It’s been a week since we returned home from our cruise vacation. I already shared pictures on Instagram, but here’s a brief recap.

We sailed from Miami for seven nights on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. We stopped in Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; Cozumel, Mexico; and at Cococay, which is Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.

This was our “family vacation/oldest daughter’s graduation/milestone birthday for my husband and me this year” trip. Lots of firsts ~ I ziplined (the others had done it before), we interacted with dolphins at Dolphinaris in Cozumel, the rest of the family tried paddleboarding, and we all rode jet skis.

We didn’t pay for the Internet package onboard, so we were unplugged all week. It was great!

Now for some helpful posts I found recently!

Going to need Beth’s advice in a few months! She shares How to Tell Your Daughter Goodbye at College.

I love the story Dave shares in Generous People Make Me Smile.

Sarah asks Who Else Wants to Break Up with Comparison?

Jennifer lists 20 Books to Capture the Imagination of the Boys in Your Life.

Julie has a practical list of 62 Things to Declutter That You’ll Never Miss.

It’s been back to real life here this past week. I even made our hotel reservations for the weekend we drop our daughter off at college in August (sadness!!)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Kathryn writes about How to Talk to God in Prayer.

Lisa shares 7 Signs Your Little Girl is Becoming a Teen.

Dan lists 13 Rules for My Teenager.

Ayren has 23 Family Road Trip Hacks That Will Save Your Sanity This Summer.

And while I’m not planning a trip to Europe at this point, I still enjoyed Shruti’s post on Top 10 Cheapest Countries to Visit in Europe in 2019.

On to the books I read in May.

My one short non-fiction read this month was The Latte Factor: Why You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Live Rich by David Bach and John David Mann. It’s a neat little parable about how to achieve financial freedom.

I finished three fiction books in May.

The Memory House by Rachel Hauck was an excellent read. That led me to read another book of Hauck’s, The Wedding Chapel, which was also very good. Both were sweet and moving stories, with a touch of romance and a satisfying ending.

Justified Means by Chautona Havig was more of a mystery/suspense read, but I enjoyed it as well – and have plans to read the next book in the series.

Can you relate to this??

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Anna gives encouragement for When It Doesn’t Feel Like You’re Making Progress.

LeeAnn talks about Digging Deeper: 5 Effective Bible Study Methods.

Elise shares 8 Essential Traits of a Good Friend.

Emily lists 20 Book Series to Get Your Kids Hooked on History. Our girls read several of these series when they were younger.

Planning a garage sale any time soon? Crystal has 10 Tips for Having a Successful Garage Sale.

Headed to a graduation party for a friend’s son this afternoon, then taking my younger daughter shopping. Missing our oldest who’s on her Senior trip.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy early Mother’s Day to all the moms who read here!! I’m so thankful for my own mom, and for the two girls God gave us to parent.

There were several years when Mother’s Day was hard for me. I wanted to be a mom, but that hadn’t happened for me yet. If you’re in that place, I’ll be praying for you this weekend.

Here are some good posts I read this past week.

Alisa has 4 Things to Remember When You’re Stepping Out in Faith.

Lyli lists 10 Powerful Scriptures to Post on Your Prayer Room Wall.

Arabah Joy shares 12 Must-Have Bible Apps for Every Christian Woman. Many of these were new to me! I use the You Version Bible app for my daily audio Bible reading.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought we should revisit Kari’s 10 Truths Moms Should Know.

This Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken Recipe sounds so easy, but delicious. I’ll be trying it soon!

And while Easter is behind us for this year, Sarah has a compilation of Best Easter Side Dishes that I think would be great for any family meal.

We had the last choir/band concert of the school year on Tuesday, and the school’s sports banquet on Friday. (Here’s a link to one of my favorite pieces from the concert by the handbell choir. Our girls are third and fourth from the left.)

All of the official school functions are over for us until high school graduation on the 31st. May is a full, fun month!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Phylicia shares marriage advice in Helping Your Gentle Man: Three Tips for Wives of Quiet Husbands.

BJ gives some tips on screen time in Mommy, Can I Watch a Show?

Corilynn shows us 30 Affordable Farmhouse Pieces from Walmart.

Kay discusses How to Build an Appropriate Wardrobe.

Eric writes about Boundaries with the Opposite Sex in Marriage from a Husband’s View.

This quote I found on the iMom website is so accurate!

“iMOM director, Susan Merrill, says having teenagers is like riding a fast, furious fun rollercoaster every day. You’re either thrilled or throwing up.”

I finished three books in April.

Both of the fiction books I read were excellent!! Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron was the sequel to The Lost Castle. Then I read Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson. It was such a sweet story!

My non-fiction book was a biography about John and Abigail Adams titled Abigail and John: Portrait of a Marriage by Edith Belle Gelles. It had been awhile since I read a biography, and this one reminded me how much I enjoy them!

My younger daughter has her first paying piano gig today (!) (she’s playing for a ladies’ tea – basically live background music), but otherwise our weekend is fairly open. Hope yours is a good one!!

Ayanna shares Why Your Kids Need Boundaries.

I loved Joshua Becker’s list of 35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget.

A post from iMom gives 6 Ways to Respond When Your Husband Annoys You.

If you’re struggling with an ongoing issue (like organization), read through Tracy’s post Do You Wish to Get…Organized. She gives tips on making changes in a particular area of life (and uses organization as an example).

These Carrot Cake Blondies sound intriguing, but I’m trying this Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle for our Easter dinner dessert.

I trust that your weekend will be full of worship and praise as we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ!!

After a week off from sharing any personal pictures, I’m back with a photo of our oldest daughter before her Junior~Senior Banquet last Friday.

Then this past week we were in Greenville, SC, for a national fine arts competition with their school. Their band won first place!! This is the second piece they played – Avalanche by Jonathan McBride – and is probably my favorite song they’ve ever performed.

Our girls play saxophones, so they’re hidden in the second row.

I’m telling you, literally every week brings some “last” moment or event for our graduating senior…but I’ll not go down that emotionally-charged road today!

Here are some good posts I read this week.

Anna shares ideas on How to Ease Tension in Your Home.

Jenn gives us 5 Everyday Ways to Share Jesus with Your Kids.

Michelle tells us How to Fight Fearful Thoughts and Win.

Sarah Joy’s Cottage Style Kids Bedroom is just adorable!!

There’s a bunch of helpful resources in Michelle’s and Annie’s list of Simple Steps to Get Ridiculously Organized for a Stress-Free Summer.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

I’m giving you a break from pictures and videos of my daughters this week – though with their last home soccer game of the season on Thursday and my older daughter’s Junior~Senior banquet last night, I could certainly fill a post, lol.

How about some pretty azaleas instead?

Hope you’re enjoying some pretty spring weather! Now on to some good reads I found this past week.

Julie shares 6 Examples of God’s Grace in Grief.

Jessica has 10 Awesome Weekly Traditions for Your Family.

Elizabeth says From Summer #21 as a Mom, the First 18 Sure Don’t Feel Like They Were All I Got.

Deb tells us 10 Ways to Trust God’s Will When Life Is Hard.

Carrington gives advice for parents of tweens and teens in When Your Home is No Longer the Center of Your Child’s World.

Off to a baby shower this morning, then out for my birthday dinner tonight. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!