---Babies are a lot of work!! I'm loving seeing lil man but I can guarantee you that I will be doubly relishing my late mornings, any lazy afternoons, and the freedom I have for flexibility! My gal D is SUCH a great mom though and she's consistently taking care of his needs while making sure to raise as healthy a child as possible. Girlfriend is schooling me on all sorts of things that I might need to know some day! E's such a lil cutie so here's a picture of him for you to enjoy:
---D's been doing the Couch to 5K so she's been motivating me to get out of bed early in the mornings and run with her. The first day I missed her run time and struggled to get three laps out of her neighborhood circuit without companionship nor music. This morning I finally was able to push myself to a 5k however!
---I've been on a bit of a reading kick this week. On the plane, I plowed through Your Money Counts, which is a book about budgeting from a Biblical perspective. A lot of the information was repetitive from other books I've read about the topic, but a lot of the Biblical insights were applicable to other aspects of my current life thus it was a great reminder of being more steadfast, a better communicator & giver, etc etc. Today I spent most the day wrapping up the last half of Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews--an easy summer read about three friends in different mid-30s transitions who rent a beach vacation rental for a month. The book wasn't fabulous but it was fun, and it was a great break from some of the other serious stuff I sometimes read. Next up is September's book club selection The Glass Castle that my mother so kindly mailed here from her already read collection.
---Today I also spent some time thinking about finances and needing to be a bit more mindful about long term goals etc. I took a look at the budget for the next few months, scheduled payments on a few things for the next few weeks, and thought long and hard about my old goals of paying things down quickly. There was a bit of a quasi-shut door in terms of ease of access for me to take classes at the college where I teach, so I've been spending the last few days thinking about what I really want out of this next year.
---I also miss....hub. I hate to put it here but oh well, I'm just going to do it. I truly don't know how things will turn out and sometimes I wonder what exactly is (or can be) reality and what is in my mind about everything, but at the end of the day I know how I still feel inside my heart about the man that I chose to marry. I think my first appointment with the counselor when I'm back will be a very, very good thing.
---I've been nervous about having so much unfilled time in September but there's a chance Katie might be flying out to spend a few days with me and get to know Oregon.....and that alone is pretty exciting! Plus I know my mom's willing to come back up (yea for mom's transition into retirement!) and I'm already scheduling some happy hours with my friends for my return. Keeping busy with any last minute work items, prepping for next term, applying for interesting jobs, etc will also need to be added to any to-do list. And maybe I'll tackle some yard work & house projects and be able to keep this reading kick going! There are still a few other long weekend trips that I've contemplated, but we'll see where my budgeting mind is as the month approaches.
---I've been enjoying many of the local goodness that Georgia has to offer, including the local eggs and cheese that D had and her many organic and delish food items she's prepared. I also was able to pick up some locally roasted coffee from Savannah and some absolutely delicious Georgia beer (Sweetwater Blue), plus my gal Heather gifted me a bottle of local Georgian wine for my birthday. I'm looking forward to another Saturday trip to the local farmer's market and D and I might have to hit up the great tuna melts at that same restaurant too! (Tonight however I did relish every sip of the sparkling red Italian wine that had been sent over from another great milspouse who is stationed in Italy---thanks Ms Maggie, seriously amazing!)
---Additionally last night I had a long-ish chat with one of Tall D's military buddies, who also got out of the Army last spring. The two of them haven't kept in contact much but it was nice to hear from him as I've frequently wondered how he's really been doing. The conversation was great but it also reminded me again of how difficult the transition can be for so many veterans and how difficult it can be for most civilians to truly support and appreciate the life that these men and women have lived. There is no way to describe the reality of the military family.
---While I've been thinking about how to cut back on expenses, there are still a few things I'd like to do before returning back to the PNW: a return trip to Tybee with perhaps an outdoor excursion and a long day trip (at least) to Charleston. I'm still looking forward to seeing more of my gal Heather and enjoying the coming days with D & lil man E....but I also know I have some grading and lots of thinking to work through as well. It's been great to be away from home so much this month, but it makes me appreciate the haven and comfort of home too!
Hope y'all have been having a great first few days of this week too!
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