JULY FAVES

It's Friday!

I survived the first week of summer school and I'm thanking God it's the weekend!

Along with being thankful for the weekend, and summer weather, I'm sharing FIVE things that made me smile this week.  It is good to give thanks to the Lord!  I'm linking up at Susanne's site with others who participate in being intentional about our blessings.

FIVE FAVES

• SERMON SERIES WRAP-UP:  Claire and I attended the 5 pm church service on Saturday as I had plans to go north on Sunday and she wanted to sleep in after working all week.  Courtney was still in Texas and Dave had to work on the Production team which means we had front row seats.  Our senior pastor wrapped up his FOMO (fear of missing out)series.  It's been a 10 week series and has been absolutely amazing.  It's basically been about how to really know the plan of God for our lives.  Oh my.  So much meat in these sermons.  He had a shorter sermon than usual and then called people up for prayer. Anyone could go and get prayer in the front from several different church leaders. His wife, who happens to also be a friend, came over to chat a few minutes after the service was complete. It had been several weeks since I had the opportunity to chat with her. It's always an encouraging time.    I'm so thankful to be in a solid Evangelical church where the Word is preached and lived out!

Trail into Auger Falls/Sacandaga River
Southern Adirondacks
 7 July 2019

Auger Falls

Copeland Bridge
Historic Site
southern Adks

Beecher Creek Falls

• SUNDAY MORNING HIKE:  Sunday was a glorious, no central AC needed, perfect summer day.  I woke up and got ready to hike solo in the southern Adirondacks, about an hour northwest of my home.  No one wanted to go with me; Dave had to work Production at church.  So I dressed for hiking with my bathing suit underneath and found 2 waterfalls on the ADK 50 Falls Challenge list.  One was not that outstanding and although the beginning of the trail (first photo above) was fine, most of the half mile walk in to the woods was very thick, deep mud.  I quickly snapped a pic and re-traced my steps back to the car.  I also went to the more picturesque falls known as Beecher Creek Falls...they are like steps going down into the creek and are just a bit upstream on the right from the covered bridge you see in the 3rd photo down.  That was about a .3 mile walk from the car and so beautiful. I was the only person there at 10 a.m.!  I'm thankful for easy hikes to pretty spots. (no, I don't normally hike alone unless I know the trail is very popular or unless it's only about a half mile in which these two trails were.).  I also stopped at my absolute fave Adirondack lake for an hour of reading and relaxing followed by a quick dip before heading home for the day.  I'm thankful for the Adirondack Mountains and that I only live about an hour away!

Algonquin Lake
Southern Adirondacks
7 July 2019

• SAFE TRAVELS:  Courtney arrived back home from her week-long vacation in Austin, Texas very late on Tuesday night. In fact, we didn't get to bed until close to 12:30 a.m and we get up for work at 5:30.  BUT...I'm thankful she had a wonderful time and that her flight both ways was uneventful and safe.

• INEXPENSIVE FIX:  Last Friday we needed a plumber.  We have a regular one who goes to our church,  but i wasn't sure he'd be available the day after the Independence Day holiday.  Well, he was and it was a simple fix......it only took him about an hour to fix the leaky pipe under the kitchen sink and replace it with 2 inexpensive parts.  The old ones were just old! I'm thankful for the quick service and the $125 bill because I was expecting it to be double that! 

Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cupcakes

• BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!  The month of July has many birthdays on my husband's side of the family: his oldest sister, his youngest sister's daughter, (one lives in CA and the other in MA), our oldest nephew (lives in NM), Dave on the 29th and our oldest daughter Courtney is the 11th (yesterday).  This year she didn't want to go out for dinner after work...she wanted my homemade cheddar cheese and broccoli mac and cheese with surprise cupcakes (any thing chocolate, Mom and you don't have to bake them...from the bakery is fine).  She was easy this year!  I chose her fave flavor combo:  Chocolate peanut butter cup.  The cake part is chocolate with pb filling and whipped frosting drizzled with pb and topped with a mini pb cup.  Totally decadent. I'm thankful for the last 26 years with this creative, kind, wicked smart oldest daughter.  She's a real blessing.

That wraps up my week.  Some other blessings: a good start to the summer school program with 3 new students totaling 12 students in our class with another one to begin in Sept and 4 leaving our program or switching to a different classroom; a surprise bloom on the tiger lily plant that has appeared "dead" for the last 2 months; evenings in the backyard reading area enjoying a good book; morning coffee on the deck; central air as we are experiencing some high humidity this week.

What blessed you this past week?  Do share!!

HAPPY WEEKEND!!