Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends!  I'm linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals, and her friends Erika and Narci, for this blog post. 

It's been a really great week!  It went by with lightning speed as usual, but I'm okay with it, because next week is Thanksgiving!  I can't wait to see my family that I haven't seen in over a year.  And, I cannot wait to decorate for Christmas!  Speaking of my favorite time of year, that leads me to my first favorite from the week.

This was us on Saturday, the Christmas lights crew, out at Dad's house.  It was just us this year, and it took the majority of the day, but we got it done.  (Two of my sons were out of town, one was sick, and the other got a free pass because he would have been the only one here, and he needed a day off from school and work related anything.)

I listened to Christmas music while I hung lights, and Dad and I cracked up laughing as we both tried not to fall on wet pine needles.  We have a system~he supervises, we do the work.  He drove the riding mower back and forth to get me more lights and anything else I needed.

I headed home after this, and picked up dinner for Todd and me on the way. 

The rest of our weekend was quiet, because Jonah and Noah were out of town, and the other two are always doing their own thing.  Todd was home most of the weekend, because he and Graham had been sick that week, and he was recovering still. 

On Monday, Todd came home early and he came home with flowers for me.  That is always my favorite thing, even if the cat does try to eat them all.  They're still so beautiful!

Also on Monday, I stayed home for the day, and played catch up with laundry and all the things I never seem to be able to get done. 

On Tuesday, Mom and I went out for the day and did all kinds of fun things, eating at a new place for lunch, even.  Any day out like that with Mom are always a favorite thing of mine.

That night, some of the ladies from my small group from the Galatians bible study and I all met for dinner at McAlister's and showered sweet Kristin with some baby gifts. 

I love these ladies!  I'm so grateful for the way we've all gotten to know each other through Bible study, and for nights like these.  This is the first time we've had a get together, and because so many of them were not able to make it, we will definitely be doing this again.  It was a really fun night.

I stayed home on Wednesday again, and on that day and on Monday, I had such great quality time with the Lord.  I love times like that, when I have nowhere to be, and I'm not in a hurry.  I got lots of reading done, and I wrote so much in my journal.  Both of those things are my favorites, the journal because I like to look back and remember.

(This journal is my current and favorite ever, from Hobby Lobby by Brother & Sister.)

That night, I covered a shift in the church preschool area, since Bible study is on break for a few weeks, working in the kindergarten class.  I actually had a great time doing that, and it surprises me that I'm able to say that, but I really mean that.  It was fun getting to know some of my friends' kids that I've always heard about, and a few of them seemed to worm their way right into my heart. 

On Thursday, I went to my church to work for a couple of hours, and the time I spend there with those ladies in the usher room each Thursday is always a favorite.  We laugh while we get things done, we talk and get to know each other, and the time flies.

I came home afterward and picked up Noah, and we went to the store to stack up on sample sizes of things.  We came home again and then left at four to go to my in-love's house to pull all the Christmas decorations out of their attic.  They put the tree together, and Phyllis and I decorated it.  I love these times.  I also came across a bunch of old pictures, like this one.

Look at my babies!  How ironic that Drew was the only one smiling.  She had a bunch more, and I loved looking through them all. 

After this, we came back home, because Noah needed to get to his friend's house to spend the night.  As I write this, he is flying somewhere over Oklahoma or New Mexico, on his way to Los Angeles!  His friend Jacob invited him on this trip months ago, and they're with Jacob's mom and aunt.  They'll be gone until Tuesday around midnight, when they'll land back in Memphis.  They're doing all kinds of fun things like touring the studios at Warner Brothers and Paramount, they're visiting the Santa Monica pier, and the Griffith observatory, the OUE skyspace (Google it), and Knott's Berry Farm.  It's the trip of his life!  I am so excited for him.

This was us last night, right before I prayed over him and we said our goodbyes.

Man, I love this kid.  He looms over me now, he's so tall, and I had to try way too hard to make him do this for my picture. 

I've been up since five texting him, and tracking him on his flight that departed before schedule, at 5:56 a.m. 

I am very thankful that I can track his flight....it's soothing my anxious heart. 

Well, I'm going to get on with this morning, so I'll stop with this last one.  I hope your day and weekend are wonderful!  Thanks for reading.  Love to all!