Weekend Whatever's - Colorado Springs Style!

Hey Friends! I hope you all are enjoying your last couple weeks of summer! I just wanted to drop a few pictures and links here to fill you all in on what I have been up to this past week! I spent my whole last week in Colorado Springs, Colorado visiting and catching up with a dear old friend of mine (a Fellow Ballet Magnificat Alumni)! I have been to Colorado before, in my past days touring with Ballet Magnificat, but it sure was wonderful to visit the state for leisure, without a preplanned agenda or any obligations, not to mention how wonderful it was reuniting with my friend again after so many years! 
I spent most of my time catching up, relaxing with, and learning from my friend about what she has been up to, and what her new life of marriage and parenting has been like. It was such an enriching trip! 

Garden of The Gods, Colorado Springs CO

We had beautiful weather every day and it wasn't hard to fall in love with the beautiful big blue sky and magnificent mountain ranges in the backdrop wherever we went! Like a good tourist I took many pictures! Continue reading below to see a few of them, and read the handful of "Weekend-Whatevers", random facts and discoveries I made during my time in Colorado Springs, Colorado!

The mountainous skyline and Pikes Peak in the background

Striking a pose in front of the red rocks at Garden of The Gods

The "Kissing Camels"

"Balance Rock"

Nature sighting at Garden of the Gods

Monument Lake

Quality Friendship

  1. Visiting The Gardens of the Gods in Colorado Springs, was quite the experience, such a different landscape than what I'm used to here on the east coast!
2. I'll continue my Weekend Whatevers today bragging on my friend who provided me with amazing meals all week! Even her simple over-easy eggs we'd have at least once every day were delicious! I was told the "secret" ingredient was McCormick Culinary Mesquite Barbecue Seasoning!
3. Along with the BBQ seasoning, my friend also convinced me to add iron supplements to my grocery list after explaining to her my experience lately with lack of energy, informing me of their power in increasing red blood cells, producing muscle cells, and helping with overall body function and regulation.
4. Also THIS, Loreal Ever Pure Bond Strengthening shampoo and conditioner for my curly hair. My friend is very convincing. 
5. During my week in Colorado, I picked up this book from my friends' bookshelf, "Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts" and was able to start and finish it all in that one week. UM, THIS BOOK WAS LIFE CHANGING, bringing clarity to my fogged-up brain as of late, and providing me with a godly perspective on how healthy marital relationships are established, ones that are cut out for the long run. This book was such a helpful, but also EASY read, and I HIGHLY recommend it to any and everybody looking for love no matter what gender or stage of life they are in! Get it! Read it! Do it! One of the things I most appreciated about this book most was how it affirmed me in the good ways I subconsciously went about doing things in my previous relationship, which was so encouraging, but then also, I found myself wishing I had read this book before having entered into that previous dating relationship, as I felt I would have been better able to articulate myself and feelings in conversation about certain things if that would have been the case.
6. With love on the brain I have been getting an itch to re-read this beautiful and epic love story again. "A Severe Mercy" is one of my most favorite books I have ever read.
7. On our way to Colorado Springs from the Denver airport, we stopped at IKEA. It was a first-time experience for me. And it was AMAZING. From the Swedish meatballs to all the showrooms; I thought for a hot second that I was in heaven.

8. Though this music band has no longer been touring as of 2021, my friend introduced me to the band Rivers and Robots which I have absolutely fallen in love with, especially the song "Shepherd Of My Soul".
9. And just one other song I have recently discovered that has been ministering to my soul lately.
10. Lastly, along the theme of relationships and wisdom, check out this podcast I was introduced to during my trip, Boundless. It's based out of Colorado Springs, CO! I have really been enjoying it.

______________________________________________ That's a wrap friends! Thanks for stopping by!

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