Texas Summertime

 Here's a quick update in photos. Long story short, we've been enjoying the pool a lot since arriving in Texas, and are loving the summertime here. The sunshine make such a difference on everyone and their spirits here, and it's a pretty tangible difference to the cool, cloudy weather we left in the Minneapolis area a few weeks ago. We're loving it here. Nick has even hopped into the pool after work a few nights this past week, taking full advantage of our new locale ;).

Baby Indy was brave enough to join me on my pool raft last weekend. 

 A collage of beauty from the backyard. 

 Father's Day with our dads! A rarity that we even got to see one of our dads on Father's Day, let alone having Nick's dad in town that week as well, it was great to have quality time with them both! 

 We're so thankful for the love of our dads (and moms!). And for their help with our move this month.

Dad and the dogs - he's the treat man, so they don't let him very far out of their sight around meal/snack times.  

 Nick snapped this one of Baby Indy during one of her naps. It's fairly common for her to have her tongue out as she sleeps:)

The moon kissed sky the night before it was a "supermoon".

 Boo Boo came in for his close up.

I'm starting to get a little tan through my 50 spf ;) slowly but surely. I just don't want to burn! So far so good. The pool has been my retreat on the weekends. So much relaxation. I even did some (made-up) water aerobics today for awhile.  Nick did some diving, my dad did some snorkeling. Saying we all enjoy the pool is an understatement:) My mom hosted my aunt and cousin here this past week, so she got her pool time in and enjoyed Corpus Christi and San Antonio with them for a few days too. 

Nick's swimming action shot. 

And a "jumping into the pool" action shot. He looks so comfortable mid-jump, ha! 

I took a video of the pool today using Instagram's new video tool - you can see it on my Instagram feed here: http://instagram.com/eatexploreenjoy. I can't figure out how to upload it here for the moment, but that'll do! The pool temp was 84 degrees today and outdoor temp I think was in the mid 90's. Perfect pool day if you ask me. 

Today's Pinspiration:

{So simple, yet can be so hard to make time for. It's so worth it though to have a happy heart at the end of the day.}

(Pinterest Source)

Summer Dreamin' & Smoothies

I opened the Netflix this week and was excited to see Nick picked The Lucky One for us to watch this weekend! He knows me well and I was excited to see this one since I read the book a few summers back. Not all of Nicholas Sparks' books turned movies get great reviews, but I'm a hopeful romantic and it's fun to see the movie after reading the books.
Watching this movie took me right back to the place I read the book - my mom's sun room the summer after I graduated college. 

Nick was living in Fort Worth with his first "big job" out of college while I was dreaming of the day we could be husband and wife (he proposed the following year;)). I spent that summer reading nearly all of the Nicholas Sparks books and swooning and swaying in love. I would get home from work each warm summer day, and hit the couch in the sun room, excited to see what happened next in my book. 

(source)

Some weekends, I'd take my book and join my mom fishing and lay in the sun reading my book. 

Summer 2008

This movie took me back to that place and made me realize how many of my dreams have come true since then. Marrying my love, traveling and exploring together, waking up side by side, and learning more about who we were made to be. That summer just about convinced me to be a small town librarian. Haha, so many of his books draw up such sweet pictures of cozy life in a small town, one was about a woman working at the library and the way he wrote it just about led me in a new career direction;) laugh if you must, but I swoon for romance. 

I enjoyed the movie, although I was quick to tell Nick which parts were very different than the book. The music was great, just my style too. 

This cold long winter has me longing for those sunny summer days too. It will come, hopefully sooner than later:)

Here's a song I've loved for a few years that was in the movie. I've been singing it ...a lot... since then:

This morning, we had his and hers smoothies for breakfast (this made two smoothies):

1 frozen Banana

5 ice cubes

Handful gluten free oats

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 Tbsp chia seeds

4 baby carrots

Handful chopped celery

A variety of frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, pineapple)

1/4 cup or so prune juice (keepin' things regular;))

1/2 cup or so almond milk

I also got my hair cut yesterday and it feels wonderful.

Now it's back to watching ISU vs. Ohio State in March Madness! Go Cyclones!

Today's Pinspiration:

At the salon yesterday, there was a great Audrey Hepburn table book. This quote is from that book.