a Christmasy recap

Saturday: last practice for my church's Christmas program [I'm on the sign language/interp team.], quick family Christmas was some extended family, back to the auditorium for the cantata, then to my favorite Mexican restaurant afterwards. oh, & at the aunt & uncle's house, I found this great Christmas magazine...took pictures of some pages.  I want to decorate like this one day.

Sunday: church, came home & napped/ watched Prancer [one of my favorite Christmas movies!], to Greensboro for practice at the other church for night 2 of the cantata, then out for some blizzards at Dairy Queen to celebrate the last performance.

Monday: slept in a little bit, then a whole day of shopping with no agenda!  it seems like every time my mom & I go shopping, we end up having to be home at a certain time for something.  so yesterday, we went with no plans.  turns out, that is very tiring.  my shoulder was so tired from my purse & bags!  plus, after awhile, my mom banned me from the 2nd floor of the mall so she could do some shopping without me.  a mall 5 days before Christmas + TONS of great sales = not good for me.  I managed to only buy a scarf & earrings, though.  NY & Co. had everything 50% off!  oh, & this is what it looked like on the way home...I looked to my left & saw picture 1 & to my right & saw picture 2!

when we finally got home, we sat down to 25 days of Christmas on tv & lots of wrapping!

...& napping.  even though they hadn't had a vigorous day of shopping.

Today: getting together with some high school friends.  we do this about twice a year...go out to dinner & then play games for several hours.  report on that tomorrow :)

#61. live music at the Christmas cantata...especially strings!

#62. shopping for kiddos.

#63. wrapping & making Christmas gifts lovely!

#64. sales...then I can get the perfect things for people.
#65. cool skies.  thanks, God.

weekly recap

song on repeat: Shaken by Hawk Nelson...this has been at the top of my "25 most played" on iTunes for quite awhile, but I just recently rediscovered it.

Even used it for my video slideshow of ASP to show at church soon :]

[video was going here but it wouldn't ever "process"...any advice?]

gotta write it down:

picture to frame:  Ok, ok...I know there was a cat picture last week, too...but this does not make me a cat lady.  I just didn't take many pictures this week & he's reading the Bible...what's not cute about that?

highlight of the week: Bible study with the youth girls...just started this week.  We had a picnic at the park & talked about beauty.  I made them each a CD with songs about being beautiful.  I love spending time with them :]

weekend to-do list: finally got an appointment to get my hair cut (that's the worst when you just need it trimmed & can't get an appointment...ugh.) & then taking my mom to see Ramona & Beezus...so excited for that!  I LOVED the books & movies when I was little.  :]

 

 [source]

weekly recap

i'm dreaming of you: Saturday

song on repeat: Glorious Day (Living He Loved Us) by Casting Crowns...learned at church last week that this is an old hymn...the hymn is called One Day.  The Casting Crowns (& other contemporary artists) version is word-for-word from the 1908 hymn.

gotta write it down: It is impossible to be inauthentic when you are focusing on My presence.  from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young...one of my favorite devotionals.  Also available on iTunes (Don't be like me & accidentally buy the audio one & decide you're too cheap to buy the one you can actually read.  Yep, I listen to it being read by someone with a strange British accent every night.)

picture to frame: Before she sees this & goes to accusing me of stealing her photographic talents photograph, my mom did take this picture...but I edited it...that's what counts, right?

 
highlight of the week: Backyard Bible Club every night...tiring but fun :)  Our church does this instead of Vacation Bible School...we have it on the middle school football field each night.  The middle school is in a poorer part of town & the whole community is invited to Backyard Bible Club.  We've had about 125-150 kids most nights I think.  Post about that coming soon...

weekend to do list: ShOpPiNg with my mom, grandmother, cousin, & aunts.  We've been planning this shopping day (for my cousin's 24th birthday) for months!  And these are my favorite people to shop with.  My grandmother is the only one who can almost outshop me.  We tie.

fill-in-the-blank Friday & weekly recap

1.  This weekend for The 4th of July I'll be going to church & hopefully finding something fun to do after that.  I'd LOVE to end up spending the day at the lake.

2.  Fireworks are one of my favorite things in the world!  Especially the ones at Disney :)

3.  Nothing says summer like riding with my brother, windows down, sunroof open, (too) loud music, & his funny dancing.

4.  My favorite summer memory is the entire summer I was in San Antonio (but especially sharing one set of headphones with my Chloe friend & debriefing each day, many visits to Sonic, HEB, & Family Christian, & many a game of Spades); summer days at Preacher's Rock, Dick's Creek & Sliding Rock; beach trips with my family.

5.  My favorite thing about summer is swimsuit, gym shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, ponytail.

6.  Summer in a word is delightful :)

7.  If I could choose to have summer or winter year round I'd pick summer.  Right now.  I always change my mind.  I love whatever season we're in.

In one word or phrase: exactly what summer should be.

I'm dreaming of you: I've been discovering all of these great etsy shops lately.  Can't wait to get some of their stuff.  My favorites so far are Stella Bella Boutique, Elizabeth Williams Handcrafted Jewelry, & Charm Design (great giveaway at {Love Stitched} right now!).

 LOVE these from Stella Bella Boutique:

[here]

song on repeat: Cait makes great mixes.  Especially in the summer.  Been listening to this one this week (that I got in the mail with the best card ever...so thankful for this girl!).

And I've been listening to a lot of old country music (& by old I mean 90s...).  On the trip last week I found out that my youth girls didn't know a lot of the greatest songs; turns out it's because they weren't born then.  So...I remedied the situation.

picture to frame: LOVE this one...really captures this sweet girl.  So happy & joyful & full of love for God & others.

 

highlight of the week: hanging out with teenagers, learning some new crafty things I've been wanting to learn for a long time, etc.

weekend to do list: *celebrate* (Chloe's & Josiah's anniversary...& the 4th [secondary, of course]) ;)

Weekly Recap

Do y'all have trouble remebering what day it is during the summer?  I'm SO bad about that...I know Sundays because of church...but any other day, I'm pretty much clueless...

So, apparently, it's time for another weekly recap.  Really?  Already?

{I'm dreaming of you} (1) new gym shorts (because I could LIVE in gym shorts & a t-shirt) before (2) ASP in just a few weeks (!)  One in every color please!

{song on repeat} "Let It Be Me" by Ray LaMontagne...heard it on Parenthood last week & love it!

{gotta write it down} "The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think.  No, He is being patient for your sake." -1 Peter 3:9

{lesson learned} Stolen from my Chloe friend's blog: "We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing, that He is preparing & fitting us for some extraordinary thing for the future, but as we go on in grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here & now in the present minute.  If we have God's say-so behind us, the most amazing strength comes, & we learn to sing in the ordinary days & ways." -Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (emphasis mine)

I like this because, at this point in my life, it's easy to put things off because I don't really know where my life is headed over the next few months.  However, I don't want to miss out & what He has for me here, now, because I am looking too far into the future (like tomorrow...).

{picture to frame} My church had a picnic Sunday after church on our new land where we're going to build a church!

{highlight of the week} lots of game-playing time with my mom & McKinlie (my new 15-year-old wanna-be-adopted sister).

{weekend to-do list} coffee with the girls tomorrow, church Sunday, leading youth Sunday night, working on a painting for a graduation present, etc.

Weekly Recap

I know, I haven't posted anything since last week's weekly recap...but it's been a busy week!

in one word or phrase: great but tiring.  I feel like I spent the first half of the week driving & the second half trying not to have a cold.  I lost.

I'm dreaming of you: The day I get to go here.

song on repeat: Dave Barnes' Amen

gotta write it down: Favorite things Beth Moore said in last night's session her Revelation study:  

{1} He is romantic to the bone (goes on to point out that God began Scripture with the union of Adam & Eve, Jesus performed His first miracle, revealing His glory, at a wedding, & God ends Scripture with a wedding...the wedding of the Lamb).   

{2} Dance in advance (it's going to be great...anticipate & go ahead & celebrate).

{3} We're allergic to the idea of death because eternity is set in our hearts.  Reminds me of this C.S. Lewis quote:

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

{4}"A name was written on Him that no one understood except Himself." (Revelation 19:12b, NLT)  This name has never been profaned, never used carelessly or thoughtlessly.


{5} "from 'once upon a time' to 'kingdom come'—you are God."  (Psalm 90:2, The Message)

{6} "I will betroth you to Me forever." (Hosea 2:19, NIV)

picture to frame:  My grandmother LOVES dragging her water hoses all around the yard & counting her blooms.

highlight of the week:  {1} I spent a few days with my grandparents (being the chauffeur to doctor's appointments).  Yummy food, my favorite bed, lots of Phase 10, even more inappropriate to tell your granddaughter interesting stories, & lots of reading time.  {2} My barely 4-year-old cousin asked my mom "Do you want to go to Heaven?  Jesus Heaven.  Cause I'm going.  On a bird."  When I was telling my 7-year-old cousin this, another 4-year-old heard & said "You DON'T fly to Heaven on NO bird!  Jesus just sucks you right up!"  {3} Found out that I am finished with boring retail for the summer!  This summer I will be either at Mulberry or keeping 4 of my favorite kids! :)

weekend plans:  Errands in Athens today, animal/house sitting for 2 families (apparently I'm a pro now...am doing this at least 2 more times this summer.  Strange.), hopefully lots of time by the pool, church picnic on Sunday, working on some paintings.

Weekly Recap

in one word or phrase: undecided.  This week was rather uneventful. 

I'm dreaming of you: Thanks to this, I now want this:

{source}

Do I need a Polaroid camera?  No, not particularly...but they have some for really cheap on Amazon, & I think it'd be fun.  Maybe it'll be my treat when I get a job.

song on repeat: When it comes to music, I can't ever pick one.  I've been listening to this

{source}

a lot lately.  And I thought of picking some of my favorites from that album, but I really just love them all.

And you can't ever go wrong with Glee.  I don't have this

 {source} 

yet.  But I do have a few of the songs & am loving them.
     
gotta write it down: I'm skipping this one because it's Friday & I don't want to think that hard.
  
lesson learned: When everyone is updating their statuses (which I think should be stati) & tweeting about Grey's, & I've gotten 2 texts & 4 phone calls telling me how intense it is, I should not watch it alone.  TV friends are meant to be enjoyed with real-life friends.

picture to frame:  Um...I really love this one.

highlight of the week:  Most of my highlights will come this weekend...but I did manage to read almost a whole book this week!  The joys of summer :)

weekend to do list: tonight - dinner with Alison...probably the last time I'll see her before she leaves for India in a few weeks!  tomorrow - I get to see these 3 for Case's shower & bachelorette party!

And then Sunday, my brother is getting baptized, so I have family coming! :)  BUSY weekend.

Happy Friday :)