Share 4 Somethings: the August edition

 

Happy Saturday, friends and welcome to the August edition of Share 4 Somethings, where we talk about things we've loved, learned, read, and ate and/or enjoyed throughout the month. Don't forget to link back here and to leave some comment love on the blogs you read! 

Loved 

This month I have loved Timehop memories, singing on praise team, my new job, rearranging my kitchen table to make the room seem bigger, new jeans that are fit great, blonder hair, excellent and quality priority time in the mornings with Jesus, and a deck that is like new with it's newly arranged space. 

It's been an amazing month, and I consider myself thankful and blessed. 

Learned

I've learned to do some things that are taking me out of my comfort zone once again, thanks to my new job and having to do math. I am capable of doing hard things! It feels good to prove that to myself and to learn new skills. I'm here for whatever the Lord has in store for me! 

Read

I've been reading a lot of my old blog posts, because I've been sending them to my niece. She started her own homeschool journey this week in Colorado with her girls, and was asking about our early days of homeschooling. I ended up creating a Pinterest board for her, and if you'd like to read it for yourself, you can see it here. 

Ate/enjoyed

I have enjoyed some delicious and healthy food this month! Some examples are: protein bites with my bestie on Wednesday nights, my fav protein/coffee drink for breakfast, spinach cups made in a muffin tin, tuna/chicken salad with Dad, lunch out with Mom, mini pizzas made in the air fryer with my mom-in-love after Bible study, Dave's Bread bagels with peanut butter or Nutella, sushi at home with my man, Mexican out at our favorite local spot, and great dinners I've made for all of us.

It's your turn! What are some things you've loved, learned, read, or enjoyed this month? I can't wait to read about it, so make sure and join the link party! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Friday Favorites, 8.25.23.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for today's favorite blog post of the week. I hope you've had a great week! I have, and I'm kind of shocked that it's already Friday. Time flies when you're learning all the responsibilities for your new job! 🤣 

I'll start with this picture below. It's one of my favorite things that I read this week! Isn't all of that true?

And this one made me laugh, even though it feels painfully true. It was 103 here on Wednesday and I almost died.

I loved seeing this old picture of a text that Dad sent me several years ago. He no longer texts because of his eyesight. Words and conversations will always be my favorite thing.

And on a lighter note, this text and picture that a friend sent me was also a favorite and made me laugh out loud.

This picture below will always be one of my favorites! This was taken in 2019, when we visited our old church. This precious lady taught all my boys Sunday school when they were in the first grade. Mrs. Joanna cried this day that she saw them. Is that not the sweetest thing ever?

Seeing this available for pre-order on Amazon was a favorite! Click here if you're interested in ordering one for yourself. Also, Bible study is my favorite. It is so good to be back! I had the privilege of leading our small group this week, and it was wonderful being back. 

This picture will always be one of my favorites. The ladies are Sherry, Nita, and my mom-in-love Phyllis. Notice the fingers/numbers they're holding up. They called themselves wives numbers 1, 2, and 3! Nita is my mom-in-love's best friend who died a little over a week ago. Her memorial was on Monday, and I am still thinking about it, days later. I plan on sharing some about that next week, when I find all of my words. You know I am one to take my time processing something deep and so meaningful. I had to share this picture with you, though. I loved Nita so much! She was like an extra grandmother to my sons.

Shopping on Saturday was my favorite! I didn't bring this top below home, because of a tear on the sleeve, but I did buy four items: two dresses and two tops. I also ordered more dresses last week and will share about all of that next week. I was bummed about this top, because I loved it! It would have looked good with the new jeans I recently ordered. I am thankful to find clothes to wear to work at my job, since it's so different and because I need to look put together at all times.

My priority time has been my favorite lately. I can't stay out of the books of Psalm, Isaiah, and Jeremiah!

This day was a favorite of the week, because I very unexpectedly saw one of my best friends at the memorial we went to on Monday. Christa and I went to lunch afterward and sat and caught up before carrying on with our days. She was off and had errands to run, and I was on my way to my first staff meeting at church. 

Seeing this picture of my dad is my favorite! I love hearing his laughter, and doing that with him is one of my favorite things. This goes for my mom too, because she and I have been known to get ourselves into some hairy situations! Laughter is the best kind of medicine for the soul. 

It's my favorite thing to see my sons doing their thing! I found this on Instagram when I opened up the app earlier this week. This was Drew at work on Monday or the Friday before. I'm so proud of all young men! I'm thankful they all have such a great work ethic.

There has never been a more true statement than the one below. Amen! You all know that prayer is something I am very passionate about, and it's my favorite way to feel close to the Lord.

Wednesday nights are my favorite, because most weeks, my bestie and I go to a place called Levee Creamery for protein bites and a Diet Coke. It's so good to sit and catch up! I talked her ear off this week, because I had all the things to say.

My niece started her homeschooling journey this week, so I've been sending her old blog posts and adding them to a new Pinterest board. If you're interested to see that, you can click here. Needless to say, I've been strolling down Memory Lane again and I have come across some of my favorite times to look back on, like this one below. The boys spent hours and hours out there on that trampoline! It was the best thing they ever had. This was our first one that they wore out, so we got another one almost immediately. Usually it was full of neighborhood kids, but this was on a weekend when their friend Ben was here. 

Last, but not least, is this favorite reminder I came across this week. Is that true or what? 

Did you catch my other blog posts this week? I'll link them below. 

Monday was a weekending recap. 

On Tuesday, I shared about some things I am looking forward to soon!

On Wednesday, I talked about things I've learned from people who inspired me.

Thursday, I shared another throwback post about our days of homeschooling.

Also, don't forget that tomorrow is the August edition of Share 4 Somethings, where we'll talk about things we loved, things we learned, things we read, and things we ate and/or enjoyed. I'll see you back here for that, hopefully, and I'd love for you to join in the fun. Tell me something good about your week! I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

throwback Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I thought I'd share an oldie but goodie today. This was a typical day in the life of one of our normal, at-home, homeschooling days. The year was 2014, which means that Graham was in 10th grade, Drew was in 9th, Jonah and Noah were in sixth. Yowza. Now that I write it out like that, what the heck was I thinking?! I was homeschooling two high schoolers and two middle schoolers! I honestly don't know I would have done that, if not for the grace of the good Lord Jesus. I say that with all sincerity! And honestly? Sometimes I really miss these days, but I'm so thankful to be right where I am today, at this present stage of life. Grab a cup of coffee and settle back to read one of our normal days in the year of 2014. I'll see you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites! Thanks for reading, friends. Love to all. 

P.s. I am linking up with Joanne at Encouraging Hearts and Home for her blog party today.

************************************************************

You might find this boring.  If so, then keep scrolling.  I've been documenting their  school work schedule in my journal this year—the past couple years I have not been that great at documentation, but this year, I am finally on top of things.  (It's about time.)  I also plan out their days in my journal...usually I write things down as I remember them, and often times, that happens in the early morning quiet.

I thought I would share that on here.  I know some people are just naturally curious about what we do, and that's understandable.  If you're like me, and you homeschool, you just like to know what other people are doing, just in case you might be missing something really spectacular.

Or you might just wonder if we really have school each day.

:)  We do.  I assure you.

Consider this kind of a 'day in the life' style post of a typical day around here.

I wake up and have quiet time.  I read in my Bible, I pray, I journal, and I drink at least one cup of coffee.

I wake the boys up about thirty minutes to an hour later.  They have breakfast, I start laundry, we pray and go over their work for the week.

They head upstairs to have their quiet time, make their beds, and brush their teeth, then they get started.

While they are getting started, I clean up from breakfast and fold laundry and start another load.  If the load is huge, then I make them help me.  I use this time to do Bible study or homework for what we're doing at our homeschool group.  This stretch of time is usually at least two hours long, but more like three.  They work solidly for three hours every morning~we all share in the fact that this is our most productive time of day.

I start making lunch and we usually eat between noon and noon thirty.  ;)  And lunch never is just sandwiches.  It's usually hot and requires the stove top and/or oven.  I love this part of homeschooling, especially when the days are dreary and cool, like today.  My kids love a hot lunch and I love making it for them.

Sometimes we eat lunch at the kitchen table, sometimes we eat in front of the television.  Today we ate in the living room and watched Dancing With The Stars and The Voice battle round one from last night.

We all clean up after lunch and they use this time to put away any folded laundry from the morning.

After lunch, they finish any work they've not completed yet.  If we don't have anywhere to go, they stay in their pajamas or comfy clothes until after their work is done.  (I know~it's rough.)

All in all, Jonah and Noah are usually done in about three hours.  That's with their written work.  To make that time stretch, I tack on reading time, art, music, and life skills.  They help me with laundry, the preparation of meal times, loading and unloading the dishwasher and animal upkeep.  They walk the dogs, brush them, bathe them and keep their water bowl filled.  They keep their living quarters totally clean~they are each responsible for their rooms, so that means straightening up, making beds, pulling their sheets/blankets/pillow cases off when they need washing and putting them back on afterward, they dust, they vacuum, they are totally responsible for Buddy, the leopard gecko.

It usually ends up being about four and a half to five hours of work each day, still much shorter than the average brick-and-mortar school day.

Graham and Drew, on the other hand, have work that is longer and more tedious and difficult.  Their work takes longer, and with just written work alone, they each put in about five hours a day.

If you would like to know what subjects they take, I will tell you.

Each of them do math, grammar, science, history and Bible.  Those are their "main" subjects.  There is also current events, literature, vocabulary, spelling, creative writing, etymology, Spanish, geography, typing and their classes they take at our homeschool group.

So, I would say that our days are full.  We do lots, and I feel like I am constantly adding to their work load.  If anything looks interesting enough, we try it.  We might not always like it and we'll stop, and we don't do every single subject on every single day, but that's basically what we do.  There are guidelines for me to follow that are required by the state of Tennessee, and especially now that the older two are in high school, I have to be more meticulous.

There are days that are highly frustrating and there are days that are not.  Each day is rewarding, in its own special way.  I love, love, love every part of homeschooling my boys.  I am so thankful that I get to do this everyday, and I pray that our rights are always kept safe.  My kids love it and are always telling me thank you for what we do.  I would say that those words are confirmation enough that this is something we will do until they graduate high school.  And yes, they will actually have a high school graduation.  It'll be at Bellevue.
 
Thanks for reading this and for humoring my love of sharing my life.  And hopefully, I inspired someone to think about homeschooling their kids~it's not always easy, but it's nowhere near as difficult as you would think.  I have people on back up I call for help, when it's needed.

I will leave you with a couple pictures from our day today.

After the work is finished, they find time to construct things on their own that people have given us.  They also get their tool boxes out to make minor repairs around our home.  Thanks to my hubby, for getting them each their own tool box last year for Christmas.  I'm also trying to be more "fun" at homeschooling and do more science experiments.  Experiments are the best way they learn.  Today we made it "rain".

Well, my friends, I have to run.  Thanks for reading!

things I've learned from people who inspire me

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I was wracking my brain for a post idea yesterday when I came across this idea from a Pinterest writing prompt for the month of August. I thought I'd share a few things I've learned from people who have influenced my life. 

It's no secret here that I am a woman of prayer. I believe in the power of it, and I am all about sharing my needs with others so that they can help me pray. I depend on my family and friends for this, and I am so thankful for them! Something my friend Sheila taught me over a decade ago is to pray often, and at all times of day. Sheila and her husband are missionaries in Iceland that we met and fell in love with years ago when we went there on a mission trip. She would wake up in the morning, and the first words out of her mouth everyday were, "Good morning, Lord! Thank You for this beautiful day!" In the years since I first met her, that has never left my mind. I often do the same thing the minute my feet hit the floor each morning. I'm so grateful that I have had women like her who have made a huge impact in my life!

And also on the topic of prayer, another friend Denise taught me the importance of prayer, and the benefits of praying with friends. She encouraged me to find a prayer partner at a time in my life when I needed one, and I am thankful she influenced me to do just that. It's how my friend Abbey and I became such great friends. We met each week to pray together in a prayer room at our church. When the boys were little, I belonged to Moms in Prayer, and I met weekly with a group of women to pray over our local schools. We would pray, then we would write notes to encourage them, and finish them off with a little sweet treat. Those were the sweetest days! That group was borne out of tragedy that took place in a teacher's life, and is also when I met my friend Tarin, who would (years) later lose her third battle with cancer, going on to meet Jesus face to face, finally fully healed in His presence. 

All of these women taught me to pray, and I am forever changed because of them. I pray that I have that type of influence on people!

Another thing I've learned over the years is to go with the flow. I have had several women in my life who have shown me examples of this type of behavior. I want to be the type of woman who remains steadfast even when pressed from all different sides; haven't you heard the phrase that whatever is within will come out when times are hard? I want to faithful in every area in my life. I don't want to be impatient, unloving, and unkind. I want to be full of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

I am not a go-with-the-flow type of person, but the older I get, the more I am learning. My last job taught me that, and I'm grateful for not only the opportunities and new things I learned, but also the life lessons that came along with working in an environment conducive to lots of change at a moment's notice. I'll never be too old to learn!

One last thing I'll share was the important things I learned in a Bible study for young wives, when Todd and I first got married. We did have kids at this time I'm referring to, but they were young. I learned so much from the older ladies who mentored the younger ladies. There is something so beautiful about older women pouring into the lives of younger women, and I want to be that same kind of older woman someday. I hope I am now! Between them and my mom teaching me all the things having to do with making delicious meals, I am so thankful that I learned all that I did. One thing I always ask the Lord for is a teachable heart. Like I said, I want to continue to learn until the day He calls me home. 

What's something invaluable you've learned from someone inspirational in your life? I'd love to hear the story! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

things I'm looking forward to

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I love having something to look forward to; do you? I thought I'd share a few of mine today. 

In honor of our surface-of-the-sun temps this week, I'm looking forward to fall and cooler weather. 

I never got around to buying a mum for the front porch last year, so I am going to get another big one like this when it gets a bit cooler outside. I love this style of them, the ones in baskets. I am probably going to be decorating for fall in our home next week. I just got inspired by old blog posts, which is why I share that. 

I always look forward to Bible study each week! I love leading a small group, and I love sharing with like-minded women what I've learned from Scripture. I also love hearing what they learned as they studied that week. 

I am looking forward to my job every time that I go to work! I'm so thankful for this wonderful job that I wasn't looking for. It's the second time this year I've said that here, but I really am loving working at my beloved church. 

I am looking forward to a trip that I'm working on! My sister Trish and I are going to see the Denver sisters this fall, and I'm beyond excited to get away. 

I'd love to go to Breckenridge for the day while we're there. It's been a few years since we've done that, and the scenery on the way there is some of the most beautiful I've seen. 

I'm looking forward to a quick weekend trip to the Nashville area to see a friend who moved there this summer. I'm going with my bestie! 

I really want to visit this bookstore again when we go. It's near(ish) where she lives now.

I'm looking forward to our anniversary! We celebrate 27 years on October 4th. 

Lastly, this time of year always makes me nostalgic of the year we moved into our home. Can you believe we'll celebrate twenty years here in November? In case you're new here, you should read the remarkable story of how we came to live in this house. Only the Lord could have orchestrated such an event—well, the Lord and my sister Lisa whom He used in November of 2003. Click here to read the story! 

What's something you're looking forward to? It can be seasonal, or something you've got going on this week or the next. I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!

weekending

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's blog post. How was your weekend? I had a great weekend. I did all my favorite things, which is always something I am thankful to be able to say. I love getting together with family and seeing friends each weekend, and even if I don't go out with friends, I get to see them and catch up at church. Here's a bit of what my weekend looked like. 

Todd and I had a fun and non-typical date night on Thursday. We were out so late! That's fun to do from time to time, but I am definitely not a night owl.

We went to dinner and play at Theater Memphis. Funny fact: Todd was in a play here when he was younger. He had a part in A Christmas Carol. They still put that play on every year! I'll be honest: I watch these plays and hear their music and sometimes think how fun it would be to be a part of something like that. Maybe someday...

On Friday, I canceled plans with Dad the week prior, because I knew I'd have to deal with things for my new job at church. I did those things Friday, after enjoying an easy morning at home, then I came home to eat lunch and take a nap. 🤣 I mentioned how I am not a night owl, remember? I tried to take a nap, but it actually didn't work. 

Every once in a while, I go through this phase of not needing or being able to sleep for more than a few hours. For instance, I go to bed at my normal time of around 9, then I read for a while before falling to sleep. I am awake for periods of time in the night, usually starting at two or three, then by 4:50, I can't lay there any longer. I have mentioned how mornings are my busiest and most productive time, then I settle in a bit after lunch and read or watch a show, and a lot of time I'll fall asleep for about fifteen minutes at that time. But lately, I'm asleep and up by those same times, and I'm either not tired like usually would happen when I sit down after lunch, or I'm so tired that I can't fall to sleep. I feel like this is a great problem to have—apparently, I'm rested and getting enough sleep, or I'd feel terrible. I also feel like this is health-related, and it's because of the new lifestyle I'm embracing.

Anyway, moving on...

I did end up meeting Dad and Sandy for dinner that evening. We enjoyed a yummy meal, and we sat and talked for about an hour and a half after we'd finished. It was nice seeing them both and being able to catch up. Todd didn't work this weekend, but he was busy with a class that he took and it took up the entire time he would have spent with the sheriff's department. I will talk more about what he was doing in a later post, but I still had some free time because of that. I met Mom on Saturday morning, and we met at my favorite boutique. I bought two dresses and two shirts. Here's one of the dresses.

Yes, it's a summery color, but we have a lot of summer left here near Memphis. Check out our temperatures this week! If you live in Texas, I apologize for not sympathizing with you before.

I'm dreaming of cool mornings and autumn nights! Todd and I stayed home that night, though we'd contemplated eating out. We did that last night instead, and I worked some and we had an easy dinner. I was up before the birds on Sunday morning for my last time of singing on praise team for unforeseeable future, and had some time to spare, so I watched a movie. This was excellent! 

It's an older movie that I watched on Prime tv. I enjoyed some cuddles with Chloe this weekend! She's getting big, but she's a sweet little girl. She eats my hair, so when I hold her, I have to tuck it behind me. This was after my early shower on Saturday. 

My friend ran like crazy in the bookstore, since we had a conference going on, so I was grateful that she ran it while I did that. 

We were home for the rest of the day, leaving only to eat street tacos at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. I read, we watched one of the Fast and Furious movies, and I did laundry. It was an easy weekend, and it felt kind of good, because it is so hot here right now. Two of my sons have jobs that have them outside, and I always get concerned when the temps go up this high. I know they'll be fine, but it always makes me a little nervous for them. Tell me something good about your weekend; I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!