weekending & Hello Monday linkup

Happy Monday, Friends! I'm linking up with Tanya at The Other Side of the Road for this blog post.

It was such a good weekend. I visited with my dad on Friday and then took him home and as I left his house I called my mom to talk...she was making BLT sandwiches for dinner and asked if I wanted to come over. Of course I jumped on that offer after I made sure Toddley didn't have plans, so I cut through one of the country roads on my way home and that road took me out to Fayette County, where they live. I love country roads!

I was stopped when I took these...mostly and even if I wasn't, there were no cars around me. I love all the green of summer. I love how lush everything looks and I love the sunsets and the way the clouds look. I have a thing for clouds, did you know that? I love what this verse says:

LORD, your faithful love reaches to heaven, your faithfulness to the clouds. Psalm 36:5

I love seeing all of this out in the country. While I was at Mom's house eating BLT sandwiches, Todd and the boys went to Chili's for dinner with a couple of their friends. Todd came back home shortly after I got back and he ended up staying outside to put together a bench he bought for the deck. It was too big, though and he took it back. I went to bed early that night and was up again early on Saturday. I sat down for some quiet time that morning and had laundry going at the same time, then my mom called and asked if I wanted to go out with her and my sister Trish. I did. I folded some clothes and made the bed, then got dressed and they picked me up. The only place I wanted to go was to HomeGoods for a new candle, because I burned mind all the way down. 

And every once in a while, I hit the jackpot there...yesterday was that day. I found a banner I wanted for our fence in the backyard, I found the candle I'd been looking for that I wanted to replace the one in the living room, and I found two really cute hanging plantar things with lavender inside of them. Let me show you.

I love how it all turned out! The throw pillows on the bench came from Hobby Lobby...Toddley met me, Mom and Trish there and we bought them yesterday along with a shadowbox that he needed to put some commemorative things in. The cushions in the turquose chairs came from Lowe's and the hanging pots with lavender are artificial and from HomeGoods.

Todd also took the bench back from Friday night and replaced it with a smaller one that is a darker color, and that's where we will store all of the cushions while nobody is out there. 

Too bad it's too hot to sit out there and enjoy it all, but it is. Good old Memphis weather. 

Saturday night Toddley worked with the sheriff department, so I had the tv and most of the house to myself. It was GLORIOUS. I watched The American President, a movie from 1995 that I loved with Michael Douglas, and I talked on the phone to my best friend and my mom-in-love. 

Toddley came home earlier than I expected, so that was nice...Noah and I were the only ones here when he came home. We were up early Sunday for church and the service was so good! The active families pastor and my friend AJ preached...I told him I could have listened to him for a couple more hours and I wouldn't have complained. I can't wait until they email the sermon to us, I plan on listening to it again. That afternoon after all the boys got home from lunch with friends, Todd and all of them (plus a few extra) went and met his friend Chris out by his house about an hour away for a day of swimming. I had another evening at home alone and enjoyed it thoroughly. My favorite night is one spent at home when I'm by myself. I'm such an introvert and since the quarantine, I rarely get the tv to myself. 

I came across a really good article Friday and thought I'd share it with you. It's put out by my favorite curriculum company. Click here to read it for yourself. It's about homeschooling and I share it with you in case anyone reading this is considering that an option for their family. With unsure times and so much uncertainty about what fall will look like for students, it's a very timely word from Charlene Notgrass. Notgrass is the curriculum I've used for years for history/social studies. All my guys loved the books and the pictures and everything written within the pages. If you ever want to talk about homeschooling, I am here. I loved what Charlene said in her article, and I almost could have written it myself~our reasons are similar, as to why we chose to homeschool.

On a lighter note, look at this drink I made Saturday night!

It was so, so good and very low in calories and fat. I had coffee leftover from Saturday morning so to that I added 1 tbsp of chocolate syrup, a splash of milk, and a handful of ice. I blended it with an immersion blender and got another glass that was about half full with ice and added 1 more tbsp of chocolate syrup and poured the iced drink over it. I had TWO glasses of it because it was not unhealthy.

I had it again Sunday night, because it's refreshing and satisfied the craving for a milkshake I had.

Look at my beautiful sister and niece. Lisa [on the left] celebrated her birthday on Sunday and I shared this picture in honor of that. Isn't she pretty? Her and Erika both! Erika is my niece that is pregnant with her second set of twins. SECOND. Did you catch that? Her girls, my great nieces Kinsley and Kylie, are three and a half and her second set [also girls!] are due in August. We're praying for healthy babies and a safe delivery for all.

It was a great weekend, like I said. How was yours? I'd love to hear! Thanks for reading...love to all.