Happy Friday! We are home from the beach and ready to enjoy our last weekday before I start working again. I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika to share my favorites from the week.

Favorite 1: BEACH!! The boys and I went to the beach this week for our August getaway. We usually take a longer, further away trip as sports are ramping up for Jeff each year but we didn’t this year because COVID. We headed to Ocean City and had a great time!! There were biting flies the WHOLE time, but they couldn’t stop our fun! It just meant we were in our near the water all day!

We have been to the beach a bunch this summer (YAY!!) so I decided to change it up a little on Wednesday. We went to Assateague Island. We haven’t been in a long time and it was beautiful! We even saw the wild horses on our way in and out. I was driving so I didn’t get any pictures.

Favorite 2: BOOKS!! We listened to The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate on the way down and while we were driving around. It was so good! The kids can’t wait to see the movie and maybe even the real Ivan at Zoo Atlanta when we visit my sister.

Favorite 3: HOPE!! My BRF Jamie and I did another virtual run together last week. This is our 11th flower run through Fellow Flowers and we have done tons of other runs together – color, half marathons, beach 5ks, tons of swim practice track laps, hockey runs, and more. These flower runs are some of my favorite. We get to talk, attempt to solve the problems of the world, and just spend uninterrupted time together.

But, this one was the most special. Jamie is 40 and had a heart attack this summer. She is a healthy, active 40 and she still had an almost fatal heart attack. It has been a few weeks and I still tear up as I type this. I just can’t believe it. Jamie has been working hard on her rehab and she continues to amaze me! The Hope flower is for silver linings and it says this:

That is exactly what this run means and I feel so lucky that I get to do it with Jamie. I am so lucky that I get to do life with her! I am so proud of how she is picking up the pieces, braving the journey, and deciding how her story will end. ❤️
Our friend Kerry also joined us and it was such a great evening! Love you girls!

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Favorite 4: TREATS! While we were at the beach we had two treats! We had everyone’s favorite Fractured Prune donuts. They are a beach tradition from when I was a little girl and we went to the beach. We also tried something new – edible cookie dough. I don’t know about you, but I think all cookie dough is edible! I usually eat a spoonful when I make cookies and it is so yummy. This edible cookie dough was yummy, but it was so rich! We could barely eat a third of the portion before we all thought it was too much. It was tasty, but one portion would have been more than enough for the 3 of us.

Favorite 5: SUNSHINE!! We had three days of total sunshine on the beach and the boys were in the water all day with the flies around. I didn’t do my best sunscreening on them but those sun kissed faces are so sweet!

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Favorite 6: THE PARK!! There is a great park in Ocean City with a lovely path for running, walking, or bike riding. We went every morning and the kids ran while I walked. This view gives me all the 😍 while I’m walking!

I thought this tank top was perfect for the park. Most summers I run laps and laps around this park, but this summer I have yet to run one. My sprained foot is definitely a setback, but mark my words, I will have a comeback!

That’s our week! Be sure to come back on Tuesday for a HUGE Tuesday Book Release! There are so many kids books coming out on September 1st that I am excited about!! I’ll be here Monday too if you want to pop in for my first day back to work. Have a great weekend full of sunshine and books!

This week on Sunshine & Books:
Hello Monday
Tuesday Book Release Day
What’s Up Wednesday
Monthly Musings – End of Summer and Back to School