Friday Five: August 15, 2025

I appreciate how grounding it is to take a moment each Friday to pause and reflect on the week that's passed. I love letting my mind wander through the highlights, the disappointments, and all the moments in between.

1. I submitted some of my photography to the county fair this year, feeling the familiar mix of excitement and vulnerability that comes with putting your creative work out there for judgment. The results? No ribbons this year, maybe next year. It was fun just entering and carrying on the tradition I started with my mom. Creating art, whether it wins awards or not, is about contributing something beautiful to the world. My photos might not have impressed the judges, but they captured moments that mattered to me.

   
   

   

   A trip to the county fair is an essential summer experience.

   
   

   It was fun showing my husband around the different exhibits. The highlight of our visit was seeing the memorial tree and bench we dedicated to my mom at the fairgrounds. Seeing her name there, knowing that it will be part of a place that was special to us for years to come, felt more meaningful than any ribbon.

2. We went to the Upper Peninsula last weekend for a music festival and camping trip in Republic, Michigan. It was my first time in the UP, I was surprised by how remote it was. What started off as a perfect camping weekend turned into 24 hours of relentless rain that left us soggy, sleep-deprived and ready to call it quits a couple days early.

   
   

   The few hours of clear skies we did have felt even more precious because of their rarity. The mist rising off the lake at dawn, the sound of rain on the tent (admittedly more romantic in memory than it was at 3 am), and the cozy intimacy that comes with being weather-bound together; these weren't the experiences I planned, but they were the ones I got. Colorado camping is on the horizon for next weekend, and I'm hoping for clearer skies.

   
   

3. My aunts are throwing me a bridal shower this weekend, and I honestly can't contain my excitement. It is so incredibly touching to have family members who step up to celebrate your milestones in such thoughtful ways. I keep thinking about how these moments of family generosity become the memories that stick with you forever. Years from now, I won't remember every wedding detail, but I'll remember the feeling of being celebrated by the people who love me. 

   
   

   Bridal showers aren't just about gifts or games, it's about being surrounded by women who have watched me grow up, who knew me before I knew myself, and who are genuinely excited to see this next chapter begin. My family's kindness is giving me something I didn't even know I needed: a pause to acknowledge how meaningful this transition really is.
   

4. Something decidedly unglamorous but surprisingly life-changing: We bought a Shark Carpet Xpert carpet cleaner a couple of weeks ago, and it's been nothing short of a household miracle. I know getting excited about cleaning equipment is peak boring adult, but hear me out.

   
   

   Our carpets have endured paint drops from art projects, coffee spills from rushed mornings, and the general grime that accumulates in high-traffic areas despite our best efforts. I'd resigned myself to living with these battle scars, assuming they were permanent reminders of life happening in our home. But suddenly, stains that I thought were forever just disappeared. The satisfaction of watching years of embedded dirt get pulled out of the carpet is weirdly therapeutic. It's like giving your home a deep breath of fresh air, room by room.

   
   

5. My husband started a new job last week, and the relief and gratitude I feel is overwhelming. After a couple months of job searching, he found something that genuinely excites him. Finding work that energizes rather than drains you is such a gift. The job itself sounds perfect for him: challenging but not crushing, with colleagues he actually likes and projects that align with his skills.

   
   

   But transitions always come with unexpected adjustments, and the one I didn't anticipate is having less time together during the day. It sounds silly, of course new jobs mean busier schedules, but after months of him being home more, we'd fallen into rhythms of impromptu lunch conversations and mid-afternoon coffee breaks that I had grown to love. It's a good problem to have, and we're figuring out new ways to connect around his schedule. Love means celebrating the changes that make your partner happier, even when they require small sacrifices from both of you.

As I head into next week, and hopefully some clear Colorado camping weather, I'm carrying these reminders with me: not every creative effort needs external validation, imperfect experiences can still be meaningful, and family kindness creates the most treasured memories. Have a great weekend.