Watt's Up? June Edition

Happy summer, everyone! June has been a busy for my family and me, and I'm excited to share some highlights with you. I forgot just how full this month was until writing this post, and it's amazing how active I can be now.

 

READING: For my birthday last month, I received a copy of Amelia Bedelia Ties the Knot by Herman Parish, and I read it this month. I enjoyed Amelia Bedelia stories when I was younger, and it was fun to again be humored by the way Amelia Bedelia thinks and acts! Dad and I are still reading The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippets, but we are getting close to finishing it. I am also reading The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis for reading group, and I've been reading a lot for school.

WATCHING: I’ve been enjoying watching whimsical Instagram reels of Frog and Toad on this account. This reel is especially cute.

 

I’ve also been seeing deer in our yard almost daily! I enjoy watching them, but unfortunately, they have also taken an interest in eating some of our plants. Oh well. 

 

Photo credit: Mom

LISTENING: I've been enjoying listening to sleepcasts and meditations on Headspace. (Note: As a Christian, I use the app with discernment, but Headspace does provide many resources that do not conflict with my beliefs.)

I also appreciated this podcast featuring Jinger Duggar Vuolo and how rather than abandoning her faith, she has disentangled the false teachings she was raised with from the true gospel.

As far as music goes, I thought it was wonderful that the Piano Guys invited this nine-year-old to perform their arrangement of Perfect by Ed Sheeran at their outdoor concert and then heaped him with encouragement! 

LEARNING: I finished my nutrition class from Sophia Learning and earned my first 3 college credits! I’m now taking Art History 1 and English Composition 1. I'm thankful that my mom was a rigorous English teacher because all the grammar she taught me is making the latter class a lot easier!

DECLUTTERING: This month I went through my drawers and donated clothes, especially pajamas, to Goodwill. I also donated books and magazines. I'm happy that someone else can enjoy them.

Renovating and remodeling: My family and I did a lot of renovating and remodeling this month! We called our project Operation Restore and had 35 tons of topsoil delivered that we used to cover the gravel parking lot that we had in our backyard from when the family business was being run out of our home. Ben and Dad also tore out asphalt in some areas. My family, along with a few others, then put down 20 tons of mulch and planted dozens of flowers in 4 perennial beds and planted 15 trees. Ben also planted grass in some areas. I helped a little, including with rebuilding our waterfall, and am now responsible for the watering. With everyone's help, over 100 hours was invested in yard work. 

 

Photo credit: Mom

 

 

Photo credit: Mom

 

 

Photo credit: Dad

 

 

Photo credit: Mom

 

Photo credit: Mom

 

Photo credit: Mom

 

Ben also helped me redo my bedroom. I decided on a new look because I have a lot of bad memories of sickness in my bedroom and being in my bedroom was triggering me. We tore off the drywall that the previous owners had glued to one of the walls, threw it out the window, and then Ben sanded and patched the wall. Then we painted my room two shades of green. I feel so much better and happier in my room now!

 

 Photo credit: Mom

 

 Photo credit: Mom

 

Photo credit: Mom

We kept Operation Restore a secret until Father’s Day when Alex and Kathryn came to visit, and then we had a big reveal. They were amazed by the transformation! While most of the yardwork is finished, there is still weeding to do, and I'm currently redoing one of the flower gardens that had been neglected.

Playing: We got our basketball hoop set up in the driveway, and I enjoy shooting hoops. I'm also a big fan of Strange Planet comics, and we played Sweet Existence, a card game based on the comics, on Father's Day.

Creating: After an eight-year hiatus, I returned to the Norwin Art League for an oil painting class! It was fun to see my teacher again. A friend and I also did a video call and worked on craft projects together. I painted two outdoor turtle statues, which had become faded and weathered, and she did embroidery. I've also painted some rocks recently and baked chocolate cupcakes for Father's Day.

 

 

 

ENJOYING: I am enjoying tending to our gardens and watching the plants and trees grow! We also visited friends at their farm this month, and we enjoyed bottle feeding their lambs.

 

 

Photo credit: Dad

 

We also enjoyed releasing our polyphemus moth after she came out of her cocoon on the 11th! A neighbor found her as a caterpillar in mid-September and gave her to us. I put her in our butterfly pavilion, and she went into a cocoon the next day. After 9 months, she finally emerged as a beautiful moth!

 

 

Feeling: My family and I got sick around Memorial Day. Fortunately, my immune response was milder this time, and my symptoms that worsened as a result are much better a month later. I've been able to further decrease some of my Babesia meds and Hydrocortisone this month, and I am doing great with the lower doses. 

 

Doing: Besides what is mentioned elsewhere in this post, I hosted a hymn sing, attended church, visited my maternal grandma twice, attended reading club, practiced driving, and said goodbye to Ben as he moved to Chicago for his family medicine residency.

 

 Photo credit: Mom

 

EXERCISING: I biked 8 miles with my parents and Ben on the Great Allegheny Passage trail from Sutersville to West Newton and back on the 15th! I enjoyed the freeing feeling of speeding along, inhaling the smell of the Youghiogheny River and the honeysuckle, and feeling the sunshine. 

 

 Photo credit: Ben

Mom and I also still walk 2 miles most days, and on the 12th, we were walking with Pascal in a light drizzle through our neighborhood when suddenly we heard what sounded like fireworks and saw a power line catch on fire. If we had we been several yards closer, we might have been killed but praise the Lord for His protection! We ran home and called 911. Afterwards we drove back to the site where a neighbor said she had been told that the people who called for the firetruck were walking their dog in the rain. She said she knew it had to be us. Apparently, we have a reputation for being committed to exercising! Thankfully, no one was hurt.

EATING: I've begun eating small amounts of gluten and dairy! I've been enjoying butter on potatoes and sometimes will eat a bit of cheddar cheese. I’m not going crazy with gluten and dairy, but it is nice to have a bit. 

WEARING: As I was scrolling through my photo album, I noticed that I was wearing the same t-shirt, Advice from a Squirrel t-shirt, in many of the photos. It is one of my favorite shirts, and people often stop to read it. 

Buying: I bought 2 watermelon plants and some mini cacti that were all 75% off at Busy Beaver. At Dollar Tree, I bought a gnome that I put in a tree, a welcome sign, and a pinwheel. They are all cheerful and make me smile!

 

 

What are some your highlights from June?