Sunday, July 31, 2022

The End of July // Time to Catch Up

The past couple of months have been busy ones for my family. I turned 18 in May (yay!), we were sick for all of June (a nasty, nasty bug from which I am still recovering), Connor and I did 30 hrs. of virtual classroom time for driver's ed, then we got our permits . . . 


(we've practiced driving for approx. two hours now, and I continue to feel quite terrified behind the wheel of a car. but I have found that listening to music greatly increases my focus while on the road.)

. . . Mom and I enjoyed a short vacation in Lancaster, PA, where we spent hours perusing the antique and book stores, saw DAVID at Sight & Sound Theater, and just enjoyed some down time in good ol' Amish/Mennonite country.




. . . my parents celebrated 22 years of marriage (*happy dance*), and I surprised them with a batch of homemade pineapple upside down cupcakes that ended up turning out really, really good (*more happy dancing*). I made the cupcakes again later on in the month for the fellowship period at our church.
to begin, I layered melted butter, dollops of brown sugar, and sliced pineapple pieces in a cupcake tin . . .

next, I stirred up the batter, poured it into the tin, and stuck the tin in the oven, then munched pretzels and exchanged a thumbs-up with my little kitchen buddy, Ruby. 😍

finally, after pulling the cupcakes out of the oven and letting them sit in the tin for an additional five minutes, I flipped the pan over and plop! plop! plop! out they all fell, looking golden, moist, and delicious. bon appetit! 
(okay, moment of honesty . . . it was more like one missed the parchment and hit the floor, pineapple-and-buttery-sugar side down, and many of the rest that did land on the parchment landed upright, which meant I had to flip them over and press back on the pineapple pieces that had fallen off. still, the end result was the same . . . melt-in-your-mouth yumminess.)


. . . I am also working 11 hours a week now and I LOVE my job SO MUCH. I praise God often for bringing me to this point of my life. College classes start up again on August 22nd, so I will have to begin balancing school and work, but I am ready for the challenge. Trusting God to see me through 💗

Fern is continuing to grow. She weighs 11 pounds now and has learned a few commands (sit, lay, jump up, stay . . . we're still working on that last one). It feels as if now that we have a dog, we are suddenly connecting with almost everyone in the neighborhood where we've lived for fourteen years!



My friend, Emma, and I spent a morning out. It was a lot of fun. We browsed a local flea market, ate lunch, splurged on a purchase of macaroons (for my siblings) and a couple of the random, pretty, little knickknacks that made us smile.


My family and I visited the Museum of the Bible again (we went for the first time four years ago and enjoyed it then, but because the kids are older, it was even more enjoyable this time around).

And . . . I think that's it! Comment below and tell me what your favorite part/photo from this post was, and/or what you've been up to in my absence! I would love to hear.

Not just surviving,
Ellen S.

6 comments:

  1. So nice to see a post from you, my friend! *GASP* you got to see David. I'm ever so slightly jealous ;). Congratulations on getting your permit!

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  2. Congrats on getting your permit, Ellen! Driving isn't as scary as time progresses, but watching other drivers is pretty scary! Stay safe! Those pineapple upside-down cupcakes look super good! The Bible Museum looks so cool; I hope to go there someday!

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  3. I'm thrilled to hear that you love your job!!!!

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  4. I feel like we're the same person. Lol. You're past year was almost exactly mine! I went to see David back in June. I've had my permit for a little over a year. I got mine last July. 😉 I graduated in May. I'm a little nervous behind the wheel too. I feel like music would distract me too much but I'm glad it works for you. I'll have to try that though if I can.

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    1. How fun! Thank you for sharing. 😄

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  5. Oh BTW, sorry this is Sara Julie.😉

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