What's Up March

   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. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating? 

I could live my life without most sweets. I rarely eat dessert. And candy is never my first choice of treats. But, ice cream... Ice cream breaks all of those rules, especially when you live in a climate that is hot more days than it's not. So yeah... Give me ice cream and I'm a happy girl :)

What am I reminiscing about?

Easter 6 years ago... My brother and sister-in-law brought my nieces over to see us. We spoiled them with all sorts of Easter goodies, loved on them, and enjoyed our time all together. And what makes it even more special is now knowing that was the last time my dad got to see my nieces before he passed away just a few short weeks later. I remember my oldest niece sitting next to her Pawpaw, talking up a storm. And my youngest niece, who wasn't yet talking, just staring lovingly into his eyes, giving the sweetest hugs and kisses before leaving. My dad was born to be a Pawpaw. That is for sure. So when I think back to memories like these, I think of the joy he had and I can't help but smile :)

 

What am I loving?

I'm loving not having to set an alarm clock at the moment. 

What have I been up to?

Well, two days ago I went on a safari drive. I know I've lived here for over a decade. But y'all... It doesn't matter how long I've been here. It still occasionally boggles my mind that I actually live in Africa and can do stuff like this... Past that, I'm been resting, relaxing, and enjoying Spring Break.

What am I dreading? 

I semi dread the middle of April each year. This year, it will be the 6th anniversary of my dad's death.I recently had a conversation with a friend about how I still miss being able to pick up the phone and call him. I miss going to him with questions I have about the Bible. I miss swapping book recommendations. I miss asking him advice about life and ministry. I miss receiving those periodic texts and emails saying he's praying for me and he's proud of me. I miss landing at the Birmingham airport and seeing him waiting by baggage claim, ready to give me a hug and to ask about my flight. I miss sitting in church and hearing him preach a sermon full of truth and grace and love. I miss our spontaneous roadtrips and adventure seeking times. I just miss him so much...

What am I working on?

Embracing the concept of "rest"...

 What am I excited about?

Nothing terribly exciting at the moment... Although, I was pretty happy to find some sunglasses at a random little store we stopped in yesterday, especially since I forgot mine at home. And seeing that they said they were Gucci glasses just made me laugh ;)

What am I watching?

I watched the series finale of Superstore last Friday. As someone who has watched every single episode, I was quite pleased with how they wrapped everything (and everyone's stories) up so nicely. After all, a happy ending on a show makes me a happy girl :)

What am I reading?

I'm currently reading my 16th book of 2021.

What am I listening to?

Someone told me about Carrie Underwood's new gospel album. So I found it on Apple Music and I've been listening to it ever since. I love her voice. And I love these hymns. So it was a win win. 

What am I wearing?

All the comfy, non-work clothes, thanks to it being Spring Break

 What am I doing this weekend?

I'll get back home on Saturday. Then, Sunday is Easter and I'm planning to go to church. But past that, I have nothing planned. We'll see what I can get into :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

Well, it's still Spring Break for another week and a half, which is quite awesome. So there's that. But past that, there's Easter. There's also some fun stuff happening at school along with some fun projects and lessons I have planned for all of my classes. So there's that as well.

What else is new?

I'm in the middle of my newest Educational Research class. As someone who loves doing research and writing papers, this class is perfect for me. So I'm definitely enjoying myself. And since I have a nice view to enjoy while I study this week... Well, that's just icing on the cake for me :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Randomness on a Tuesday

Happy Tuesday Y'all

Ready for some randomness?

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

Here's your funny kid story of the day...

Yesterday a student told me I had a lot of "glitter hairs."

Glitter = Gray

What I wanted to say...

Thanks, Kid. I'm pretty sure it's your fault I have them.

What I actually did...

Laughed

After all, what else can you do? Laugh at the craziness. It makes life much more enjoyable/tolerable after all. Laugh at the craziness. I think that's going to be my new motto in life. 

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

12 years ago, I was offered a job at Dakar Academy. How in the world has that much time passed? Some days, it seems as if that were just yesterday... In that time, I've taught Elementary School (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th), ELL (all grades), and SPED (all grades). I remember telling people before I left that I was just going for a year, maybe 2 years tops. And I'm thinking that God just laughed at me when I said that...

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

It's almost Spring Break. We just have to finish out this week and next week. Then we'll have 2 weeks off for Spring Break. I love my job. I rally, truly do. But oh my word, Y'all... I'm so ready for Spring Break!

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

I'm working on trusting in truth of the verse shown above. The thing is... I know it's true. But y'all, sometimes it's hard to connect what we know and what we feel. Sometimes the mind/heart don't work as closely as they should. Last week was intense. Between fears for safety in our country to the stress/added work load of switching back and forth between online learning and in-person learning to worrying about issues with my students to stuff going on back home and on and on... It's been a lot. But at the end of the day, I do know that Jesus is in control. I do know that He knows what's best for me. So I will continue to push through on the hard days and cling to the promises He's given me.

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

 Happy Tuesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up, where bloggers come together and talk about whatever is on our mind at the moment. And today, for me, that was a random assortment of things.

Currently

   Happy Wednesday, Y'all

Today I'm joining Anne from In Residence for her monthly link-up, where we share what's currently going on in our lives. And each month, Anne gives us a list of prompts to use to guide our posts. 

March's prompts are...

  * choosing *  imagining * making * recommending * wearing *

I'm currently choosing to come into work early each day, doing whatever last minute prep I need to do, so I can leave fairly soon after school's over. I used to do the opposite. But staying late every day, getting home just at dinner time every day was no fun. So when I came back from the States this semester, I switched it up. And I must say... I'm enjoying having so much time at home (or time to hang out with friends) in the afternoon/evening. Plus, since as a morning person, I do my best work earlier in the day, I'm actually NOT coming home each afternoon, looking like the picture below. So yay for that! :)

I'm currently imagining all sorts of fun things...

I'm currently making tentative plans to take my Praxis tests online. I have  to take 3 of them to renew my AL Teaching Certificate. And I just found out that they are all available online, which would allow me to take them here and not have to wait 'til I got back to the US. ...which could come in handy if I end up not being able to go back to the US this summer. 

I'm currently recommending this recipe for homemade orange chicken. I've made it a few times before and have loved it. Then I made it again the other night and tweaked it just a bit, and it turned out even better. I'll definitely make it again soon.

I'm currently wearing this shirt I got for Christmas. The high bun, sunglasses, and SPED theme... It's perfect for me. Plus, now that it's Cool Season (our "winter") here in Dakar, I actually enjoy wearing long sleeves. 

Yes, I did share the photo from Amazon. ;) I kept forgetting to take a picture of myself wearing it.

 And since it's my blog and I can, I thought I'd share a couple more :)

I'm currently working to do better at just "resting" at night. My brain has a tendency to shift into overdrive the minute I lie down each night. I think it's because I'm finally still and letting myself fully unwind from the day. So when that happens, my brain then starts thinking all the things... 

I'm currently finishing up my latest grad school class. I only have two more assignments to do and then I'll be done next week. I really have enjoyed this class. But even so, it'll be nice to have a bit of a break :)

I'm currently reading through the book of Isaiah. A book full of so much richness, so much of the goodness that is the hand of God at work, so much hope for the future.  

And that's about it for me.

So what about you?

What are you currently up to?

What's Up February

   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. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?

I ordered a pizza to be delivered last night, knowing I would be busy working on a grad school project when I got home and wouldn't want to cook. And because I got a large one, I also knew I'd have leftovers for the next day (today). This pizza, topped with goat cheese and honey, is the perfect mix of savory and sweet. I tried it once and now it has become my new favorite. So good!

What am I reminiscing about?

Sweet memories like the ones below... These pictures popped up in my Facebook memories the other day. I still remember this day. My dad was in the rehab clinic after a bad fall. And seeing his girls definitely brightened his mood/spirit. It was so fun watching them with him, too. ...especially Daisy, who spent the majority of her time in the chair beside his bed, chatting away. My dad absolutely positively loved being a Pawpaw. He was born for that role. And I'm so so glad that he got the chance to meet and love on both of my nieces before he passed away. Memories like this bring so much joy to my heart :)

 

 What am I loving?

I'm loving the seemingly ordinary, every day stuff that goes along with my job. The stuff that doesn't always have a picture added on Facebook, but still holds such a big place in my memories. After all, sometimes it is the little things that take up the most room in your heart.

What have I been up to?

This past weekend was fun. On Friday, some friends and I went our for lunch after the school's olympics events were over. Then on Saturday afternoon, we had a welcome to Senegal get-together for one of our new AGWM-ers. And then on Sunday, some friends and I went out for lunch after church and then I came home and did a bit of computer work. It made for a full weekend. But it was so fun :)

What am I dreading? 

Honestly... Nothing.

What am I working on?

Newsletters - Want to know what's up with my ministry? Watch your inboxes/mailboxes. Something fun will be coming your way soon.

 What am I excited about?

My people were quite excited about the Science experiment we did yesterday. It was fun watching their creative minds at work. Experiments can sometimes be a little chaotic and potentially messy and not always the easiest to undertake. I hate I didn't get a picture. But that's okay... Y'all, I just love seeing my people get excited about learning! And times like that always make teaching so very exciting!

What am I watching?

I've been re-watching a couple of Big Bang Theory episodes each night. Although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I haven't really been watching it all that closely. I've actually just had it playing in the background as a way of having a bit of background noise while I'm doing working around the apartment or on the computer or something like that. I would like to find a new show to watch, though. Any suggestions?

What am I reading?

I'm currently reading my 9th and 10th books of the year. I've started reading two books at one time... One is always a "for fun" type of read. And the other is always a "for learning" type of read (so, either about teaching, missions, theology, or bettering myself in some way). I'm finding that I'm spending far more time reading than before, as I'm trying to spend less time on my phone. And since I keep the iPad on "airplane mode" while reading, I'm not being bombarded with notifications like I normally would be. And while I didn't intend for reading to simply take the place of my phone, it's been a "happy coincidence." So I'm not complaining :)

What am I listening to?

I've been on a Greatest Showman music kick lately. It's the perfect music to accompany paper writing for grad school. Just saying :)

What am I wearing?

I'm wearing my hair down a lot more lately. The main reason for that? Well, it is most definitely more enjoyable to wear it this way when it's not ridiculously hot and humid outside, causing my hair to instantly frizz. So yay for cooler and less humid days! My hair and I are both thankful for that :) 

 What am I doing this weekend?

We're having a handball tournament at my school this weekend. So I'm sure I'll be out a bit, watching that. Past that, I'm planning to stay after school on Friday and finish lesson prep for the upcoming week. That way I can get it done before handball starts and hopefully not have to come back and work over the weekend. Then on Saturday and Sunday I plan to do a bit of grad school, go to church, and rest/relax or maybe hang out with friends or do whatever else I end up finding to do this weekend :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

Spring Break is at the end of next month!

What else is new?

I had a big Literature Review assignment due last night. And y'all... I love these types of assignments. Seriously. I love researching online and in various books. I love pouring through journal articles. I love watching the process go from a blank page to 10+ pages of information. I absolutely hate taking a test. But I  100% really do love writing papers. And yes, I do realize how nerdy that makes me sound. It's okay. I fully accept it :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Randomness on a Tuesday

 Happy Tuesday, Y'all

Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up, where bloggers come together and talk about whatever is on our mind at the moment. 

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

Want to know what's on my mind at the moment?

A whole bunch of randomness, like...

Today is my brother's birthday. He's such a great guy! He loves his wife and daughters and treats them like the queen/princesses they are. He's generous and kind. He works ridiculously hard. I could keep going. I'm so grateful to have him as my brother. He's the best :)

Y'all... What is up with the weather back home?! It's so so cold there right now, which is obviously, so unlike Alabama. Also... Where were these cold temps when I was there last month? I'm a big fan of the cold. So I might be just a little jealous at the moment. Maybe... ;)

Valentines Day was this weekend. I can't say it's my most favorite holiday ever. It's the #1 day for magnifying singleness, whether you want it magnified or not. But, it was okay. I had breakfast with a friend. I joined one of my supporting churches in their online worship service. I did a bit of work in my classroom. I did some baking. And I spent some time resting/relaxing before starting the week ahead. Not a bad way to spend the day...

Oh... I did get this adorably cute card from a friend's son the other day. And I also got a couple roses and some candy too :) 

Last night, I called my mom and since she was at my brother's house, I got to chat with both of my nieces. They took me all around the house, pointing out all their favorite books and toys, telling me about their day, about them having school cancelled due to the crazy weather they're having, and more. It was definitely a super fun way to end my night :)

Last week, I was back in school. By the end of the week, I felt like I was finally back in my groove and all was good. But after 7 weeks away, I was absolutely exhausted every night the first few days back. One thing I am super grateful for is all the planning I did before leaving in December. Since I didn't know how long I'd need to be gone, I had to plan enough sub plans to last a long long time. And now, I am quite pleased with Past Me for doing that. It's kind of nice to have my afternoons/evenings free to hang out with friends or to go home and do absolutely nothing. I think I'm going to enjoy that :)

And speaking of school... I saw this quote and it's stuck with me.

 Oh how true it is!

There's all kind of other stuff on my mind. But these are the main things that made the cut. What about you? What's going on with you today?

The Little Things

Happy Saturday, Y'all

As of today, I have been back in Senegal for 2 weeks. And after a week of quarantine due to international travel, I have now been officially back at work for one full week. 

And I've been thinking...

My time in the States was necessary. I needed the time to take care of my ankles. I needed the time with my family. And I needed the time to rest. Physical rest, mental rest, and spiritual rest. So my time away was good.

But even if it was necessary and good, I still missed my people here. I missed seeing "my" kids. I missed my ministry -teaching. And while I was still doing many aspects of my job while in the States, I still missed actually being here.

But what I missed most were the seemingly little things that fill my day when teaching.

And as I sat at home last night, I thought... This is some of the stuff I love most about my job...

I love the seemingly ordinary, every day stuff that goes along with my job. 

I love helping students study for an upcoming test or prepping for a science experiment.

I love reading together as part of a class novel study or even coloring a picture as we review phonics sounds. 

I love teaching tricky math concepts and I love helping students revise their 600 word essay. 

I love practicing behavior management strategies and giving lessons on good conversation skills.

 I love having (and listening in on) the good, in-depth class discussions on Bible passages. 

I love all those moments that don't always have a picture to go along with them, yet they hold such a big place in my memories.

There are so many reasons that I love what I do. But today I’m focusing on some of the smaller things...

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

  Today, I'm joining Erika and Andrea, for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup and sharing about one of my current favorite parts of my job.