What’s Up July

        Happy Thursday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. …except I’m posting this on Thursday because I was out all day yesterday and didn’t get around to posting this then :)

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 had the most delicious fish and chips at Pebbles while in Plymouth yesterday. Seriously y’all… I’m from the south. Gulf seafood is typically the best there is. However, this fish & chips is, hands down, the best I’ve ever had. 

I also had bibimbap one day. It’s probably my most favorite Korean dish and I haven’t been able to have it in over a year (since I left Dakar). So when I realized there were as lot of Korean restaurants near my hotel, I jumped at the chance to have some delivered one night. And y’all, it did not disappoint. It was absolutely perfect!

Oh, and one more food worth mentioning… A couple different people recommended visiting Mike’s Pastries for their cannolis. When I looked online to find one near me, I realized there was one in the food court literally right next door to my hotel. So one night, I walked over and got a chocolate chip cannoli as part of my dinner. And y’all… It was so delicious!

What am I reminiscing about?

Yesterday was the 16th anniversary of the day I landed in Senegal for the first time. …which, now, seems like a lifetime ago.

 What am I loving?

I loved this view from the window in my hotel room. I so loved my time in Boston, doing all sorts of touristy stuff, enjoying the rich history, and exploring the city. This trip was such a blessing!

What have I been up to?

I treated myself to an early birthday trip to Boston. And I’m heading back to my brother’s house today to get my mom and also to spend one more day/night with his family. It’s been such an incredible trip!

What am I dreading?

If I’m being honest, turning 40 isn’t the most thrilling thought. I love celebrating my birthday. And I know I’ll love that part even more this year because, unlike last year, I won’t be alone. But yeah… There’s something about turning 40. Honestly, the hardest part for me is I’m not married and I don’t have children - both of which I always hoped/thought would have happened by this point in my life. And that’s hard. So I think that’s what’s made the thought of turning 40 a bit hard. But, at the end of the day, a birthday is a time to celebrate. And while I might be working (hello all day PD), I’m still planning to find a way to celebrate somehow :)

What am I working on?

Prepping for the upcoming school year, like I was when I snapped this pic at my hotel one day this week. There’s still a few unknowns with the number of students I’ll have. But I’m pushing ahead and starting the computer prep I can do ahead of time. And I’ll finish arranging furniture and decorating soon. And that’s always fun!

 What am I excited about?

I’m always excited when I get to spend time with family. And July was full of lots of family time! I loved it all!

What am I watching?

I still don’t have TV service set up at my house. And I’ve honestly been good without it. I did watch a bit of TV each night in my hotel, though. Maybe I should finally set up TV service… I don’t know.

What am I reading?

I’m reading 2 books at the moment…

What am I listening to?

I paid $14 for these Vivitar brand noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones and y’all, they work so well!

What am I wearing?

Ignore the weird face I’m making in this photo… But I’m packing for this trip, I confirmed what I already knew. I wear a lot of black. Like I seriously could have taken a different outfit for every single day of the trip plus extras and still wouldn’t have run out of black outfits…

 What am I doing this weekend?

I fly back tomorrow. My mom’s at my brother’s so I’ll stay the night there and then we’ll head home Friday. This weekend will be spent doing last minute relaxing and a little bit of work prep in my classroom, as well, since school resumes for teachers on Monday.

What am I looking forward to next month?

Celebrating my birthday on the 6th (not sure what I’m doing, but I’ll think of something).

School starting back… I love summer break and sleeping in and all that. But I miss my students. I also kind of miss the routine and structure that comes with school time.

Favorite recent Amazon find?

The only stuff I’ve ordered off Amazon this month are a few things for my classroom. Nothing blog photo worthy… A desk calendar, some childproof locks for our supply cabinets, those plastic electrical outlet covers, a few random school supplies I wanted and couldn’t find online…  

What's new this month?

I can scratch a trip to Boston off my bucket list now. That’s new :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

What's Up June

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

Can you believe June is almost over? 

It'll be Christmas before we know it!

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 made a S’mores Trail Mix with my Summer Camp students earlier this week. It had Golden Grahams cereal, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips. And we also had teddy grahams too, but those didn’t make it into the picture. Anywho - The kids had fun mixing it up and it was a tasty snack. So, win win :)

What am I reminiscing about?

The other day, I was telling a co-worker about the trip I took to England. A friend and I went a little over 10 years ago and stayed in London, doing all the touristy stuff and we ventured out to Stonehenge too. It was such a great trip and solidified my mindset that that's my most favorite foreign country to visit. And I’m still daydreaming of going back again one day.

 What am I loving?

I have loved having a 4-day work week. I have always said that having a 4 day school week would be amazing. And y'all... It is. I love having a longer weekend to get stuff done. And it'd be even nicer during the school year, when I have more lesson planning/activity prep/SPED paperwork to do (since the 30 minutes or less I get each school day is most definitely not enough). I've heard of lots of school systems that have shifted to a 4 day school week with much success, too. Ah, one could dream... ;)

What have I been up to?

Summer Literacy Camp - After 4 weeks, tomorrow will be our last day. I have enjoyed my time teaching these kindergarteners and have realized their laughter and zest for life is quite contagious. They've been such a fun group to work with. But, as much as I have enjoyed working with and getting to know them, at the same time, I'm looking forward to being back with my own students in the Fall and before that... I'm looking forward to FINALLY being on Summer Break and NOT having to set an alarm clock for a while :)

What am I dreading?

I'm keeping a variation of last month's answer for this question... Y'all, I do dread going outside and dealing with the heat and humidity. Y'all, it's intense. It's more hot/humid than it was in Dakar at this time of year (which always boggles my mind). It's hard to stay cool in this kind of weather. ...which brings up another thing I'm dreading. My power bill was much higher last month. And I'm dreading seeing what it'll be as it just gets hotter outside. Boo for that!

What am I working on?

I'm planning to take a trip at the end of July. I'm planning for it to be a celebration of sorts for my 40th birthday (which isn't until August - but since we'll be in teacher meetings on my actual birthday, I need to plan early). I'm not planning to go until the last week of July. And I still haven't decided where I'm going. But I'm working on it - researching locations, pricing plane tickets or car rentals and hotels, etc. I'm not sure yet if I'll stay here in the US and just do a road trip (or fly if it's further away) or if I want to fly to some other country. I'm just not sure... But it's fun planning it. 

 What am I excited about?

I've been making a long list of ideas as I think ahead to the upcoming school year. One of which is a new organizational help AND task binders/IEP goal binders... I think they're going to help me out a lot this year, especially since it's looking like I'll have more students than this past school year. The teacher nerd side of me loves researching and planning so I truly believe that this idea (if it works) is going to be a great one. 

What am I watching?

Nothing - But, getting TV service set up is on my To Do List for next week. So, perhaps I'll finally have a different answer to this question when I link up next month. Ha :)

What am I reading?

Y’all… I have not been reading much at all. But I plan to change that starting Friday. My brain is just so fried by the time I get home each evening that I can’t stay awake while reading. And yes, I do realize how sad that is. lol 😂 

What am I listening to?

I heard the song, Fight of My Life by Rend Collective, on the radio a few weeks ago and loved it. It's been on repeat a lot lately. I love it!

What am I wearing?

Nothing new or exciting - I did see a couple teacher t-shirts on Amazon that I'm thinking about buying after payday though. We'll see :)

 What am I doing this weekend?

As of now, I have nothing planned past going to church on Sunday and relaxing a bit. And you know... I really like the sound of NOT having anything planned.

What am I looking forward to next month?

Summer Break! Technically school ended in May. However, I decided to teach during our Summer Literacy Camp for the month of June. So, my summer break won't officially start for me until Friday. Yay for sleeping late and not having to hear an alarm clock for a month :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I haven't ordered anything from Amazon in a while. But I did start on my Amazon Wishlist for the upcoming school year. Want to help a teacher out and buy something from my Wishlist? If so, you can click HERE to check out the list and do so. Thanks!! :) 

What's new this month?

Summer Break starts for me tomorrow! Yay for that!

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

What’s Up May

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

I missed last month’s post. 

And then, somehow May's almost over… 

I feel like time has just flown by!

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?

All the snacky type foods while finishing up paperwork in my classroom the last few days. These filled cones are so good. They come in all sorts of flavors. But I think this peanut butter and chocolate one is my favorite.

Past that, nothing terribly exciting. I picked up a pizza for dinner the other night. Little Caesars has the best deals. And they're super tasty too!

What am I reminiscing about?

This school year... It's hard to believe the 2024-2025 school year is over. I feel like this year has flown by. I remember first landing in the US last June, experiencing burnout and processing hurt and frustrations over how some things had been handled and how I'd been treated in my last two years teaching in Senegal. And I honestly was questioning whether or not I could even continue teaching. But I knew God so clearly opened the doors for me to come to Mobile and accept this job, so I trusted Him. And I can't lie. This year has been tough. Adjusting to life, living back in the US and working in a public school in Alabama has been tough. Adjusting to once again teaching with unrealistic expectations set by policymakers at the state/national level for students like mine is also incredibly frustrating. Just saying… However, even with saying all of that, it's not all bad. I love my students. I love my school. I love my admin and my coworkers. And I can easily see the good and the wonderful. I can see God’s hand clearly at work in bringing me here. And I can honestly say, I am so very grateful to be here.

 What am I loving?

Being able to sleep in a bit longer in the mornings. I'll still be working for most of June, but I don't have to arrive quite as early/leave quite as late as I do during the school year. So yes... Being able to sleep in a tiny bit longer is going to be something I'll definitely enjoy :)

What have I been up to?

Paperwork. Lots of paperwork.

What am I dreading?

Going outside and dealing with the heat and humidity. Y'all, it's intense. And it's basically like Hot Season in Dakar. Plus it’s raining and my yard is fully of muddy puddles (and not the cute/fun ones on Peppa Pig). Yuck!

What am I working on?

I signed up to teach at our Summer Literacy/Numeracy Camp in June. I'll be teaching a Kindergarten (non-SPED) class. I'm looking forward to a little change of pace and to not dealing with the intensity of my typical schoolyear teaching position. And let's be honest... Getting a little extra pay by doing it will be nice too. Just saying :)

 What am I excited about?

My favorites are coming for a visit in a couple weeks. I'll be at work during the day while they're here. But I've still got some fun surprises planned. And just having the time to relax in the evening and hang out, chat together, and just enjoy time with them, in general, will be so nice.

What am I watching?

I still need to get TV service set up at home. I haven’t done that yet. There are so many options and most are not cheap. Plus, I really do think I could live my life without TV. We’ll see though. Maybe by the end of the summer. I can't decide...

What am I reading?

I have a stack of books, ready to be read this summer. I rarely read a lot (for fun) during the school year. I read so much for work, whether it be books or journal articles or all the books/paperwork I deal with on a regular, daily basis. So I typically don't want to read for fun after getting off work. However, during the summer and other school holidays, I tend to make up for lost time, so to speak :)

What am I listening to?

Silence. I’ve been working on paperwork all week in my classroom and my room has been so so quiet. It’s weird :)

What am I wearing?

Nothing exciting or photo worthy. I’ve been living in comfy clothes this week while working in my classroom, doing all the end of year cleaning, organizing, and paperwork.

 What am I doing this weekend?

I'm spending time with my mom, doing a bit of grocery shopping, and prepping lunches for the week ahead, going to church, and enjoying some down time too. Nothing over the top exciting, but nice nonetheless :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

Summer Break

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I haven't ordered anything off Amazon lately. But I have been "window shopping" as I plan ahead to the upcoming school year, thinking about a new classroom decor theme I have in mind. If I can find what I want for a cheap enough price, it's going to be super cute :)

What's new this month?

I made it through my first school year back in the US after teaching in Senegal. That's new. And for that, I'm quite proud of myself. Just saying :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Hello Tuesday

      Happy Tuesday

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. However, I’m a day behind in posting…

 So what's on my mind?

one

I love time with my family.

After living away from them for so long, I appreciate the time we have together so incredibly much.

This weekend’s been such a treat.

Easter service at Church

Meals together

Playing a game

Laughing

Chatting

Just hanging out

I love it!

two

Special Olympics was Friday.

We took two of our guys.

I wish I could show you a picture of their smiling faces, but since I can’t, I’ll just share the one above. But trust me.

Our guys had the time of their lives!

I loved seeing all of their hard work and dedication pay off. It was such a special day, that started with a parade send-off at our school, and ended with two excited little guys happily showing off their ribbons and telling everyone who’d listen how well they did.

My teacher heart was full of pride for our athletes (and also for the other 450+ athletes) who competed in our county’s Special Olympics day events.

three

The 10th anniversary of my dad’s death was the other day. And 10 years ago, today, we held his funeral. And at times, it feels like just yesterday… I so miss him.

I wouldn’t call him back from Heaven if I could, knowing how much better it is for him there.

But yeah. I do miss him.

four

I love being in the country.

Back roads

Big fields with wooden fences

Cows and horses

Farms

No bright city lights

No loud city noise

Just pure, simple country living.

One day…

five

A student’s grandma came one day last week and helped us make this cute Easter themed craft.

Is it not the most adorable thing ever :)

six

It’s currently Spring Break here.

And while I love my students so incredibly much, I also am so incredibly grateful for some time off. And yes, I’m also grateful for a short break from the metaphorical piles of paperwork too :)

seven

If you've made it this far, thanks.

Thanks for reading my random thoughts.

Happy Tuesday, Y'all

10 years ago

   Tomorrow will be the 10th anniversary of my dad passing away. And since I’ll be on the road, heading out of town, I’m writing today.

My dad passed away 10 years ago.

The day before my his 56th birthday. And only 9 days before my parents' 31st anniversary. And me? My heart was feeling the intense weight of such a significant and painful loss. 

Now that I’m back in the US again, living in Alabama, I’m missing him even more. He was always so supportive of my ministry in Senegal. But he was always so happy when I could make a trip back too. 

And knowing how much he loved living down here way back when, I know he’d be thrilled with me here. And I often find myself wishing I could pick up the phone and call/text him about stuff going on, get advice, ask him to pray, or to invite him to come down for a visit and to go eat his favorite seafood meal.

By the end, my dad was so sick, though. So even though, I do so desperately miss him, I wouldn't dare call him back. Heaven is such an incredible place, a place where he's no longer sick, no longer hurting. He's whole again. And Heaven is for sure better than this mess of a world we're all living in now :)

 

While I had a few months shy of 30 years with my dad, I must admit that I’m quite annoyed that those 29.5ish years was all I got. 

And sometimes, I truly wonder why... 

I wonder why he had to pass away so young. I wonder why our family had to deal with this huge loss. I wonder why, if I ever get married or have children, he'll never get to meet them. I wonder why my mom has to be a widow. I wonder why she’s had to deal with so much since he passed away. I wonder why my nieces will only have just a few memories of my dad - a man who absolutely, positively loved being a Pawpaw to those girls. 

But even in my wondering and my sadness, I'm still thankful for some things. I’m thankful for all the time I did have. I’m thankful for so many cherished memories I did have/do have. And im thankful for so much more…

I'm thankful for a Christian heritage he continued with our family. 

I'm thankful for the love of learning he passed down to me. He would love that I’m considering going back to school. After all, we joke that he was basically a professional student. 

I'm thankful for the memories of his laugh and his joy for life.

I'm thankful for 29.5 years worth of happy memories.

I'm thankful, that even though, I'll never get to experience having him at my own possible wedding or births of possible future children, I was able to see the immense joy/pride/love he showed on the day of my brother and sister-in-law's wedding and of all the time he joyfully spent with my beautiful nieces.

I'm thankful for so much.

And yes, I do still miss him terribly. 

But, I can smile, thinking of him hanging out with Jesus and talking to all the people from the Bible whom he loved to read/study/preach about for all those years. What a fun time that must be! 

My dad loved the Lord with all his heart. And he loved sharing about the Lord with anyone who would listen. In fact, my dad preached his last sermon from his hospital bed exactly one week before he passed away. Using Romans 8:18 as his primary verse, he reminded us that, though we may experience suffering and pain here on earth, we can trust in the hope of our Savior. We can trust in the knowledge that if we are saved, we will experience that glory that is beyond compare.  And now, today, I am so incredibly thankful that his words are permanently etched into my memory. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I've written memories-filled posts every year on the anniversary of his death, which can be found below. While still sad, it's nice for me to be able to look back and remember how God's been with me through the past years' anniversaries...

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

7 years

8 years

9 years

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Today, I'm linking up with  Erika and Andrea for their weekly Friday Favorites link-up. Because, while thinking about my dad's death obviously isn’t a favorite, thinking/talking about my dad is an favorite. After all, my dad was, and always will be, one of my favorite people.