catching up

If I didn't have to make a Costco/Kroger run today, I would not leave my house.  But we are out of several things, and I am being forced to go.  [Not really, but since my husband has this thing called a job, and I do not, I am the one who goes to the store the majority of the time.]  

I am tired of going.  I read recently how women are guilty of claiming they're busy like it's a badge of honor, and I do not agree with that at all!  I do not like being this busy, and I really try to avoid it all costs.  However, sometimes it is just like that, even if for a short while.  Last week was one such time.  I had things to do every single day of the week, and every night except for ONE, I was gone.  Needless to say, I'm excited about being home every night this week. 

I also named this week bestie week, because I saw Missy Byrd every single day for seven days straight.  That was accidental, but also a bonus.  

 

Last week on Monday night, we finished our book club for the year.  We have been meeting since May [or possibly April] and we decided to break for the holidays, possibly for longer, on account of life.  We started out as five friends reading a book our friend Angela wrote, but we are ending as four.  We only read TWO books in all those months.  That makes me laugh, because I am a fast reader.  I spent that day doing things like going to Costco and Kroger, then coming home and making dinner and finishing the book we were reading.

On Tuesday night, we had Tablescapes at my church.  That morning I was home, but as soon as Drew got home from his chemistry class, Noah and I left to go eat lunch, then to go to church, to decorate my table for that night.  We were all divided up that night, and it ended up being just Todd and Jonah at home.  They went to Huey's for dinner, as soon as Todd helped Jonah pull his last tooth.

On Wednesday, I had bible study.  I spent that morning at home doing things like cleaning, vacuuming, and laundry, then catching up on homework.  After we met, this was the only night I stayed home, and Todd and I caught up on everything and our show.  

Thursday was a fun day.  It started off with a fun little day in the life challenge on Instagram, where a bunch of people documented their day doing mundane, ordinary things, using the hashtag #onedayhh.  I found out later on from the lady who started this that the hh stands for hour by hour.  It used to mean something different, but she changed it a couple years ago.  I had a lot going on that day, so I had a lot to document.

First up was quiet time.

I used this table cloth for Tablescapes, so I was glad to have it washed and back on the kitchen table.  In my quiet time, I'm reading through the book of Proverbs.  I also went through Ruth again, because we have been reading that in community group on Sunday nights with the ninth grade girls.  

Next on the list for my day was taking Drew to get his portrait made with his cap and gown.

Bless.  I heard the lady laugh when she placed the cap on his head.  He has curls galore.

I took him to get lunch right after this, and then ran into Target for a new journal, then we joined Noah back at home.  He wanted to stay here while we did all of this, and Jonah was at work with Todd for the day.  [He had worked ahead in his school work last week and was able to skip that day and go to work with him.]  

Then we came home and stayed put until that afternoon.  The boys in the family all went to the shooting range for guys night with our church family, and Missy and I met another friend at Germantown Baptist for dinner and to hear one of our favorite authors speak.  We sat at tables with women from that church, and I got to meet a sweet friend who I've been friends with on social media for more than a year now.  We also saw another friend [Adriana] and got to catch up with her as well.  There were several more ladies at the table with us, and it was just a really fun and refreshing night.

My friend Adriana made this collage.  On the top left is Tami [left] and Adriana.  Then Tami and me, Missy and me, then most of our table, minus three ladies.  They joined us a little later in the night.

I got to meet one of my favorite bloggers and writers, Sophie Hudson, and I am laughing, because that is how we spent the entire night.  She is even more funny in person than she is on her blog and in her books, and we left so encouraged by what she shared with us.  [She used Luke 1 to speak on women and friendship.]   

When we all got back home, our sweet honorary Goodwin came to see us!  Marissa was in town for the whole weekend.

This was, by far, my favorite part of last week.

On Friday morning, the boys and I were dressed early, so that we could go to the Veteran's day parade with Dad.  It's a tradition, and though they might not be as excited as they once were over this, it was a really fun morning.  We had lunch at The Arcade afterward.

It was beautiful and chilly!  We sat under blankets.

This is how long we have been doing this.  They used to love to make posters for the Veterans as they walked by.  There are several years that they [or we] made the local news.

When we got back home, I took a short nap and then packed for a girls retreat that we had that night and Saturday until lunch time.  Missy picked me up at three, we made a run to Kroger for our sweet Abbey, then we went to the retreat center, which is only twenty minutes from here.

This is Marissa and me, on the beautiful deck at the back of Pioneer Lodge, where we all stayed.  

Theresa and Marissa in the same spot.  I have to stop here and say that the ladies who were doing the cooking for that night and the next morning did it AMAZING job with all of our food!  I am so thankful to them for doing that for Abbey, it was a big, hard job, and they pulled it off beautifully.  Theresa was one who helped, then Lori and Andrea did the rest.  Theresa was also one of the ladies who spoke this weekend.  

Those of us who were able met there early to help Abbey with a few things, and to pray.

This is where we met for our sessions throughout the few hours we were there.  I say "few hours" because the retreat starts at five Friday night and ends by one on Saturday.  It is a WHIRLWIND of a few hours, with very little sleep involved.  

I love how this room looked with all the lights!

We ate dinner, then we had our first session.  After that session, we all broke off in our family groups [which were named after Disney princesses-my group was Belle, because Abbey knows my favorite Disney movie was Beauty and the Beast.]  We played games as a group, and this was the favorite thing.  A rock wall on one side, a free fall on the other.  

There was a bonfire and fireside chat with Sunday, where she spoke about the biblical role of being a woman, and there were s'mores.

The next morning was breakfast, then more sessions, where several women spoke on different topics.  Fun was had by all, and I think there were eighty something girls there.  

I came home and crashed.  We had pizza for dinner and I was in bed as soon as the Alabama/Mississippi State game was over.  

Yesterday was church, then choir, then community group.  

So now you see why I stopped blogging last week.  

And today?  I am going to two places, then I am coming home and getting back into pj's.  It was a really busy week, but it was REALLY fun, and I am already missing my bestie, whom I will not see again until Wednesday, most likely.  She was definitely the bonus of all the crazy things we did.  

Thanks for reading!  Love to all.