All the details on our BIG family vacation (lots of pictures!!)

Plus, some books I'm reading, podcasts you should listen to, and more! Hi, Friend! We spent all of last week on our annual vacation to Bull Shoals Lake near Mountain Home, AR with my extended family. It was our 23rd year to go (we started going before any of us were even married -- let's just say the group is quite a bit bigger now!!) All of our kids -- from the oldest to the youngest -- look forward to this vacation all summer long. It's one of our big highlights. This year, unfortunately, Jesse got really sick on the drive to the lake and was in bed with a very high fever for 3 days. It was the highest fever I can ever remember him having in our 21 years of marriage. We took him to urgent care and he tested negative for Covid, strep, and the flu, so we assume it was just a virus. While I was so sad that the trip didn't go the way I'd hoped. God was so faithful in the midst of it all -- giving me strength to care for Jesse and take care of the younger three + being so blessed by watching our older three serve and give and help. It wasn't the vacation I had envisioned, but I saw God's goodness in the midst of it and felt so loved by Him. And it also made me so grateful for all the things Jesse does on a daily basis that we can easily take for granted. I'm so grateful he started feeling better and by the last day of the trip, he was well enough to go out on the boat and be able to enjoy watching the kids tube and ski! Here are a few pictures from the trip... My mom plans a special time for the grandkids every day that we've called "Grandma Time" for years. It's time for her to invest in them spiritually and just spend time sharing with them and doing fun things with them. This year, they talked about the concept of Time is Short and the importance of using their days well. They also have a craft time each day that one of the cousins lead, a snack that one of the cousins is in charge of, and a game that one of the cousins leads. They sign up for different days so that everyone helps out and participates. The entire group who made it this year! This photo felt like a mini miracle! It's been over a year since we've all been in a family picture together -- and everyone was pretty much looking at the camera!!! We all eat all our meals together and everyone signs up to bring/make parts of the meals each day. We keep things really simple and it makes it so that no one has to spend a lot of time cooking/prepping food -- and all the moms get some breaks from cooking and cleaning! During the game time during Grandma Time, they win tickets and at the end of the week, Kathrynne has a prize shop they all get to redeem their prizes at. This is definitely a highlight for the week -- for all the kids, even the teenagers! When we got home from the lake on Friday night, we had the weekend to recover and regroup and then it was back to school!! School officially started today for David and Kierstyn (they are in two different preschools and each go for half a day fours days a week). Silas starts high school next week and Kathrynne goes back to college the following week. While I'm so grateful for our summer to all be under the same roof and have lots of family time, I'm also excited to get back into a more regular rhythm of life again. Summer can feel a bit all over the place with people coming and going all day long and you never knowing what teens or friends will be at our house at any given hour. I love it, but I also enjoy the more structured routine that fall brings. Anyone else feel me on that? David wasn't super excited to get his picture taken for his first day back to school and he was having a feed, so this was the best we got. He was SO excited to go back to school when he got there, which we were so grateful for! Books I Finished Recently With traveling and sickness and getting back into the swing of school, I only finished one book. but it was a good one! Alyssa Bethke's new book, [When Doing It All Is Undoing You: Meeting God in Your Unmet Expectations.]( There was so much rich encouragement in this book. If your heart is feeling weary or burdened, if you feel like you are carrying the weight of the world but you don't know how to let go of anything, you will be so blessed by this book. I'll be having her on an upcoming episode of the podcast. Stay tuned for that! What I'm Currently Reading [Momma Moments with God]( [Slow Productivity](=) -- SO good! I may end up doing a podcast on this because it's impacting me so much! [You Are Not Behind](=) [Resilient: The True Story of CrossFit's Greatest Comeback](=) Shows/Movies We've Watched Recently We haven't watched any shows the past few weeks (unless Paw Patrol and Minions count!!) because we watched the Olympics (gymnastics was definitely my favorite this time -- and I loved that they aired most everything live during the day!) and the CrossFit Games. Maybe next time I'll have a show recommendation next newsletter. In the mean time, if you have any great recommendations, send them my way! Recent Episodes on The Crystal Paine Show SO many of you have asked about my [Oura Ring]() that I finally decided to do an entire podcast episode sharing about my honest experience wearing it! I have been wearing mine since February, and it’s impacted me much more than I ever imagined! If you’re curious about what an [Oura Ring]() is, think of it as a high-tech Fitbit but in ring form, tracking everything from your sleep patterns, to your activity, to your heart rate, to your overall health and recovery scores. In this conversation, I share how I’ve been so surprised with how many changes I’ve made in my life as a result of the data I’ve learned from it: from going to bed earlier to balancing intense workouts with gentle movement to my nighttime routine (and more!) The Oura Ring has been a game-changer. If you’re looking for a comprehensive health tracker, this might just be it! [Listen to this podcast episode here.]() I was also thrilled to welcome [Natalie Runion](=) back in the studio recently. If you remember [my last conversation with her](=), then you likely remember how it left me deeply moved and inspired, and this time is no different. Natalie joins me to discuss her new book [The House That Jesus Built: Leading Our Churches Back to God’s Original Blueprint](=), and I’m excited to get to learn from her again. Natalie’s latest work picks up where her previous book [Raised to Stay]( leaves off, with this new book addressing the reconstruction of faith, focusing on rebuilding a church that’s true to its biblical roots. Natalie shares how the journey of deconstructing faith doesn’t have to mean discarding it but can instead lead to a more authentic and healthy church environment. Join us on this episode as we explore what makes a church truly healthy, with Natalie emphasizing that it’s not about the size or programs but the genuine presence of the Holy Spirit. We discuss practical markers of a thriving church community, including how to handle conflict biblically and the importance of having genuine leaders. [Listen to the podcast episode here.]() = My favorite magnesium lotion is on sale! Through tomorrow (August 18th), you can score our family's favorite magnesium lotion for a great price in this [Buy 3, Get 1 Free Sale]()! This is a GREAT deal and it almost never goes on sale. No coupon code is required. Simply [add three tubes of Magnesium Lotion (Original) to your cart](=) and a free Original Lotion will be added to your cart. We love [this stuff]() so much! If you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, I highly recommend it! We use a little bit on Kierstyn before bed every night (we put it on the bottoms of her feet and the backs of her legs) and she sleeps so much better — and we always regret it when we forget to put it on her because she never sleeps as well! You only need to use a tiny bit so it lasts for a very long time (which makes it well worth the money!). [Click here to take advantage of the deal before it ends tomorrow!]() = Do you struggle with meal time during the back to school craze? Download this [FREE cheat sheet that has 60 Meal Ideas](=) you can make instead of resorting to takeout! Don't miss this Sam's Club membership deal! If you’ve been thinking about getting a Sam’s Club membership, you can currently grab a [one-year membership for just $20]()! = Stock up on Back to School Snacks! Amazon is running a [HOT back to school sale on General Mills favorites]( right now! Get $10 off a $35+ purchase of grocery items on this page. Discount will come off automatically at checkout. Plus, most of the items are available through Subscribe & Save for an extra 5% off + free shipping! And many of the items have an extra 20% off Subscribe & Save coupon, too! You can score some [super HOT stock-up prices on snacks]() with this deal! Go [HERE](). I had the privilege of being interviewed on [The Connected Mom Podcast](=) this week about my best back to school savings tips! [Click here to tune in](=). Links You Should Check Out: [How to Throw a Fun Birthday Party on a Budget](=) -- Birthday celebrations for our kids don't have to be expensive! Check out these dozens of tips & tricks to save on your next birthday bash! There are SO many amazing ideas here! [Creamy Coleslaw Recipe for a Crowd](=) -- My sister Olivia shared her incredibly delicious coleslaw recipe on the blog this week! This is such a crowd-pleaser, plus it's super frugal and feeds 30+ people. Oh, and you can make it ahead of time!! _______________ Have a wonderful week! -Crystal P.S. Are you [following me on Instagram](=)? If not and you love my personal enewsletters, you'd probably really enjoy [all the behind-the-scenes and real-life updates I share there!](=) I'd love to connect with you there! [Unsubscribe]( Money Saving Mom, LLC 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Ste. 900 #313 Franklin, Tennessee 37069 United States