Things I learned in June

Linking up with Emily at Chatting at the Sky to share what we have learned in the month of June. June is almost over? What?!

1. My husband and I like to watch documentaries together. We currently do not have a show that we follow, which makes us peruse other options. One of our favorite documentaries is ESPN's 30 for 30. Incredible story lines and producers. I'm a sucker for a true life story.

2. Last night I watched the movie "Unconditional" and it was one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. So much that I gave it a five star rating on Netflix (I hardly ever give five...usually 3, right?). It was made in 2012 and is a beautiful story of redemption. Totally love that it is based off a real "Papa Joe" who is living today in Nashville!! Again, I love a true story, and I might have needed a tissue at the end of this one.

3. About myself: I love to tell corny jokes (usually the same ones over and over...my poor husband). And I think they are way funnier than they actually are. But laughter, even the cheesy kind, is good for you.

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." E.E. Cummings

"A cheerful heart is good medicine." Proverbs 17:22

So I'll continue telling my corny jokes. Maybe that should be a regular blog post?!

4. God is Faithful. Sometimes a Truth hits my mind in a fresh way and I can't stop thinking about it. God's faithfulness to little me...I am so unworthy. And He is worthy to be praised!

"...Because of the Lord who is faithful." Isaiah 49:7

"God is faithful..." 1 Corinthians 1:9

5. In seventh grade, I really liked Steven Curtis Chapman's music and saw him about four or five times in concert. Seventeen-ish years later and he's still writing music. "Long Way Home" has a great message, and this video was too cute not to share:

6. I like to garden, but I have a really long way to go in my gardening skills. I mean, who lets a succulent die?!

Chicken & Spinach Quiche

Today my mom came over for lunch, and I made one of her recipes. She's an incredible cook, and I'm so thankful she took the time to teach me (and I'm continually learning). On the menu for today: chicken & spinach quiche, fresh strawberries, and chess pie for dessert. It was delish...

Chicken & Spinach Quiche:

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

1 ten oz package spinach (thawed & squeezed)

1/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup mayo

2 large eggs

1 unbaked pie shell (deep dish)

salt & pepper

Spread 1/4 cup cheese in bottom of pie shell. Combine chicken, 1/2 spinach, onion, and remaining cheese. Mix and put in pie shell. Beat egg. Add milk, mayo, and salt & pepper. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!

Friday's Fav Finds

A few things I have found recently that have quickly become my favorites:

Will gave me this in my stocking this past Christmas, and it is one of my favorite gifts. Every day there is room to write a couple of sentences (short and sweet is do-able for me!) about what is happening in the life of your little guy or girl that day. My journal entry for February 4th says, "Today Liam learned a new word, apple. And does he love apples!" What makes this journal unique is that it is a five year memory book. For example, I could turn to June 20th and see what we did in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Such a sweet way to observe the ways your little one is growing!

We eat a lot of Chobani Greek yogurt in our house, and I recently came across these and they are incredibly delicious! The Key Lime Crumble and Coconut Dark Chocolate are my favorite flavors, and I've found them at Target and Kroger (Kroger has the better price).

Our friends Montana and Amanda introduced us to illy coffee and we wondered why has it taken so long for us to come across this deliciousness?! Now drinking anything else tastes inferior. I wouldn't say we are coffee snobs...we just know good coffee when we taste it. Usually I drink my coffee with that sugary (not-so-good-for-you) creamer, but with illy I've scaled back to just a dab of 1/2 & 1/2 and no sugar.

Have you heard of the website Southern Savers? Every day the site is updated with coupons, sales, and other ways to save money. For instance, I check the site before I go to the store (to see which has the best sales and coupons), and I save at least 20% on our grocery bill now (pretty good for a beginner that only spends a few minutes gathering the info/coupons). It all adds up! Check out Southern Savers here.

What foods, books, websites, or other
great finds are your favorite things this month? 

It Was Outrageous!

Vacation Bible School, that is!
VBS at Bellevue is called "Camp Outrageous," and I was reminded again last week exactly why it is called that. I had the privilege of joining four of my sweet friends in teaching Fourth grade. This was my first time to ever have this age group, and I just fell in love! They are at the age where they are totally involved and excited about what is going on, they listen as you teach and volunteer to help, and they ask some really tough questions about God and His Word. 

"The Lost Code" was the week's theme and we learned about the armor of God.

I miss getting to see these sweet smiles every morning!

The questions the students asked were challenging and revealed that they were not only listening to the lesson each day but also trying to figure out how it applied in their life. I was encouraged to hear of the students in our class that were going home and excitedly sharing the Good News with their parents, siblings, and friends. 

Each day we learned about the country and children of Tanzania, Africa. We practiced saying a new swahili word, took up an offering, and prayed for the Tanzanian people each day. This was one of my favorite elements. 

Craft time! Shields, swords, banners, belts, helmets, and God's Word. Great reminders of what we have learned all week! "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:10-11

The Bellevue staff and volunteers made sure every part of the week was well planned, purposeful, and glorified the Lord. I'm incredibly thankful for all their hard work and for the sweet teachers that took care of my boy! 

Music, crafts, playgrounds, train rides, puppet shows, and lots of fun. This little guy had the best week! We are already looking forward to next year! Check out more pics and a video re-cap here. 

InstaFriday!

A little glimpse into our lives recently through pictures...

 A fun family night began with burgers & fries at 5 Guys (Liam learned that you can dip your fries in ketchup, and he liked it a little bit too), 

Then book browsing at B&N (the kid LOVES books, of course!), 

 and we finished off the night with dessert from Sonic and a little Despicable Me. 

We should've called the night "Liam's Favorite Things." He (we) had a great time.

Fun news: we got a new niece last week! And she is so precious!!!

Hoping you're enjoying these pretty June afternoons and nights!