Fit to the Beats: July 2013

As I've mentioned before, July is my favorite month. And this year's July brought some particularly special memory-making moments that I will be fond of forever.

One of the reasons I like July is because it is hot (although lately we've been seeing a monsoon effect like that of Jumanji around here!), and sticky, and sweaty. I reference them as the "dog days."

Perhaps I can correlate these feelings to my drive for fitness and the pleasure I take in getting my sweat on during a workout. Something about being in the heat, or being heated, makes me feel like I'm working hard and living life to the fullest. I don't know why it makes me feel that way, but it does. I also like the heat because it makes me feel lazy and that's what summer should be.

We should all be sitting around beaches and pools sipping cool drinks and watching our kids run around and splash each other through the sprinkler while getting kissed by the sun. Wouldn't it be glorious?

And of course July has other favorite holidays like Isaac's birthday, our anniversary, and Independence Day which I find so patriotic and summeresque. I think I just made up a new word!

So...what would all these great ventures be without a major post to share our summer fun? We didn't snap many photos of Isaac's birthday because we didn't have a special party or anything this year and I didn't capture a ton for the 4th of July. Isaac was working that night and our time being festive was short-lived as I merely captured the fireworks at 9:15 p.m. and called it a night. But I will say the one highlight of that night was seeing Pop sit on my couch with sweat dripping down his face and watching the NYC Times Square Independence Day Special on TV. Taylor Swift (one of my favs) was performing and I remember watching it feeling very proud to be an American. Not because she was performing, but because we still have our country and our freedom, and I was cherishing it in that very moment.

It also blessed me that Pop and Mimi had walked all the way over from their house just to be with Levi and I to watch the "works." I know Pop was miserably drenched in sweat and probably wanted to dive into an icebox, but they stayed, and it was good evening.

I was particularly excited that night, also, because I would be heading off to Tennessee the next morning to visit my best friend Leslie Hall, who is expecting her first child in August. My anticipation level was high and I was excited for the morning.

This is a nice segue into sharing the photos with you from that trip. Tennessee is a beautiful place with lots of trees, lots of mountains, and beautiful, country homes. Sadly, it rained a lot the first bit I was there, but it cleared up over the course of my stay.

I also took some "professional" pregnancy photos (I'm CALLING them professional, ok? Deal!) of Leslie and her husband David in her parents backyard. There's something to be said about having good parents. And something we both have in common is that we both have a set. Good parents are hard to find these days!

So...without further adieu, here are my photos from Tennessee...she lives in Mt. Juliet, which is about 20 mins from Nashville.

I threw a "mini-shower" for Les since I couldn't make her real one.

She loves dinosaurs so I had a special cake made at Publix.

We organized the baby's closet and new things.

I went for a run around the local lake. It was a bit flooded from all the rain so I had to improvise by running one way until I couldn't go any further and then run back and go down the other side. I also did some exercises in the parking lot while the deer watched me! Scroll down...

These deer were so close and let me get right up to them! I've never been that close to one and it was pretty awesome.

This is Dave and Les's house. They live in a very quiet neighborhood.

We also visited downtown Nashville...

Titan stadium and Cumberland river!

This one reminded me of Savannah.

Pregnancy photos!

The following weekend Isaac and I went to NYC to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. It was much anticipated for me all year and when it turned up raining our entire trip up there on Friday I was so bummed. But the good Lord blessed us with nice weather on Saturday and Sunday! Here are some of my favorite photos. We had a really good time.

I dropped Levi off on Friday morning in his pj's at Keek's.

We stopped in Bethesda on the way there to go to the bathroom and I spotted this cute little shop. I think it was called "The Little Blue House." It was a beachy-like shop, which didn't really seem to fit in there in downtown Bethesda, but it was still cute! The little ol' lady looking in the window made me smile.