What’s Up August

       Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for August’s What's Up Wednesday link-up. 

Can you believe August is almost over? That means this year is half over at this point! Wow, time is flying! Isn’t it?!

Anywho, on with today’s post.

Every month we answer the same list of questions based on how things are currently going in our lives.

So let's get started...

What am I eating?

I kept my meal prep for this week easy and went with what I’m dubbing as grown up lunchables. Super simple, super cheap, and super tasty :)

What am I reminiscing about?

This group… Many of them started college this week, which just boggles my mind. Some of them are starting jobs. They’re scattered all over the globe, in so many different countries, and to say I’m proud is an understatement. What a gift it was to work with them for so long, to see so many of them learn and grow over the years, and now to watch from afar as they enter this big ol’ world as high school grads. I’m so happy to be working with little guys again. But these “big kids” will always always have a piece of my heart!

What am I loving?

I got to see the last remnants of the sunrise yesterday morning as I left for work. While I do miss my less than 5 minute walk to work that I’ve had the last decade plus, I must admit, this view on my drive is pretty amazing. I love it!

What have I been up to?

Trying to find a place to live, long-term. A friend has been so incredibly generous in allowing me to stay with her until I found a place of my own. And the Lord knows I am so very grateful for that. But I’m also ready to have my own place, too. So I’ve been making lots of calls, driving by a few places, sending emails, searching online, and doing lots of praying. I’m super close to possibly having a place. I’m going to fill out the application today after work and then drop it off tomorrow. 

What am I dreading?

Nothing comes to mind.

What am I working on?

Lesson plans, fun educational activities, all sorts of life skills tasks, and more paperwork than you could imagine… Teaching this year is definitely far more difficult than I originally thought it’d be. But I’m enjoying it. And yes, as the picture shows, I’ll be teaching one friend to tie his shoes. We’re so close too! He’s almost got it. And this cute little felt shoe is helping so I’m glad I found it :)

 What am I excited about?

I get to see my Mama this weekend. Yay for living in America again where we get the day off for Labor Day!

What am I watching?

My students are obsessed with Pete the Cat so typically during lunch and snack (both of which we eat in the room), I typically turn on a YouTube read aloud of one or two of the Pete the Cat books. Y’all, they seriously love watching these! Anywho, I found this activity book at Walmart the other day, for super cheap, so I bought it, with the plan to make copies of various lessons and/or activities my crew could handle. So fun!

What am I reading?

I’ve been reading a lot in the book of Psalms. I’ve appreciated the reminders from long ago highlighted passages that God uses to teach me lessons sometimes…

What am I listening to?

All the Jack Hartmaan songs… If you’re not sure who he is, look him up. I typically have one of his songs stuck in my head the majority of the day. Good Morning Song, 12 months of the year, the Alphabet Dance, etc. Ha! 

What am I wearing?

I got these shoes last week. They’re super comfy and cute too. And they don’t hurt my feet, even after wearing them all day long, something I can’t say about most pairs of shoes. So I’m happy with them!

 What am I doing this weekend?

It’s a 3 day weekend, thanks to Labor Day being on Monday. So I’m going to my mom’s house after school on Friday. The rest of the weekend will be spent packing, spending time with family, eating some food I didn’t have to cook for a change, and hopefully relaxing a bit too. I’ll also more than likely need to do a little lesson planning or other teaching prep at some point. We’ll see how much I can get done after school each day the rest of this week, though. Maybe I won’t have too much left over…

What am I looking forward to next month?

Labor Day, of course :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

Answer

What's new this month?

I haven’t ordered much. I’ve been trying not to spend much at all, to be honest. I haven’t had a paycheck since the beginning of June. Then I’ve had to save money for a car and a place to live as well, so spending has gone way way down, for sure!

And that's what I'm up to this month.

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month? 

Hello Monday

      Happy Monday, Y'all

Today I'm joining Holly and Sarah, and a few other bloggers, for today's Hello Monday link-up, where we say Hello to Monday with a look at what's going on in our lives at the moment.

 So what's on my mind?

A lot. But 'tis the norm with me, I suppose.

Things like...

Deliciousness - Yep, that’s exactly what these dumplings are. Seriously, so good!

Daily Photo - I’ve started back taking one each morning at some point before work, similar to what I was doing towards the end of my time in Senegal. The idea originally came from the 3rd chapter of Lamentations…

Tacos - I’m a big fan of tacos. So when a friend invited me to try this place, I happily agreed. It was good too :)

Pete the Cat - The majority of my students are OBSESSED with that blue cat. So when I saw this activity book at Walmart the other day, I grabbed it. Thankfully, it had some educational activities in it… Not just coloring pages. So now I can make copies here or there for my people to all be able to enjoy it :)

Speaking of my friends… It’s been a while since I taught someone how to tie their shoes. But one of my guys is ready for that. So when I was browsing a few local yard sale ads on Facebook the other day and saw the item below in one of them, I jumped at the chance to get it. And thankfully it was cheap and was on my way home so I didn’t waste any gas either :)

Having faith - If I’m being honest, sometimes it’s hard. When things aren’t working out like you hoped or when life is a little tricky, it’s hard. When it feels like your prayers aren’t being answered or that God is being silent, it’s hard. But we keep going. We keep praying. We keep asking. We keep trusting and believing and waiting. We keep hoping. We keep having faith.

And that’s about it for me.

So what's on your mind today?  

Hello Monday

      Happy Monday Y'all

Today I'm joining Holly and Sarah, and a few other bloggers, for today's Hello Monday link-up, where we say Hello to the week with a look at what's going on in our lives at the moment.

 So what's on my mind?

A lot. But 'tis the norm with me, I suppose.

Things like...

School - It started back the week before last. My class is not exactly what I was expecting, but it’s been fun. I’m pretty exhausted most nights when I crash into bed. I love my students and the lady working with me in my room. And as challenging/exhausting as it is… I sure do love working with little ones again :)

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Birthdays - I went back to visit family the weekend before last. And the primary reason for doing so was to attend my niece’s birthday party. And of course, I asked her to recreate a past b’day party picture with me :)

Teaching - Have I mentioned that it’s hard? :) Because it is. I love my students and want to be the best teacher I can be for them. They deserve it. And I am truly grateful for this opportunity I’ve been given to teach them. But yes, it’s hard and exhausting and at the same time, 100% worth it.

Gift - My mom gave me a special gift for my birthday. It’s her cedar chest, which belonged to her mom before her. It’s such a special, sentimental gift that I wasn’t expecting and means the world to me. 

Creativity/Flexibility - Two characteristics Special Ed teachers definitely need to have… Sometimes they’re helpful when needing to change your schedule or activity on the fly due to the needs of your students. And sometimes they’re helpful when helping one friend control a somewhat distracting behavior. You just have to be willing to go with the flow and adjust as needed.

Curbside Pickup - I doubt I’ll ever use it for groceries. I like picking out my own food. But for other stuff? Curbside pickup is a game changer. Had a long tiring day at work leaving your feet screaming because they’re swollen and hurting (hello old injuries, I see you.)? Running a few errands on a Saturday and needing to pick up a few things but you don’t want to walk in Walmart because somehow you almost Always end up spending a bit more than you intend. Well, you’re in luck. 😜

Mail - One of my aunts is amazing about send cards with handwritten notes to people. She considers it her ministry and it truly is one. It’s so very encouraging. And I have always loved doing the same. And now that I’m back in the US, with its much more reliable mail, I can do the same. I’m loving it!

Salad - I love salads. I always have. But for the last 10 years, I couldn’t really enjoy them like I’d prefer. It was just too complicated in Senegal. By the time you’d go to the grocery store and the veggie stand, bleach your veggies so they’d be safe to eat, then prep the salad, it just took so long. So by the time I finally finished, I almost didn’t even want the salad. That’s why anytime I was back in the US for a visit, I’d try to find a place with a good salad bar. Anywho - After working in my classroom a bit one day this weekend, I was exploring a new part of town and saw this place. Y’all… It was so so good! I’ll definitely be back!

Jesus and Naps - I saw the image below on Facebook the other day and saved it because it’s so true…

Church - I visited a new church yesterday. Y’all, it’s hard starting over. Finding a new church is hard for me too. For the last 15ish years, anytime I was in the US and attending church, it was either because I was speaking for my missions fundraising, because I was attending my home base church, or because I was visiting family and attending their churches. So to go into a new church, one where it’s pretty likely that I won’t know anyone, is hard. I really enjoyed this church though. And while I may still look around a bit more, I felt so incredibly welcomed there. And I loved the service - the worship, the preaching, the whole atmosphere. 

Anywho

 That’s about it for my scattered brain today. 

What about you?

 What’s on your mind today?  

Hello Monday

      Happy Monday, Y'all

Today I'm joining Holly and Sarah, and a few other bloggers, for today's Hello Monday link-up, where we say Hello to Monday with a look at what's going on in our lives at the moment.

 So what's on my mind?

A lot. But 'tis the norm with me, I suppose.

Things like...

Meet the Teacher - We had Meet the Teacher at school the other day. I got to meet almost all of my kiddos and their parents. It’s nice putting a face with the names I’d been given. It also helped me get even more excited about this upcoming school year. …which will be starting this week. Yay! :)

My Birthday - It’s tomorrow. My first one back in America in a long, long time. Not sure how much celebrating I’ll do since we have a full day of Professional Development that day and my family is 3 hours away. But I’m planning to treat myself to Korean food for dinner after work. Oh, and I’m also planning to go through the drive-thru at Starbucks for a free birthday drink before Professional Development that morning. So yay for that! 

First Day of School - Did I mention that’s happening this week? Eek!

This Upcoming Weekend - I’m heading back to my mom’s after school on Friday. I’m going to pick up a few more clothes and things to bring back down here. But more than that, one of my favorites has a birthday this week, so I’m planning to celebrate her a bit too. It’s the first time in almost 10 years that I’ve been able to be in America during her birthday celebrations. And while I won’t get to see her on the actual day, that’s ok. I will a couple days later. Oh my word, do I love this girl and her sister! 

House Hunting - If you’re the praying type, will you help me pray that God will help me find a house (or an apartment or something…)? At this point, I’d prefer to rent. Unless it’s just a steal of a price, I don’t think I’m ready to buy yet. And if you’re reading this and happen to know of someone looking to rent out a house (with 2 or 3 bedrooms) in this area, will you connect us? My email address is enichols85@gmail.com - Thanks!

He knows - That was my reminder God gave me at church yesterday. The pastor’s wife was telling a story about how at one point, all she could utter in prayer was, “God, you know.” And you know what? It’s true. He does know. Even at our lowest point, God knows. And He’ll never leave us.

And that’s about it.

So what about you?

What’s on your mind today?