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Just Got Through January – Almost

January 27, 2023 by Lauren 6 Comments

Just got throughWe just got through January – almost,  and it’s National Fun at Work Day!  I’m not at work because my oldest daughter, Shelby, had major surgery last Thursday.  She and I will be hanging out together for the next several weeks as she heals and recovers.

 

Two years ago in January Shelby endured a spinal fusion that improved her posture and mobility immensely.  Unfortunately, some hardware came loose in her lower lumbar necessitating a second surgery.  She has taken an anti-convulsant medication for 20 years that affects bone density.  So this time the surgeon bone grafted from her pelvis and added an artificial agent (I’m not even going to try to remember what it’s called) to encourage a stronger bond.

 

January brings insurance changes for lots of people.  That means a lot my work for me and my co-workers.  So I logged lots of hours while I could – knowing I had time off for Shelby’s surgery coming up.

 

 

The hubs and I treated ourselves to an early anniversary date (24 years).  We went to dinner and a night time flight around Dallas in a Cessna Cardinal.  Was so fun to do something different than our normal dinner and a movie date.  Which I also love, by the way.

 

A good friend of mine had a milestone birthday with a fun surprise party and my Papa celebrated a different milestone.  I enjoyed visiting with both!

 

My daughter and some friends started a Friday night bible study at our house and even lead worship using a song she wrote with other one of the teenagers.  These are the things that fill me with so much joy and gratitude.

 

And the day after Shelby’s surgery,  I accompanied my daughter, her friend and her friend’s mom to Baylor Campus for a scholarship event.  Exciting and stressful and nerve wracking.  All the things.  This girl needs some private school money!

 

I Just Got Through This Entertainment

 

Chuck and I have been watching the newly rebooted Quantum Leap.  We both loved the OG starring Scott Bakula.  I don’t think this one is as good, but we are enjoying it enough.  And we are still checking out DVDs of The West Wing from the library.  We’ve made it to season 4 so far.  December was all about Christmas shows and Christmas reads so I put everything else on hold until after the holidays.

 

We went to the theater with Shelby to see A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks.  I found it so bitter sweet.  I laughed and cried.  It probably won’t win any awards because it is so sentimental and a little predictable, but I highly recommend.

 

I am attempting to read Joy:  Poet, Seeker, and the Woman Who Captivated C.S. Lewis by Abigail Santamaria.  I say attempting because I’ve gone back and forth several times on whether or not I should quit it.  It’s a bit of a slog so far, but I’ve mentioned before how hard it is for me to give up on a book.  I’ll keep you posted.  I do certainly hope that this woman’s early years were more exciting in real life than on paper.

 

Now that I’ve gone through what we just got through in January, I would love your prayers for my daughter’s continued healing and recovery.  She’s a tough girl and I’m grateful.  And as always, I love you, I thank you and I hope February treats you well!

 

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

 

In a world that’s so full of darkness, it’s good to be reminded of what happens in the light.  

The Link Up

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).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

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

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

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July is a Picnic – Except in a Heat Wave

July 29, 2022 by Lauren 8 Comments

Heat WaveIt feels even hotter than a heat wave, but as this publishes, my family and I are on the tail end of a week’s vacation. Did we wing off to Europe, down to Mexico, someplace tropical or are we escaping this southern heat?  Nope.  It’s college visits for us this year.  We went to Montgomery, Alabama and toured Auburn, went to the Equal Justice Initiative‘s museum and memorial and hung out by the pool. Montgomery may not be flashy, but my best friend and her people live there so that’s enough reason for me to visit!

 

We then hopped over to Nashville to tour Belmont and do the whole music scene.  My 17 year old songbird wanted book time in a studio to record a song herself.  We also planned a double decker bus tour and a trip to the Grand Ole Opry with a backstage tour.  The plan is to let her sing in the famous circle there.  I say that’s the plan because I’m writing this all before we leave home.

 

But let’s back up and take a look at the month gone by:

 

We decided to go back to my in-laws lake house for Independence Day.  We can sit on their balcony or even in recliners in the air conditioning and watch the fireworks over Canyon Lake through a huge picture window.  It’s my 4th of July Favorite.  Shelby showed the enthusiasm of a toddler seeing the display for the first time.  She laughed joyfully, exclaiming “Yay!” over and over again – even though she’s seen fireworks many times before.  She made the whole thing so much more fun.

 

Upon returning home Allie had a day and a half before leaving for All-State Choir Camp at a nearby college.  We were able to attend a camp-ending concert which showcased how much these talented kids learned in 3 days time.  Then Allie was home for another day and a half before leaving for volunteer training at Camp Blessing.

 

I took Shelby to Camp Blessing (with the help of my good road tripping friend Terri) the day after Allie went.  This week was amazing and meaningful for both girls.  Camp Blessing is a Christian sleep-away camp for special needs kids and adults.  Shelby has gone for many years now and I cry every year when picking her up knowing that a young person gave away her time to care for my daughter.  And this year I not only had a camper, but one of those selfless volunteers as well.  What an indescribable gift.  Allie wants to go back as staff for multiple weeks next year!

 

Chuck and I took those kidless days to play a little.  We went to a dine in movie for date night, hosted a game night with friends at our house, and I had a day date to another movie with a girlfriend.  Fun = rest for me so this was good soul filling time.

 

Those movies I mentioned?  Thor:  Love and Thunder and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.  I found the first one funny (lots of slapstick that some critics are not loving) but not really in keeping with the MCU.  The later is so very charming.  I don’t know if you can still find it in the theaters, but go if you are able.  Especially if you like a period piece and don’t like the foul language and crassness of most modern movies.

 

At home the hubs and I started the series The West Wing.  We never watched it during its network TV run, but knew we would enjoy it since we liked Designated Survivor – another political drama.  Not finding The West Wing for free on any of our streaming services, we opted to kick it old school and check out the DVD’s from the library.  This worked great until we finished the first season and now wait as someone else has season two check out.  Old school problems, am I right?

 

To fill the time we started How I Met Your Mother on Hulu.  I enjoy a traditional sitcom and Chuck tolerates it until we can get back to our drama.  We side-tracked into the documentary Janet about Janet Jackson.  Originally on Lifetime, you can find it on Hulu or Prime now.  An interesting look into this show business family and the 2nd most successful sibling.

 

I tried the YA drama The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime but bailed by the 3rd episode due to repeated F-bombs and other unsavory content.  We also checked out The Terminal List – also on Prime – after hearing good things but I couldn’t get past the language again.  I also heard it contained a lot of violence, but we didn’t get that far.

 

That about wraps up July for us.  I would love to hear what you have been doing with your summer – or if you have any TV or movie recs to help us pass the time until our next West Wing DVD.  Good grief! And as always I love you, I thank you, and I hope this heat wave does not extend to August.

 

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

 

Lynn J Simpson ministered to me this week with What I Know for Sure.  Her thoughts on dreams unrealized and resting in God’s plan felt like a balm to so much of what I’ve been dealing with.  Maybe her beautiful words will touch you, too.

 

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).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

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

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

 

 

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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