Share 4 Somethings, May 2025

 

Happy Saturday, friends! I'm glad you're here to link up with me today for Share 4 Somethings, when we talk about some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of this month. I'll jump right in! 

I feel fortunate to be able to say that I loved so many things this month! 

Seeing Noah last weekend...

Swimming in my friend's pool a couple of weeks ago...

Hair day...

All the time with Marilyn...

Seeing all of my guys in one month in person...

Meeting my friend J and getting to know him all month...

Things that made me laugh and agree wholeheartedly (excuse the curse word)...

And meeting the sweetest little one that is the newest addition in my best friend's family. Now that I'm seeing these, I need another baby fix ASAP! 

I learned some things this month! I learned that I have a breaking point, that I need to draw more clear boundaries in some of the situations I still have going on in my life, that I owe zero explanations to anyone in my life, that I am a grown woman who can do whatever I want to do and accept the responsibility if it turns out bad. and that some people truly never change. 

On a more positive note, I also learned that I really enjoy Bunco night with my friends. This is always a fast, fun, and furious two hours of eating, socializing, and being competitive! I'm not competitive, but this feels healthy. I'm hosting next month, so stay tuned! Also, know that I am grateful for the things I learn from month to month; none of it is easy and there has been a lot of drama in my life lately that I can't talk about here, but it's purposeful and it's making into another stronger (independent) version of myself.

Some things went well this month! I'm always thankful for this. 

Last weekend's trip to Dallas to see Noah with Marilyn and Tanya went off without a hitch! I love that I finally got to eat at this cute little spot in McKinney with them a week ago tonight.

Another thing that went shockingly well was that even though I haven't been trying very hard to lose weight with WW, my numbers keep going down. I was so surprised when I saw this a couple days ago; I'd been dreading stepping onto the scale, but was pleasantly surprised when I noticed I was down another few pounds. I'll take slow and steady all day long! 

I can't necessarily think of things I let go of this month, but I'm always working on lowering my expectations. I feel like this is something I have to super aware of, because in case you've forgotten, I've been known (and called) The Queen of High Expectations all of my adult life. Old habits are hard to break, you know? 

I can't wait to read your answers to these prompts this week! Thanks for being here to link up with me, friends. I'm so grateful for all of you! Enjoy the rest of your weekend; love to all!

Jenn ❤️

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Friday Favorites, 5.30.2025.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I hope you've had a great week! This week felt weird with Monday being a holiday; all day long on Monday, I kept thinking it was Sunday. Here are some of my favorite things from this week. 

Traveling with Marilyn is my favorite hobby! We are the ideal road trip companions; we both like to stop a lot, we like to talk some, we enjoy good traveling music, we like to exceed the speed limit as we drive, she doesn't mind sharing the driving, and we never run out of things to talk and laugh about. 

This iced coffee from Dutch Bros. was my favorite last weekend! I think it was called The Inhalator or something like that, but it was flavored with low sugar chocolate and coconut flavoring. It was delicious!

 

These memes were my favorite this week on social media. That one about the ambulance, though...it's so true! I shared both of these this week on IG, because I knew my people would appreciate the truth behind the words. 🤣

Memorial day was my favorite because it was very uneventful and non-traditional. It rained all. day. long., and I enjoyed each second. I went to J's house around eleven that morning and didn't leave until after nine. 

He made this delicious meal for us, and we ate it twice that day! 🤣 Have I mentioned how nice it is that he cooks? This is the second weekend in a row that he's cooked for me. Other than eating, he worked on his truck for about a half hour while I kept him company and scrolled reels on IG, and then we sat and watched season 2 of White Lotus. It was a great way to spend a lazy, rainy holiday. I might have fallen asleep a couple of times while we watched together. 

My flower beds are my favorite right now! I love it when the azaleas bloom like this. 

Sonic drinks have been my favorite this week!

This outfit for work on Wednesday was my favorite; I dressed for comfort because I went to see my friend the chiropractor for a much needed adjustment. I started having that weird nerve pain from December again last weekend, so I immediately reached out to my friend Tammy about seeing her this week. I'm grateful that she is able to help me with this! I'm going to start going more consistently again, about every two weeks.

It's my favorite when Jonah is chatty while we're together!

Thursdays are my favorite right now because it's my Friday, and because I have lunch with my work friends on this day. 

It's always a favorite when my Pastor comes in and tells me to get some notes from his sermon on Wednesday night, because he thinks I would benefit from what he taught on. And he was right! I always appreciate his kindness and encouragement. It's thinking of times like this that I get sad about leaving here. I know I'll be around all the time, but it'll also be different, you know? This has been the sweetest little job for me for the last two years, and I'm grateful that God gave it to me when He did. 

Sunsets are my favorite!

Lastly, Thursday nights volunteering with Graham will always be a favorite of mine! I met him at his house, and then he drove us downtown. I have to wear my hair up when I do this, so while me in a ponytail isn't my favorite, it's a necessity. I'm also glad that for this, because I was burning up when we left! 

Just a reminder that I have a couple of link parties coming up this week; tomorrow is the May edition of Share 4 Somethings (some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of this month), and this Wednesday is the Currently link up (currently loving, doing outside, cooking/grilling, excited about, and wearing). I hope you make plans to join us!

What was a favorite of yours from this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. I'll see you back here tomorrow for Share 4 Somethings. Love to all! 

Jenn ❤️

Monthly Musings (May 2025)

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I'm here with Holly and Patty for today's blog post. I'll jump right in!

1. This summer I am mostly looking forward to doing new things. In years past, I haven't enjoyed the months making up summer as much as I could have, and this summer, I'm taking full advantage. One big thing for me this summer will be having music as a huge part of these warm and sultry months. I'm looking into a concert in June, and I hope to attend a weekly summer concert series on my town square with friends. The kick off for this is one week from today; I'm really excited about doing this each week! 

2. My favorite summer traditions are swimming and celebrating the Fourth of July. I look forward to these things each year! This year I'll be in Denver on the 4th, which will be new and different. Those two things are a major life theme right now! 

3. My travel plans this summer include going to Denver, and at least one other place before I start work again on July 28th. I am playing it by ear at the moment, but I hope it also includes a trip to the beach! We'll see. 

4. I red, white, and blue very, very minimally. I'm not into the patriotic colors all together, but I could see me wearing something white and denim, maybe? And maybe a splash of red thrown in somewhere? I don't know...to be determined. 

5. Beach? Lake? Pool? Yes to all of them! I love the beach, a lake, and the pool! I just love to be near water, no matter what it looks like. 

6. My favorite summer sweet treat is homemade banana ice cream! This recipe is original to my grandmother on Dad's side; my mom has the recipe and they usually make it in the summer. It's so good with a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

7. My favorite sunscreen at the moment is one I bought by Sun Bum for my face. I don't use self tanners.

8. Best flip flops or sandals? I just bought a new pair of shoes to wear this summer for the outfits I have that are more casual; I'm having to buy new items of clothing and shoes because when I lose weight, my shoe size shrinks. I'm in an 8 and 1/2 right now, and I found some cute Reef brand slides. I'll keep you posted! 

9. I don't know if I will be "staying fit", but I'd like to walk more, swim more, and just be active in general. 

10. My favorite summer movies are those iconic summer blockbuster type movie. A few examples are Topgun Maverick, Indian Summer (from 1993), Thelma and Louise, A League of their Own, Mamma Mia, Dirty Dancing, Under the Tuscan Sun, and High School Musical of course. 

What are some of your answers to these? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! Love to all. 

Jenn 🩷

the Wednesday hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm here with Joyce today again for the weekly Wednesday hodgepodge. I love this day of blogging and appreciate that her questions are always fun and fresh from week to week. You're a rockstar, Joyce! I'll jump right in.

1. What's your favorite room in your house and why? I feel like if you'd asked me this question at different times in my life, the answer would have been different each time. It used to be the kitchen, because it's always been the heart of the home. At one point it was the bonus room, because it was full of life and laughter in the days when we lived here as a family of six. I love the living room because it's decorated in a way that makes me happy. But I'm going to say that my bedroom is my current favorite, because it's mine. I plan on buying a new headboard soon and making some more changes to it as the days go on. I want to spruce up my bathroom somehow, but I'm not sure what that will be just yet. I keep feeling the need to make changes here to make the whole house feel like mine and not ours. 

2. What's something that will instantly annoy you? Something that will instantly annoy me is when someone interrupts either me or another person as they talk. Someone who used to be in my life was very bad at this, and I'd learned to just keep talking. It used to make me crazy when my boys would do this to me when they were little; I remember telling them a million times to wait until someone was finished talking first. I think it's a rude quality in an adult, though. 

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day...will you celebrate? How do you like yours? If you're not cooking at home, is there a favorite place you like to go for a burger? Did you ever work in a fast food restaurant? I love hamburgers, but I probably won't celebrate this day, to be honest. I love a good burger from a bar and grill place near me; there are two, actually, both local places: Skybox and Huey's. I never worked in a fast food restaurant, but my first job was at a gas station! I loved the job and had fun working with a friend of mine from high school; I did this as a senior. 

4. What are three scents you like? Coconut, vanilla, and evergreen are my favorite scents! 

I mentioned this perfume last week; have you checked it out yet? It's amazing! 

5. What do you miss most about being a kid? I probably miss not having to be responsible all the time the most. I miss being young and idealistic about life. I miss thinking fairytale endings existed. I miss my dad and him being the first man I ever loved. I miss loving a man. Ima stop myself now. (Yes, I meant to say "Ima" and it's not a typo.)

6. Insert your own random thought here. I've recently discovered (again) the artist Teddy Swims; J introduced me to this song that he sang that's a cover for an old Shania Twain song. I like the cover more than the original! This man does not sing how he looks, and his voice has become one of my favorites in the last few weeks since I've been listening to so many of his songs. Also, the other day when I was with J, we sat for two solid hours and listened to music; he tested my musical knowledge by asking me for names of songs and the artists who sang them. His taste is like mine: eclectic, which I love. I mostly passed his test. 🤣 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! I'm always excited to read your answers to the same questions. I'll see you back here tomorrow! Love to all.

McKinney weekend

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I thought I'd share about our McKinney weekend today on the blog; there are lots of pictures, so I'll be short on the words. 

Marilyn and I left her house around 7:30 Thursday morning; after approximately 37 stops, we pulled into the hotel in McKinney by 3:30. This is why we travel well together! We had to get energy drinks since that's our thing now, apparently. She drove half the way going there and coming back home on Saturday; I'm grateful for this since I was distracted going there on Thursday. 

Noah came over as we were checking in! It was so good to hug this kid. I've missed him desperately! 

We freshened up a bit, then Mar and I parted ways for a couple hours; she went to dinner with friends that live there, and Noah and I left for our dinner. I was glad to have some alone time with him! 

This place was great! 

We stopped at CVS for me when we left, then made one last stop at Dutch Brothers coffee for iced coffee drinks. We sat on this patio and talked for at least an hour and a half before he left for the night. We laid in bed and sent reels back and forth for at least an hour before we crashed! 

Tanya met us at the hotel at ten on Friday! We caught up for a few minutes before we left for the day. We eventually met up with Noah and he took our picture in front of this fancy Starbucks in a fancy Croatian village called Adriatica. 

We made our way to the McKinney Square and a placed called Cadillac Pizza that was incredible.

My stepbrother Trey and nephew Jax came to meet us! They'd drive there for the day for Trey's work and hung out with us all afternoon. It wasn't long, but I'm glad I got to catch up with them! Noah appreciated having someone to talk to when we went into shops. 🤣

We went back to the hotel and rested/talked (the intense heat zapped us all), and then freshened up for dinner out at The Yard.

Dinner was delicious and we might have run into someone lovingly called McKinney Mafia, but we didn't talk to her since she was with her family.

We walked around the square a bit more, bought pie from Emporium, then went back to the hotel after we got drinks from Sonic.

The last thing we did before heading home on Saturday (besides sleeping in luxuriously late) was to meet Noah and Jacob at Hutchins BBQ for the best brisket meal I've ever had. This is an iconic place Noah has been wanting to try; we were glad he made this decision for us! I got the sandwich, fried okra, and potato casserole. I ate less than half of it, though, and brought it home for my lunch on Sunday. We said our goodbyes after this (mine was tearful as always), and hit the road for our respective homes. 

I'm so glad Tanya could meet us! It was fun for her to be around while I hung out with Noah, and I love that we know each other like that now, since I've met her Grace. I love it when blog friends turn into real life friends! Mar and I got to her house around 7:30 that night, and I was home by eight and in bed at 8:30. I get to see Noah in June when he comes home for a week! I can't wait to see him again. After that I'll go back to him in September. Time keeps moving, and I keep needing to see my son who lives close enough for me to go that often.

What did you do that you enjoyed this weekend? I'd love to hear from you! I'll be back here this week, everyday hopefully. The Share 4 Somethings link up is this Saturday! I hope you make plans to join us. Thanks for reading today! Love to all.