It's August Already?!

As I'm sure you've noticed, this blog has taken a bit of a back seat ever since we moved back to New Jersey. That was never my intention, but it's just the way things seem to have progressed. Our lives are far busier now than they ever were in Philly.

Busy is good though, don't get me wrong. Busy with work, busy with life, busy with friends. One of the real perks of being back near both of our hometowns is that we've been able to spend so much more of our free time with friends! I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much more difficult it is to make friends once you're out of school... it's tough to find people who have similar interests and schedules. Heck, it's hard enough finding time to hang out with old friends, let alone trying to make new ones!

So, instead of spending all my extra time after work browsing the internet or catching up on shows on Netflix, I've been appreciating being able to grab lunch or dinner with a friend, or even catching up for an hour or two over a cup of tea, or going for hikes in our beautiful state parks. Especially now that my whole family is living abroad, I really value time spent with Shawn and others around me. I feel as though I'm spending my time more fruitfully, albeit spending less time actually doing things and rather spending time enjoying things. Hence, the blog has gotten left behind in the midst of everything.

We originally started I've Seen Some Things as a way to document our every-day life for our family and friends after we moved to Philadelphia. It served that purpose for two years, but now that we're back home there's not as much of a need to keep everyone updated. All of this is to say, I'd actually like to spend more time focusing on my other blog: Between Three Kitchens. It's focused on food and recipes, and it's collaboration amongst some dear friends and I. Lately I feel as though all I've been contributing here are photos with short captions; little peeks at what we're up to, if you will. Of course, I intend to keep doing that, but most likely on a less frequent basis, and mainly just for my immediate family who I believe are the few who still read this blog anyway. There's just not as much content here as there used to be, and I seem to have a whole lot less to say, so I'm just going to keep things simple from here on out.

So, now that you've read all of that mumbo-jumbo, here's a look at what we've been up to:

I roasted some vegetables for dinner; it's so easy- why hadn't I thought to do this before?!




Hiking with our friend Fran at Hacklebarney Park.




Watching a turkey at the Morris County 4H fair. Saw some gigantic bunnies too.




Lovely sky that day.




Shawn has perfected his fried chicken- and chili sauce! I made the side corn salad.




Our friends in Philadelphia got a new kitten! I wanted to whisk him home with us in my purse, which he seemed quite fond of.




Just look at that kitten face! We want kittens now!! He had so much energy up until this point.




While in Philly we also stopped by the coffee shop I used to work at and caught an intimate concert played by Tom Freund.




Neither of us knew who he was prior to last night, but we are so glad we went because he was amazing! Very mellow music.




He played the guitar, banjo, harmonica, and upright bass! The gentleman on the right in this photo is a regular customer and he organized the whole show.

That's all! Until next time.