It's the last Wednesday of the month!!  Wow, this summer is flying.  Is it for you?  I know the heat is bothering a lot of people (and our garden/plants) but, for me, THIS:

I saw this on Facebook last week and it's my truth.  Always.  I think it's o.k. to complain one way or the other -- heat will never be my complaint - ha!

I'm linking up with Shay and Sheaffer today :). If you have a blog and want to join in, please do!

What’s Up Wednesday {JULY 2022}

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK

Well, first off, we are not eating as well as this girl :). She's in Europe for her graduation trip and my sister has sent LOTS of smiling pictures like this.  And. . .well. . .this too. . .

A whole fish, head included.  

OK, back here in East TN, lots of Hello Fresh (here is a link if you want to get a discount and give me a little credit).  I used up my first round of "free box" and then the discount I just linked to but missed it so much.  It is the ease of it all, the "not thinking" and having everything pre-portioned and ready-to-go so I signed back up to receive a box every-other-week.  

The above was my Monday delivery - we made the Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Chicken first:

 I will admit that this was the most labor-intensive meal so far (I got out a bag of salad for this one instead of tossing/mixing together what they sent me) but it was also Tom's most favorite so far.  

This is how it all comes.  I made this one last week for my family before I headed out to tennis -- Stephen said this was his favorite so far.  

And then, some nights, we can put our own meals together :). This was Sunday -- ribeye, potato salad, and corn cut from the cob.  A perfect summer meal!!

2. WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT

I recently pulled some pictures together and love how each has a story:

Our trip last summer -- unbeknownst to all of us, Leo's last.  These two families spent over 50 years making memories together.

I captured this picture in the Fall of 2019 and it remains one of my all-time favorites.  IT IS THIS GUY'S 83rd BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!  They just celebrated 58 years of marriage. . .Tom and I are not even halfway there. . .

Last year at the lake. . .with the oldest and youngest. . .their two boys. . .and ice cream!

I don't know how I got Erin on two different occasions with the two most important men (for now) in her life. . .this past summer with today's birthday boy and Thanksgiving 5 years ago (maybe?) 

I could post these favorite pictures/memories all.day.long.  This was also 5 years ago, but I wasn't there. . .my sister sent pictures that Thanksgiving -- we celebrate in TN and she celebrates with our family in OH.  My brother and SIL came in from FL that year.  My mom would say, "this is pre-neck surgery and a broken leg".  Yes.  You never know what is around the corner.

3: WHAT I’M LOVING

I feel like a broken record here, but my family, tennis, and the lake :)

Mother's Day 2022

Sectional Tournament last weekend

And the team I am going back with this weekend.

And I can never have enough time on the lake!!

4: WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO

All the projects :)

Doors done and hung

Currently working on this:

I have a vision, but tried out a couple things on the underside and am not loving it so will continue to work toward something.  I'm not very good at coming up with the idea but can execute most things.  I need to find someone who has done something similar to what is in my head.

Also, this:

My kids are frustrated that it's taking up the kitchen table.  And the coffee table is in the garage, stripped.  I get it :)

I don't know why I think I can do a puzzle without Laura in town to help me :/

I like to listen to a book and work on this. . .that will be my reward today when I finish this post!

5: WHAT I’M DREADING:

Same as last month.  The kids leaving.  

IDK that dreading is the right word though.  They are flying and that should be celebrated.  Just unsure of what will define my days moving forward.  Sure, one lives out-of-town and another has been gone all summer but still, two are here for dinner most nights and I get to see them on-and-off during the day.  

So. . .not dreading. . .just "not looking forward to" -- ha!

6: WHAT I’M WORKING ON

Posted above.  

And another birthday party for these two:

#80 & #83 

This was last year. . .this year the picture will be missing Laura but Robert should be in it :)

So far we have deviled eggs and shrimp on the menu with Ms. Barbara's cheesecake complete with a pineapple topping and/or blueberry.  Not sure what else will round out the menu (yet).  

(And my doors are now a different color but still no molding :/)

7: WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT

Our family vacation!!  I'm really, really looking forward to it.  

It looks like all the kids will be able to make it as well as some rotating friends and family :). We love, love being at the lake and it's even more fun when we can share it with others!!

Here is what my list looks like so far:

Dinners will include rice bowls, burgers/dogs, a shredded chuck roast (found some on sale recently), and sausage, potatoes, onion sheet pan meal.  Subject to change, of course ;)

8: WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING

I just finished A Mother's Promise

Very good, but very sad.  It taught me a lot about living with social anxiety -- something I don't think I fully understood until this main character explained what it felt like living with it.

I watched Redeeming Love the other night on my daughter's recommendation -- LOVED IT.  I knew the Biblical backdrop the story came from. . .I just really can't get over the power of forgiveness that was portrayed in this film.  

Our son rented Hacksaw Ridge last week -- another excellent use of time.  I didn't know the story prior to watching the movie -- just be warned of the violence.  I have a hard time with that sometimes.  Mel Gibson did a wonderful job with this film.

I guess I really wanted to read The Book of Lost Friends -- I bought it twice - ha!  I bought it when I was in Ohio to read outside/on the boat and when I got home found that I had a hard copy of the same book in my room :/. 

(The link contains an excerpt and audio sample of the book)

9: WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

Headed to VBS

Laura made the above playlist and shared it with me -- songs that she thought would get someone excited for Bible School and many that she remembered listening to growing up going to Bible School :). I love it -- I like hearing what she remembers and all the Hillsong Kids tracks she put in took me right back to those days.

Right this minute I'm listening to one of Spotify's "Made for You" daily mixes -- I think they generally do a good job of  choosing some of "my" songs along with new ones I might like :). Today's is contemporary Christian but yesterday it was country.

I've downloaded the books "Local Woman Missing" to go along with "Same Beach, Next Year" so I have two completely different genres to listen to if I'm not engrossed in podcast while finishing projects around the house.

10: WHAT I’M WEARING

Tennis clothes or pajamas.  I love summer :)

11: WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Southern Sectionals with my USTA 3.5 team in Rome, Georgia.  We also have a birthday party for The Bells (their birthdays are within a week of one another!) on Sunday.  Tom and Robert are cleaning out his Cookeville apartment -- we moved him from Cookeville to Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago but he hung on to this place to not break his lease -- it really didn't cost any different if he broke it or rode it out and many people have been using it to crash this month.  We'll miss this last tie to Cookeville.

This next load will be coming back to East TN -- lots of shuffling these days :/

12: WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

My new job.  YES, you heard that right :). Finally, after all of these months of looking and interviewing, and being discouraged (and even turning two offers down b/c it just wasn't "right" and full-time) I was approached by someone I knew at my former job.  I'm really excited -- it's perfect.  Part-time.  Client Service Specialist.  A job that doesn't exist that I get to shape and "create".  A great group of people -- some of whom I know and some I am looking forward to getting to know.  

13: NEW FAVORITE AMAZON FIND OF THE MONTH

Hmmmmm. . .not really shopping a lot lately.  We need a dishwasher but won't be buying it from Amazon :)

14: WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Not much!!  If you made it this far then you probably don't want to know anything else anyway ;). My cousin got this great flag for her girls' new townhouse -- isn't it great???

I brought over a few things too but only got a picture of this:

Which happened to match a pillow that was already there :). I did some Etsy shopping -- another pillow (two girls, two pillows!), a sign, doormat, and tray.  They have the place decorated really cute for the upcoming school year.

That's it for today/this month!

Again, if you blog feel free to join in. . .if not, head over to Mix & Match Mama's or Sheaffer Told Me To to read some more WUW posts :)

Love,

Jenni