It's the last Wednesday of the month - and the last day of the month, as it so happens.  I've started many of these posts over the last year but when I went back to look and see the last time I finished and published one, it turns out it was LAST January - ha!  And, unsurprisingly, I started that one the same way, "It's been a LONG time (July 2022 to be exact).  So. . .here we are. . .

It's always a joy to blog, but after being in front of the computer for most of my days, it does become difficult to willingly do it again at night.  Reading blogs is easy because I do that on my iPad :). I have lots of good ones on my sidebar if you are interested in checking any of them out, including one of today's hosts, Mix & Match Mama.  Our other host is Sheaffer Told Me To - go check them both out if you have the time :)

What’s Up Wednesday {January 2024}

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK

Nothing.  Seriously.  Well, last night Tom did something very unusual and went to Costco and picked up one of those salad bags and a rotisserie chicken - but I can't say that he has ever done that before.  He generally doesn't eat after 5 and I've been trying to follow a strict 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. eating window which generally makes lunch my largest meal.  Want to know what it was yesterday?  

Yep, microwaved nachos.  There were some chips sitting on the counter in our office kitchen from a lunch the partners hosted last week and some shredded cheese and salsa in the fridge so I chose that over my leftover pancakes (Lemon Ricotta from Cheesecake Factory!) from brunch on Sunday.  Picture of health I tell ya. 

I felt a tad guilty last week that my cooking game has dwindled since everyone went back to "life" after the holidays so I made this for dinner and invited everyone over - 8 people showed up and it was great to have the leftovers this week.

2. WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT

This is easy! I have 50 rotating pictures on my phone lock screen and every time I open it I find one that makes me smile.  This week I even took a screenshot of one and sent it to my girl because it just lifted my spirits so much when I picked up my phone:

I just went through my current selection - there's a story for every one:

This girl always seeking the sunshine - just like her mama!

I love this girl!!!  This was her first day of her senior year - looking forward to that May graduation!

I just got this one the other night - Robert's beautiful GF sent me this from a party they attended last weekend.

I'm positive he didn't let me take this picture in Greece - luckily one of the kids contributed it to the shared album after our trip :). He will graduate with his sister in May too!

On my phone screen this is cropped and I just love the smile, the Vol wear, this guy.  This is what 51 looks like kids ;)

My niece got her first puppy in January and I got to go over to Nashville one Saturday to meet her.  My sister and other niece were there that weekend too - this picture always makes me smile when I see it.

This is my absolute favorite ever picture of my (little) brother and me from about a year and a half ago.  We had gone on an airboat ride and then had some fresh seafood at a little food truck set up at the site.

And can't have a picture with one and not the other sibling the Lord gave me :). This one was actually a year later. . .this time at a football game.  See??  Every picture is a memory.

And the one I get to choose to love for the rest of my life.  One of my dearest friend's son got married in Florida last year and we were able to attend - another special trip.

3: WHAT I’M LOVING

Hmmmmm. . .a little harder.  NOT loving the weather - snow, cold, grey - just a rough time of the year.  This was a favorite picture from January though:

We ended up with over 8 inches of snow!!

 After the snow came the ice. . .this was the Sunday after when Tom got us out for lunch together - two of my favorites:  sunshine and Erin :)

4: WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO

I did do a "Day in the Life" post a couple weeks ago - that is about my life every.single.day.  

I also booked a cruise through Mix & Match Travel for our family over Christmas!  We tried this for the first time in January 2020. . .had a sail date over Christmas of that year.  We all know what happened in 2020 so we're trying again!  The cruise line still had my deposit from then so it was just a matter of finding dates that worked for everyone and booking it.

After dinner Friday night some of us started a puzzle - and finished it about 3 hours later!!  This was a fun one.  It looked like this at 6:30:

The puzzle masters, Laura and Nana, helped the rest of us. . .1000 pieces is NOTHING for them.

5: WHAT I’M DREADING:

This is never a fair question - really, nothing. I'm looking forward to springtime!!!  So dreading that we have the "longest month of the year" coming up - February?  Dreading turning a year older next month - not at all!  What a privilege it is to grow older, right?

OK, moving on. . .

6: WHAT I’M WORKING ON

This.  Ha!

No current projects in the works. . .nothing really that I'm working toward or planning.  

Maybe I just figured out why life is "blah" in January. . .hmmmm . . .

7: WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT

We have our annual hiking trip

coming up next month and while we are there we will decide on how to celebrate graduations, where we will stay for our lake weekend in August, 

and decide on what Volunteer home football game to attend together this fall.  

Third Saturday in October 2022

Tom and I are also heading to Italy this year with the same group we went to Greece with last year - just not bringing the kiddos with us this time.

8: WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING

We are halfway through the last season of The Crown - love it.

Really enjoyed the Beckam series too.

Laura, Nana, and I loved 

I read the book a year or so ago and liked it a lot also.  There were definitely differences between the two, but both versions "worked" for me.

Laura and I are enjoying All the Light We Cannot See - I started the book over a year ago but never finished it - really, really like this series.  

Laura and I also went with Nana & Grandpa to see Boys in the Boat - excellent.  Laura had read the book in HS so this was on her list as soon as she saw it was going to be a movie.

I finished 

and would recommend it to someone who likes a twisty book but there were too many "doesn't make sense" threads in it for me.  I will try this author again though.  I'm in the middle of The Paris Daughter and am enjoying it.  Things lined up and I have both the book and audio from the library so I read at night and listen during the day.

My aunt texted me for book recommendations a couple of weeks ago:

We both liked Hello Beautiful!

9: WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

Right this minute, as I write the post, I'm mostly listening to HGTV - tonight it's been Fixer to Fabulous and Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?

I never miss an episode of The Big Boo Cast, listen to a LOT of books on audio (just purchased Outlive, which Shay reviewed in detail here - my sister had actually encouraged us to buy this book last year), and am still working my way through The Bible Recap - mostly listening to the Bible App and then listening to Tara-Leigh Cobble's podcast reviewing the chapters assigned.  I listen to Spotify on my iPad all day at work - mostly DJX so I don't have to make choices - I let AI do it for me :)

10: WHAT I’M WEARING

Work clothes or lounge clothes.  I just ordered a couple new pairs of pants from Wal-Mart, of all places, based on recommendations from Ali. I got one of the pairs today and really like them.  We'll see how they wear - I've gotten several tops and such from Amazon that I also really like but after a few washes, eh.  

I'm not a fan of layers so will be happy to get back to my tennis skirts, athletic tops, and lighter clothes for work.  

11: WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

We are celebrating birthdays this weekend!  This picture was from last year. . .the doors are different than this now - yay!

Barbara's birthday is Monday, mine next Friday so we could have done either weekend - this was better for the Chattanooga folks to come up for.  I don't think much else is on the agenda - one more football game next weekend and that season is over for another year :(  

12: WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

We have four family birthdays - the above-mentioned and my Florida brother and his wife.  We have our big hiking weekend (mentioned above) and I have a board meeting for Cedar Lake Camp.  I missed my Ohio weekend earlier this month because of our snow storm followed by an ice storm so maybe I can make it up there one weekend also.  We'll see.  

I've seen this meme a couple of times - maybe it's time to rephrase my thinking:

13: NEW FAVORITE AMAZON FIND OF THE MONTH

Gosh, Amazon has been my friend lately!  I found this pan thanks to The Big Boo Cast last year and have ordered two now, and Stephen has purchased one for his place.   They are really good.  

We also bought this game for ourselves and Aunt Kathy at Christmas - Laura and I especially love it.  You can play by yourself or with others.  It came recommended sometime in November or December in the comments section of a blogpost on games.  

14: WHAT ELSE IS NEW

I may not blog often, but when I do you have a lot to read about ;)

So, if you're still here. . .

This was Friday morning at 8:02 (don't you love how your phone tells you exactly when you snapped a picture?). Please notice the snow still on the ground - this is a full 12 days after the first big snowfall.  This is the first day kids had been back in school for two weeks.  It was a beautiful, mild, sun-shiney morning so I had taken the doggie down the street to put some scraps in the compost pile and let her run around.  I believe the temperature got to over sixty degrees too!  It has been in the 40's ever since - but it is only January.

This was a fun little catch-up. . .I've literally been working on it for four hours :/. That's how I roll. . .a little t.v., talked to my brother, let the dog in and out a couple times. . .but a good time going through pictures and archiving how the first month of 2024 went from my perspective.  

Hope it was a decent beginning for all of you, too, and I look forward to hopping around reading other posts today also.

Happy January 31st,

Jenni