Friday Favorites - May 10, 2024

Look at what my awesome kids sent me on Tuesday - "LAST DAY OF CLASSES"

I'm so, so, so incredibly proud of them, how hard they've worked, and how they worked through their plan to go to the University of Tennessee and graduate in their respective fields (finance & accounting).

They are the best.  And my favorites.  Along with their other two siblings, of course :)

It is so, so, so fun to watch your children become independent in their own lives and make decisions that have no stake in your life. . .I have truly, truly loved every stage of life with these four. . .I will say "watching" is harder than "doing" but I'm learning. . .

So. . .here we are, another Friday, and Mother's Day weekend to boot!

It's been a bit for a Friday Favorites post. . .I think Justine said it best last week on her post - "I'm consistently inconsistent" - yep, that's me!

Andrea and Erika are so great to put this together for us - hope you hop over to their blogs to see what they are happy/grateful for this week and maybe join in too (either with your own post or in the comments).

What can top that first favorite?  Not much, right?

I truly can't believe it's already Friday.  I know, every single teacher out there in the world just choked - these are the longest days/weeks, I remember. . .fun times, but lack of routine and so.many.things to get in make for crazy schedules.  My #2 is subbing today at a local private school and she's getting a taste of that I know.  She's in her last weeks of living here in Knoxville - she starts her internship with Chi Alpha July 1st in Clarksville, TN.  Luckily the two above are coming back to take her place here :)

Why would hanging laundry be a Friday Favorite???  Because all those bras, skirts, and tank tops show how much tennis and pickleball I got in this week AND that it's been nice enough outside to wear these items!!!

Of course I wish it was double that amount but, you know, I work 40 hours a week now.  Sigh.  

Speaking of work, and the blessing that it is, (I truly do love being productive and having a paying job in my life) I came across this this morning and sent it to our managing partner:  

He just came back from the yearly conference he attends and shared with the Director of Operations and myself the "Platinum Rule" -  "do unto others, wherever possible, as they would want to be done to them".  I saw/heard this years ago in all the leadership stuff I gravitate to and believe in it. . .I'm glad others are now seeing the importance of meeting people where they are and giving them opportunities to shine in the gifts they already have and/or skills they want to build!  

As mentioned above, two are moving home in the next month and one wants to take over the basement.  She has worked hard to get the space ready. That means, though, that she is asking me to go through my "stuff" and "do something with it".  Sigh.  This was just one of the gems I found - I hope he re-creates it this year and writes "I love you - you are 24" - ha!

Here they are together at a MLS game in March :)

Because of all the rain and Tom & Robert's hard work on cleaning up my beds a couple of weeks ago, I'm loving our thriving front yard :)

My hydrangea plant that I have had for three years now has yet to bloom, but it's green. . .and I cannot wait for those stargazer lilies to open.  The guys took out three shrubs on the left side of the house and I asked them to plant my little cypress from Christmas this year over there.  I think I'm going to do annuals for the first time in a few years in these beds.  The tree in the front yard was a birthday gift for Tom 5-6 years ago and I love watching it grow!  Last year I got two bloomings out of the daisies by the mailbox so we'll see what happens this year. . .

I woke up to this in my Italy group chat this morning:

Ha!  Two weeks and one day from now. . .you probably won't find us in the bar, but you'll definitely see us with our great group getting ready to head out for our second overseas trip together.  Our four won't be joining us this time because they are now all busy "adulting" - ha!  This was us heading over to Greece last year:

A trip we will never forget.  Shay's kids are getting older now and she has said repeatedly in her blog posts recently how much fun it is to travel with older kids - she is so right!!

We will miss them this time around but we have a first-experience family trip planned in December so we have that to look forward to :)

Happy Mother's Day to MY wonderful mother - I'm so glad I got to see her last weekend :)

Love,

Jenni