August: New Beginnings and Brave Things

August seemed to arrive with one foot still in summer and the other already racing toward a brand-new school year. We were squeezing in the last bits of summer fun while backpacks, practices, football games, and new schedules were quickly taking over.We started the month with one of the sweetest celebrations of the summer, my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. It was such a special time that it deserved two blog posts of its own (part 1, part 2)!

The girls also managed to squeeze in one last small summer get-together each before school began, complete with a Michael Jackson-themed movie night.

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And then, just like that, summer break was over and we jumped full force into back-to-school mode on the very first Monday of the month. Of course, that meant first-day-of-school pictures. The kids were less than thrilled about my need to document the occasion, but it was early, we were in a hurry, and they humored me long enough to get a few!

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We made a quick stop at Lexington's National Night Out while heading home one evening. Just a little something fun in the middle of all the running around.

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Beach and I enjoyed the Free Times party again this year with some of our besties. The theme was the Olympics, which gave everyone plenty of opportunities to get a little creative.

We shared lots of laughs over Lauren dressing up as a gymnast while her husband, Chris, was her balance beam.

They always have such a fun variety of activities throughout the evening.

We also had quite a bit to celebrate for Loveland Coffee! Our amazing barista trainer won Best Barista...

and Loveland took home three additional awards for Best Coffee, Best Business Owners, and Best Business Leaders.

It is always such an honor and something we never take for granted. So thankful for the incredible team of people who make Loveland what it is!

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One random blessing in this season of driving kids all over the place is being able to pop into different Planet Fitness locations depending on where I'm dropping off or picking someone up. One day, I happened to look up while working out and spotted my own family on the television! They are part of a 100-day home renovation show, so it was pretty funny to unexpectedly see some familiar faces that live so far away.

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One of my proudest moments of the month was watching Zoe step completely outside of her comfort zone and run for Student Government President. She decided to go for it even though she was only a junior and was running against a senior friend who already had quite a bit of experience.

She put together a great campaign with plenty of family support. Shiloh helped with posters, Grandma helped her bake cookies to hand out, and Beach printed hundreds of little stickers, which we quickly learned are apparently a big hit with middle and high school students! (Bagged packed fully of campaign goodies.)

The part that made me the proudest, though, had nothing to do with whether she won. Zoe was incredibly nervous about giving a speech in front of the entire school, but she did it anyway. I continue to be amazed by her willingness to do things that scare her rather than allowing fear to make the decision for her. And after putting herself out there and doing something that felt really intimidating, she found out that she had won! Such a fun accomplishment, but even more than that, I was proud of the courage it took for her to try and allowing God to help her get through the hard.

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We also loved getting to watch Shiloh cheer at the varsity football games this year. They have a new "home" at the ALA stadium across town, which made it especially fun to experience.  Shiloh is middle back base.  With all her health battles, I wasn't sure if she would even be able to go back to school, so the fact that she is able to, and even able to do some cheer is a blessing from the Lord.

The girls did a fantastic job cheering, and the football team even came away with a win!

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Ezra been continuing to condition for Cross Country.  It has been so hot that they are not allowed to practice after school some days, so he has to do it closer to sunset on his own (with me close by).

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Selfie round up found on my phone...

August felt like the month when summer officially gave way to everything that comes with a new school year. New schedules, new opportunities, football games, activities, celebrations, and plenty of driving!

More than anything, I loved watching our kids step into new things, whether it was Zoe taking a chance on student government or Shiloh pushing through obstacles and cheering under the Friday night lights or Ezra doing the new thing with cross country. There is something so special about watching your kids grow in confidence, find their place, and have the courage to keep trying new things and with the Lord's help!

50 Years and a Legacy of Love (part 2)

 Continuing on with our weekend celebration of my parent's 50th anniversary (part 1 here)....The setting sun gave us the most beautiful backdrop for family pictures, and they turned out even better than I had hoped.

The Hughes originals, minus one amazing sister.

The Grands with the grandkids (minus one).

Fifty years of marriage has created quite a legacy of love.

Zoe enjoyed getting some photos as well!

My parents shared the story of how they met, and each of us received special photos of them to keep.

Next, we raised our glasses of sparkling cider to celebrate 50 years!

We each took turns sharing a toast.

Beach made sure not a drop went to waste.

Then Grammy and Poppy shared a dance to a song from their era.

Of course, the rest of the adults eventually joined in too.

Kids watched on 😝

Next... a little sparkler fun!

We spent the rest of the night looking at old family photos, which was a lot of fun.  Addy recreated her expression from a photo when she was younger.

The next morning, we gathered together again, this time to share meaningful Scripture and pray over one another and for the Prentiss who would be leaving to head overseas the next day. It was such a special way to recognize the foundation of faith that has carried our family through so many different seasons.
The rest of the afternoon was wonderfully relaxed. We looked through old family photos, spent more time on the water, and simply enjoyed being together.

Headed out with a watermelon snack.

It has been years since I have paddle boated.  For some reason it made me feel really nervous at first.  My ankle sill had not healed completely and maybe that was part of it. However, I pushed through my odd fears and it wasn't long before it was enjoyable and doing yoga poses on it.

Ezra and I recreated a picture from when he was little.

Many of the other kids enjoyed it as well.

Mom brought supplies for a family art project, along with canvases for anyone to create their own paintings.

Shiloh decided the paddleboard was the perfect place to work on hers.

Beach and Aaron outdid themselves at lunchtime with an impressive variety of homemade pizzas for everyone.

And before the weekend came to an end, I managed to squeeze in one more kayak trip, this time with my mom. (Ezra also paddle boarded with us briefly.)

Fifty years is so much more than a number. It represents countless ordinary days of choosing one another, walking through both beautiful and difficult seasons, raising a family, pursuing the Lord, and continuing to love faithfully through it all.
I am so thankful for the example my parents have given us. Their faithfulness to God and to one another has created a legacy that reaches far beyond their marriage. It can be seen in their children, their grandchildren, the memories we share, and the faith that continues to be passed down.
What a gift to have these 50 years to celebrate, and what an even greater gift to call them Mom and Dad.