As a teenager I would've loved the idea of the endless summer. As a mom though, this summer is feeling endless. Don't get me wrong, we've enjoyed the together time, the weather, adventures, the change of pace and so many other things. I am just feeling though, that there is a reason that most kids thrive on a routine. As Shauna Niequist recently wrote upon her last evening at their summer lake house, "It's time for bedtimes & vegetables & haircuts & back to school shopping." I am feeling ready for these routines myself.

I think God knew our souls would need seasons. We need fresh chances, changes of scenery and other subtle transitions to move ourselves forward in life. I am both trying to savor what's left of summer in these next few weeks and also prepare myself for what lies ahead. In 4 weeks, you might have to remind me that I asked for the back to school routine when I am packing lunches, checking homework and cattle prodding kids in different directions! I am also going to pick up teaching again this fall semester so I will have a back to school transition for myself as well.

As we enter the second week of August, here's a handful of things I am currently loving.

1. I confess that I used to listen to Tom Petty's greatest hits album in my walkman while cutting the grass as a young teen. No, I am not kidding. Don't knock it until you try it! Sing a little free falling while emptying the grass clippings my friends. Because I have this affinity for Tom Petty, I was more than excited to discover Sirius XM radio has a Tom Petty greatest hits station going on right now on channel 31. You're welcome. "Running down a dream...."

2. Over the weekend I checked out Christy Nockels new podcast, the Glorious in the Mundane. I was already a fan of her music so I figured I would see what she had to say. I love the concept of the podcast, which came from a season of life she experienced herself. She writes this, "We all sense that we are made for more and have dreams and plans for Kingdom things but often we work from a place of exhaustion because we're ultimately looking to ourselves and our performance to keep ourselves "on the map" in terms of relevance, culture and spirituality." I can definitely relate feeling the pressure to keep up. It's the constant pressure we put on oursleves to perform and try to live up to sometimes impossible standards. I am looking forward to listening to what she and her guests chat about!

3. I tried the new Starbucks drink over the weekend called the Iced Coconut Milk Mocha Macchiato. Yes, that's A LOT of adjectives and don't forget to add tall, grande, or vent in there when ordering. I have to say though it was yummy! Every once in a while it pays off to try something new.

4. I confess that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale got me on a few items! I know that I have linked to this mama's blog before but she did a great job breaking down items to purchase to go with different outfits. I snagged a great pair of lighter blue skinny jeans and an olive colored tunic length button down. The jeans will mix into my every day fall wardrobe and I am hoping to work the top into my teaching wardrobe! What are some current items you hope to mix into your fall clothing?

5. Poldark on PBS....A friend tipped me off to this and I have binge watched almost all 8 episodes this week! If you love Downton or other similar series, you will love this one. Aidan Turner definitely does the role justice and is pretty easy on the eyes. The series focuses on what happens with the common folk in England after the revolutionary war as well as the upper class . The divide between classes is still a huge theme but it's a bit more gritty than Downton with more interaction with "vulgar" characters. (It's currently free as a part of Amazon Prime this month if you're a member.)

If you are a new blog reader here, welcome. Monday confessions is just a mixture of musings, likes, dislikes and current happenings in my life. It's just a little open window into my days to let you know what's going on with me in between my photography posts. It's just a little bit of everything!

Emily Troutman Photography