~My "Pathetic-o-Meter"~

My "pathetic-o-meter" is about to hit an all time high:

Brad and his buddy…..and occasionally buddIES, meet in our basement to work out at the ungodly hour of  
wait for it……..
5:00.
Not 6:00, not 5:45 but 5 O'CLOCK.
Which means he rolls out of bed at 4:45.
I told him the other day,
"Honey, if my being in good shape was dependent on my getting up and sweating it out in the basement at 5:00 AM, I'm going to choose chunky. Just so ya' know."
I have complete admiration for his dedication and honestly wish I had a smidgen more.
This has been an every morning occurrence for the last several weeks which brings me to my point of my pathetic-ness.
Every night, after kids are in bed, dinner and baths are done, and before I stop, and before I sit-down, I think. (because once I stop, I don't start again until morning)
Ugh. The work-out bandits come through the side door which leads STRAIGHT through my kitchen and keeping room, AKA: The Most Lived In Part Of The Entire House.
I'm forced to get it spic and span a little more than I might would otherwise.
Maybe it's pride.
Maybe it's just a deadline.
Deadlines are things I resist but ultimately thrive on.
Whatever the reason, I secretly like those weirdos coming through my kitchen because I'm guaranteed an extra dose of motivation to clean up a little better before bed.
Which brings me to a funny blog that my dear friend, L, sent me regarding:
"If you are going to clean up before I come, then we can't be friends."
Find it here It's really great and worth a read. I love it and love my friends who fall under this category.

Ridiculous Rant:

I feel recently, as I have for a number of months now, that life is swallowing me up.
I can't deny that there are times, one day last week was the most recent episode, where I actually feel like I'm suffocating and for about five minutes, consider a move to Montana.
About 10 acres, surrounded by nothing but more acres is all I would need.
To live.
To grow a garden.
To have a simplified lifestyle.
To burn all electronics.
To have a town 20 minutes away for a church and for a movie theater, and preferably a Target.
Life is short, and I'd be lying if I said there were never moments when I question the whole way we do it.
I want to matter. To make a difference in whatever way God sees fit.
I want to be as busy as God calls me to be in order to further His kingdom here on earth.
I happen to believe that if you're not careful, you can work, work, work, and spin your wheels for the approval of man. Working for human approval does not bring good fruit or reward.
Do not want to be guilty of that.
I do not want to swim downstream.
I want to be that salmon….swimming up stream.
Going against the current~working hard to get where I'm going~even when it looks abnormal~
Whether that is Montana (it's not), or home-schooling my kids, or saying no to "good" things, or saying yes to volunteering for everything, then so be it.

It's Friday and it's sunny and it's warm and we are almost through with school.
~very thankful

~stacey