Author: Cami Grace

Currently – August 2023 (Recap)

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Between last minute preparations for back-to-school (wow, did that happen fast!) and the ending of my job that I’ve held for the past 11 and 1/2 years (good terms), the month slipped by far too quickly. This last month was a good mix of fun and stress. Job hunting = stressful. Going to the zoo, a carnival, and garage sale-ing = fun!

While we didn’t get to go on a big vacation I’m thankful we’ve been able to find some fun things to do this summer. The Oregon Zoo was definitely a big hit with the littles! Gryffin’s favorites were the crocodiles, eagles, and black bears. Londyn’s favorites were the duckies…and a statue, haha.

Here’s what else we’ve been up to…

Currently Watching

EARTHSTORM on Netflix

I’ve always been fascinated with extreme weather…as long as I’m watching it on tv and not in real life ;). Obviously this is one for when the little ones are preoccupied elsewhere.

Currently Reading

“Help, I’m Drowning” by Sally Clarkson

Still reading this and enjoying it. I am finally getting back into the habit of reading before bed instead of just scrolling through my phone, so I’m making good progress now.

Speaking of habits…I also ordered this book.

I am one to avoid popular books right away, but I usually end up breaking down and getting it after the hype has worn down a little. So far this book has been really interesting and insightful and I’m enjoying the read.

Currently Making/Baking

Smoothies!

Every once in a while we will get some items in our grocery order by mistake. This is one of those items, and I have to say, I’m not at all disappointed by it! I’ve been making this on the weekends and it’s definitely a yummy treat. I was a little unsure at first since it listed Kale in the ingredients, but you honestly can’t tell with the texture or taste that it’s in there. So this was a hit.

Current Favorite

These summer sunsets! This was a breathtaking view. We had been having heavy smoke due to some wildfires nearby and it had just cleared out the evening I took this. It was literally a breath of fresh air! :)

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I hope you all had a wonderful summer! Happy September and I hope you all have a wonderful fall!

Much love,

Cami

The Art Of Slowing Down

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One of my favorite memories from childhood is from a summer long ago.  I have no idea how old I was, 7, I think?  My brother, sister, and I were at a friend’s house and had just finished playing in their pool.  We were on our beach towels that we had laid out in the grass, shaded by tall pine trees.  I had a little mermaid towel and I was pretending I was her.  I remember as I laid there the sound of the breeze swishing through the trees and the warmth of the air.  We later had fresh berries and homemade lemonade popsicles to eat.  At one point we all just sat there in silence, soaking it all in…just enjoying life in that moment, in all its glory.  I love looking back on this memory and visit it often.  The carefree lifestyle of childhood.

Now I’m an adult.  Life, kids, work, and responsibilities are endless.   Life was much slower then and there’s no going back now.  Or is there?  Obviously, there is no going back to childhood, but what if I could still create even more of those beautiful, idyllic memories in life as it is right now, even with all its complicated messiness that comes with adulthood?

In thinking back to that memory, no smartphones were to be found.  We were grounded with all our senses, soaking in the moment because there was nothing there to distract us. Somewhere along the way, between endless to-do lists and the constant pull to my phone, I have lost the art of slowing down and living in the moment.

Thinking about all this has me wondering – what would life look like if we unplugged, not just once in a while, but more and more every day?  What if we embraced the here and now instead of constantly wishing it away? What if we found a small piece of joy every day and stopped for 10 minutes to literally just sit and take it all in?  When you’re soaking in those moments, what sounds do you hear, what do you see, what do you taste or feel?

As the summer is wrapping up, I want to focus more on pausing, slowing down the moments and soaking them in. Life is far from perfect right now and I’m in a place of unrest, but I don’t want to waste my days wishing this time away while I wait for the next thing. I want to embrace and enjoy the beauty and blessings that God has provided right in front of me. The giggles of my little ones, the sound of birds in the trees, the taste of fresh juicy cherries, and the warmth of the sun on my face.

So, in the honor of slowing down, here’s a little toast to the end of summer, to the memories we make, and the friends and family we share it with, both near and far.

Much Love,

Cami

Currently – July 2023

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It’s the end of the last day of July, but I made it! Life certainly looks different since the last time I made one of these posts! Gryffin joined flag football this year, so the past couple months were spent watching him play on Saturday mornings, then we would grab a late breakfast/early lunch and hit up garage sales around our area just to be out and about for a bit longer. Flag football is now over but we’ve still been enjoying the garage sales!

In addition, and on a random side note regarding work, I have also been job hunting. My remote position is coming to an end and it couldn’t be a more bitter sweet situation. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s ahead and seeing this as a new adventure, but it’s obviously stressful. I’m finding the job market to be a bit competitive, so it’s proving to be a little bit tricky. However, I KNOW God has a plan for me and He’s got his hand on this.

Anyway, with that bit of information, here’s what else we’ve been up to.

Currently Watching

“Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend” on Netflix.


via GIPHY

Season 1, episode 2 is one my favorites! I don’t think I’ve really cared or rooted for someone so much on the show. I’ve only watched 3 episodes in the last month, but it’s been a nice break from COUNTLESS episodes of Bluey and Baby Shark.

Currently Reading

“Help, I’m Drowning” by Sally Clarkson

I have been slowly making my way through this book since last year…and I mean sloooowly – mostly because I’m so exhausted from having a little one. I have so appreciated this book and her perspective, insight, and brutal honesty.

Currently Making/Baking

Italian Pasta!

This is such a good summer meal as it’s perfect for those hot summer days that you don’t want to be over a stove for a long period of time. It’s cool, refreshing, and tasty!

All you do is boil the pasta, drain and rinse with cold water, and throw all the below ingredients together! You can also add or remove any ingredients you prefer. I don’t measure exactly, just however much feels right to you.

  • Tri-Colored Pasta (I use garden vegetable pasta)
  • Cubed Ham
  • Pepperoni
  • Salami
  • Pepper Jack Cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer)
  • Tomatoes
  • Olives
  • Pepperoncini
  • Italian Dressing of your choice (I love Olive Garden’s dressing the best)

Current Favorite

This amazing, cozy, comfortable $20 garage sale find! I still can’t get over this! I never go into garage sales with any sort of expectation, but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve thought about having a cute little reading chair for my office. What a fun surprise this was to see!

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I hope you all are having a wonderful summer! I would love to know what you all are up to!

Much love,

Cami

2023 Summer Bucket List

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I’m trying to wrap my mind around the fact we’re nearing the end of July! I mean what?!?! Thank goodness I’m realizing this now because we have a lot of fun we need to catch up on before the summer slips by.

We have some traditional items on our list but also some new fun added too! So here we go!

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I hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

Much Love,

Cami

Introducing Our Little Miss

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Playing catch up for a year and half worth of changes isn’t easy, but here we are. This one right here was the biggest and best change of them all!

This pregnancy was difficult in just about every way possible. I can’t say that I recommend packing up and moving states while being 6 months pregnant. Also, on top of that, beginning at 20 weeks I was in a lot of pain as she was positioned so far forward that just about any movement from her felt like daggers moving across my stomach. There were a few times I wondered if we were having a baby vampire instead of a human, haha. However, she still won my heart and she helped me get through the isolation that is felt when you move to a new city and you don’t know anyone.

I thought for sure this little one was going to make her appearance on her brother’s birthday, but thankfully she decided to snuggle back in and wanted to stay a while longer. Thanks to my age and previous complications they induced me on her due date (yay!). She was born just over 7 pounds and was sooo quiet and peaceful. I had a bit of trauma post delivery but thankfully I’m alive and everything turned out ok – I will spare details.

Coming home felt so good and it was the sweetest seeing big brother meet her for the first time! He adores her!

Now over a year later and she has grown so much and is sweet, silly, sassy and smart! Here she is being fashionable and cheering on her brother at flag football. :)

We can’t imagine life without this little one!

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Upcoming Posts: “Summer Bucket List” and a “Currently” update!

Thank you for reading!

Much Love,

Cami