Hello Monday, So Long September

September has been a whirlwind of activity, appointments and celebrations, and now somehow we've reached the end of one of my favorite months of the year. 

We had a nice weekend and Mondays are when we link up with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) to chat about them. Here's how ours looked-

Friday morning hubs had a couple of errands to run and I went to Publix to pick up a few groceries and subs for lunch. We took them to Daughter1's house and spent a couple of hours there eating, checking out her new built-in shelves we hadn't seen in person yet, listening to Max read us a book (a new skill for him) and the Mancub play the piano, followed by a fun (yes, it actually was fun) math game with the Mancub called Corners. 

Late Friday afternoon I went to a friend's house with three other girls to catch up and play Mexican Train Dominoes. We had a lot of fun and I'd say time flew, but how many times can I say time is flying without sounding like a granny. 

Which I am, but still. What's up with time? 

Friday night my son-in-law was going to the high school football game and the boys sometimes go with him, but the weather was questionable so everyone came to our house instead. Hubs grilled burgers and then my son-in-law went on to the game and the rest of us strolled down memory lane going through two big boxes of VHS tapes and books I've been saving for decades. 

When we first mentioned to the girls that we had these two huge boxes of VHS tapes they were quick to say might as well get rid of them. Then daughter1 got her hands on the actual movie cases and said we couldn't possibly get rid of them lol. She's talked hubs into buying a tv for one of the guest rooms that we can connect a player too so the kids can watch the classics. She's including herself in the term 'kids' because once she saw The King and I, My Fair Lady, and The Little Princess she was down the rabbit hole of her childhood. 

Saturday I made another quick run to the library to pick up yet another book I'd put on hold that had arrived. When it rains it pours I guess. I've been a reading machine this month and I'm not mad about it. We left about 12:30 to drive into the nearby city for a surprise birthday party for Daughter1's mother-in-law. 

It was an afternoon gathering on a rooftop venue and the surprise was a success. We also had a bird's eye view of the spot where Daughter1's wedding reception was held ten years ago. 

The birthday party venue was in a hotel with a Ruth's Chris steakhouse in the lobby and hubs and I thought why not? 

So after the party we popped in and sat at the bar for dinner. We split a steak and lobster tail and a delicious caesar salad before heading for home. We hadn't eaten in a Ruth's Chris in many years, but the food was very good and the service was excellent. 

We caught the tail end of the TN football game and in true Volunteer fashion they kept us on pins and needles until the very last overtime minute. Whew this team can take years off your life, but a win is a win and we'll take it. 

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear without the humidity we've been having lately. So nice! We went to church and while we normally go to brunch with the kids right after, hubs and I decided it was too nice not to take the boat for a spin. 

I made lunch and we tooled around the lake for a while, had our lunch in a quiet cove, then more motoring around before coming home to watch football. I made a pot of chili and we went back to church for their evening service. We haven't been to the evening service since we started going to this church, but they're doing a study of C.S. Lewis's book -Mere Christianity, and since it's one of my all time favorite reads, I wanted to attend.  

And then it was home for a bowl of chili and more football. 'Tis the season, right? If you want to join the Monday recap party, hop over to the host blogs and add your link there. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Weekend Jamboree

The weekend. It was a doozy y'all, and I mean that in a good way. It was my grandson's second birthday. It was anniversary #40 for the hubs and I. It was Father's Day. It was baby dedication day for Sugar at their church. 

It was food and fun and family. 

It was cards and presents and balloons. 

It was baby girl in her Daddy's baptismal gown and a sermon that highlighted marriage on the very day we married. 

It was men supervising the BBQ, the grill, and the smoker. 

It was also college baseball (GO VOLS!), heat, and naps in cribs and on couches. 

I could write a post about any one of those things, but I think I'll just dive in and see where we land. I will very likely write a separate post about our anniversary because someday I have to climb out of the shallow end of the blog pool and get back into deeper waters. There is much to be said about a long married life. Stay tuned. 

Back to the kiddie pool...we made the three hour drive to daughter2's house Friday morning, with a stop at her nearby Publix to pick up subs for lunch. When we walked in the door sweet baby J literally clapped his hands and jumped for joy at seeing our faces. There's not much in the world that can top that. 

We had lunch and both kiddies took naps before the in-law grandparents rolled in. We hung out on the porch and passed Sugar from grandparent to grandparent while little man played. There's a lot of watching the grands do whatever kids do when you're a grandparent. And you think it's all marvelous because it absolutely is. 

Daughter2 made spaghetti for dinner and we watched Tennessee baseball win in the last seconds of the game to beat Florida State and then we watched all the replays and then Saturday we watched the ending a few more times because it was so good. 

Unless you're a Seminole of course. 

Anyway, Saturday morning was the birthday party for sweet baby J. As an aside, I always write my grandchildren a letter on their birthdays and you can read his in the link here (Two-rrific). The birthday was small, really just family and the next door neighbors, but the size was perfect for someone turning two. 

There was a cute construction theme with vests for the guests, and bins of kinetic sand with lots of construction vehicles and assorted road works equipment tucked inside. There were chicken minis from Chick-fil-a, sausage balls, a fruit tray, pasta salad and a scrumptious homemade cake courtesy of his momma. 

Homemade and homestyle are my favorite kind of parties, and J had a ball leisurely opening presents and exclaiming WOW! upon seeing each and every gift unwrapped. Completely precious. Everyone rested, chatted, read, and/or napped that afternoon, then my son-in-law grilled hotdogs and burgers for dinner and then we all pretty much collapsed into bed at an early hour. 

Did I mention the heat? Whew! It was extreme all weekend long. 

Sunday morning I got up and took a walk around the neighborhood before the temperature went soaring, we had a quick breakfast, and the guys all opened their Father's Day cards and gifts. 

We don't really do gifts on Father's Day, but I bought all the men a jar of these pickles I spotted at the local farm stand the other day. They all like pickles and spicy food (these have a whole jalapeno in them, along with lots of garlic and onions) plus the name screamed Father's Day to me. 

We all changed and  loaded up the cars for the short ride to church. There were four babies being dedicated today and big brother was feeling like the freshly minted 2-year old he is up there grinning on the stage with his parents. His dad had one hand on his shirt collar most of the time, but sweet baby J enjoyed every minute lol. 

Sugar of course was just like her name. Sweet. She has the biggest, best smile y'all. It's like a full body smile and her whole adorable face lights up. 

After the dedication portion concluded the whole congregation sang Jesus Loves Me and it made me feel so teary. Getting toddlers and babies and yourselves to church on Sunday mornings is not for the faint of heart, but my daughter2's church is bursting at the seams with small children. Makes my heart so happy to know these young families are doing whatever it takes to get there each week. To raise their children in this upside down world to put their faith in the One who made it. 

The media loves to tell us every awful thing millennials and older Gen Z-ers are up to, but when I'm around my girls and their friends I see hard working, committed, faithful parents raising families and living with intention. These young adults don't make the news, but they are quietly going about the business of living full, productive lives, and the world is less depressing when we remember that. 

My son-in-law is a master griller and he smoked a delicious pork butt for Father's Day dinner. 

There was more college baseball afterwards (GO VOLS!) and it was the perfect way to end a perfect weekend. I think Sweet baby J would tell you that next to the balloons this was his favorite part-

So how did you spend your weekend? 

                              

Linking up with Holly and Sarah for their regular Hello Monday blog party...see you there! 

 

Post-Pandemic Blogging

Are we post pandemic? Depends who you ask-ha! We have resumed normal life for the most part here, with a few exceptions when exceptions are called for. I am not getting into a fist fight or verbal altercation with anyone over masks, vaccines, or the like, and wish everyone could at least agree on that. 

Mostly hubs and I say it feels like someone flipped a switch and the train is back on track. Our calendar has certainly ratcheted up a notch or ten and it feels good.

At the same time, this past year and a half has shown me I don't want to be busy every single day. While I'm super excited to have houseguests once more, I am purposely leaving some blank space in the summer calendar for quiet daydreams, naps on the porch, and the occasional orange crush from our lakeside Cabana. 

The weather is most definitely saying summer here, so on Saturday night hubs grilled steaks on the Big Green Egg, and afterwards we took our first boat ride of the season. 

Early evening into sunset is one of the best times to be on the water, partly because day boaters have exhausted themselves and are docked for the night, but mostly because the sky is everything I love about summer. 

On Sunday we had Sunday School via Zoom, but church in person. Hmmm...here's how I feel...everyone is doing their best to make good decisions for the benefit of all so we're rolling with it. Funny story-we attended church in person last Sunday too and y'all! In true 2020 fashion (yes I still call the whole big mess 2020) a baby possum entered the sanctuary mid-sermon, and created a bit of a ruckus. 

We had the side doors open at both the front and rear of the church and he walked on in like ain't no big thing. One of the Deacons sitting nearby leapt to his feet and gently nudged the possum out the back door, and if that isn't this past year in a nutshell I don't know what is. 

In other news, my favorite people will be stateside in the not too distant future (time is relative of course) and I cannot wait to get my hands on these happy little men. I don't want to wish away the summer, but it's awfully hard not to count the days. 

God grows us in seasons of waiting and I guess I've still got some growing to do. 

In the meantime I look at the beauty of a watercolored sky and remember He's got the whole world in His hands.

Sunday Morning Sunshine

I'm three for three in the A to Z Challenge. Whoohoo! (Read letter A here and letter B here).

C is for Church

I know there are people reading here today who won't get this one, but I am that person who has always loved church. I was not the teenager who had to be dragged out of bed and forced to attend. As an adult I love it still.

I like the way sitting in church helps me quiet my mind, regain perspective, think about things outside myself. I like the sense of peace it brings. I like specifically setting aside time at the beginning of a new week to take note of what God has done and is doing. I believe God hears us when we pray. I love old hymn lyrics, new praise music, and singing along even though I can't sing.

Few things fill me with more delight than seeing my whole family sitting side by each down a pew row.

I know there are all kinds of problems with all kinds of churches, specifically the imperfect people in them because isn't a church without people just a building? I guess I don't really understand the logic when someone tells me they won't go to church because it's full of hypocrites, liars, and fakes. Isn't church where those people need to be? And by 'those people' I mean me because we all have our junk.

Going to church is less about who I'm sitting next to and more about God meeting me there. Reminding me in the words spoken and the songs sung and the prayers whispered that He's God and I'm not.

I read the results of a recent survey that showed people who attend church regularly are happier than people who don't. They're more likely to vote, are more engaged in their communities outside of the church, and will say they are just happier in general.

Most of us are doing the best we can in a world gone mad, and I personally can't imagine navigating life on planet earth without my faith. It's a challenge in this season to be at church every week. I miss it when I'm not there, and find myself trying to fill in the gaps on my own, which just isn't the same.

I don't think you have to go to church to call yourself a person of faith, but life has a way of testing us on a pretty regular basis, and going to church helps me stay grounded.