When I return, I hope to be a completely changed human being

I am home from camp.

And exhausted.

To the point I might start crying.

Actually. I have. Four times.

First cry, when I saw Andy. Because four days with youth made me miss my husband a whole lot. I even painted my t-shirt to say, "I love my husband" to surprise him today. He liked it.

Second cry, Andy told me I smelled bad. I'm sure it was true. And he was just teasing me. But I cried, nonetheless.

Third cry, no reason whatsoever. I looked at my laundry and started to tear up.

Fourth cry, Andy called to tell me his glasses fell off his face when he was driving, and out the window, and another car ran them over so he needed me to come to work and take him to Wal-Mart to get new ones. And I was so sad for him and his fiasco that I cried again. Especially when I remembered that he had to go to the doctor this morning, to have his six week long bronchitis looked at again.

I also teared up a little when I showered. And when I hit my bruise. It's quite a bruise. About the size of a tennis ball, if you cut its guts out and stretched it. Maybe not quite that big. But big. I got injured on the ropes course....and this bruise is like right by my armpit. Maybe I'll take a picture of it. But probably not.

All in all, though, camp was good. It was a good week. It was a fun week. It was at times a hard week. And it was truly exhausting.

But it was worth it. The kids didn't want to go home. A few cried. They agreed unanimously (I'm positive I misspelled that) that they liked it better than going to Florida last year. And that's a big deal. There was a lot of dissension about the decision to stay in state instead of going to the beach. But it was all good. Of course it was. Because it was all God.

Now I need to work on my laundry.

I think that I want to get a little more comfortable, because the sun is depleting my resources

This afternoon, I leave for youth camp. Thus begins the busiest two weeks of the summer.

I'll be gone this week from Monday to Thursday at camp. I hope it goes well. Come home Thursday, call to get a hair appointment (my roots are like an inch long...that has to be taken care of before school starts), have Bible Study with MJ, go back to her house to watch Wipeout. Friday I will probably be back at her house to see a friend who will be back in town, then we head to Indy Friday night to see Andy's parents. Then to West Lafayette for a wedding on Saturday, home Saturday night. Then Sunday I go to Bloomington for a bridal shower. Then Monday-Wednesday I plan on spending some serious time in my classroom, because school starts the next week. And my mom will help me in my room on Wednesday. Thursday we're going to Louisville to Six Flags, and the weekend is Andy's Tark reunion. I'll be in Indy with the wives of his friends while he's shooting stuff in the middle of nowhere. Then, the next week, I have a new teacher meeting on Tuesday, and the first teacher day is officially on Thursday. Students start school on Friday.

I think it's safe to say that my summer is pretty much over at this point.

If I don't update much in the coming weeks, you'll know why.

Everybody inside the car was fine

The other moment of my trip that I'd like to recount here actually happened after the trip. As I was driving home, I felt my car pulling kind of funny. Then I heard a ridiculous noise. Then I pulled over to the side of the road.

Where my back passenger tire was smoking.

Like a lot.

So I called Andy and he came and changed it into my donut and took it to the tire store. Apparently it had been low the whole time, but I had continued to drive on it for like 3-4 miles, and destroyed it completely. Making it the second tire that we have had to replace on my car in the last 10 months. The first one blew out as I was driving one day last fall.

As we were leaving the tire place, Andy turned to me and said, "You know, you are probably going to be a joke to them for the rest of the day."

Yeah. I figured. Anything to lighten the mood.

I am acting my heart out up here.

So for the past several days, I was in our illustrious state capital at a conference. I can assure you that it was one of my least favorite visits to this particular city. Because it was without my husband. And I didn't get to see my newer parents. And it wasn't totally worthwhile. Please don't misunderstand, I did learn some new things, develop relationships with four of my colleagues, and start to really focus on what lies ahead of me in a few weeks. But overall, I just wanted to go home and spend my last weeks of summer with my husband.

But something did happen while I was there. And it hurt. Really badly. There was something that I had kind of set my heart on...something that was earthly and not worth setting my heart on. And it got taken away while I was gone. And it hurt like the dickens. We were lost in the south part of the city, attempting to find a Super Target when I heard the news and in that moment I wanted to throw my cell phone and sob my heart out. But I couldn't. Because I was the one getting directions to the Super Target....and because I was with three people I barely know and have to work with this year. I have never in my life felt so dejected and so unalive. So I sucked it up. And now, now it's time for me to go deal with this.

And start piecing things back together.

So, uh, what's the 411? Any updates on the, uh, the P situation?

Today I leave for the next four days. I will be back on Wednesday. Only to leave again next Monday. For the following four days. To say that I am not looking forward to it is a bit of an understatement. This week I am at a teacher conference in Indy with co-workers I have never met before. And I'm a bit nervous. Next week, I'll be at camp with the youth from our church. It's okay, though, I'll be fine. I'm just being a big baby about it all. Mostly, I don't want to be away from Andy...and I have a lot I'd like to get done here and this is kind of eating into that. But I did finish my general lesson plans for the first six weeks of school last night, so that's exciting.

This is all very boring. There is something else I really want to write about, but I promised not to for two weeks. We'll just say something pretty ridiculous and unexpected happened here on Friday, and I already have the Facebook album planned for it :) Oh...and it involved Andy speaking these words to me, "Go ahead and just do it, I promise I won't yell at you like Jon did when Kate took out his staples."

Not that we watch too much Jon and Kate Plus 8 or anything.

How do you confuse 28 Days with 28 Days Later?

So...earlier this week, something pretty funny happened at our house. Our newest Netflix movie had arrived, and Mr. Husband was asking me what it was.

"Oh, that Adam Sandler football movie. I thought it looked funny."

"The Waterboy?"

"No...the other one."

"The Longest Yard?"

"No...I don't think that's what it was called. Let's just watch it and see."

People. I cannot tell you. I had rented Gridiron Gang, with The Rock (or Dwayne Johnson, his more professional moniker), which is far from a comedy.

Did you know that in the first few minutes there are multiple murderous shootings? And lots of swearing? And all around roughness? And things that are scary? And I'll stop with the question marks.

I just lay there on the sofa, repeating like a crazy person, "I didn't mean to get this. This is not what I thought I was renting."

And Mr. Husband was laughing. And laughing. And making fun of the general ditziness that comes from being me.

All in all, though, after those rough first few minutes, it's a really good movie. So I'm glad I accidentally rented it.

And The Longest Yard should arrive tomorrow, for real.

Guess what? White and eggshell white are exactly the same colour. Exactly

So...this week it hit me.

My summer is almost over.

My time as an unemployed college graduate is almost over.

My time as a wife without a job is almost over.

So of course I decided it was time to take on 46.3 trillion new projects.

Like redecorating the guest room. And parts of the bedroom. And cleaning out closets. And freezing a few things for dinner when I'm too tired to cook. And finishing my lesson plans for the first six weeks of school. Oh...and going to a teacher conference next week, and youth camp the week after.

I'm a little tired. And I have a blister. From painting.

I finally decided that I really couldn't handle the gray-green color in the guest room anymore...and that my whole house decorating style has changed and evolved this past year. So I hate everything I did last fall. And I want to change it.

So I'm starting with the smallest room. The bedding will change...right now I'm thinking about trying a red gingham/toile reversible duvet cover. I'm going to buy fabric this afternoon...and start sewing ??? maybe today while Andy's little brother in BBBS is here. If I can get ahold of mom and see if she can tell me again how to thread the machine. And I still want to repaint my bookshelves my grandpa made me. The dark blue and lime green was super cute my sophomore year...but now I need something a little more grown up.

Yesterday, I painted the ceiling, and today I painted the walls. Andy's parents recently taught me what I was doing wrong when I paint, and correcting that has made the job so much easier. Sadly, I hit a snag today. I have been using leftover paint....stuff that was already in the house, and I ran out after one coat. Now, there is another gallon of paint that is a very similar color, but not the same....and I was considering using it for the second coat...even though I'm sure that goes against every rule of painting. But I realized that I do need to have more of that original color...because it's the paint in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. And I need to touch up some in the kitchen and bathroom. And I want to paint over my blue accent wall in the bedroom. So I'm off to Lowe's in a bit to buy a gallon.

I'll let you know how much I get done in the next three or so weeks.

I may have to be hooked up to a caffeine IV.

Another story about darling 3 year olds

Okay, so really, the three year olds in my life are just too darling. This is a story from after Sunday School this morning.

First, I have been spending a great deal of time at my friend Mary Jo's house. So much, in fact, that her three year old T shouts my name when I enter the house or when he sees me anywhere, and he and I spend lots of time playing with his tools. Sometimes he nearly cries when I go home. The boy and I, we're close.

Today, Andy was talking to the parents of some of our Sunday School students, and I heard T shout my name across the hall. He was still in his in classroom, waiting on his mom to pick him up. So of course I went to talk to him. Our conversation looked like this:

"Hey buddy, what did you learn about in Sunday School?"

"Zatteus (or Zaccheus)"

"What did you learn about Zaccheus?"

"He was SHORT"

"What did he do?"

"He cwimbed a tree"

"Why did he do that"

"To see Jesus!"

And I do believe it blessed his dear teacher's heart. That boy knows his Scripture. He can already recite Genesis 1:1, the first five books of the Bible, explain who Jesus is...and what redemption is, and sing a lovely rendition of Blessed Be Your Name...and he's starting to learn Chris Tomlin's new song, Jesus Messiah. Oh, and when someone tried to steal his offering money, he told them they couldn't have it because that money was for God's work. And he schooled me on Ezra a few weeks back. When he learns something, it sticks. And he's just so dear.

I love that kid.

Sunburn, oh blessed sunburn

This week has been exceptionally dull. After craziness the last few weeks, it's been kind of nice to relax a little. I have mostly been working on my lesson plans for the start of the school year, and doing some reading. But today I went to the pool with some friends. And forgot to put sunscreen on my shoulders and back. Because that's the part Andy usually does for me. You would think that in the midst of Mary Jo reapplying the boys sunscreen 3 times, I would have figured it out. But no. Instead, my back is so, so red and sore. It's the color I wish our tomatoes were. And I feel like yuck.

But it was kind of worth it....because the day was so fun. Mary Jo's boys are 3 and 2 and this was their first real experience in a swimming pool, and it was SO fun to watch them get excited and figure out how to play in water.

Next time, though....I'll remember to protect my skin.

Catching Up and Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is (was?) my mom's birthday. We got to spend part of the weekend with her...and it was delightful! Here she is last February with Dad, Lauren and me.

Happy Birthday, again, Mom! I love you so, so much!

Andy and I have had a great couple of days. We went to a party with some of his coworkers on Thursday. We got to see my family on Friday, and his on Saturday. We went to the parade in my hometown, a pancake and sausage breakfast, had a campfire with hot dogs and smores with my family, then grilled out and dined al fresco with his family at his grandpas house. I love eating on the patio there. It's such a relaxing garden area. And we had a lovely drive home complete with Starbucks (my first since like April....we are so deprived in this boondock town of ours)...where I was thrilled to discover that the Mint Mocha Frapuccino had returned--it was my favorite drink in the Summer of 2005--but this time, it had chocolate whipped cream. And then we had a relaxing Sunday.

On our drive home--do you see what's wrong in this picture?

At the campfire--all the couples in our family (mom and dad) (andy and me) (lauren and john):

My cousins children....not all of these belong to the same person...they just get so much bigger every time I see them. I guess that happens when you only see them twice a year.

And today I went to Louisville with some friends and had lunch at P.F. Changs (a new favorite, for sure), went to the Lifeway Store where I got two new Bible studies (this and this), contemplated moving into the Bible study aisle (and the Bible aisle...and a few others), and bought Amy Grant's greatest hits (which I'm pretty excited about...I've been dancing and singing around the house for the last hour), then went to see the movie Hancock. It was dec(ent). I think Andy will enjoy it.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today's is my dad's birthday. It's a big one. But I'll keep it to myself. I wouldn't want him to kick me out when I get to his house later. Or try to ground me. Like my mom did the other day...for something I didn't do fifteen years ago. Oh yeah, Lauren, real funny.

Anyway, back to dad. Happy Birthday, Dadd-o! I love you bunches. And I'm thrilled that you're my dad. And that I get my sarcasm, my delightful wit, and my thirst for more knowledge from you.

Now if only I could give you some hair.

A Weighty Issue

So, last night we were checking out the scales in the bathroom. And I think I'm going to throw them out the window.

Followed by my husband.

Andy stepped on and asked me what I thought he weighed. I guessed the weight he weighed five years ago when we met (seriously...that was FIVE years ago??) as a joke. He's been well over that for about two years now.

Well wouldn't you know that with a case of acute bronchitis the little stink was back down to his junior year of college weight.

So then he wanted me to step on the scales. And I did. And it was not so fun.

In fact, his response was, "Wow, I only weigh fifteen pounds more than you now"

And last year the difference was forty. But really, who's counting.

So that's why I'm giving up eating.

Not really, I'm just being dramatic. But I do plan on widening that gap.

Happy Birthday, Lauren K!

Today is my sweet baby sister's 21st birthday. It makes me feel kind of old. You know, since I'm a whole two years older. So in honor of Lauren's birthday, I am going to tell you 21 things I love about her.

1. Her dedication. When this girl wants something, she works for it. Big time. Which is why 99 percent of the time when you call her during the school year, she's studying.

2. Her insane diseases. Seriously, the girl is a walking medical anomaly. I don't love that she has them....mostly I just marvel at how well she handles it. Her doctors appointment lists are ridiculous....and I would be moaning and groaning about it every second of the day, but she never complains.

3. Her compassion for others. She is never quick to judge, and always takes the time to care for other people.

4. Her deep seeded tomboy nature. For years we couldn't get her to wear anything but swooshy pants and t-shirts or sweatshirts. She still owns more t-shirts than anyone I know (which is also the opposite of me...I don't have enough t-shirts to make it through my workouts without stealing some from Andy)

5. The way we laugh at the same things. She always has an appropriate response to my stories.

6. The fact that she's trying to become more feminine--even daring to wear crazy high heels that I would probably pass by.

7. Her excitement when she realized that her rear end was no longer completely flat. Girlfriend was rocking her new curve. Oh that we should all be so blessed.

8. The fact that she was my dad's pseudo son for so many years--at least when it came to movie viewing choices. Lauren loves her boy movies. To this day, Andy says to me, "But your sister really likes (or would like) this movie" to try to convince me to watch something with him.

9. That she and my husband act like they are blood brother and sister.

10. I love it (and am totally disgusted) that she was crazy excited about getting to see a cadaver at chiropractic school

11. I love that she was helping my dad check grocery stores all across Ft. Wayne to try to find the tea that I wanted. Even if we never did find it.

12. I love that we had our own traditions in childhood--watching every Hayley Mills movie we could get our hands on, even if it meant sneaking out of bed to do it (you did that with me, right Lauren? for some reason, I just blanked), and cooking a special lunch for each other on the last day of summer break (aka the day Mom was gone...since teachers start school earlier than students)

13. I love that she was among the first to show a llama in 4-H. Seriously, it's just too funny.

14. I love that she has a hard time shopping for a dress for a formal dinner. And that I can send her to the places she needs to go. And educate her in the merits of a large accessory collection.

15. One more about her wardrobe--I love that she has to buy an all new wardrobe to be an RA because they told them not to wear sweats and tanks around all the time.

16. I love that she can watch the same episodes of Monk and any of the Law and Orders over and over and over and over and over again. I'm not sure my dad loves it so much.

17. I love that she watched Angels in the Outfield with me one summer...over and over and over and over and over again.

18. I love that she fills me in on the things mom forgets to tell me about. And vice versa.

19. I love hearing her stories from work during the summer. I thought my experiences at the reservoir were bad...but Lauren can beat me hands down.

20. I love seeing the adult she is becoming.

21. I love that she is MY sister. And that she is fabulous.

I love you, Lauren! Have a fantastic birthday!