Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals for this blog post.

This week was spent playing catch up from our trip.  I've been tired, full of energy some days, really happy or really sad.  To say that my emotions have run the gamut is putting it mildly.  I've been waking up at six something every single morning, thanks to my Callie girl (which is new thing she does now, apparently, and it all started when we left for the Navajo Reservation), and then falling back to sleep before my first cup of coffee in my recliner.

I am thankful for the week at home, because I leave again on Sunday, for a week of serving at Street Reach with the youth in our church.  I'm starting to make lists today, because I know that my tired brain will forget something if I don't.

Here are some of my favorite moments from the past seven days.  It's crazy to think that this time last week, I was staring at a different beautiful view.

One.

I love that view!  I miss that view and the people who were on the trip with us.  Morning worship time was my very favorite time of each day.  Keith would lead worship and we would sing, then he would speak about something each day, from a different passage of Scripture.  He is a really great teacher, and on this particular morning, my emotions were all over the place and I sat and cried almost the entire time.  I had been having my quiet time and a guy a few feet away from me heard me and started talking to me.  He told me that he assumed my tears were over my sadness because that was our last day, and he was right.  Then for the next ten minutes, he just sat and encouraged me.  It was a really sweet time, and he recognized that I was struggling over saying goodbye.

It was really sweet, and the guy who encouraged me is an eighth grade science teacher at CMS.  Graham had him for the time he was there, then we ended up pulling him out after Christmas to homeschool him.

I told you earlier this week (several times, I think), that my heart will forever be connected to the sweet people who went on that trip with us.

Two.

I loved this stop on Sunday morning, in Shamrock, Texas.  I think it's one of my favorite things that we saw, and even where we stopped to get gas, the young man at the cash register and I had a really great talk while I was waiting to get a receipt for the gas.  He was really curious as to why a big group of us were there, and I ended up telling him all about our trip and what we did, and I encouraged him a little as he told me about himself.

I've told you that I meet friends wherever I go?

I do.

Anyway, this was a fun memory, and I love all these people so much.

Three.

This was so NOT my favorite thing from the week.  I wish I could properly explain to you the amount of dust and dirt that was on our dirty clothes, thus also on my kitchen floor after I did all this laundry.  I was a little overwhelmed when Todd left for work Monday morning, but I somehow managed to get it all done that day.  My washing machine and dryer ran from six thirty that morning until after eleven that night.

I am happy to report that I'm back to being caught up on laundry again.

Four.

On Monday night we had pizza for dinner, because of all the laundry, but on Tuesday, our neighbors invited us down to their house for dinner.  I got to love on this sweet cheeked little angel and kiss on his cheeks for a good bit while they finished making dinner.  This was one of my favorite and best things we did all week.

And hamburgers and hot dogs have never tasted so good!  It was just Todd and me that went, because all the boys were at backyard kids clubs.

Five.

Speaking of backyard kids clubs, this was another favorite from the week.  I love that our church doesn't do VBS, but hosts these BKC's all over our town.  I helped at Club Walker and had a great time seeing these kids and hanging out with friends who were there.  Another favorite thing that happened Wednesday night and last night came after BKC's, but it was for all the youth workers.  We got to swim each night, afterward, and I drug Missy right along with me.  For two nights, for a solid hour, we just relaxed in the pool and enjoyed the company all around us.

I love nights like that.  I love summer nights like that, especially, because we all know that swimming is my second favorite hobby, only after reading.

Even though the heat is not my favorite, the season is, because of that.

Well.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all.