profile

Flanders Family Freebies

FF #125: πŸ’‚πŸΌ May Holidays and Quirky Celebrations

Published 11 months agoΒ β€’Β 3 min read

Welcome to the 125th issue of Flanders Family Freebies, a weekly themed link list of resources designed by me, Jennifer Flanders, in hopes of helping you build a strong, happy, healthy home. Thank you for giving me a place in your inbox! Was this newsletter forwarded to you by a friend? Want your own? Subscribe here.

Tyler, Texas
Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Hello Reader,

Yes, I know it's technically still April, but May is less than a week away, and the countdown is in full swing at our house. That's because one of our daughters is leaving on May 1 for a 45-day trip to Europe with family friends. They'll be landing in London just days before King Charles' coronation.

Not only does Rachel get the trip of a lifetime, but our friends are paying her to tag along and help watch the youngest of their 10 children -- a set of two-year-old twin boys πŸ‘¦πŸΌπŸ‘¦πŸΌ. How's that for an amazingly adventurous summer job?

She's already packing for the trip, and it's a good thing she started early, because in doing so she discovered something the rest of us somehow missed: While our passports are valid through 2027, hers expired over a year ago! 😳

We resisted the temptation to panic and started praying instead. Long story short, there are regional passport centers that can expedite passport renewals for urgent cases like ours, and yesterday morning I was able to book the earliest available appointment. Unfortunately, it wasn't until Friday and would require that we travel... to Hawaii! 🌴

Of course, that was going to be a huge hassle and expense, so I called my mother and asked her to pray, too, then immediately phoned the passport office back at 8:30 AM to see if, perhaps, there might've been a cancellation at an office closer to home?

And, miracle of miracles, a 10 AM appointment had just opened up at a regional office 90-minutes away, so we grabbed our paperwork, hopped in the car, and booked it to Dallas. We arrived at 10:02, found mercy in the sight of the agent assigned to our case, and Rachel's new passport will be ready for pickup tomorrow. Praise the Lord!

We've been celebrating ever since. And this week's link list is full of other reasons to celebrate the coming month. Enjoy!

Free resources for you this week:

Please note, I plan to dedicate an entire newsletter to the National Day of Prayer (issue #126), Mother’s Day (issue #127), and Memorial Day (issue #129). That's why they're not listed above with these lesser-known May holidays. 😊

What I'm reading this week:

Rachel and I listened to A Christmas Carol on our way to Dallas and back yesterday. We traditionally read this book as a family in December, but missed it last year.

The audio version, read by my immensely talented friend Miriam Margolyes, is only 3 hours 15 minutes, so it was the perfect length for keeping me awake on the road. And of course, Dickens is especially brilliant in this classic tale. He moves me to tears every single time!

What we're eating this week:

I was too tired to do much cooking after yesterday's lightning-fast trip, so I made what has become my go-to recipe for a quick-dinner: The Pioneer Woman's 11-Can Soup. It is packed with flavor, and my entire family likes it (although my 13-year-old usually picks out the mushrooms and gives them to me). πŸ„

Progress on last week's goals:

We βœ… celebrated all the birthdays and βœ… made wonderful memories on our cruise, and βœ… ordered new travel toothbrushes. But the βœ… passport crisis took precedence, and ❌ I haven't even started addressing graduation announcements. So that's getting bumped to next week.

Personal goals for next week:

  • get graduation announcements in the mail ASAP
  • send family reunion invites, as well
  • attend Texas Home School Coalition Conference in Dallas
  • pick up new passport
  • finish memorizing Psalm 33
  • paint another panel for my wall mural

​

Flanders Family Freebies

A happily married mama of 12, I am passionate about faith & family and love sharing ideas, fun resources, and free printables to help you build a strong, healthy, happy home.

Read more from Flanders Family Freebies

Welcome to the 173rd issue of Flanders Family Freebies, a weekly themed link list of resources designed by me, Jennifer Flanders, in hopes of helping you build a strong, happy, healthy home. Thank you for giving me a place in your inbox! Was this newsletter forwarded to you by a friend? Want your own? Subscribe here. Tyler, Texas Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Hello Reader, I hope you've been having a blessed holy week. Mine has been filled with early mornings, late nights, and lots of activity in...

1 day agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

PHOTO SOURCE: Pixabay Welcome to the 172nd issue of Flanders Family Freebies, a weekly themed link list of resources designed by me, Jennifer Flanders, in hopes of helping you build a strong, happy, healthy home. Thank you for giving me a place in your inbox! Was this newsletter forwarded to you by a friend? Want your own? Subscribe here. Tyler, Texas Wednesday, March 20, 2024 Hello Reader, This time of year, you can find chocolate malted robin eggs in the candy aisle of every grocery and...

9 days agoΒ β€’Β 3 min read

PHOTO SOURCE: Ivone De Melo via Pexels Welcome to the 171st issue of Flanders Family Freebies, a weekly themed link list of resources designed by me, Jennifer Flanders, in hopes of helping you build a strong, happy, healthy home. Thank you for giving me a place in your inbox! Was this newsletter forwarded to you by a friend? Want your own? Subscribe here. Tyler, Texas Wednesday, March 13, 2024 Hello Reader, How are you faring after the start of Daylight Savings Time? Is your sleep rhythm back...

16 days agoΒ β€’Β 3 min read
Share this post