Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, my friends.  I feel like there were a lot of different readers this week, according to blog statistics that I see, so welcome back, if you're new and reading again.  I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals for this blog post. 

It's been a week.  To read more about all that has commenced since the weekend, click here, where I wrote a giant post about all that has gone on.  We were gone from Saturday night until Tuesday afternoon, very unexpectedly, and on Wednesday afternoon, I felt as if I hit a brick wall.  I guess I experienced a "let down" from all the emotional distress that the weekend brought.  I was strong while we waited, and even on Monday, when I wasn't being strong, I still held myself together pretty well, but on Wednesday, it all came out.  I cried a lot.  I prayed a lot.  I read the bible and did my bible study homework, and then I prayed some more.  I talked to my mom-in-love several times (more than usual) to get caught up, and tried to keep up with things while being back at home.  It was a really weird day, but yesterday was so much better. 

I am thankful that it's the weekend, almost, and that I can get totally recharged before Sunday.  I can't wait to go to church and be with my church family.  My pastor is starting a new sermon series called Fighting For Family.  Or something like that.  My pastor is my favorite preacher, y'all, and I so appreciate that man of God.  We have talked to him several times this week, and never have I been so thankful to be where we are, at Collierville First Baptist Church.

I'll get on to the post of my favorites from the week. 

We took this picture Saturday at Daddy's house.  Left to right are me, Daddy, Trish, and Paul.  My brother looks so good!  I haven't seen him in a few years, about three or four, and it is always great to see him, talk to him, hug him so big, and hear him tell stories.  He has the gift of story telling, just like Daddy.  I think this is a really great picture of them all!  (Truth be told, I look at myself, and all I see is HAIR.  It's really big right now.)

That time with them all was definitely a favorite moment from the week, and one that I needed before all that would be to come in the following days.

Also, we were celebrating my dad's 87th birthday. 

I've had to use our church's livestream so many times lately, that it has become a favorite part of our new church website for me.  I'm so glad we have that option for when we have to miss going.  I HATE missing church!  Funny fact: this is the fourth Resurrection Sunday I've not participated in.  Turns out that this our sick time of year, so I've been sick the last three, and then this year we were in Nashville.  Isn't that kinda funny that I've missed that many?  That is my favorite Sunday of the entire year.

While waiting in the hospital for Tracy to be out of surgery wasn't a favorite from the week, being with family and her friends was.  She has some pretty amazing friends, and one of them (Natasha) took this picture.  I texted it to myself from her phone on Sunday while we were waiting, so I could share and so that people would have a face with the name I was asking them to pray for.  (Also, please keep praying for her!  She is doing so well, but she has a long, long road to recovery before her.  And pray for Tim, her hubby, and their boys.  This is birthday season for all of them.)

Her shirt is so appropriate.  Strong and fierce. 

A huge bright spot on Monday was eating dinner at one of my favorite places to eat.  Honestly, I love the atmosphere probably more than the food, but Drew was in heaven.  We had a big family style birthday dinner for him, because the next day, he turned eighteen!

The picture of him on the right is my favorite picture of him from all time.  I can't believe that cute little guy on the left is now eighteen years old.  Moms of littles--I know you hear this all the time, but once they're finished with elementary school, it feels like you blink and they're graduating from high school. 

Also thanks to my sister Debi, it hit me yesterday that in three weeks, Drew will be finished with his senior year.  I have to turn grades in for him at the end of this month, and that did not dawn on me until I was talking to Debi on the phone yesterday.

When we got home on Tuesday, my mom and stepdad had brought over a full dinner for us and a birthday cake for Drew for us to enjoy that night.  That was my favorite part of the day.  The food was amazing, and I might have cried over their thoughtfulness.

I'm doing the armor of God bible study by Priscilla Shirer, and this little sticky note is posted on my bathroom mirror to remind me to pray on the armor every single day.  I don't always remember, if I'm honest, but I need to pray that on more than I need makeup.  This study is my favorite bible study of all.  I've done a TON of them, and I can honestly say that about this one.  It's my second time through.

Insert the emoji that shows me being sick.  This one drove us to church on Wednesday for him to be dropped off.  Noah is going next week to get his. 

Teaching teenagers to drive is NOT my favorite, nor is it for the faint of heart.

Oh, friends.  These angels are my great-nieces.  They're twins, and they're fifteen months old this month, and their mommy posted the most adorable video I have ever seen of them yesterday.  They were in the bathtub, and Kylie (on the left) kept sticking her finger in Kinsley's mouth.  The second time she did it, Kins bit her finger.  (I'm laughing.)  At the end of the video, this is them kissing and making up. 

I've watched it a shameful amount of times.

This picture is my new favorite of them.

Last but not least, I used to get my nails done every two weeks.  I miss going, but my nails were being destroyed by that gel polish and how it had to be scraped off.  My nails became thin and flimsy, so I quit going (I love where I went, though, so I told them all this so they wouldn't think I stopped on bad terms) and have gone back to doing my own.  In doing that, I've realized that a lot of my polishes need to be tossed because they're old and gunky and no longer able to be thinned out.

So yesterday I went to Walmart on the hunt for more.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a new (to me) brand that is VERY inexpensive. 

The brand is Salon Perfect, and it cost about $3.  I LOVE the colors.  That one on the left is what I tried first, and is my new favorite color.  It's a dark periwinkle blue.

It goes on weird the first coat, but it all evens out by the second coat. 

I always get asked how I do my own so well, but this next picture is the answer to that.

Seche Vite is the best quick drying topcoat I've ever used.  I buy mine on Amazon for about $7.  That bought me two bottles and because it gets thick pretty fast, I shared a bottle with one of my best friends who also loves to paint her nails.  That's my only complaint about this polish: once it gets thick and gunky, you have to toss it.  It gets that way when you're down to the last third of the bottle.

I also got this cute color by Sally Hansen.  I was wanting some fun and bright colors for spring and summer, and I'm pleased with what I got. 

I like to keep my nails polished because I live in a house of boys and because it keeps my nails strong.  When they're not polished, they break easily and seem thin. 

So there you have it. 

Thanks for reading!  I hope your weekend is great.  Love to all!