Last Day of Camp Feeling

Tomorrow we're leaving for a family vacation with TJ's family.  But today, today we're cleaning the house.  Honestly, I feel like its the last day of church camp where you clean and clean and clean and have to eat leftovers so you don't dirty any dishes.  Poor Faith had the wierdest hodge-podge for lunch, she kept looking at me like "You're kidding, right?"  I know I'll appreciate it when we get home and its nice and tidy, but right now I'm exhausted.  My friend Corrie told me her moma always made her make her bed before they'd go on vacation for the same reason, so tomorrow I will be making my bed at 4:30 AM and thinking about you, Corrie, and your moma. 

On another note, did you know that babies grow up into little kids?  No really, did you know? Because last July my child looked like this:

And this week...

And I just. can't. handle. it.

Adrenaline Junkie

Preface: My husband and I are usually very tuned in to one another's wants and needs.  I don't know what the h-e- happened that day.
An adrenaline junkie I'm not.  I mean, for heaven's sake, I'm a kindergarten teacher.  That job alone takes up all your time and doesn't exactly lend itself to any sort adrenaline rush.  And somehow I married someone who loves nothing more than to run into a building that is in flames or give someone CPR until they breath again.  Who knew...
So last week I'm talking to TJ about how I need to do something that is thrilling, something exciting, something different than the typical day to day to day to stinkin' day or I'm just gonna go off the deep end.  (Yes, that was a run-on and yes, that's pretty much how I said it.)  And do you know what he said to me?  DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE HAD THE NERVE, THE GALL, THE CAJONES TO SAY TO ME?  DO YA, DO YA, DO YA? Here it is, and I quote:





"Well, Amanda.  What about driving the lawn mower?"





What the freakidy freak freak is that supposed to mean?  I blew up and frizzled into a pile of dust.  Is that the kind of person I've become?  Not that long ago I was a teenage girl who had her nose pierced, wanted a snake as a pet and begged my parents to somehow let me skydive.  And now I'm a mom who assumedly only gets kicks from mowing the lawn?  IS THAT WHAT I'VE BECOME, PEOPLE?  Well, now that its been brought to my attention, no.  And not just no, hell no!  I can't let that happen.  Something's gotta give.  I'm formulating a plan, so if you see someone skydiving while getting a new piercing from her pet snake, you know who it is.

Or this...

http://www.strangenewproducts.com/uploaded_images/john-deere-chopper-lawn-mower.jpg

Where We Live

When TJ and I were looking to buy a house we had MAJOR discussions about where we wanted to buy.  TJ would have been completely happy buying the land that attached to my parents and building a house there.  Uh... no.  I would have been completely happy buying a house on a main street in the middle of town, any town, but NOT the country.  We came to some sort of agreement about where we would live and God gave us a house that fit both of our descriptions.  We have a little bit of land in an addition.  I feel like we live in town, although when a friend came over recently she told me otherwise.  "You know, Amanda" she said. "This IS the country. You don't exactly live close to anything."  And she's right.  I don't live close to anything.  But this.  

This is one of my favorite sights.  When we drive home down the highway and I see a field like this I ALWAYS smile.  It makes me happy, like I can take a DEEP breath of air right in that spot.  I know its not for everyone.  Heck, it wasn't even for me a few years ago.  But now I love it.  It's where I live.

(Just FYI- I did not take this picture.  I googled it.  Because my iPhone camera taking a picture while TJ zooms down the highway at 70mph just didn't do it justice.)