Friday Favorites

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

Because of being short a couple of vehicles this week (and last week), I have had a really low key week.

My mom picked me up on Monday (along with Jonah and Noah) and we grocery shopped together.  I know that doesn't sound like anything, but one of my favorite things is spending mundane moments with the ones I love.  One of my love languages is quality time (along with physical touch), so that comes as no surprise.

Back to the grocery shopping, though, you should have SEEN the back of her car.  That little thing has probably never seen that amount of groceries before.  We went to Sam's, then to Costco, then to Pet Smart for Jonah and Noah.  They each bought something for their leopard geckos.  Jonah bought a back drop for the second cage (the first cage already had one they had bought a couple of months ago) and Noah bought Chester a new corner house.

I think it's safe to say that one of Jonah's and Noah's favorite things is their leopard geckos and caring for them.  The other one's named Jack Frost.

On Tuesday, we all stayed home during the morning hours and cleaned the house.  A clean house is my favorite.  It never lasts that long, but that's okay.

I have found over the years that if I take a little time each day to clean or straighten up or vacuum, then it's never overwhelming to clean.  For instance, when I wash my hands in either of the bathrooms, I almost always wet my hands first and wipe down the counter tops.  Then I use the running water to wipe off the dust and wash my hands, then towel the counters off and wipe the faucets.  Other areas that get cleaned or wiped down everyday are the kitchen counters, the stove and microwave and any doors or doorways that need to be wiped clean of finger or hand prints.

And because of our dogs, the vacuum is run almost every day.

Dog hair is NOT a favorite.

In case you missed an earlier blog post this week, I printed off this sheet for August.  Scripture writing is a favorite thing of mine.  I keep all the pages I've written in a big three ring binder that I have in my kitchen, but I think when November comes (or January, I haven't decided yet), I'll start doing this in whatever journal I'm using at that time.

If you want the printable version for yourself, go to swtblessings.com.

Yesterday I was reminiscing about our summer by looking through pictures on my phone, and I came across a couple that made my heart swell with happiness.  My favorite thing that we did all summer was go on a family mission trip to the Navajo nation in Ganada, Arizona.  Here are a couple of pictures that I posted on social media yesterday.

Are they not the most beautiful little children?  I think of them all the time and I pray for them, that they remember the bible lessons and the scripture that we talked about.  I pray that seeds were planted in their hearts and that someday they will come to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I think I looked at all the pictures for a solid hour.  I pray that we get to return next year.

Yesterday my mom in love came to pick Noah and I up and take us to her house.  Graham and Jonah were at our church working the sound for an event going on, and Drew was at work with Todd.  We hung out at her house for the afternoon, then Todd and Drew met us there and shortly after that, we all went and had dinner at Cici's Pizza.  Spending time with the in-love's is always a favorite of mine.  I don't see them that often nowadays, especially since I was gone a lot over the summer, but I'd like to try to start seeing them at least every couple of weeks again.  I love routine family dinners, and we are usually better about that when school is going on.

I started reading a new book yesterday.  Reading has been my favorite hobby of the summer.

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, I'm only on chapter two.  I'll let you know.

And today we have lunch with my dad.  Family time (again) will always be a favorite tradition.  I am so fortunate to have seen so much family this week.  I know so many of my friends don't have good relationships with their families, or they live far away, but that has never been the case for me.  If I'm not seeing them, I'm texting them or talking on the phone.  My sisters and Mom and niece and I all have a perpetual group text going, and we tell each other all the things that make up our lives.  Some of it is good, some of it is sad.  I'm thankful for this, though, that we get to share our lives together.  No amount of distance can separate us.

I hope your weekend is filled with joy and people that you love.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all.