these are the days {link up party}

Welcome, blog friends!  Grab this picture, or make one of your own, and link your blog back to mine for today's link up party.

Just like last week, these are the days I want documented forever.  I'm hopeful and prayerful that soon our lives will resume some semblance of order and normalcy again.  Until then, these are the days I want to remember.

I want to remember all the trips Todd made to Lowe's, though he would probably rather forget.  

I want to remember that though we had more good days than bad, some days were just plain hard and frustrating.  For everyone, and definitely for me.  All of our nerves are a little frazzled, and I keep trying to remember that just as God gives me grace abounding, I need to extend that same thing to everyone in the house, even if they hurt my feelings like one of my sons did last night.  (I bit my tongue and didn't say anything to him, though, because I didn't want meanness to come out.)

I want to remember all the projects we keep getting done!  This week my hubby and stepdad are working on the front porch railing and are also battling weather and work calls that my husband keeps having to go on.  (Praise God for those, by the way, the family business is struggling a bit with all this shutdown.)  

This was about what I looked like yesterday as I cleaned out a couple of boxes worth of photo albums and miscellaneous pictures.  I had to throw away some frames that were broken and I'm donating some, but I took the time to really go through all the pictures.  I figured since I was doing that I might as well start a stack of Jonah and Noah for the pictures I will submit to MHEA for their graduation next year.

I just got a little sick to my stomach when I wrote that.

Also this week, I cleaned out the dining room hutch and the cabinet in my kitchen that I refer to as the coffee cabinet.  It sits above(ish) my coffee pot and holds filters, coffee, the measuring spoon I use, to go cups, my own little Swig cups that I love, tea, and sugar and creamer.  I love a productive week, don't you?

I want to remember this time when I taught Drew to cook.  We are a homeschooling family (not just now, but always) and I've always incorporated daily life experiences into their learning.  Cooking was one such learning opportunity, and they've always been helpful in the kitchen.  A couple of them know how to cook, but a couple of them never had interest until just now.  (I need to ask Noah if he wants to learn now.)  Drew loves to eat good food, though, and I've been showing him how to make a few things.  Mainly, stirfry.  We always have leftover rice, and he just sautees onions and bell peppers in butter, soy sauce, and a little white cooking wine.  He eats that mostly for lunch sometimes, but has had it a time or two at dinner.

I want to remember the hundreds (seemingly) of times I had to repaint my nails.  I miss getting them done!  (I can't stand it when the polish starts to peel.)

I want to remember this as the time Drew made a lot of his t-shirts into sleeveless shirts.

I want to remember all the ramen noodles that were consumed in this kitchen.

I want to remember what it felt like wanting to get dressed up cute, but stopping myself, because why?  It's not like anyone was going to see me.

I want to remember all the pajama days we had.  Fun times.

I want to remember how Chip never had to go into his kennel during quarantine and lived his best life everyday.  When they go back to work, the dogs are going to miss these guys.

I want to remember the days when I didn't feel guilty about watching too much tv!  I've watched entire series and I've gone back and watched some movies I loved when I was younger but had forgotten about, like this one.

And this one, that I'd somehow missed and never watched.

Both of these were on Hulu, by the way, and this bottom movie is really cute and PG.  Movies are never rated that anymore, and I don't recall even one bad word.  I think this is based on the books by Sophie Kinsella.

I want to remember going through journal pages really fast, and having reality checks every so often.  One night last weekend I was about to have a moment (and not a good one), and sat down and started a gratitude list.  Every time I'm about to lose it, I do this, and it realigns my thinking with God and I start praising Him and thanking Him for all the things that brought a smile to my face.

I could probably go on, but I'll stop with this list.  If you're a blogger, I'd love for you to link up with me!  Thanks for reading and linking up with me.  Love to all!

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