weekending

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's blog post. For some of you, by the time you read this, I will be on my way to the beach! I'm excited for a few days away with my sweet friend. I am not scared to drive alone on this long of a trip (a little over 7 hours), but I've never been on such a long trip alone. I hope to listen to some podcasts I never seem to be able to at home, which is what I love to do when I drive alone. I hope to arrive before 3 p.m.

How was your weekend? Mine was really good! I spent all day with my dad on Friday. I went to pick him up a little earlier than usual and he stayed longer than usual. We ran a few errands, we ate lunch, we talked, and we watched a movie so that he could take a nap. Bless him. He's in the phase of life where he naps a lot during the day. I love the hearth at Dad's and Sandy's house. This will always be home to me!

How cool that while Dad was here Friday, we talked about his days in the navy? I never really knew that he sailed from California to Japan during the Korean War. He was a hospital corpsman aboard the ship, The Haven. I was able to find this picture online while he was here, but it also reminded me that I took a picture of the drawing my late sister Terri made for him one year. (She drew both of these pictures for him...she was so talented!)

On Friday night, my sister Trish came over for a movie night. She's house and dog-sitting at my nephew's house, which is just a few blocks away from where I live. It was nice that she was so close by for a few days! We watched Shotgun Wedding with Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhammel. Have you seen it? I watched a few months ago, but was more than happy to watch it again with her. I love J Lo so much more as an actress than a singer. Anybody else feel that way?

Saturday morning dawned with me up bright and early, starting loads of laundry. Todd and the boys all left for a day trip, and one of the boys went somewhere else, so it was just the dogs and me. I cleaned some, I did #allthelaundry, I finished a book, and I watched a movie. Todd made it back home just in time for us to go out to dinner, so we went and had our favorite, then we picked up groceries that I'd ordered. We're so exciting! He went to a friend's house later in the evening, and I went to bed early in order to be at church by 7:45 on Sunday. 

(Have you seen this? It's on Netflix, and it was so good!)

I was the one in charge of big screens in our sanctuary yesterday, so I entered the sermon into our program that we use, and I controlled the screens that the congregation look at. No pressure!

So, let me show you a picture of our church.

You see how big it is, so there are some moving parts to what I did yesterday. My husband is on the tech team as well, and often runs the audio for our livestreaming. There's a producer who is in charge, and his voice is the one I'm listening for in that headset. I have everything I need on my computer (that I've entered in), but I don't make one move unless he tells me to (I see another spiritual picture in this). I have to have my cursor on the next slide, and he is the one who controls the screens that the congregation sees at that point. There are two rooms underneath where I am, one for livestream and one for producing, and there's a sound/lighting booth that also have people running it. It runs like a well oiled machine! I also had to learn the pace of changing the lyrics for the audience, which is super nerve wracking if it's a repetitive song and if I don't pay close attention. Like I said: no pressure, right? I love doing it, though. This was my first Sunday to run the screens I did, but we're all having to learn so that what happened last year doesn't happen again if someone is sick and can't be there. 

I went to lunch with my mom, stepdad, and Graham after church, which was so nice! After that I came home and showered, started packing, vacuumed, then started cooking for my husband and boys to have meals while I'm gone. 

We ate some of this for our dinner, then I relaxed for the rest of the night. And also, because we are gluttons for punishment and because we couldn't say yes to Graham without saying the same to Jonah, we have a new edition.

Meet Chloe, Jonah's newest baby. He's been begging for a dog of his own for months, and remember the neighbors we have whose dogs had ten puppies? Chloe is one of them. She's half golden retriever, half golden doodle. I am the biggest sucker who ever walked the face of the earth, and either the best mom or the dumbest person ever. I'm definitely thinking the latter. 🤣 

So, how was your weekend? Tell me something good about yours, I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!