Man, I am super sucked into Facebook! I just joined and I am crazy. At first it creeped me out and I still kinda don’t get it. I think it will get old after awhile, but it sure is fun to see people I haven’t connected with in awhile. Wow, does that say something about our society (or me?). I will look at someone’s Facebook, but don’t want to actually talk to them and yet I say I feel “connected”.
For some of our students this is their primary source of communication. I feel old and out of touch when I say this, but I’m gonna…what a shame.
But I do it too now.

Now a few days back in the real world swing of things. Back to being married to a youth pastor, I have been reflecting on our time off and some of the other vacation days that we have had. I am realizing that its hard to take time off. Not just the expense of it. But to really relax, forget about the stress. Truly remove yourself from life and just u n w i n d.

My expectation of a great vacation would be returning to the regular pace of life rejuvenated and with a fresh perspective on life and work, and for me motherhood. But that is a pretty steep order to cook up and a lot of pressure to put on one little vacation, right?

Sometimes for me, if I have time away I really don’t even to know what to do with myself. I usually do dumb stuff and then feel like I wasted my day off.

I would love to take a class on this one and have someone tell me how to have the perfect relaxing vacation (and then pay for it, the class and the vacation). Why is vacation so hard for me?..and I think maybe I’m not alone on this one.

We had our “vacation re-do” last week. It was great. We didn’t even go anywhere or do anything. Just 9 days of no ministry. It was very nice. It was fun to have normal days with both of us playing and taking care of the kids, well nicer for me than Jeff. I think his expectations for this vacation were a little different than mine. He wanted to sleep in, work out eveyday, surf, and go to the movies. Really great and not even that extravegant, but we have 3 kids that don’t sleep in, work out, surf, or sit through movies, and I was sick 2 of the nights which left Jeff to deal with all the kids alone (not so much sleeping). So he went back to work not so refreshed but he does have a clearer mind. So we will now call our “vacation re-do” a “brain-break”. It was very needed.

Now that I have kids, anytime I see a balloon I think of a child crying. If you have kids you know what t I mean. A balloon will pop, equalling tears. A balloon will fly away, equalling tears. Or perhaps an ornery brother steals it away, equalling tears. Then a fight breaks out between the big brother and little sister about who’s balloon it is and then everyone is crying waking up the 4 month old baby brother to which the parents are now crying, then the crazy mother takes the scissors popping the balloon on purpose and sending the brother and sister upstairs (still crying) before something else happens with the scissors…. I just say no thank you to balloons whenever offered. They just make me cry.

I’m addicted to Craigslist I think!
I have spent countless nap time hours looking for house stuff between the prices of free and $20.
I love the bargain challenge.

So far I have only actually purchased a rocking chair, and a cuckcoo clock. But I’m always on the look out for… something.

Santa and Jesus work at McDonald’s.
When she sat on Santa’s lap this year she ordered up a football and guacamole. Easy enough
When she prays at night it sounds something like this: “Thank you God for making me. Thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Bubby, and baby Scotty. I want to play and have a cheeseburger and chocolate milk. I want french fries and guacamole. Amen.”

I can relate on so many levels. I love cheeseburgers, chocolate milk, french fries, and guacamole. I also “order-up” prayers like a drive-thru sometimes.

#2: I hate to brush my teeth.

Don’t worry, I do it, but I don’t like to do it. When I am ready for bed I just want to go to bed. 2 minutes is a lot of sleep time in my life just staring at myself in the mirror looking at my wrinkles and laugh lines.

#3: I put on deodorant before I go to bed.

I don’t know why. I’m not a night sweater. I don’t think I stink before I go to bed. I didn’t grow up doing this, its just a habit I picked up along the way. (I put it on in the morning too). ??

So now you know me even better.

I know I have mentioned earlier that this Christmas season was super busy. And after the craziness blew over Jeff did take some days off to be with our family. However, we (he) did not think thoroughly through the days he was taking off. He took off the week days but not the weekend. Very important ladies!! Note to self: our husbands brains do not shut off if there is a weekend service to be planned. So although he was home, he wasn’t all present all the time. And he DID work so that he could put together the service. Now one month later and his brain is fried, he is still exhausted and (using his words), “giving crappy messages”. So we as a family are having a vacation re-do this next week. He is not preaching this weekend or next weekend so that he can really rest.

Our time-off together is precious, we don’t always have the luxury of spontaneity and it needs to be thoughtfully planned. Lesson learned.

I am blessed to have a re-do. I can hardly wait!

"I think I ate too much at Gold Star Chili - who wants a free DVD?" - Carrie M.

Nope....still no brain activity! - Jamie

Cute guys, real cute….Congratulations!!

Love,

Amanda