September already?

I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. -Psalms 138:2b

Because blogging (and picture taking) has unfortunately been at the bottom of my "to do" list, I'm combining the past few weeks. While I had actually been doing a tiny bit of journaling, I never published. Do you know my computer has been broken for nearly 6 months now, which means I haven't uploaded pics from my big girl camera (who used to be the love of my life) in 6 months? How do I remedy this!!?? 

Five on Friday - August 24 edition

1. Brian's introduction to bus driving was rough, but a consistent route after the first week made a huge difference overall. A steady route is so much simpler than showing up and being handed something new every single day! What seemed like an easy answer to (1) keep our insurance and (2) have time for a full-time job in ministry is turning out to be not so simple. It's not any less of a direct answer to prayer, but not as easy or simple as we imagined. We have a whole new appreciation for school bus drivers, that is for sure!

2. Cross country began this week and it's all Rory's sport this year as Camden is reserving his energy for basketball, soccer, and honors classes. While I would have liked him to also run cross country purely for the exercise benefit (and to burn off some of his neverending energy), I am not particularly sad about missing out on the additional sports fee.

3. My dad picked up the kids and took them for an afternoon of horseback riding - a milestone because they're both old enough and experienced enough to ride on their own so 3 horses = 3 riders (which is pretty fun for my dad to have company on his rides).

4. Part of beginning high school is a new chrome book for Camden, his first device all his own. Homework has never been so exciting. He also had to complete an application for the honors program. Here's what he had to say on the section that asked what the committee should know about Camden, "I was adopted from South Korea at 8 months of age. You should also know I'm pretty much a perfectionist."

5. The weekend was a full one with company Saturday night and a solid 10-hour work day at church on Sunday (also a sick Rory, but more on that later).

hello, bright sun

Five on Friday - August 31 edition

1. It's a half day of school for the kids so lunch at Chick-Fil-A, a sports physical for Camden, and a chiro appointment filled the afternoon. Camden is officially 5'10" and a whopping 107 pounds and currently in the middle of basketball tryouts. Basketball combined with 4 honors classes, youth band, and regular church band makes a pretty full plate for a 15-year old. As a parent, it's hard to strike the balance between taking advantage of opportunities to develop his skills but also keeping him as part of the family unit for these last 4 years of high school. Balance, balance, balance - chanted repeatedly through my mind and heart.

2. Rory's annual allergies-meet-asthma illness brought her down this last week so the two of us missed church on Sunday; Brian stayed home with her Monday, and she spent the rest of the week trying to recover. Unfortunately, she still hasn't kicked it and sounds like a smoker, but she's on the downhill slide.

3. For all the time I was on chemo these past 18 months, I lived with the incorrect belief that if I could just quit treatment, all my physical ailments would go away. That is faulty thinking, of course, because cancer (and chemo side effects) is never ending but chemo felt like such the enemy. Nearly 5 months after stopping treatment I'm still trying to figure it out and battling nearly as many bad days as good. My doctors are still fine-tuning medication and I'm still fine-tuning how to cut myself some slack. After an entire week of bad days recently, this week has easily been one of my best.

4. I finished two excellent books in the past week, both featuring diversity and stories with twists and turns that made me gasp out loud. Not only is the story-telling compelling but the story informs the reader on diversity and experiences that I know nothing about. More and more, a story that teaches me something is my favorite kind to read: Dear Martin by Nic Stone and Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. I've nearly reached my goal of 50 books in 2018 with a solid 4 months to go. I wonder what my total for 2018 will be.

Pretty lucky to find myself on the launch team for Shannan Martin again, and her new book is lovely - have you seen a prettier cover? Pre-order here and then visit this page for lots of pre-order goodies.

5. I didn't know how much I was looking forward to this 3-day weekend until it arrived, and I felt light as a feather. Brian and I are kicking off the holiday with date night (Crazy, Rich, Asians). Movie Pass is a beautiful thing when it works correctly.

Saturday holds a little pampering with my mom and sister - my first pedicure since May of 2017! We're spending the afternoon in Nashville on the hunt for a recliner - something cushy enough for Brian but aesthetically pleasing, small and compact enough to fit in the living room. Does this recliner even exist? Also planning to treat the kids to a fun lunch. Sunday evening is free and Camden has requested the Avengers Infinity movie while Monday is reserved for a Labor Day cookout with family.

Happy Holiday Weekend, Friends!