Do I start every month end round up with some sort of soliloquy on how fast time flies?  I just wanted to check because I’m definitely thinking that now.  For any parent of school aged children, May is murderously busy – which makes the time go even faster. But I’ll take a little time to slow down and reflect now that school is over and a long weekend looms large in front of us.  I’ll be marking time, will you?

What’s Keeping Us Busy in May

Shelby kicked off the month with an ice cream social for Best Buddies at a park.  I cannot begin to describe to you the joy she finds in spending time with other young adults.  She finished May with a small graduation from the transition program at the local high school.  I could write a book on how fortunate we feel to be in the school district we have for the last 19 years.  Their special education department is top notch.  Shelby has been well loved and taken care of from the time she was 3.  From the bus drivers and monitors to the teachers and aids and the sweet kids who volunteer their time with best buddies.  I have to wrap this up because I’m starting to cry.  But we are forever grateful for her time in GCISD.

We took our first official college tour for Allie on the 4th.  We didn’t have to travel far to Baylor University – our girl’s number one pick.  She still has another year to decide so that could change.  But this Baylor Bear wouldn’t mind.  Sic ‘Em!  I might have been as excited as she was to tour the campus.  It has changed and grown so much in the couple of years since I graduated.  And it didn’t disappoint.  So beautiful.  Dorm rooms (which look like apartments) sure are different!  Afterward, Allie had several days of AP testing – which is important (among other things) if she wants to go to Baylor!

Marking Time in Mother’s May

My mom went on a well deserved weekend away with my dad for Mother’s Day, so I decided to host my husband’s mom and some of his family.  He and I had fun laying out a creative spread on my new charcuterie board to serve the small crowd.  I got some sweet cards to go with the board, which really is the best present.  I didn’t get to relax for Mother’s Day, but I did get to be with family, which is often better.

Allie and friends had a busy banquet season.  Theater was first, where she took home the Best SOAP Actress award.  No, that doesn’t mean she’s been moonlighting on Days of Our Lives.  It stands for Senior Directed One Act Play.  There were 7 plays and she won best actress out of them all!  I am so proud of how she jumped into her high school’s theater program as a newbie mid year and worked so hard.  She put her whole heart into performing and it paid off.

Chuck and I got to attend Allie’s choir banquet.  She won the “jazz hands award”, meaning she’s always, always on stage. Sounds about right. We also witnessed the handoff from this year’s president to her. She is over the moon about the heading the department next year.  She finished banquet season by attending the golf soirée with her boyfriend. I enjoyed seeing her get dressed up for each one.

Allie’s last concert and voice recital of the year put a nice bow on semester’s end.  You can hear her recital solo here.

Medical Stuff in May

Chuck had a CT scan, which shows much smaller lymph nodes and no new growth.  Exactly what the doctor wanted to see.  We anxiously await a PET scan next month to see if he is clear of cancer.  I had a follow up with the doctor for my back and decided to increase one of my meds.  Slowly because it makes me tired and a tad loopy (some would say that’s normal).  Allie had all four wisdom teeth removed on the 13th and I had surgery for tennis elbow on the 18th.  As my younger sister said, “Way to support the medical community, Sparks family!”  I would like to stop supporting them to such a degree now.

Allie sailed through her wisdom teeth surgery – singing a solo with her choir the next night and going to a concert with friends at the House of Blues the next!  Ah to be 17! I have been slower to bounce back from my endeavor. I am definitely not 17.

Entertainment in May

A television program about the late, great Patrick Swayze listed the movie Skatetown USA as his first film appearance.  When the clip used showed a shirtless Swayze rollerskating across the screen, I had to look it up. When I saw the film also starred Scott Baio and Maureen McCormack, I knew I had to see it. I found it was unavailable on any streaming service, so I bought a DVD and planned a girls’ night.  This movie was the literal worst.  I won’t spoil it for those of you who are chomping at the bit to witness it yourself.  I will say that Mr. Swayze plays the leader of a gang called the Westside Wheelers – and that I haven’t laughed that hard with friends in a long time.  So it was well worth the time and money.

Chuck, Shelby and my sister Kristen went with me to see Downton Abbey: A New Era.  Loved this.  It had a much better plot than the first Downton feature movie.  We have also been sopping up every last minute of the final episodes of This is Us.  And last, we have been biding our time until we can see Top Gun: Maverick. We plan to do so very soon.

How are you marking time these days? Let’s catch up in the comments below. And as always I love you, thank you, and I hope Gene treats you well.

The Link Up

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

Last week I wrote about my exploration of rest. So many of your linked up posts spoke directly to this. I wish I could feature them all, but will settle for these two. Jen Avellaneda of richfaithrising.com wrote about the importance of quiet and the reason it’s so hard to stay there.  Stacey Pardoe talked to us about being still. Put those together and it’s quite a challenge, but one I need to work on. Maybe you do too. Thanks to both authors for linking up with Grace and Truth.

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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 Now Let’s Link Up!

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