MARCH FAVES

 

It's time for sharing the Friday Fave Fives!  Head to Susanne's site to learn more and join in!

Five blessings from our past week that made us smile and thank God.  I'm thankful it's March, that it's been a mild week, weather-wise, and as I type this up on Thursday morning (  I usually do 1-2 faves on the morning before), there are several birds at the feeder and sitting along  the roofline of our shed!  Red-winged blackbirds are back, I saw 2 robins on the ground, and this morning we've had nuthatches, cardinals and jays at the feeder. Spring has sprung even though our temps today are only 36 right now, compared to 72 from yesterday! 

FIVE FAVES

Family Room 

• SPRING CLEANING:  Last Saturday,  I decided since it was so mild outside and windows were open, to spring clean the family room. This is the room that gets the most use in our home. It's where the television is located.  I like to have my morning coffee in this room and my Scripture time/meditation time is often in this room, especially when Dave's at work and in the colder months. Dave likes to read in this room. This room gets the morning sun. It faces east and I love it.  I had bought a new slipcover for our very worn and faded cottage couch. I like that I was able to shrink it a little bit as it was too long when it first arrived on Friday. I also bought new spring themed pillow covers to add a bit of "pop" to the couch.  I did a thorough dusting, vacuuming, re-arranging and Courtney and her bf Tyler popped over to help me lift the heavy coffee table that Dave insists on keeping (Even though I want something newer and lighter...this one is so scratched up, etc. sigh) onto the hooked rug. (not shown in photo). I'm so thankful for the help and that the room came out great! I'm also thankful it was warm enough to have the deck door open!

a gift from Courtney

• NEW MUG:  I truly do not need another mug. But Courtney had seen this in a local store and just had to buy it for me. (she knows I collect mugs, of course!).  She surprised me with it last Saturday and so I enjoyed my morning coffee last Sunday before church and took a pic of it per her request. I'm thankful for a thoughtful daughter and a fun new mug. 

l-r: Evelyn, me, Dar, Maggie
in back: Shawna, Jill 
The Game Tribe!

• GAME NIGHT:  Sunday evening I hosted a Girls Game Night with some of my closest friends from  church plus 3 of the women (Shawna, Maggie and Jill) are in my small group Bible Study this semester. Evelyn is becoming a good friend. She's in the hiking group I lead and is Tyler's mom (Courtney's boyfriend).  Dar and I have been friends for many years now. I first met her when she joined my book group about 10 years ago. Her husband and she have hung out with my husband and me over the years. They're a great couple.  We had so much fun.  I had a drinks station set up and everyone brought a different appetizer.  We had a blast! I'm so thankful for this tribe of friends and sisters in Christ. 

a yummy no calorie no sugar mocktail

Drinks Station

• MOVIE NIGHT:  My oldest  girl and I had made plans, while Dave is away in Guatemala, to have our fave pizza and a movie night on one of the nights she was free.  Courtney was finally free after work on Monday so I picked up two pizzas (she paid for hers) and she brought over a DVD that Claire had given her for Xmas. It's a Wes Anderson flick.  For those of you not familiar with his work, the movies are super fun, kind of "hipster" and have some great literary moments/themes. I had seen Grand Budapest and The Royal Tennebaums and enjoyed both of those. This one, The Darjeeling Limited, was....different. It was ok.  Not my fave movie, but the time spent with Courtney and talking/laughing and eating great pizza from our fave place was something I'm very thankful for. 

Courtney:  Arugula Chicken/Bacon Pesto
Mine:  Chicken Pesto with Roasted Red Peppers

• OUTDOOR WALKS:  I've been able to walk outside every single day this week except for yesterday when the temperature dropped down to a very windy and cold 37 with rain. Monday found me walking two different times in my neighborhood. The weather was so warm I just needed a cotton shirt. Tuesday, I headed up to this state park and although they still had snow on the  walkways and in the woods/fields and much more than we had had, it was still a lovely 1.8 mile walk in warm sunshine.  On Wednesday I did a more leisurely walk, earlier in the morning, with my travel coffee tumbler and I walked 2.8 miles in a nice warm sunshine with bright blue skies although it had started out overcast and chilly! I didn't get pics of Wednesday's walk along our town park bike path but here are some pics of my walk around the state park near the Gideon Putnam Hotel and tennis courts. I was so thankful for sunshine and warmer temps for walking outdoors. 

Beautiful bare pine needles
where the snow has melted

Walkway near the Gideon Putnam Hotel
was still snow and ice covered but quickly melting

the walkway past the Spa Park tennis courts
heading to the Gideon Putnam were bare!

That wraps up my week!

I'm thankful Dave called from Guatemala to tell me things were going great on the missions trip. Everyone was safe and healthy and they were serving over 320 children and families with good food, school supplies, etc. 

He is due to land around 1 AM tonight (Saturday, technically!) IF the flight out of Atlanta is on time. I'm pretty sure they won't have  trouble going from Guatay to Atlanta but with our government's ridiculous (again!!) partial shut down, they might have issues in Atlanta tonight.  At any rate, he comes home at some point early early early in the morning! And guess who gets to go  pick him up...........

HAPPY WEEKEND, EVERYONE!