What’s Up June

      Happy Wednesday Thursday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for their monthly What's Up Wednesday link-up. …even if I’m a day late doing so :)

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’ve been trying to be a bit more creative with my cooking, in an effort to use up a surplus of food in the freezer/pantry and to not have to buy more just yet. Among other things, I made pancakes from a pumpkin & chocolate chip muffin mix and then I made “homemade” sour cream using whipping cream and vinegar.

What am I reminiscing about?

I met up with a friend for dinner last night. A friend I worked with in Senegal and I hadn’t seen in 9 years. It was such a sweet time reminiscing/catching up. I often find myself reminiscing about the “good ol’ days” of life back then. So much has changed since then. And it’s not all bad changes, of course… It just felt simpler back then. 

What am I loving?

Family time :)

What have I been up to?

Enjoying summer break :)

What am I dreading?

I had been dreading getting my last bill for my ER + surgery + ortho visits. But y’all… I have never been more grateful to have such good insurance! What an incredible blessing that has been through all of this! 

What am I working on?

I love my job. I truly do. But this summer, while school’s not in session and while I can’t get in to my classroom anyway, I’ve really been trying to intentionally build good rest time into my days…

 What am I excited about?

Spending time with my nieces the next few days…

What am I watching?

All I’ve been watching lately is World Cup matches and all the fun social media posts, too, from foreigners experiencing life in the US for the first time and not only that… They’re experience so much of the good that the US has to offer. It’s been so fun reading their posts, seeing videos, etc. I love it! 

What am I reading?

I’ve been reading back through Psalms a lot lately. Good stuff, y’all.

What am I listening to?

I’ve been trying to better at embracing the silence and just listening to the Lord. I’m a major external/verbal processor. I just want to get it all out. But sometimes, I just need to sit there and shut up and allow God to do what He’s going to do anyway… Lead me in His will for my life. Why is that so hard sometimes?

What am I wearing?

I ordered this shirt from Amazon to bring me to wear this weekend while spending time with my nieces. Isn’t it fun?

 What am I doing this weekend?

More family time… My oldest niece has a wrestling tournament so I’ll be watching that. Then I’ll be hanging out with my family. And on our way home Sunday, my mom and I will stop by the cemetery to drop off some new flowers at my dad’s headstone as well.

What am I looking forward to next month?

It’ll still be Summer Break. So there’s that :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I ordered the shirt I shared earlier in this post. And then they recommended this hat. So I then  ordered it off Amazon as well.

What's new this month?

Have y’all had Peach flavored milk tea. Yum! It is seriously so very good!

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

What’s Up May

      Happy Wednesday Thursday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for their monthly What's Up Wednesday link-up. And yes, I am, indeed, a day late. But 'tis the norm with these monthly posts with me, I suppose.

Anywho, on with the 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 did a bit of meal prepping for this week. I prepped breakfasts and snacks for the three days I’d have work. And it works out well because it 1) saves me time in the morning and 2) helps me not want to make a pit stop before work to buy breakfast. So, win win :)

What am I reminiscing about?

This school year... It was challenging for sure. Being a Special Ed Teacher is hard enough, in general. But this year, I was responsible for 2 classes, comprised of students spam I g 6 different grade levels and a wide variety of ability levels too. So it was even more so. Not to mention, me being out on medical leave for 6 weeks (actually 7 weeks if you count Spring Break) which threw a major wrench into the school year. So that left me quite stressed and semi scrambling to get all the things done at the end of the year. And I did get it all done and done well, I might add. ;)

BUT with all that said, the best part of my job is the kids. I so love teaching and working with the incredible humans God has placed in my classroom. I got to see such amazing growth out of each and every one of them this year. And I made such incredible memories this year. I wish I could show pictures of each one, but since I won't do that, I'll instead share my own first day of this school year picture…

What am I loving?

School's out for the summer. Today was our last Teacher Workday. I ended up working basically right up until the last possible minute too. Did I mention that I am a Special Ed Teacher who had to go out on medical leave for 6 weeks? Yeah, I don't recommend that. It puts you too far behind on your EOY paperwork and makes you have to take full advantage of every single minute of the EOY teacher workdays too... ;)

What have I been up to?

Work. That's about it.

What am I dreading?

Y’all, the arthritis brought on by rain this week has made me have another reason to dread the rain. And we've had nonstop rain and based on the extended forecast, that won’t change for quite a while. Oh my word has my wrist been so achy! So that, combined, with a whole lot of typing for all of my end of year paperwork is killing me!

What am I working on?

Nothing now… It’s finally Summer Break!

And starting tomorrow... 

I have a new Bible Study I'm going to be working on. And I've actually really been looking forward to starting that.

 What am I excited about?

Have I mentioned Summer Break is here? That's pretty exciting, in itself. But past that, one of my favorite people (my oldest niece), has joined her school's wrestling team. And they're going to have a summer match? tournament? Whatever it's called... They're having one in a few weeks. So I'm looking forward to going and watching that and cheering her on. I'm going to be totally clueless since I know nothing about wrestling. But I do know how to cheer on my people. So that part, I can handle :)

What am I watching?

Nothing... I've been so consumed with work that I haven't really had time for anything else. But, with that said, I am finally going to work on getting TV service set up at home this summer. Yep, after 1.5 years of living here, I'm finally going to do it.

What am I reading?

I'm still reading Remarkably Bright Creatures. I tend to stop reading (for fun) books when I'm busiest at work. That's probably because by the time I sit down in the evenings and try to read, I'm so tired that I can't enjoy it without falling asleep. Ha! And yes, I do realize how lame that sounds. :)

But hey, Summer's almost here. So I forsee some reading in my near future!

What am I listening to?

I’ve had Okay by Forrest Frank on repeat in my head lately. It's such a catchy song with a good reminder to focus on the positives too. I really like it!

What am I wearing?

One of the ladies I work with has a little screen-printing business on the side and makes the cutest shirts, tote bags, and more. They're all well-made, good quality, and super affordable too. I've loved the 3 shirts I've had made (and the tote bags I had made for end of year gifts for the ladies I work with too). If you're local, let me know, and I'll give you her info.

 What am I doing this weekend?

I have appointments with both my orthopedic surgeon and occupational therapist bright and early tomorrow morning for follow-ups on my wrist. Then after that, my brain has decided that Summer Break may officially begin. Anywho, I don't really have anything super big planned for this weekend. I'll go to church on Sunday. And I'll need to buy groceries at some point this weekend. But it's kind of nice to actually NOT have anything major scheduled. It really is.

What am I looking forward to next month?

Summer Break and seeing family :)

Favorite recent Amazon find?

I haven't ordered anything off Amazon lately. And to that, my wallet has said a very big thank you. Ha! :)

What's new this month?

Nothing blog worthy.

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

What's Up April

     Happy Wednesday Thursday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. Only, I’m a day late. Oops. Oh, and I also just realized I missed last month's link-up. But that's because it was a week after surgery and I still had both arms totally bandaged up so typing wasn't happening. That's for sure.

Anyways, here we are.

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?

My Mama treated me to a steak lunch after my doctor’s appointment the other day. Ruby Tuesday did not disappoint! That is for sure!

What am I reminiscing about?

My dad… This month marked 11 years since he passed away. I so miss him! I wrote more on my thoughts/feelings on this on the anniversary of his passing. 

What am I loving?

I’m loving the report I got from my surgeon earlier this week, releasing me to return to work soon. Boy have I missed my people and this school!

What have I been up to?

Me after my first appt with my surgeon just 3 days after I fell.

Recovering from wrist surgery. 6 weeks ago, I fell, badly breaking my left wrist. I knew instantly that it was broken. It was that bad. Anywho, a week after that, I had surgery to repair that - He inserted a plate and I believe it was 8 screws. He said it required a longer plate than usual because of how bad the break was. And on top of that, when I first fell, I also fractured my right elbow. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad and after a few weeks, it was back to normal with that one. But still… Recovery has been rough! I’m left handed, so there’s that little wrench thrown in the plans. And while I began to rely on my right hand more, at first it was also fully wrapped so for the first week, I wasn’t able to write, feed myself, take care of any personal hygiene by myself, etc. By Week 2, when the right arm was unbandaged, I could do far more but I still couldn’t fully straighten my right arm until into Week 3. And through all of this, my left arm was completely immobilized (basically useless). In fact, I’d been told to not hold or pick up anything bigger than a glass of water. And because of the severity of my break and the seriousness of the repair done, and knowing the level of needs in/hands on support required of me to teach my class, my surgeon told me I would need to stay out of work for at least 6 weeks, if not longer, to allow my body time to fully heal. He said that one wrong move, one accidental hit could completely destroy the work that had been done. Thankfully at my appointment this week, he said it was healing so well, that he would release me to return to work on the original planned date of 6 weeks. I can’t pick up children or change diapers, and I have to continue wearing my brace for a couple more weeks, but other than that, I’m set. 

So yeah… Recovery has been a long, extremely painful process. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. It’s been bad. 

But, I’m good now. And my teacher heart is so very grateful to be returning back to the classroom in just a few short days.

What am I dreading?

Y’all, the arthritis brought on by rain this week has made me have another reason to dread the rain. Oh my word has my wrist been so achy!

Look at that hardware in there!

What am I working on?

Thinking more positively :)

 What am I excited about?

My mom and I had already planned to go visit family during my school’s Spring Break. So we kept those plans… My aunt had a medical procedure done that week, so we were able to be at the hospital to support her. We were able to spend some time the next day out, having fun with her and two of my cousins too. And then, we were able to spend a few days with my brother and his family as well. It was such a nice time with all of them!

What am I watching?

Nothing on TV … But I did get to watch both of my nieces perform in their school musical a couple weeks ago. That was such a special treat for me. I appreciate times like that far more now than I think I would have because for so many years, I lived overseas and missed out on so many moments in their lives. So now, if it’s within my power to do so, I will be at events like this. 

What am I reading?

A friend recommended Remarkably Bright Creatures a while back and I added it to my Amazon cart last month. Then I just, finally, got around to reading it. So far, so good.

What am I listening to?

I’ve had this one on repeat a good bit lately. Such a good song!

What am I wearing?

This brace :)

 What am I doing this weekend?

I've got nothing big scheduled. I'll be catching up on some paperwork for school since I'm finally cleared to go back to work. I mean, technically, I won't be back officially 'til Tuesday as I have an appointment Monday. But still... Back to the grind. Right? :) 

What am I looking forward to next month?

May brings with it one of my niece's birthdays so I'll get to go back up for that. It also includes Mothers Day and the opportunity to celebrate my sweet Mama. It also brings the start of Summer Break, too. 

But the biggest thing of all... On May 5th, I go back to work and that brings immense joy to this teacher's heart. I am so very ready to be back in the classroom with my people. Oh my word have I missed their sweet little selves!

Favorite recent Amazon find?

My Amazon purchases have been a bit random lately… Pencil grippers to help me be able to write better, a new teacher shirt, birthday gifts for my niece, a book…

What's new this month?

I’ve had to learn to depend on people more in the past month (well, 6 weeks) than ever before. And I am so incredibly grateful for all of the ways people have shown up and helped me… So many people graciously and generously donated sick days to me so I didn’t have to lose pay while out of work this whole time. We’ve had my amazing Paras (aides), various subs, and others at my school picking up the slack with my students while I’ve been out. My brother and his family drove down to help Mom and me when I first got hurt and then my brother came back for my surgery, too. Countless people have been praying and encouraging me throughout this process. And then this lady… Y’all, my mom has gone above and beyond for sure. She has done so very much for me and I will never ever be able to repay her for all she’s done. I can, with 100% certainty, say that I would not have made it through this had it not been for my mom. She has been such a true blessing!

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

11 Years

     Today is the 11th  anniversary of my dad’s death. 

A fact that just does not seem possible…

How has 11 years already gone by?

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. 

When I got hurt last month, I so desperately wished he were still alive and I could have called him. And when they wheeled me back for surgery, before the anesthesia fully took effect, I remember thinking how much I wish he could’ve prayed for me before time…

My mom and I have been reminiscing about him a lot lately. It’s been nice having those chats, and thinking about all sorts of sweet and happy memories.

We sure do miss having him here…

By the end of his life, my dad was so sick, though. So even though, we 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 :)

 

Sometimes, though, I 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 I’m 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 was considering going back to school to get my doctorate. After all, we joke that he was basically a professional student. And as a Special Ed teacher, himself, he also would have 100% understood why I made the decision to wait and not start this past Fall like I’d thought I would because work was too time consuming/overwhelming at the time and I was doing the job of 2 teachers at once. 

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. 

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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

10 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.