Five Favorites!

Yeah for Friday!!! This was a long, busy week....and one that really stretched me, spiritually speaking....which I won't go into right now!

I had several favorite things this week: late afternoon chats with my 16 year old, early a.m. coffee with my husband (on the days he was actually here and not out-of-state on business!), moments at school when my students actually retained information from the previous week's lessons......( I teach a small group of 3 students who are special needs from a classroom of 15 children, 8 of whom are typical kindergartners, and 7 who have handicapping conditions).

I loved church and the sermon I heard on Sunday.
I enjoyed watching my youngest during her ballet classes on Tuesday and I loved listening to my teenager explain a math problem to her little sis....and thanking God that Claire has Courtney to help because I so don't do math! :)

But....here are, in pictures again, 5 of my most favorite things from the week:

Taking my 10 year old (Claire)
to Fly Creek Cider Mill
last Saturday for a fun day trip.
I met my good friend Cheryl B there...
we've been friends since 1967
when we were both 7 yrs old!
We had lunch with Claire;
she had a blast feeding the ducks and geese.
Later, more friends joined us for more fun,
& retail therapy.....
It was a very relaxing, easy day!

My 10 year old practicing her violin last evening.
She is starting to sound pretty good!
I love to hear my children practice their instruments
although it is rare for my teenager
since she leaves her violin in school
until Christmas vacation!
It makes my heart happy
to see my children enjoy the things
I enjoyed when I was younger...
...altho my instrument was piano, not violin :)

This image of a Christmas ornament I found online!
I wanted something that promoted Christ
for the invitations to the next HizKidz Praise show
that my10 year old is in, in November.
One of the volunteers made up a beautiful glossy flyer
but there wasn't a Christian image on it....so...
I started hunting....
and found this.....
I like to include the actual reason the ministry exists....
to give Glory to God through drama, dance, and music.....
the flyer I printed up looks great with the
Operation Christmas Child logo
(the title of the musical)
and this pic in the opposite corner.

This class picture of the class I teach in.
Because of confidentiality issues, I cannot print their names
but.... I work closely with the little boy who is hanging over the side
(4th from the right).
The other child I work with most of the time was ill...
he missed a great field trip
to The Pumpkin Patch!

"When it hurts to look back, and you are scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there."

This pic and quote: it reminds me of one of my best friends....someone the Lord brought into my path this past June (see sidebar duck pic for story of this!)
.....she knows who she is if she is reading this!
She prays for me, she encourages me and she is real with me....
we can talk about anything really and I feel as though she is a "safe" person, authentic and trustworthy...
so lacking sometimes in our more "surface-y" friendships/relationships........
and I try to reciprocate that for her......

I thank the Lord for her and the way He is continuing to knit our hearts together...... (Thank you, C!! you are an awesome friend and sister-in-Christ).

Thank you to Susanne from Living to Tell the Story for hosting this each week!!