Five Favorites

It's Friday already!! This first week back to work/school has really flown by.

The students I work with have done a good job of getting back into the routines.  The special needs children have not regressed much at all, which is awesome.  Claire has started up again with the drama/dance/music ministry at church and Courtney is prepping for mid-terms at the high school.

We just found out that Claire was selected to be a part of the All-District Orchestra this year!  This is rare for 5th graders to be selected.  It is an all district concert in February, meaning all 7 of our school district's elementary schools will come together for a chorus, band and orchestra.  Typically just 6th graders are chosen to be a part of the performing group but for some reason there were 6 5th grade strings players who were chosen and my Claire is one of them!  I guess all that practicing for the first 19 weeks of school have paid off.  We are now in our 20th week of school and reports come home next week.

Dave and I are back into some volunteer work in various ministries at church and we are starting to get together a little more with some other couples from church for food and fellowship.  It is important to establish friends and renew older friendships as well. I am looking forward to getting together with a Facebook friend and former childhood friend on Saturday for lunch.  She lives in our hometown and I live about 2 hours east of our hometown so I am meeting her half way at one of my favorite restaurants.  (yeah for The WindMill in the southern Adirondacks!)

Now...here are 5 of my most favorite things from this past week.

Huge THANK YOU's go to Susanne from Living to Tell the Story for this fun, weekly meme.

I am really into these soy beads this month.

I received them as a gift from a co-worker.

The ones I have been enjoying are Nutmeg.

It makes my dining room smell so yummy!

This book!  I just love it......I really enjoyed The Da Vinci Code a few years ago.  I still haven't seen the movie, though. I much prefer the book, anyways, usually. Many people have told me that they preferred Angels and Demons or Da Vinci Code to this current bestseller. I actually am half way through the book and I just started it last week.  (I have less time to read during the school year than during the summer!).  I really got swept up in this tale much sooner than in the Da Vinci Code.  It's great fiction, an easy read, although there tends to be some math and science involved and some of the terms are unfamiliar to me.  It would make a great movie!

These pajamas.  Once again, the color is not coming out good on this computer! They are Aria's from my youngest daughter for Christmas.  They are a light mint green with different colored dots in a microfiber fleece and they are like wearing flannel sheets to bed! They are so cozy, comfy and some evenings I have put them on as soon as dinner is done!  With the bitter cold that my part of NYS has experienced lately, these new pj's have come in handy. (and no, that is NOT me in the pic....this was taken from the BonTon website!)

This cream from Avon.  It is a thick lotion that is the BEST thing for dry winter feet.  I slather it on at bedtime and right after my shower.  Avon online has constant sales so I stocked up for the winter.  The scent is a mild one, too, which I love.

This Scripture verse:  "...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar with wings like eagles;  they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

 And this verse:  "...the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."  Romans 8:6

 These verses were from my evening meditation time.  They were taken from the devotional book shown on the "bookshelf" (see side bar).  The author wrote that when we come to Jesus with positive expectations, we can know that there is no limit as to what God can accomplish.  We need to let the Holy Spirit control our mind and in doing so we will have thoughts of Him.  This brings peace!  Sometimes we may have to wait for prayers to be answered, and in so doing, we are learning to be patient and to trust Him!  We are to keep our minds and our eyes open to the things of God and to all that He is doing in our lives.

This was my favorite "quiet time" reading all week.

I actually have one more....I guess you could say it is more of a praise report:  the little boy I work 1:1 with on a daily basis in the Inclusion Kindergarten did NOT regress much at all over the Christmas break.  AND...the other little boy I work closely with, who has a moderate form of Autism, is starting to show emotion and verbalize his feelings!! This is huge!!  So I should include that in my list of fave things!  

Now...what about you? What is at least one favorite thing from this last week?