Connected....but Not Really Community?-TAKE 2

Ok, so I jumped the gun a little last week and posted my #letsblogoff topic too soon. Yes, I did wonder why no one else had a stream going of posts, but somehow convinced myself that I was just in stealth mode and got there first. Dreamland, right?



P.S. Since my post, I've decided that being an introvert excludes me from many things and that if I can be outgoing once I'm in a group of people I know, I can be outgoing in a group of people I've never met. The challenge is set and I refuse to be one of the statistic that feels they need an internet connection all the time to keep their family together and/or friends together.

Enjoy the post (below)!

Connected....but Not Really Community?

Caption: Found this picture online and couldn't resist.

Today is Tuesday....so, today is a #letsblogoff day! Basically, several Twitter users have decided that it would be fun to bounce a random topic around via their social media worlds. I have found this to be a very interesting experience, not to mention a great way to get me writing again. Here's my official badge for the day (to show my inclusion). You can follow the other blogs by visiting www.letsblogoff.com SIDENOTE: I have not edited this post, as I feel it brings out the "realness" of it all that way...sorry if I've rambled.



The question at hand today? Do social sites like Facebook connect the world or isolate people?

Hmmm...there is a part of me that says Facebook is definitely connecting the world. Because, well, sure - it is! Facebook and other social media sites are allowing people that don't normally get to see others a way to communicate, to chat, to share things about themselves. For me, I get to see a few of my family members about every 2 to 3 years in person (yes, sad, I know, but life gets busy). Via Facebook, I have been able to view pictures of aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. My Grandma even got to see pictures of my kids and family while visiting my aunts house. I've been able to chat and connect with a few people that I've lost touch with. I've been able to stay in touch with the group of middle school girls that I lead at church. Awesome, right? Yes. It is awesome to be able to have that sort of technology.

Take Twitter, for example. I consider Twitter a notch up from Facebook as far as social media goes. This is the most real time thing I've ever seen. I've been able to connect with people I would have never had the opportunity to chat with, share information with, and joke with. It is really a cool thing (even though my husband ribs me constantly with the sophmoric nature of it all...he doesn't get it).

Now.....

Here's where it is time to roll up my sleeves and bring out my inner insecurities to explain why Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are not the end all and can honestly end up isolating someone:

I tend to appear to be a very outgoing person...I love to chat and hang out with people (thus why the real time nature of Twitter is so fun). Once I meet someone, I'm usually fine hanging out with them and building great community with them. I love to ask how people are and check in on them. BUT...(yes, you had to know there was going to be a but)...

I am a horrible introvert at the same time. I hate eating at restaurants alone. I almost always refuse to walk into somewhere by myself unless I know there are people I know there. I prefer to stay at home and watch a movie, rather than go out to eat where there are crowds of people. Are you getting the idea here or should I go on?

I can't explain why I'm this way, but I do realize that social media allows me to stay this way. For the most part, I do not friend someone on Facebook unless I've met them...why would I really want to? And yes, I have had the opportunity to meet a few of the Twitter folk that I follow...usually by accident. Each time I get a chance to meet one of my fellow Tweeters, I always feel a bit awkward. I have absolutely no idea why...ok, maybe I do. Could it be that it is easier to hide behind an avatar? Could it be that my high school insecurities come raging to the surface? Ummm...yeah. I think that's it in a huge nutshell. Really...I write much better than I formulate words. When I talk, I tend to trip over my tongue and have them looking quite confused. What if they think I'm an idiot? What if they stop following me after they meet me because they really see how much of a dork I am? Can I handle that? Each time I've actually gotten the courage to walk up to someone and say something to the effect of "Hey! Are you @____? I'm Splintergirl!" I've been proud of myself and happy that I did. But intially, I do tend to hide behind the avatar - not really knowing how to make the leap between virtual and actual.

So, I find timing hysterical sometimes. I actually had the opportunity to meet several local Twitter folk last Saturday evening. My husband and I were at a local resaturant. When we walked in, I recognized immediately @charleski. I said nothing, knowing that she'd never recognize the ponytailed, hatted avatar based upon the dressed up me. As we were waiting, @adamhann, @primaljeff, and another person from our church walked and sat down. Again, I squirmed. They all knew each other and work together at our church. They were having a spirited conversation. And...I said nothing. How do you stumble in on that conversation without feeling odd? Are you seeing a pattern here? To further add conviction, @mspiker and his wife @OTgremlin walked in. I have actually MET @OTgremlin and serve on a tech team with her. I actually did wave at her...whew, at least I tried, right? Then @mspiker came up with @JenniferSayer to say hi to the other folks sitting next to us...yes, right next to us. I again (yup you guessed it) said nothing. Can anyone say LOSER?

What was I thinking? I wouldn't be surprised if they all stopped following me on Twitter to be honest. Because I've essentially isolated myself, right? If they are good enough to chat with on Twitter, why did I find myself unable to introduce myself? Ahh...yes, see above fears already noted. To all of the above Lancaster people listed: my sincerest apolgoies and hope that you will offer grace. I promise to introduce myself next time with "Hi. My name is Amy Good."

So, do social media outlets connect the world? Of course they do. They make follow up with people easy and they allow for you to brighten someone's day with a kind word or two at just the right moment. Are they an end all? NO! Without face to face interaction, they are still just virtual and not real...not really. By that I mean, one's life cannot solely consist of friends in the viral world. You cannot hide behind a computer for all of your life...that would be isolation. You, as with everything in life, must have a decent balance. Some social media and some real world. Some virtual hugs and some real world hugs. Personally, I thrive on the real world ones.

So what do you think?

Testing or Tempting

Ever have those days or times where you have a thousand different things going through your head? Distracting thoughts. I find them extremely frustrating. Generally, these distracted feelings come when I have the longest to do list…aka multi-tasking will cause this. In a perfect world, we’d be cape wearing souls every day and be able to zip through our lists. In the real world, it just doesn’t always work out. And, just let one snag hit while your attempting the massive feat of getting everything done. I liken it to a meltdown of sorts (or at least in most of my cases).

So, why does it happen?...Why? I doubt that it is for me to say. But, I do have some assumptions.

Am I being tested? Hmmm….possibly. More likely, though, I’m being tempted, tempted to speak words that I’ve chosen not to utter, tempted to kick the air in disgust, tempted to allow myself to anger easily, tempted to basically allow my inner 2 year old to come out and behave as if the world has taken my favorite toy away. I must sheepishly admit that it certainly isn’t the first time this temptation to act out and stamp my foot has come up. Generally, I am able to push it aside or acknowledge it and move on. But, today….today, it took several hours to right my thoughts. It really is a shame because in those several hours I have to wonder how many people’s lives I touched in some way or another. Grace was certainly not on my mind or in my actions (including the candy machine that I forcefully pushed back and forth to give up my candy bar that I had paid for but got stuck coming out).
Satan causes temptation. He causes us to anger easily and he revels in the fact that we can park there in our own cloud of stupidity. Anyone thinking that God would cause that sort of thing clearly has to be mistaken (or maybe just needs to take another look, I guess). God made us for relationship. He wants us to cultivate them, as well as His kingdom. I can’t imagine that He would be looking at my inner 2 year old and smiling broadly. But, He does grant me the grace to pick me up when I finally realize how ridiculous I’m behaving (I believe that realization clicked after I finished devouring said candy bar mentioned earlier). He, in fact, picks me up every time I decide to follow the path of temptation, whether it be a huge detour or just a small one.

I will never pretend to understand all of the inner workings of His creation and how it all works together, but I am always, always aware that I am truly blessed to be a part of that and forever thankful for the unending grace that is given to me. And, I pray that some day I will be able to completely ward off the temptation that wells up inside me. But, that is not for me to fix myself and can only change by turning it over to Him. I finally understand the email quote that I received several years ago. I wish I could find it. It was something to the effect of: “Today, God, I give you all of my worry, all of my pain….I give it all to you.” I know there was more to it…just can’t think of it.

I remember reading it and scoffing at it several years ago, thinking “How? How am I supposed to just give it up?” It makes sense. It is only through Him that the worry and pain and whatever else can go away. It is only through faith that we can be restored. Hmmm…funny that I struggled so with that meaning. I mean, it made me feel warm and fuzzy and moved me emotionally, but I just couldn’t understand why. I think now I do.

P.S. If you know of the refrigerator notice and can find it for me, please send it my way. I know it wasn’t a specific scripture, but an email type thing.

Are College Graduates Ready For The Real World?

Ok, so over the past month or so, several of some great Twitter folks have been doing what they affectionately call a "Blog Off". I've been intrigued to join the mix for several weeks and have finally committed (see my official-looking badge below?)



*SIDENOTE: My post is based upon personal experience, observations (yes, opinion) and business experience.

Ok, so on to the topic of "Are College Graduates Ready for the Real World?". My response, sadly, is "It depends". Why you ask?

Well, it depends on how serious the student took their training. Did they view college merely as a party stage of life? Did mom and dad pay for it all with the student nary a care in the world? Did the student dig in and really study, really take this serious? Did the student research job availability research for after his/her graduation? Did said student seek out employment or internships? Wait...I'm asking questions and am supposed to be answering them.

First, let me be real honest for a moment. I graduated just about top in my class. I was excited to go to college and knew precisely what I wanted to do with my life. (I had wanted to be a lawyer since I was about 10.) I had researched my field and discovered that an Accounting degree was the best degree to enter law school with (good thing I was good at math and business). So, I busted butt in high school, even with the newborn that I had had just before senior year (life does have those curve balls, right?) and had a great support system and some scholarships. After the first year of college, reality struck that I couldn't pay for college and would need to get a full time job and put college on hold. So, no, I did not graduate from college, but I believe my real world experiences and lessons are more than capable of answering these questions (I believe).

Mostly, college grads are not truly ready for the real world. What classroom can prepare you for the various different positions out there? How could a college professor possibly know all of these details in order to teach them? The main reason for college to get the ball rolling. That is why many colleges require internships and the like. The hope there is that you'll intern with a company that may ask you to remain on staff, thus you've invested in your future employment and they have invested in a future employee. Make sense? We've actually hired an intern or two at my company (Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc.). We've found that while the drafting courses helped to prepare the intern, we had to retrain them. This retraining was not based on the fact that they AutoCad/drafting courses they took were sub-par, but merely because we are highly customized with how we utilize the program (see previous mention about varied skills in various companies). But, had that employee (now here for almost 6 yrs) not went out on a limb to start the course and then ask for the internship, he may have either decided to abandon his degree or have went in a different direction.

One of the main points that I think is missed, though is that the question has been directed towards 20 something people. What about those people that choose to return to college in their 30's or 40's that have been working in the profession for many years and are finally returning to college to make it "official"? Are they prepared for the real world? Probably. I suppose there are some that still are fully prepared, but I think those students that take the course of reality first and then studies may just be more prepared and be able to put that college education to work for them faster - not to mention possibly appreciate it more. I think it really boils down to a maturity level that has been attained (and the fact that they've had to finance said education on their own and probably juggle it with full/part time work).

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the read for my first attempt at the #letsblogoff. I hope I won't be outlawed from future posts due to my ramblings *smiles*. And, I hope to be one of those "matured graduates" at some point in the future. But, for now, I'll enjoy my life lessons college...or is it, graduate of the school of hard knocks? I wouldn't exchange my kiddos for the world...everything I've learned from my school of hard knocks has helped me in my professional world.

Here are the other participants:
Sean Lintow @SLSConstruction
Paul Anater @paul_anater
Bob Borson @bobborson
Nick Lovelady @cupboards
Veronica Miller @modenus
Becky Shankle @ecomod
Tamara Dalton @tamarajdalton
Tim Elmore @timelmore
Rufus Dogg @dogwalkblog
Bonnie Harris @waxgirl333
Richard Holschuh @concretedetail
Tim Bogan @TimBogan
Hollie Holcombe @GreenRascal
Cindy FrewenWuellner @Urbanverse
Steve Mouzon @stevemouzon

Banana Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

DISCLAIMERS:
*recipe works for 1 1/2 quart Cuisinart machine
*I'm still working on getting the recipe creamier, but this was still pretty darn good.

BANANA BLUBERRY SWIRL ICE CREAM

Ingredients:
1 1/2 bananas, pureed
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk (1 use 1%)
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 pint blueberries, pureed (1/2 pint if spouse gets hungry before ice cream making adventure day)

*Mix heavy whipping cream and sugar in medium bowl until sugar is dissolved (hand mixer for 1-2 minutes)
*Add bananas, milk, and vanilla
*Turn on machine and pour mixture in...total time is about 25-30 minutes but you'll want to check it periodically
*As mixture thickens, add 1/2 of pureed blueberries
*When ice cream is done, pour into bowl
*Take spatula and hole down in, pour some blueberry mixture and turn spatula once
*Repeat spatula step 3 more times (total of 4)until blueberry mixture is gone or the ice cream is to consistency you desire.
*Grab a bowl, a spoon, and some chocolate syrup and ENJOY!

Right Path or Just Going Through the Motions?

Did you ever think you were on the right track, finally going the direction you should be going only to watch as the road seemingly turned to dust? The path you thought was so true and right all of a sudden seemed bumpy and unmanageable.

Several things have made this pretty crisp to me lately. I have to step back and ask if the path I am taking is my path, my choices. Have I consulted God to see if this was the proper path? Did I even consider His plans? Did I make undue assumptions? (Because, I'm great at assuming things.)

Proverbs 16 is filled with many reminders. Verse 1 tells us that we can make our own plans, but God will always have the right answers. Verse 9 tells us that we make our own plans, but the Lord will determine our steps. Am I following the path that I believe is right, but that only ends in death? God has a way of pulling us back sometimes when we have reached the brink of disaster. Verse 3 reminds me that if I just commit my actions to the Lord my plans will succeed. I thought I was doing that. But, have I really? I have to beg the question of whether I have just gone through the motions.

This morning, I received a devotion that suggested that reading your Bible should not just be on your checklist of things to do that day. The writer suggested that we stop reading our Bible...not in a literal sense, but to stop just reading it to check off another "I did all my Christian activities". She encourages instead that we read as if we are talking to God, pick out a verse that speaks to us and read it over and over, and finally find a way to act upon it. It follows the "READ, CHEW, DO" that we are learning in 56 at LCBC. What verse leaps off the page? How can I apply it to my life? But the thing I had missed was not grabbing my Bible and sitting down at the table to run through the motions and underline a few words. What I've failed to do is about taking a few moments BEFORE reading to just pray from my gut that God will speak to me, admitting that I don't understand and that I feel my path straying.

In the end, it is about loving myself. If I don't truly love myself, I can't expect others to either. It is about forgiving myself for the wrongs that have committed...God has, why can't I? It is about baby steps toward the right direction and visibly noting those little improvements. And, most of all it is about knowing there will occassionaly be lows, but celebrating the highs and constantly striving to connect on a deeper level.

My action item (and maybe yours): Time to stop zombie walking and going through the motions and inject some "caffeine" into your relationships and become active in them, including your relationship with Christ.

And the Loser is Stubborn

Are you a stubborn person? I am. I’m not proud to admit it, but the reality is that I am that person. The one who likes to win the game, the race, the fight, the whatever. Somehow it feels good to win, right? For that instant, you are on top of your game – winner of your world.

But, at what cost did you win? Did you say hurtful things to win? Did you cheat? Did you lie? Did you purposefully behave in a less than likeable way to avoid admitting that winning is not everything? And now that you realize it, can you take back those actions, words, or lack of action?

I suspect we are all guilty of all of the above at some point or another.
For me, it is not about cheating or lying. For me, it is often about saying or doing hurtful things that seem to make me feel better at the time. Or, avoiding bringing a conflict to an end because I choose not to be the first to say “I’m sorry”. Even as I type this I feel childish. But, the reality is that it is SO easy for me to do this as a way to somehow validate my feelings.

I have to wonder in the moments of clarity where God was in my thought process. How did I somehow make ME bigger than Him and His love? How did I forget that love conquers all and selfish, childish behavior reaps more selfish, childish behavior that eventually leads to lonliness. As you know, sinful nature costs us. We all pay for our sins. In prolonging any dispute, I’m sinning. The longer I prolong it, the more costly to me and those around me. Why? Because I’m prolonging the love that I could be showing. I’m missing moments that are so precious and memories that could be formed….all because I choose to be stubborn. Also, life could be over tomorrow. Would they know how much I cared or just know that I was frustrated?
In the quiet of my drives to work, I realize that I am blessed beyond anything I could have imagined. I am truly thankful for all that I have and appreciate it. But, when my car arrives in the driveway, life seems to smack me in the face and somehow that appreciation floats from my consciousness. I’m working on creative ways to put the appreciation at the forefront and give my selfishness, childishness, and stubbornness a backseat for awhile-they’ve ruled long enough.

Some thoughts for how one would do such a thing? I’m not sure what works for you. My thought would be to remind myself prior to walking in the door that I love my life and I am blessed. A mantra was given to me recently “God is WITH you and God is FOR you.” Maybe the same could be said about those family members. “I am WITH you and I am FOR you.” Maybe it is more about actually telling them? I’m thinking a nicely written letter, explaining the reasons for my appreciation and eventually a verbalization of those sentiments. Baby steps.

Are We Different?

So, I am sitting here today trying to figure out where time has gone. There is a song called "Don't Blink". Well, it seems that is what I have done in some way. Time seems to be flying by at such rapid rates. Every year seems shorter and shorter in some way. And, through it all I am left with the question of "What did I DO this year? Did I really have an impact? Did my life make a difference?"

Some days, I feel on top of the world and on top of my games and can truly say...YUP! I had an impact. I suppose also that it depends upon how big your impact must be before you think it makes a difference. Does that make sense?

Often what we don't realize is that even a smile to a passerby may have a huge impact on that person's life. A simple "Hello" and you've possibly made their day. Sometimes, God has placed people in our lives to lend encouragement (sometimes without even knowing it). Man! We do have an awesome God. Sometimes, it is the things around us that He has given us.

For me, it is the huge Maple tree that I pass on my way home...majestic and colorful. Although it is not my property, it is like God placed that tree there just for me. It brightens my day and cheers me up. Or, the squirrels that play in the yards I drive past. I can honestly say that I think the squirrel is one of the best animals He created. It is hard not to chuckle (or even smile) when one looks at a squirrel with their tail flitting or when they run through the grass.

BUT, I'm left with the pondering thought....why don't I notice this stuff every day? Why don't I appreciate His creations all the time? Have we become a society that is so busy that we take the creations of our Lord for granted. Have we become so distracted from what REALLY matters? I think to some degree we have.

Today, I urge you to go out and smile to at least 3 people you don't even know...take 20 minutes to just observe nature and His creations and then spend just a few minutes saying "Lord, thank you for everything. I would be nothing if it weren't for you."

The Chaos After the Storm?

Well, we are FINALLY married! It seemed like those last few months drug on and on and then all of a sudden the last week flew by in a flurry of craziness. We went away on a much needed honeymoon retreat and all I can say is WOW! The place was amazing and the definition of a world away. Now, we are back to doing life....real life again and I'm back to feeling like there are more things to do than I have time for in a day.

I would like to think, though, that I'll be a bit more relaxed about it and soon learn to not be so stressed and paniced about getting things down RIGHT NOW. Tim is learning that I definitely have "issues", but I think he knew that prior to the marriage...maybe just didn't know how deep these obessive-compulsive issues went and just how darn ignorant they really were. Yeah, I know that they are stupid, but I still find myself straightening towels so they hang straight or turning them so the tag isn't showing or turning all of the shampoo bottles so the labels are all facing out. Meanwhile, I have no problem walking past an unmade bed on my way to work. Go figure, right? I can't explain it and have given up trying.

Anyway, we are going Friday to meet what I hope will become a new family member in our household....a white shepherd that is between 10 and 11 months old. The story of how we came upon her just seems so much like a sign that I couldn't resist. I am nervous, nervous, nervous, but I know that we will be able to provide her a good home and am happy to have something "to walk" in the evenings. All in all, I'm really, really excited about the whole thing. As Tim and I have been saying, "WOOF"!

So, am I adding to my chaos? Sure, but I'm not sure I'd know how to live without a bit of chaos in my life. Besides, I have a really hard time not be-friending an animal. Here's a picture of her...it is a bit old, but look at those ears! I can't wait to meet her.

WOOF!

Feeling Sentimental

Ok...so it's been a bit over a month since I decided to write anything. Things have been pretty busy. Tim and I are down to 25 days to go until the wedding and there is a flurry of activity happening. It seems that there was a period of about 3 months of quiet and now we are kind of in this storm--busy, but wonderful.

We got to spend the summer with Clayton and that was good. It is always hard for me to hug him goodbye and know that I won't see him again for another month. I'm so pleased that he will be able to be in the wedding and have a part of such a special day. I only hope that he is feeling proud to have that place as well.

With everything going on, I have been feeling extremely sentimental these past few days. I'm not sure what exactly it is. Monday morning, I was greated with pictures of my beautiful little girl on my email. She is 10 now and it seems like just yesterday I was watching her walk for the first time. Now, she's talking about clothes and hair like she is already a teenager. Wow! But, I am truly blessed to have her in my life. She is alot like me, which causes disputes that happen on a regular basis. She is stubborn and strong willed - this is where we are similar and this is what causes arguements that tend to escalate. But, she has a quality that I'm not sure where she got...she has this huge, giving heart. It's one of the things that I truly love about her (that and the gorgeous freckles). God has blessed me in countless ways.

Getting to know Clayton as an adult, I see the same sort of giving spirit. I see a gentleness about him beneath the surface. Sure, he tries to go for the tough-guy exterior, but it does exist. He is becoming quite the young man as well and is truly as smart as a whip in both math and science. He is my miracle child...born at 4 lbs. 6 oz. and 2 months early. He spent the first month of his life in NICU on machines, under jaundice lights, and being poked and proded several times a day. At a week or so old, he received a full blood transfusion because his cell counts just were not high enough. He's a fighter, that's for sure.

I look back on some of the decisions that I've made in my life. Some, I look at and feel ashamed or remiss. Others, I look back and feel honored that those decisions (even if they were hard) molded me into the person I am today. Although my path was sometimes rocky, God paved a way for me to get through it. He laughed with me when I laughed and he cried with me when I cried, rejoicing in the fact that He had a plan.

Ahhh....

Put A Little Thought Into Life

I was sent an email yesterday...you know, one of those ones that you are supposed to fill out with your opinions? Well, for me, this one was much different from the normal. At first it started out much the same, but once I got involved with it the questions seemed very thought provoking to me....You know, things that you SHOULD think about more often, but don't tend to because you're too busy or something?

In any event, here are the questions and my answers. I hope that it leads you to travel through the questions and also be struck with a moment of quiet thought....

1. I've come to realize that my boobs...have gotten bigger over the last few years, but will still never be DD.
2. I've come to realize that my job...is exactly where I should be....even if it does drive me crazy somedays.
3. I've come to realize that when i'm driving...I think best.
4.I've come to realize that i need...to learn to relax and just have faith.
5. I've come to realize that I have lost...so much of my life trying to make it come out my way and stressing about all of that instead of just enjoying where I'm at.
6. I've come to realize that I hate it when....I'm wrong or when my temper flares.
7. I've come to realize that when I'm drunk...I tend to be grouchy....or sick.
8. I've come to realize that money...cannot buy happiness, it can't buy love, and rich people are rarely truly happy. Money corrupts.
9. I've come to realize that there's certain people...that I could not imagine my life without.
10. I've come to realize that I'll always be....a mom and that is something that no one or custody paper can take away.
11. I've come to realize that I have a crush on...Tim, along with an undying love.
12. I've come to realize that my dad..does love me, but may just not know how to show it.
13. I've come to realize that my cell phone is...a pain in the butt to carry around over the summer.
14. I've come to realize that when I wake up in the morning......I feel like I didn't sleep enough, but can't go back to sleep either.
15. I've come to realize that before i go to sleep...I rarely remember to take my medicine.
16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking about...whether the pizza is soon done and how I'm going to get everything done.
17. I've come to realize that I...am not always the nicest person to be around and that I am very selfish.
18. I've come to realize that when I get on Myspace...Not there yet...Facebook, but not Myspace.
19. I've come to realize that today ...was stressful, but tomorrow is another day.
20. I've come to realize that tonight...I'm going to chill out and "prep" for tomorrow.
21. I've come to realize that tomorrow I will..try harder to stay focused.
22. I've come to realize that children.....are a blessing and a curse at times, but that God instilled undying love for them no matter what.
23. I've come to realize that the last guy i was with...was not the one for me.
25. I've come to realize that friends...are priceless.

Enjoy your day!!!!

Life in the Fast Lane?

Ahhh...we are back from vacation. It was...nice.

Well, just an update on the whole packing thing for you. No, I didn't get my list done Thursday before leaving; nor did I get the grocery shopping done. I opted to lay low and just go to sleep when I felt tired (something about knowing that the week would be busy?). So, Friday morning was filled with an early start to finish the list, round up every essential needed so that I would be fully prepared, and nursing Courtney's sore ear. Did I mention that she had what appeared to be a swimmer's ear or ear infection that required her to come home early from day care? So, in the early morning hours of desperation, I started roaming the house with my list. It probably would have been funny to the onlooker...me carrying a laundry basket to the bathroom to get the shampoo, conditioner, soap, sunscreen, etc. and basically emptying the medicine cabinet of every possible medicine that we "might" need over the week. Yes, it was only Altoona and there are stores, but if you know me then you know that it was an essential item to pack. So, before making the call to the doctor I instruct Courtney to just try to clean her ears out to "see". The result was an ecstatic child who informed me (in very loud words): "I CAN HEAR! IT DOESN'T HURT ANYMORE!" I, as you might guess, was elated and continued about my work.

There were several other "issues" that made the day interesting on Friday (aka packing day). I won't go into huge detail other than the facts that we somehow misplaced the key to the car carrier and I had to "break in", we weren't sure when or how we were getting Clayton (the well-known great communication there), and things were quickly looking as though vacation was a bad idea. All in all, we hit the road for Altoona and our adventure to a new park.

The cabin was amazing and much more modern than we were used to but very nice....the park had a great view and was mainly quiet, but a little too close to civilization (the house we could see from our camp). The weather was beautiful and we all got along great considering some of the conflict that was present.

We got back home on Friday and unpacked and just tried to settle in. Saturday I awoke to a very strange feeling of being unsettled. I couldn't explain it at all....I just seemed to be having difficulty getting back into the swing of things. It was a fairly busy weekend with the Keener cookout (which was excellent!) and Tim's family reunion on Sunday afternoon. We were still using the "We're still in vacation mode." on Sunday....I guess that all ended when the alarm rang Monday morning to bring me dipping back to reality. The first goes off at 5:00 for those days that I feel awake enough to work out. The next alarm goes off at 5:15 for the slight reminder that I may want to get my butt moving. The final alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m. stating: "HELLO! Get the heck up and get your shower!" Well, this was of course earlier than any day I had risen from bed for the back 10 days. Needless to say, it was 5:40 when I finally heard the alarm and realized that, however slugish, I had to get moving. Work was intense with unburying my desk.

Wish me luck today as I attempt to "get back to normal". Sometimes I'm sure that we all ask ourselves if vacation was really worth it when we return to a huge pile of things to do. Well, it definitely is, which is why I insist upon going. Those bonding times with the family are worth a little stress on both sides of it!.....just gotta remember to breathe!

Wedding Hub-Ub and....

Whew! We are now just under the 3 month mark for the wedding and activity has picked up dramatically! We have been given 3 books to read for "self improvement", if you will. I'm excited to get started on them, but at the same time stressed that they are, well, required....it kind of takes the fun out of reading a bit. But, that being said, I'm excited and feeling fully replenished and ready to jump in head first. I guess you could say that Tim gives me the ability to have that energy and actually encourages it.

June will be filled with invitation planning, tuxedo finalizing, menu stuff, and vacation. Yikes! Vacation is approaching sooo fast and I've yet to even begin to consider what we need to pack or make a list. (Yes, I'm a list maker. I insist upon having one to pack for any trip.) There's also the little detail of figuring out what all there is to do so I have some idea of cost and such prior to our arrival. I'm excited, though, the place has a lake with a beach front and I'm really looking forward to spending some time with just "us".

It occurred to me the other day that under all of the weight, I'm not as stressed or anxious as I could be. There are definitely very tense moments, but overrall I'm just trying to take things in stride (check with me next Thursday when I'm trying to throw together last minute stuff for the trip....things'll probably be different then :o) But, we are still having fun and I'm trying very hard to remember patience and to relax. God is there for me....I just need to remember that and be mindful that He is with me always.