What’s Up July

        Happy Wednesday, Y'all

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

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?

A bit more of all the things I can’t get in Dakar, since I won’t have any of it for 6 months to a year (depending on whether or not I make it back for Christmas)… 

What am I reminiscing about?

My nieces wanted to remake a few old pictures and see how much they’ve changed. It’s been fun seeing that change too. It’s hard to believe how “grown” they are now. Seems like they should still be babies… :)

 What am I loving?

Having had so much time with my mom… Y’all, I love my students and I love that God has blessed me with the opportunity to teach and to work with them. But being away from family isn’t always easy. And I used to not feel I could say that aloud. I felt it made me a “bad missionary.” But I don’t think this way anymore. It’s okay to feel that tug in both directions. As long as you 100% know that you are doing what God has called you to do… Well, that is what matters most. 

What have I been up to?

I had my annual Zizzie days with my nieces last week. My oldest niece was the one that dubbed me Zizzie. And every year since she was maybe 2, I’ve taken her (and her sister) out, each for their own special day. On their Zizzie Day, each girl gets to choose the restaurant we eat at and then we go shopping for a new book and a new toy and a new outfit or two. It’s such a fun day (now, 2 days) and I absolutely love this time with them :)

 

What am I dreading?

Saying goodbye (or rather, See ya later) to my people this coming weekend…

What am I working on?

On the teaching side of work… I brought home a bit of paperwork to do over the summer. So I’ve been doing a bit of it a little here and there this summer. On the missions side of work, I’ve spoken at 3 services and met with quite a few supporters over coffee or dinner, sharing my heart for Senegal and the kids at Dakar Academy.

 What am I excited about?

Last week, I drove about an hour away to pick up a box containing a surprise gift that will be heading back to Dakar with me. I wish I could show what I got, but on the off chance the recipient(s) of this gift is (are) reading this, I better keep it hush hush a bit longer :)

What am I watching?

Nothing really… Any new shows out that I should check out?

What am I reading?

I picked up a few new books off the clearance shelf the other day when my niece and I went to the bookstore. Also, can I say how much it warms my heart to see my nieces loving books and reading :)

What am I listening to?

The giggling from these two goofballs has been music to my ears. I have so loved having so much time to spend with them this summer. Such a blessing!

 What am I doing this weekend?

I'll be spending a bit more time with my mom. Then, I'll be leaving for the airport on Sunday. It’s hard to believe my time in the US is almost up.

What am I looking forward to next month?

I can’t say I’m thrilled about Summer Break being over. But I am looking forward to getting back into a routine, seeing my students again, and celebrating my birthday too, of course, since it’ll be on the 6th :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I was so blessed to have people generously buy items off of my Amazon Wishlist, to bring back to Dakar with me for my classroom and my home. Things like classroom decor, fun school supplies, cooking utensils, tasty treats, toiletries, and more. 

What's new this month?

Trying to believe the truth of the words below… 

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

What’s Up June

         Happy Sunday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. Somehow I missed posting last month. But I suppose that makes sense. After all, life has been a bit crazy for the past month or so. Between the "normal end of the school year, exams, helping to plan a big banquet for our juniors and seniors, getting my classroom and apartment ready to be closed up for the summer, and worrying about the political state of the country... 

Well, it's been a bit crazy, indeed.

Anywho... On with the post. Each 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've been back in the US for a few weeks, enjoying all the typical "tastes of home." Things like this delicious bowl of tomato gravy...

What are you reminiscing about?

It's been 20 years since I graduated high school. I've been doing quite a bit of reminiscing since our 20 year reunion was last week. Some days it feels like it was just yesterday that we were putting on those green caps and gowns. Then other days, especially when working with students the age I was then, I realize... Boy, am I old! ;)

 What am I loving?

All the time I’ve had with my nieces. Between pancake making and dropping them off at church camp to lunch dates and playing games… I love spending all this time with them!

What have I been up to?

I’ve been speaking at churches, visiting friends and family, and resting/recovering after a not so good school year… It’s been a great summer so far! That’s for sure!

What am I dreading?

Nothing at the moment… Except for maybe going outside in the record breaking heat most of Alabama is currently experiencing.

What am I working on?

I’m doing very little work-related things at the moment. I’ll deal with those later.

 What am I excited about?

Family time, of course :)

What am I reading?

Nothing at the moment… However, I did buy a couple new books at Target the other day, since they were on sale. Yay for cheap books!

What am I watching?

I love watching my brother with his girls. It’s so sweet! 

What am I listening to?

Nothing new…

What am I wearing?

I got this teacher shirt in the mail the other day. It’s super soft and comfy and it’s cute too.

 What am I doing this weekend?

I’m hanging out with my favorites. We’ve been having all sorts of memory making fun together. Then we’ll be going to church today and going out to lunch together after that.

What am I looking forward to next month?

It’ll still be Summer Vacation for most of the month, so more days of not setting an alarm clock, of course :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

Nothing terribly exciting… I did order a big pack of shelf stable bacon and some fun post-it notes since they were on sale for cheaper than Walmart, though.

What's new this month?

I saw this quote on Facebook the other day. I’m trying to do better at this… Saying no and setting boundaries when you’re a people pleaser and take on too much is sometimes hard. But this upcoming school year, I’m planning to do/be better.

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Currently

   Happy Monday, Y'all

I'm joining Jennifer from Overflowing with Thankfulness, along with a few other bloggers, and sharing a look at what's currently going on in my life. 

The prompts for this month's post are:

* loving * doing * trying * seeing * reading *

So what am I currently up to?

I'm currently loving the fact that God has let me work with such incredible kids over the years I’ve spent here in Dakar. Whether it be ones I taught, once I worked with in various clubs, or one who have been part of a class I sponsored… I’ll tell anyone. Why am I here? For the kids. 

I'm currently doing a lot. Well, I was… Thankfully I’m on my Summer Break now, and will be heading back to the States for a few weeks. Y’all my brain is tired and I’m ready for a bit of a break. I’ll still be working. It’s not a complete vacation. But still…

I'm currently trying to not be anxious about the political situation in Senegal. It’s been mostly calm this past week. But knowing that the presidential elections are in February… I’m imagining it’ll ramp back up again in the upcoming year. 

I'm currently seeing my family. Or, rather, I  will be tomorrow. I’m so ready, y’all!

I'm currently reading nothing. But I did order this book on Amazon the other day. I'm planning to read it over the summer. It's hard to believe that I'll be teaching seniors next year. SENIORS! Y'all... That's craziness! :)

 So what about you?

What are you currently up to?

Currently

  Happy Sunday, Y'all

Today I'm joining Jennifer from Overflowing with Thankfulness, along with a few other bloggers, and sharing a look at what's currently going on in my life. The prompts for this month's post are:

* loving * picturing * craving * wishing * collecting *

So what am I currently up to?

I'm currently loving the incredible kids God has entrusted into my care this school year. It's not always easy. But our days are almost always full of excitement and are rarely ever boring. We have so much fun together. And we might even learn a bit here and there, too. ;) I'm just so thankful for the kids I am able to call "mine." 

I'm currently picturing my last few weeks of school being a little crazy... There's 4.5 weeks of teaching, followed by 1 week of exams. There's a big banquet that the class I sponsor is responsible for putting on (sort of like proms back in the US). There is graduation and all sorts of other events for our current seniors. There are 3 of my full-time kiddos who will be moving on away from our school, so I have to emotionally prepare for that. And that's on top of the normal day to day teaching, lesson prep, class sponsor responsibilities, Special Ed paperwork, grading, etc. etc. etc. At least it won't be boring. Right? ;)

I'm currently craving Taco Bell, which doesn't exist here in Dakar. I do realize that I could easily make my own tacos. But it's just not the same. Soon... ;)

I'm currently wishing that life came with an "easy button." Remember the old Staples commercials that included an "easy button"

I'm currently collecting a random assortment of drink mix packets. I'm finding that mixing these with water make it so much easier for me to drink more water...

 So what about you?

What are you currently up to?

What's Up April

        Happy Sunday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. However, I'm just a few days late. Chalk it up to a busy few weeks. But thankfully, this weekend has been a slow one for me. So I'm finally getting around to posting...

Anywho... On with the post. Each 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 BLT the other night. That’s my ultimate comfort food and it totally reminds me of home anytime I have one. Plus, it’s super tasty. Yum!

What am I reminiscing about?

I've been thinking a lot about my dad lately. The anniversary of his death was 2 weeks ago. And his birthday would've been the day after that. And his and my mom's anniversary was last week. As I said in my post 2 weeks ago, this year has been a lot harder for some reason. Honestly, I think it's because this school year has been so much more difficult and those are usually the times when I would have most likely gone to him more for prayer and advice. And I just so miss having the ability to actually do that... 

 What am I loving?

I love working with the juniors as part of my class co-sponsoring duties. This class has always held my heart. I taught one of them in 1st grade and then more in 4th and 5th grade. Then once I shifted to my new position, when this class was in 6th grade, I began helping/teaching others of them along the way. And since they've started high school, I've been able to get to know so many more of them while working with them on various events, especially this year, when it's their busiest fundraising year. So yeah... I've just been thinking lately about what a gift this groups of kids truly has been.

What have I been up to?

Teaching, and all the things that go into doing this job God has called me to do. I have little time for anything else these days. But thankfully, I love what I do. 

What am I dreading?

Nothing at the moment...

What am I working on?

Accepting the truth mentioned in the image below.

 What am I excited about?

I actually had a completely free weekend this weekend. And I honestly cannot remember the last time that happened. Yay for “unplugging” and catching up on some definite much needed rest! I've literally spent the last two days doing just that. And while as a result, I might have to spend most of today lesson planning and prepping for the week ahead, I must admit that it was worth it to catch up on that rest that my body and mind desperately needed.

What am I reading?

I’ve been reading in Ephesians lately during my personal Bible study time…

What am I listening to?

The silence at the end of the day has been kind of nice. I must say ;)

What am I wearing?

A few days ago, one of my students asked me why I was wearing old lady sunglasses. So my question was/is... When did tie-dye become something only old people wore? These kids make me laugh. Ha! :)

 What am I doing this weekend?

Y'all... I actually had (have) a weekend off. And it's a long weekend, at that, since there's no school on Monday (today)! I haven't had a full weekend off in I don't know how long. I had originally thought I might try to hang out with a friend or something like that. But honestly... I'm so tired from work. I really thought that I just wanted to stay home all weekend and catch up on sleep, work on some Bible journaling, and do as little else as possible. And it's been glorious.

What am I looking forward to next month?

We'll be wrapping up the end of the school year. So there's a lot going on with that. Honestly, I can't say there's anything in particular that I'm looking forward to. But I suppose I could say, we're just a bit closer to summer... So maybe that is what I'm looking forward to. After all, that is a pretty nice thought :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I ordered a few new e-books off Amazon recently, thanks to the remnants of a gift card and Amazon's "book deals" section. I'm looking forward to starting to tackle those soon.

What's new this month?

Nothing much...

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

8 Years

 On this day, 8 years ago, my dad passed away.

It was the day before my dad’s 56th birthday.

And only 9 days before my parents' 31st anniversary.

8 years ago, my heart was broken worse than ever before. And you know... Some days, it feels just like yesterday while other days it feels like it's been an eternity. 

This year, it's been much harder. And I can't figure out why. I just find myself grieving stronger than in years past. And that's hard. So hard.

I wish, more than anything, that I could call my dad and ask him for advice about various situations, to ask for help with finding a Bible passage to help me with whatever issue I'm facing, or even more than that, that I could call and ask him to pray for me. Because I knew I could always count on him to do all of those things. He'd drop whatever he was doing to help me with that. And I miss that.

And while I had a few months shy of 30 years with my dad, I'm secretly (or not so secretly annoyed that that 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 my nieces will only have just a few memories of my dad - a man who absolutely, positively loved being a Pawpaw to those girls - who's life goal was to be a grandparent ;)

And then, I think about what I did/do have. I'm thankful for a Christian heritage he continued with our family. I'm thankful for the love of learning he passed down. 

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 got 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!Because you see... 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