One of my favourite C.S. Lewis quotes goes a little something like this: Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. This past weekend certainly felt like one of those pleasant inns that refreshed the soul, and filled up my tank with the presence of some dearly missed loved ones.

Two baby showers in one day: Two of my nearest and dearest, my sister-in-law and one of my best friends, are due for baby boys just days apart, and it just so happened that their baby showers were on the same day. Thankfully, one was in the morning and the other was in the afternoon so I didn’t have to make the awful decision of which one I would attend, and was instead able to attend both. Multiple tears of joy were shed at both as we celebrated alongside these beauties and those closest to them. There is something so special when reunited with best friends. Also, I’ve firmly decided that no matter what my journey towards having children (God-willing) looks like, I’ll always celebrate my friends in their joy.

A night camping up at Double Island Point: Commonly referred to as DI, this is a gorgeous place and one that is extremely close to my heart personally (this is where Chris proposed to me in 2021). I won’t sugarcoat this as multiple things went wrong (we got swarmed by horse flies, nearly became bogged on the sand, got stuck by the changing tides, and lost items) BUT it was an adventure! For a few hours, we had the entirety of the north side to ourselves and surfed and drank wine (not at the same time, just to clarify) and enjoyed the peace and quiet. We enjoyed the experience with some friends of ours, and had a big laugh about it all when we arrived back in Noosa and enjoyed civilisation. The weather and surf conditions weren’t ideal, but on reflection, it was a still a really nice time. Any opportunity to get off your phone and enjoy a sky full of stars with no one around is an absolute win in my opinion. We’ll return again DI!

Special mentions to:

Staying with my darling parents on Friday night was just so sweet. The love they bestow upon every person they interact with is the gift that we all need. There’s nothing quite like driving along bumpy roads for hours to then be greeted by your parents and enjoy a cup of tea upon arrival. Pure bliss!

Our friends Steve and Tina. Not only did they host a beautiful baby shower, but then proceeded to let us stay at their place that night. They are lifelong friends who we are so thankful for.

I’m so thankful for weekends like this that refresh the soul and remind me of what’s important in life.

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Proverbs 27:9

Love, Gracie.