What's Up Wednesday - 5.27.15

 

Playing along this week with fellow blogger Shay & friends. . .

What we're eating this week. . .

Usually I have a menu planned for the week, but we were out of town for the Memorial Weekend holiday and just got home today.  Tomorrow is Margaret's 13th birthday and she has requested Cheeseburger Soup and Panera French Bread.  Not your typical May-day birthday meal but it's HER DAY!!!  She's choosing to take the family out for ice cream instead of another birthday dessert (she had her cake(s) at her party last night). Yea!  As for the rest of the week, I found this today and am contemplating trying it:

Cauliflower Crust pizza. . .it uses a food processor, though, and mine is still in Cookeville.  We might have something else to try with it though.

What I'm reminiscing about. . .
My mom and I had a chance to go through old pictures this weekend. . .it was fun reminiscing about where we were and where we are now.  

This was Tom and I at my cousin's wedding in. . .I don't know. . .1998?  97?  I'm not sure, but I know I still have that dress!!

The upper left are my precious grandparents (we were engaged on their anniversary in 1993!), the bride and groom, my beautiful aunt & uncle, and their son (my cousin), Stephen.  It was a beautiful day.

We looked at TONS of pictures of the bestest stepdad in the world. . .but I didn't take any pictures and now they are all packed away at my mom's again. . .here's one I've posted before:

 I think I'm going to make a collage like that for my mom eventually of all of the wonderful picture memories we went through together.  He was certainly one-of-a-kind.

What I'm loving. . .
SUMMER!!!  So glad to have the kids home. . .and then off again to their various camps ;)  Hopefully there will be *lots* of this to come:

Pooltime!

Pooltime!!

Ice cream at the pool. . .

Dogpark time!

Strawberry shortcakes :)

Parktime!

My favorite new recipe for homemade Peach Green Tea Lemonade :)

Out for ice cream. . .

What we've been up to. . .

Relaxing at the pool. . .

A day at Lakeside with this one

While these guys spent the day at Cedar Point

 And time with this very special family. . .Pop Peth and his great-granddaughter who is growing up much too fast!

Celebrating this girl's birthday two days early so her wonderful Aunt Jodi could host a party :)

Cousins and friends playing together. . .

And lunch at My Favorite Muffin with this group today!

What I'm dreading. . .
Not a thing that I can think of!  Isn't that great?!?

What I'm working on. . .  
I just bought items to create a wedding gift for a very special couple this Sunday
AND
My sister said that I could work on decorating her piano room. . .

 or her guest bath. . .

I'm going to try to use accent colors from this great print:

And my brother-in-law said he'd like to find something for this wall in their bedroom:

A reason to be on Pinterest!!!
AND
My mother is building a new place and will (hopefully) need some direction on "what to do" with her new space too :)

What I'm excited about. . .
All of the above. . .I like (trying) to be helpful.  I also have a job interview at a Christian school next week and I'm excited about that.

 What I'm watching/reading/listening to. . .

I've discovered Chip & Joanna Gaines -- LOVE them!!!

I also really enjoy

 but I have to watch this when no one is around.  Tom doesn't like this sort of thing and it's nothing I really want the kids to watch either.  I like complicated shows and am a huge fan of James Spader.  Netflix is great!

Since it's summer vacation for all of us I get to read!!!
I just finished two of James Patterson's Private books. . .
I liked

but wasn't so fond of

As a family, we listened to

on the road this weekend.  We have followed Theodore Boone in all of his other adventures and were happy there was another out!

Next up (for me only) is

I am at the tail end of Natchez Burning and then ready to start this one!

What I'm wearing. . .
Lots of sandals, t-shirts, and skorts :)

What I'm doing this weekend. . .
We are looking forward to our friend's wedding on Sunday. . .and I'm hoping to finally go to our new city's Farmer's Market Saturday morning -- we haven't woken up here as a family of 6 since we moved here over two months ago!!

What I'm looking forward to next month. . .
June holds LOTS of camps for the kids. . .and translates into lots of driving for me (since most are in different cities)!  Tom and I are looking forward to a week alone the second week of June, but don't have any out-of-town plans since he used his earned time off for Memorial Day weekend this last weekend.  Always hoping there may be a new house "next month" or, optimistically, maybe our Cookeville house will sell?

What else is new. . .
Margaret is cheering for her school team next school year, Marie is trying out for her school's soccer team next week, Frederick has tried out for 2-3 travel teams in our new city and I think he and Tom have made a decision. . .now Marie and Thomas need to try out for some of the local clubs and we need to make decisions there.  That *is* a lot of time and expense, but what we choose to spend our time and money on together as a family :)

BONUS:  What we're grilling. . .
We haven't had a chance to have our go-to grill meal this year because all we have available here at the apartment are charcoal grills. . .Tom would rather use gas.  You can be sure, though, that one of the first meals we'll make in our new place will be Aunt Susie's Chicken Skewers!!!

This was fun. . .hope to link up again in the future!
Jenni