These days if we were having coffee it would be a sugar free vanilla chia with almond milk and a shot of espresso, aka “dirty chai”. I enjoy one of these treats a week and it is one of my favorite parts of summer!

So much has happened since our last coffee date, it’s time to pull up a chair and connect!!

If were having coffee this morning... I would tell you that the Refresh Summit Virtual is happening this SATURDAY August 1st at 11am CST! You can sign up for it today! It is also FREE and will give you a taste of what the LIVE Refresh Summit’s have to offer. Also we launched our Refresh Summit South and it is quickly filling up. It will be October 30-November 1st!

If were having coffee this morning...I would tell you that we are heading out this week for a 5 day TENT camping trip to Sequoia National Park in Northern CA. This will be our fifth year going with some of my favorite friends! There will be about 14 children (all under the age of 6), and 15 adults! Prayers welcome 😉 I can’t wait to go with RJ this year! Last year was fun, but RJ wasn’t walking so this year it will be a whole new adventure. It will be so great to truly disconnect!

If were having coffee this morning...I would tell you that I am loving the book Unglued by Lysa Terkerst. Hubby got it for me for our anniversary and I have been trying to read one chapter every night. It’s funny how much I am relating to this book, it almost as though she is in my head and talking directly to me. I have a feeling I am gonna take a lot away!

If were having coffee this morning...I would tell you that this summer has been a lot of fun, but a lot of work. We have been working up at the camp (RJ and I) from 8:30am-12:30am everyday. It’s so great cause RJ get’s to go with me and it for sure has added structure to our days, but I miss going to the YMCA and having a little more flexibility throughout the day. RJ sleeps until 8:15am, so I have to wake her up to get going in the morning and let’s just say that you never want to wake up a toddler or a baby for that matter (I am sure a teenager is the same). But it is fun and I love that we get to see Hubby everyday for lunch as well as his super awesome co-workers! We have two more weeks and then our normal routine resumes. I am excited for the return of our slow mornings.

If were having coffee this morning...I would tell you that I feel like a grandma trying to use Snapchat. Honestly, I am about to delete it. I don’t want to add any more social media platforms to my life and it’s not super user friendly. I just added it, because I thought it would be fun. I don’t even get why people use it…lol…HELP?!

If were having coffee this morning...I would tell you that I LOVE lifting weights! I mean I think I always thought I was a cardio girl (which I still love a good run and bike ride) but I love the feeling after a good strength workout! This week I jumped back into our strength class at the gym and I can tell the TRX has kept me strong. I was able to lift 65-70 pound overhead barbell presses and do three hanging pull-ups! I haven’t lifted any weights (only done TRX) for the past 12 weeks so it felt great lifting again. If you want a fun strength workout, here is a good one: 5 sets of 5 reps// OH Presses, (break for 2 minutes in between) then do this kettle bell complex// 5 double bells swings, 5 double bell cleans, 5 double bell squats, and 5 double bell overhead presses, for a total of 15 minutes. Take breaks between each set. Oh and that is not all! Finish with 10 minutes of 300 KETTLE BELL SWINGS! We did 20 at a time and took breaks until we hit 300! Hello soreness.

If were having coffee this morning...I would tell you that God has been challenging me in so many new ways. I have been reading through the Gospels this summer (currently in Matthew) and it amazes me how much we make the love of Jesus so much more complicated than it needs to be. God continues to show me that I just need to LOVE and SERVE others the way he did and does and stop worrying about “doing doing” all the time. The best thing that I can do for someone is LOVE them. I think too many times we feel like we have to do something or give something that is tangible to show love. Yes, sometimes that is nice but not always necessary. Giving your time and your ear or your shoulder is priceless! The best way to do this, is to leave margin in your day and not jam pack it with “stuff”. It’s a learning process and I am enjoying it.

Questions: What new books, new workouts, new challenges are you up to this summer? Are you ready for Fall?