What’s Up July

       Happy Wednesday, Y'all

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

Can y’all believe that this month is over? I feel like we’re going to just blink and it’ll be Christmas! 

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 eating lots of tomato sandwiches lately. …which probably isn’t the smartest idea since tomatoes almost always break my mouth out big time. But Y’all… Fresh, homegrown tomatoes are so very good! And I just can’t resist!

What am I reminiscing about?

The trip I took to France while in college. Seeing all the Parisian sites on tv while watching the Olympics has had me reminiscing for sure :) 

 What am I loving?

Living near family… I may not get to see them all the time. But knowing that I’m only a few hours by car away from them versus 24+ hours by plane is pretty nice :)

What have I been up to?

I’ve been prepping my classroom, getting it ready for the upcoming school year. 

What am I dreading?

The ongoing election debates, and the election itself. I just wish we had better options to choose between…

What am I working on?

Trying to do a better job at this…

 What am I excited about?

Living with my mom again soon… Once I find a place of my own (to rent) in the Mobile area, she will be moving down to live with me. I’m so glad we’ll have this time together, especially since we haven’t had that for the majority of the past decade or longer.

What am I watching?

The Olympics, of course :)

What am I reading?

Nothing lately…

What am I listening to?

Now that I’m back in America and can get Christian radio stations (that are in English on top of that), that’s what I listen to a lot. I’m a big fan of K-Love lately.

What am I wearing?

I bought these sandals at Walmart a few weeks ago because I can no longer wear flip-flops and I had no non-dressy sandals. And since I was going to the beach, I knew I needed to find something. They were super cheap (like $5) and are quite possibly the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever worn! 

 What am I doing this weekend?

I have nothing big planned at this point, other than attending church on Sunday. I’ll be looking through some student paperwork over the weekend and doing a bit more lesson planning, I imagine, just trying to wrap my brain around what all I’ll be teaching soon. But that’s about it.

What am I looking forward to next month?

School starts. My birthday. My niece’s birthday. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Favorite recent Amazon find?

This sign that I hung on my classroom door. I love it!

What's new this month?

I’m officially living in the Mobile area now. A super sweet friend of our family is graciously allowing me to stay with her for a bit, ‘til I can get a place of my own. So I’m still slightly “unsettled.” But I hope to be able to get a place within the next 1-2 months. At any rate, though, I’m here and I’m happy :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month? 

Hello Monday on a Wednesday

      Happy Monday Wednesday 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. However, per my usual, I’m a little late joining the “party” :)

 So what's on my mind?

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

Things like...

Zizzie Days - When my oldest niece was maybe 2 or so, I started having a yearly Daisy/Zizzie Day with her. Zizzie is my “aunt name” for those who don’t know… Then when her little sister got old enough, I began to add a Willow/Zizzie Day to each year’s agenda too. On each girl’s day, they’re in charge. They get to choose where we eat and what stores we shop it. But a new outfit and something fun (either a toy or a new book) is involved too. And we spend the morning chatting about whatever is on their little hearts. And I love it all :)

Time with My Mama - I have so enjoyed this this summer. It’s been such a blessing for sure. Now that I’ve mostly moved down to Mobile, and I’m not seeing her everyday again, it feels weird. I’m so grateful for the relationship we have/how close we are. And when I find a place of my own, I’m glad my mom will be moving down to live with me. I can’t wait!

Finding a House - Speaking of moving… I’m looking for a place to rent. I’m hoping for a house, but if the apartment complex is good/affordable, I could be okay with an apartment. So I’ve been taking note of “for rent” signs and apartment complexes as I drive past them… If you’re reading this, will you help me pray that I find something affordable (and nice)? And if you’re in Mobile (or any nearby surrounding cities), and know of someone wanting to rent out a home, will you email/let me know? Thanks!! :)

Teaching in Alabama - I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tiny bit nervous about the upcoming school year. But at the same time… I’m so ready! 

Newbie - It’s been a long time since I was a new teacher. It’s been interesting to be in “newbie” meetings the past two days :)

Sky Pictures - I love them. I tend to take a lot of them too. There’s just something about them that makes me smile :)

Setting Up a Classroom - It’s a lot. I’m thankful for Alabama having a tax-free (on school supplies) weekend last weekend. And a couple friends surprised me by generously Venmo’ing me a bit to help with that shopping trip. So the combination of the tax-free weekend and those gifts, plus the supplies and things I had in storage at my mom’s house already, all helped a lot!

P.S. This was one of five bins I took :)

Girls Lunch - We had this with me, my mom, aunt, and a few of my cousins. I always enjoy these times. We have good food and talk and laugh and just enjoy each other’s company. 

Truth - I saw the image below on Facebook the other day and saved it. And yes, I am finding that the older I get, the more and more truth I find in the statement below :)

And 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...

Girls Trip - It was so much fun. My mom, sister-in-law, and nieces joined me on my trip to Mobile last week. We spent a day at the beach. We shopped the clearance racks at a few stores. We ate yummy food. We laughed. We talked. We made fun memories. It was so nice!

Repacking - I’ve had to do this a bit. I’ve been living out of suitcases since coming back from Senegal last month. I’ve had to repack a few things I brought back with me (along with things I had stored at my mom’s house plus a few things I’ve bought along the way this summer) into bins that I’ll take to my classroom the next time I go. Then I’m packing/repacking a couple suitcases and a bin to take to the house of the lady I’ll be staying with until I find my own place. And I’ve also been trying to pack/repack a few things that I’ll leave at my mom’s for now and then take to my own apartment/house when that time comes, which I hope will be in the next couple months. I’m so very grateful to my mom and to the sweet lady allowing me to stay with her as well. But y’all… I’m so ready to be settled and to NOT be living out of a suitcase! So so ready!

Goodbyes - I hate them. I really do. And some are harder than others. Just saying.

Church - I’m looking forward to getting down to Mobile, visiting some churches and finding the one that’s the right fit for me. I told God when I came back that I wanted to be where He wanted me to be - not just where I feel comfortable or where it feels the easiest to attend. If that makes sense…

My Mama - I’ve loved having so much time with her this summer. And while I know we won’t be together as much once school starts, it’s so refreshing to know we’ll only be 3ish hours by car away versus 24ish hours by plane away. Plus, once I get my own place, she’ll be moving in with me. It’s a good thing we like each other a bit ;) 

Lemonade/Lemons - A friend shared the image below on Facebook the other day and I was like… Wow, if that’s not the most accurate view of exhaustion from burnout, I don’t know what is…

Alabama - It’s so hot and humid. It’s pretty much unbearable outside at the moment.  

So what's on your mind today?  

Hello Monday on a Tuesday

      Happy Monday Tuesday 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. However, per my usual, as of recently, I’m posting on Tuesday instead :)

 So what's on my mind?

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

Things like...

4th of July - My brother, sister-in-law, and nieces came over. My mom made her delicious burgers. We made homemade ice cream. One of my nieces made the most delicious cookies. We sat around and talked and laughed and had a blast. And we ended the night with fireworks. It was such a special night. I so enjoyed being with my people, celebrating my country, and just enjoying the day, grateful for the opportunity to be here.

Homemade Peach Ice Cream - Y’all… It’s so good. And it reminds me of my Papa (my dad’s dad) who used to make it… I remember one year on my birthday, we just happened to be finishing up a family vacation (which was always to visit our family since we rarely lived close to family) and we visited Papa. He knew I loved all things peach and he made this peach ice cream and celebrated together. Such a special memory!

Setting Up My Classroom - That will start happening next week. I’ll be doing a bit next week, knowing the 3 weeks following will include lots of Professional Development/Inservice/Meeting times so what little free time I’ll have during the week will likely be taken up by lesson planning and potential IEP review/prep.

Mobile - I headed back down here yesterday. I have to head to the Central Office this morning to sign the last of my paperwork. I’ll also stop by my school to meet with my principal, too, to discuss student info and curriculum info so I know how to plan for my people.

Perk of This Trip to Mobile - Thankfully, I didn't have to go by myself. When I got the email the other day, telling me when my paperwork appointment would be, I asked my mom to go with me. Then, I thought, let’s make it an even bigger girls trip and texted my sister-in-law and asked if she and my nieces would like to come with us and we could stay an extra night and make it a fun little getaway. She said yes and we planned what we’d like to do while tog whether on the 4th. Y’all… Have I mentioned how much I’m loving being with family and knowing I am going to potentially have so much more family time now that I’m back in the US for good :)

Writing - I’ve had a writing project in mind for a long time, and I’m finally starting it. There’s something just so relaxing for me about putting pen (or pencil) to paper. I love it!

And that’s about it for my scattered brain today. 

What about you?

 What’s on your mind today?  

Hello Tuesday

      Happy Monday Tuesday 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. However, since I was busy all day yesterday, I’m saying Hello Tuesday instead :)

 So what's on my mind?

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

Things like...

Georgia Trip - It was nice. It was so good to see family & friends. It was good to get away for a bit. It was good to have some time on my own to think/process. And the drive was absolutely beautiful. So that was nice too.

Psalm 139 - This is the chapter I was led to while working through a missions debriefing packet I found online. It’s such a good chapter of the Bible, full of reminders of how God is with us and sees us and cares about us at every single point in our life. 

Presidential Debate - I watched that the other night. And I must say… I’m not thrilled with either option at the moment. I feel like all both of them do is criticize the other and lie about their own accomplishments. It’s so frustrating.

Day with More Friends from Senegal - That’s what I had yesterday. It’s always nice to see people I used to work with in Senegal. And I’ve been able to see a lot this summer :)

Family - I am so loving being close to family again. I recognize I won’t be able to see them a ton but still… It’ll be a whole lot easier to see them, living only 3 hours by car away vs living 24+ hours by plane.

 

Pumping Gas - I realize this is 100% a first world “problem.” But y’all… I so despise pumping gas. I got spoiled in Dakar, having the norm there be the driver stays in the car and the gas station attendant pumps the gas for you. And yes, I realize in many northeastern US states, they still do this too. But alas, here in the south, we’re still pumping our own gas :)

AGWM - As of 2 days ago, I am no longer an employee of AGWM. So many different emotions accompany that statement… It’s such an odd feeling. I’m no longer an overseas missionary. That assignment that held such a  huge place in my heart for such a long time is complete. It was time. That, I know for sure. And I am excited about what’s to come. But still… My heart still grieves for the loss of what once was… I’ve started and restarted a blog post, processing a lot of what I’ve been thinking/feeling. But it just hasn’t felt “right” enough to post yet. Maybe soon :)

God - I love the image below. It’s such a peaceful image and a good reminder of where true refreshment for our soul comes from… God. Our Creator loves us and will provide peace for our souls. We just have to trust Him to take control…

And that’s about it for my scattered brain today. 

What about you?

 What’s on your mind today?