Matthew West concert at the Iowa State Fair
  • Friday spent with my son & soon-to-be daughter in law
  • Delicious Thai food for lunch
  • Bonfire with excellent friends
  • Lunch with the group
  • Lagomarcino’s caramels (2 of which are still in my freezer to enjoy)
  • Pool/Sun time
  • Good church service
  • Sunday afternoon nap
  • A visit from Kara

 

Family, Favorites, Inspirational, Names, Travel

Twenty One Things To Be Thankful For On The Twentyfirst, In No Particular Order

  1. Emerald green corn taller than me, growing outside my front door
  2. Sunshine
  3. Perfect puffy clouds on a bright blue day
  4. The pool at my apartment complex
  5. The new novel I’m working on which is a lot of fun and a great challenge
  6. My laptop
  7. Sprint’s truly Unlimited Data plan
  8. My family and friends who mean more than I could ever say
  9. The Amazon gift card sitting next to me this moment
  10. Books to read
  11. Libraries to get those books for free
  12. Book stores to take those books home and keep
  13. Meaningful work
  14. Everyone who supports Wendy’s Butterfly Garden at the Quad City Botanical Center
  15. Oranges
  16. Hawaii
  17. Beaches
  18. Enough money to pay bills
  19. Caramel covered anything
  20. God’s mercies poured upon me
  21. My twenty one year old son who is the Best Kid Ever (Except for Jesus)