Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

I have multitudes of favorite things this week — or two weeks, actually, since we were moving last week and I wasn’t able to participate then. I don’t know if I can condense it to five — we will see!

1. The move went relatively smoothly. My husband’s company paid for movers, but we hadn’t contracted with any yet because we wanted to wait until we officially closed on the new house. Then when we did start calling them, it looked at first like none would be available the week we wanted to move, but one came through. Then we had several phases of moving: Wed. the movers came and packed; Thursday they loaded the truck and then we drove to TN that evening; Friday they unloaded in TN; Saturday Jim rented a U-Haul and drove back to SC to move Jason and Mittu into our old house while Jesse and I stayed here and started unpacking; Sunday he loaded up his mom’s things from her assisted living place and brought her here to TN, and then we moved her into her new place. Moving three households in one week seems absolutely crazy, but it had to be done, and everything worked out pretty much as planned and went fairly well. A few mishaps, but nothing major. Even though there is still a lot to do, it feels a little more relaxing because we can do it at our own pace now.

2. My new house! I could make a FFF just about it. I already wrote about it here, but to make a subset fave five, some of my favorite things about it are that it is one level — no steps except for a couple at the front and side doors; the kitchen/dining area has a more open feel than our old house; the kitchen has many more cabinets, much more counter space, a walk-in closet pantry, and lighting over all the counters; a garage (we’ve never had one before! And garage-door openers! So far I still get a little thrill pushing that button!); our master bathroom (only the second time in 31 years we’ve had one); pink floral towel racks left in the master bathroom by the previous owner as well as a pink and green striped rug; walk-in closets; quiet neighborhood….let’s see, I think that’s more than five already.

3. Two neighbors have come over to introduce themselves. One brought produce from her garden, the other brought home-made jelly. Both invited us to their churches. It’s nice to be welcomed!

4. Jim’s mom has adjusted really well to her new place. We had wanted to set up her room as much as possible like her old one, but we couldn’t because it is arranged so differently. But she doesn’t seem to mind. Jim and I had a meeting with one of the ladies in charge this week (we had met before, but this time we got down to the nitty-gritty details) and we’re really pleased with how they handle things and the attention they give her. She came out for lunch while we were there and saw us and came over, then one of the residents came over and welcomed her and invited her to eat at her table. When I visited her yesterday, she exclaimed how nice everything was and how good the food is. 🙂 So far there doesn’t seem to be much confusion, except the first day she went down the wrong hall. This facility is a very small, homey place, and so far we’re really pleased.

5. Jim’s relocation package included a bit of money for “incidentals,” and since we went from one and a half bathrooms in the old house to three full bathrooms in the new, we needed some new towels. I got some to match the pretty towel racks in our bathroom:

So that’s five already, and I haven’t even mentioned yet that Jesse had his first experience with the youth group here and enjoyed it, that a dear friend agreed to take the ladies’ group in SC, at least on an interim basis, and they had their first meeting Monday night and did fine. It’s a blessing to know I am leaving it in good hands. And I have mentioned my GPS before, but it has been invaluable in finding our way around a new town.

So it has been a very good if very busy couple of weeks. School starts for Jesse next week, and though he is a little “weirded out” by the thought of starting a new school — he had been in the same Christian school from K-5 through 10th grade, so this is his first time to be “the new guy” — I have every reason to believe he’ll do fine, and I am looking forward to settling in to a new routine.

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

Some of my favorites from this past week:

1. We had the closing for our new house in TN on Monday! That was exciting, plus it was nice to actually see it again. Though I am having mixed emotions — the excitement of the new place and the sadness at leaving the oldest kids behind — we’re already planning the first visits!

2. Finding more “treasures” in cleaning out boxes. One was a notebook of angst-filled teen-age poetry. I haven’t had time to go through it yet, but I am glad to have found it, especially since it wasn’t where I thought it was! Another was a newspaper clipping of a column I wrote in a local small neighborhood newspaper for our school when I was in 11th or 12th grade. My speech teacher knew someone involved with that paper and connected me to that opportunity. I had forgotten about it, and since I was throwing away most things that looked like newspaper clippings (because most of them were recipes or articles that I’ve lived without for all these years now), I was glad I spotted that without throwing at away. Another was a note from the business office of my college that someone had put $500 on my school account back then — that was a special reminder of a special blessing.

3. A good, soaking rain. We’ve needed it and had sprinkles here and there, but finally got a good rain in our area this week.

4. Scheduling the movers for next week. I mentioned a few days ago that in my husband’s preliminary conversations with them, it didn’t look like they could come in the time frame we wanted, but it all worked out well.

5. Helpful kids. I’ve had to call on each of them for various kinds of help — moving boxes, sorting through things, computer help, making goodies for Jesse’s party tomorrow, etc., and they’ve all graciously been willing to pitch in wherever needed.

I don’t know if I will be here for FFF next week — we’ll be in the midst of moving, and I don’t know when the computer will be set up and operational. Hopefully as soon as possible!

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

1. Celebrating Jason’s 23rd birthday last weekend.

2. Chicken nuggets and frozen French fries. Not the healthiest meal on the planet, but it does make for a nice quick meal on those days when you don’t have much time.

3. An old friend today who is having some serious physical issues asked on Facebook for verses of encouragement. At first I didn’t know what to say considering what she specifically was dealing with, but the Lord laid some things on my heart — I hope they’re an encouragement to her, and they ministered to me as well.

4. More things ticked off the list in getting ready to move — but it seems like for every one checked off, two more spring up in its place. I may not be able to do as much of the sorting and discarding I’d like to before we move — but I guess I can do that there as we unpack.

5. I know I have mentioned AC before, but I honestly don’t think I could have lived without it this week. Even my mother-in-law, who is almost never hot and often wears a sweater, was hot this week.

Gotta run! Catch up with you soon!

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

Here are my faves for the week:

1. The “fond farewell” from my ladies’ group at church at my last meeting with them Monday night. I  probably could’ve made a whole Fave Five post from that.

2. Getting some things checked off the to-do list in preparation for moving. Still much more there, but it was good to get some of those things taken care of this week.

3. Skype. Though I usually prefer to talk on the phone, every now and then using Skype is fun. My middle son called my husband last night on his computer, and we were all able to chat together.

4. Wal-Mart brand “Fudge-Covered Peanut Butter Filled Cookies.” They need a more catchy name though. 🙂

5. Clouds! We’ve been needing rain here, and so far haven’t gotten much, but it’s been overcast a few times, which has at least relieved the heat just a bit. Hopefully they will bring some rain soon.

Have a great weekend! I might be tonight or over the weekend before I am able to return your visit.

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

1. I mentioned this earlier this week, but I really enjoyed that the Fourth of July was on a Sunday this year. Grandma’s birthday was Friday, we went to one fireworks event Saturday night, our church had a cookout Sunday, and we shot off personal fireworks at my son and daughter-in-law’s house Sunday night. Then my husband had Monday off for the holiday since it fell on a day he already had off. So it was a festive weekend, but not too rushed or crowded.

I love these little tanks and trucks.

2. This is one of the cutest, sweetest things I have ever seen:

3. Dinner at Fuddruckers. I think I have mentioned them before. But Tuesday night I just had a craving for BEEF! And that seemed to fit the bill. Plus I love their fudge brownies. It takes me a couple of days to finish one off.

4. AC and ceiling fans. I’ve used both this week, and I am so glad to have them. I hate to think what the electric bill will be this month, though.

5. These goodies from Karla Dornacher:

She mentioned here that she had found a box of old prints that she was putting on her Etsy shop and told the story behind the Psalm 119:105 print. I loved the print itself, but I really enjoyed reading about all that I would likely have never gotten out of it on my own. I ordered that one as well as the wisdom print, and Karla tucked in a few extra little goodies as well.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

Here are some of my favorites from this week:

1. Another safe solo road trip to meet Jim in TN for another house-hunting expedition. We’ve made an offer on one — we’ll see how it goes!

2. A good realtor there who seems to really know her stuff.

3. Finding a good Christian radio station there. We have two good ones here, and when we moved away from this area before to GA, I really missed them. They both play online these days, though, so I listened to them a bit in the hotel, but flipping through stations in the car on the way back I found an affiliate of one of them there.

4. A beautiful drive. Road trips aren’t my favorite thing, even if I am not the one driving. But on many road trips on the highway, all you see is guard rails and trees. The drive between here and eastern TN is gorgeous through hills and mountains.

5. Finding my old Bible. When I drove up to TN a couple of weeks ago, somehow I grabbed my old Bible instead of my new one. After we attended church on a Wed. night that trip, I couldn’t find it, so I thought perhaps I had left it at the church. When we checked back this trip, they looked in their lost and found, but it wasn’t there. I was dismayed, because, though I have other Bibles, this was an old friend, one my husband gave me shortly after we married and which had accumulated a lot of notes over the years (I shared some flyleaf favorites from it a couple of years ago.) But when I was packing up to leave the hotel, I opened the zippered outer pocket on the suitcase to put something there — and there it was! I don’t remember putting it there. My husband says he may have. Somehow I didn’t think to check there after the last trip because I didn’t think I used that pocket. But I was just glad to see it again!

Hope you have a great Friday!

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday’s Fave Five so we can share our favorite things from the last week. This has been a wonderful exercise in looking for and appreciating the good things God gives. Click on the button to learn more, then go to Susanne’s to read others’ faves and link up your own.

So here are five favorite things from this last week:

1. House-hunting online. I mentioned earlier this week that we are moving to TN. Most realtors have their listings online these days, and though it is not enough information to make a decision without going to actually look at houses, it’s enough to weed some out. Though at first the list of possibilities from the realtor looks a little tedious to sort through, it has actually been a lot of fun. Helpful hint to anyone selling a house: take LOTS of pictures, and of all the rooms. It’s frustrating when there are only 6 pictures, all of them outside.

2. Finishing two books this week, reviewed here and here.They were both good and neither very long, but somehow it seemed to take a long time to actually complete them, so it is nice to be done with them.

3. Magazines. I have a weakness for magazines, particularly decorating or “homey” magazines, to the point where I’ve actually had to discipline myself not to pick any more up. I enjoyed sorting through some Martha Stewart Living, Family Fun, and Taste of Home magazines as well as some decorating and “do it yourself” project magazines before passing them on to others. I love the good tips and projects in them, and even just the creativity they inspire.

4. Having a voice in issues and politics. I was reminded of this when my husband wrote a letter to the editor this week about an issue in our town. We have the privilege in this country of letting our voice and opinions be heard by our representatives and the press, and we probably don’t use it enough. There are still countries in the world where people are punished for expressing a different opinion than the approved one.

5. Safety on the roads. I was just reading a tragic story of a friend of a friend who was killed when she stopped her car on the shoulder of a road to get out and latch the back hatch, where some things had fallen out, when she got hit by a car and died instantly, with her two daughters seeing the whole thing. Life is just so fragile — just a vapor, Scripture says, or like flowers or grass that only last a short while. My husband travels so much, and I’ve had more travel with the family and alone in preparing for this move, I am so grateful for the safety we’ve had.